Thursday, December 23

SHOE NO. 1

The oxfords I made in Budapest for Heidi....





...And the tools I used to make them. 























I labored over these shoes for 10 days during my apprenticeship at the Koronya workshop in Budapest last month.  I created a classic oxford pattern, cut from high-quality, matted leather and on soles that I painstakingly carved from durable cow-neck, using tools #1 and #6.  I'm thrilled, and admittedly surprised, that all 10 fingers are still attached and working.  

More news on shoes and Budapest adventures to come!



Wednesday, December 22

BLACK + WHITE






Nice black and white photos. As simple as that.
(Sorry- I don't know any credits. I've had them stashed away forever)

Monday, December 6

PLACES VI








After being a distant admirer for five plus years, I finally made it. Even in the winter, it's an amazing place to be.

Thursday, December 2

GARDEN & GUN



Our subscription to Garden&Gun is the most reliably satisfying in the over-the-top mound of magazines we receive every month. We think it's because of the way they seamlessly bring together tradition + cutting edge, the deep south + NYC, bbq pits + oyster bars, and of course their appreciation for all things artisanal.

Regardless of whether or not you have southern roots, we think you'll like it!






Thursday, November 18

Tuesday, November 9

Sunday, November 7

TUNE IN



Glasser



After seeing Glasser play at CMJ the other week, I can't really stop listening.  It's seductive stuff.  The music is beat-heavy electro pop with really ethereal vocals. Moody, whirling, spell-binding, eclectic-- all of these things.  

Oh yeah, and Cameron Mesirow (Glasser) is an absolute siren.

On repeat: Apply. (Also be sure to listen to the Delorean and Tanlines Apply remixes!)





Tuesday, November 2

THE UNIFORM



We've been losing entire afternoons to the New York Public Library's digital archive.  It's hard to come up for air once you're in the thick of it.  

We are particularly attached to Dr. H. J. Vinkhuijzen's  impressive collection of some 32,000 images of uniforms.  Dr V., a 19th century Dutch physician, traveled the world assembling scrapbooks of his own illustrations, book clippings, and other images of military costume  from the Bronze Age warriors, to Medieval court officials, to the various armies of 19th century Europe. We can certainly appreciate his fascination with regalia, its evolution, and its contrasts from country to country.  You're the best, Dr. V.


Dive in and see what you can dredge up. Below is a sampler of our favorites from around the globe in the late 19th century...


Russia.


Mexico


Mexico, again.


Egypt


Bulgaria


Austria


Monday, November 1

DISCUSSION NO.5

What We Talk About When We Talk About:
Letterpress Printing

We're extremely excited to share this wonderful company, Brown Parcel Press, founded and run by our two buddies McDavid Moore and Megan Boling. Both of these insanely talented artists have been mastering the art of letterpress since our days together in Athens, Georgia and have since moved their operation up to Brooklyn (while still keeping an auxiliary office down South).
The centuries old relief printing technique combined with their eye for quirky minimalist line drawings is the perfect combination.
Tactile, yet slick. Old worldly, yet modern.
Perfect!






Check out their website and give 'em call.
They're a ton of fun to work with! (see the #6 Wedding project...)

Wednesday, October 27

OUR PICKS NO.2



This week: Where would you go for a month to be an apprentice for a master shoemaker?


Heidi: ummmm....


Charlotte: Budapest!

In fact, I'm here this very moment, stuffed to the brim with bean goulash, sketching a handsome monk strap shoe, and repeating  "köszönöm" aloud, each time with less confidence.  

 Expect reports in the next month on Budapest, cordwaining, and anything in between. But first, a small note on Koronya, Budapest's renowned bespoke shoe and boot atelier (where I am an apprentice).










Koronya is operated by master shoemaker Marcell Mrsán, a true artisan and pioneer in this renaissance of quality handcrafts. 

While most shoemakers tend to be cagey about the secrets of their trade, Marcell has made it his mission to preserve the traditional techniques of cordwaining.  He offers apprenticeships to aspiring shoemakers and demands nothing less than perfection from his pupils, just as was expected of him as a youngster at an Hungarian trade school.

So I'm here to tell you I survived my first day of the apprenticeship, wound-free. More reports to come... 








PATTERNS III





The Berbers of Morocco are the outsider artists of the rug merchant world. Their semi-nomadic, tribal history has kept them clear of trends and consumer demand- mainly the classical symmetries of Middle Eastern models- leaving us with wildly imaginative wool creations.