Summer Shoot

We’re a young business and the idea of paying top dollar for models is not necessarily appealing. So you will have to forgive us for the shots of with cut off heads/faces, which are all of our friends/wives/etc.. But, in all honesty, with photography I prefer to focus on the product. The shots of Mathew McConaughey, shirt off, staring at you from the pages of GQ has always prompted me to put down the magazine rather than pick up the product.

That being said, we needed some photography and someone to wear the shirts. So about a month ago I was at an engagement party for a good friend and struck up a conversation with his father who is old neighbor of mine. Halfway through a casual conversation, it stuck me that he would be a great fit for the shoot. A fact, that I quietly mentioned to my girlfriend, who then proceed to tell him that “I wanted to take his photo”…. a comment that prompted a defense that its not as creepy as she made it sound….a point that was followed by awkward silence and another trip to the bar.

But, he had such a great look that I followed up a couple of weeks later and he agreed to give it a try. And I could not be more pleased with the result. We spent the afternoon in Jackson Ward (see below) and he was a natural. At the end of the shoot our photographer basically asked if he could represent him...

Thanks to Mr. Banks of Banks Coin Laundry and Chris from Comfort for letting us their space. The shoot was followed by dinner at the latter, which is quite possibly the best restaurant in Richmond.

Broad Street/Jackson Ward/Pop-up Shops

One of my favorite areas of Richmond is called Jackson Ward.. It‘s just North of Broad street, which at one point was the epicenter of Richmond retail and commerce. It’s about 10-block area that following the civil war became an epicenter of entrepreneurism/music/culture. I spoke to someone recently compared it to the Harlem during the renaissance of the 1920s/30s. One of the most interesting aspects of Jackson ward is the architecture that is a mixture of residential and retail from the 1850s-1920s. It has fallen on hard times over the last quarter of a century, but over the last 5 years and group of art galleries/developers/restaurateurs have moved in and have managed to stimulate a small revival. A First Friday’s Art Walk now brings thousands of residents to the area the first Friday of the month.

So we decided to get involved and throw together a pop-up store a couple of Friday’s back. We had a couple of coolers of Urbock Stout (Bacon Beer) left over from a beer tasting a few of weeks back and set up shop for the evening. We teamed up with Eurotrash, which in my opinion is the best woman’s boutique in the city, and threw a party. We had an open bar and appreciated the chance to put some volume behind the new Black Keys album and some early Elmore James that’s been on repeat for the better part of a year. About 200 people come through door. A good night….

The Staple Singers

It's Sunday morning. It feels appropriate.

Summer

It gets hot in Virginia in the summer. After nearly a decade away I had somehow forgotten this fact, which is perhaps how I ended up in an apartment without central air (in retrospect a mistake) . But, even with the heat it’s a rarity that I’m going to break out the shorts and I’m not quite prepared for the short sleeve button down. So the overall goal of the Summer Collection was to make some light, breathable shirts.

Very pleased with how things came together. The highlight fabric has to be what we used for the Parker Gingham. On color, you cant go wrong with these in the summer, but we wanted to use the lightest fabric we could find. And we got it. It’s the kind of shirt where you find yourself continuing rubbing your arm and as an added bonus the tight weave makes them surprisingly wrinkle resistant.

I’m a big fan of Oxford Cloth, but an Oxford makes for a heavier shirt in the summer and needs a few washes to wear in. So we wanted a white casual shirt and went with the lighter pinpoint with a button down collar. It’s a classic American casual shirt that’s great for the summer.

Lastly, fabric aside, we added a new spread collar on top of the Starks (my personal favorite). The Anglo-American is an incredibly versatile spread collar, but there was demand from friend’s back in London to go wider. Went through a couple of variations of this before we got it right. It’s a fuller spread (but not full cutaway) with a nice roll… More of these to come in the fall.

Iceland vs. Ledbury

I have always been a big fan of Iceland. The people are friendly, the women are beautiful and there’s great nightlife…. So until late 2007 it seemed like the country had all figured out. Then, an Icelandic banking collapse nearly took down the entire global financial system. But, we all make mistakes, so I had forgiven the small island nation and looked forward to a trip to Reykjavik with a stronger dollar. But then, out of nowhere an Icelandic volcano erupts, sending an ash cloud over Europe and basically shutting down intercontinental commerce. Now, I’m not sure if these events are a sign of Iceland’s imitate invasion of Europe, but I mention them because Iceland, and its deviant behavior, played a part in turning the Ledbury Spring Collection into the Summer Collection.

So after a slight delay, I’m pleased to report that the Summer Collection has arrived….

Good Things

Navy Gingham (soon to be available Summer Collection) + Mint Condition 63 White Vespa = Perfection

Suckers

In a bizarre twist of fate the same night as the Ledbury D.C. Launch Party, my college roommate Austin and his band Suckers where playing a sold out show with Local Natives at Rock and Roll hotel a couple of miles down the road. The launch party went late so I was not heard down to see the show, but I have heard nothing but positive things.

I’ve been listening to Austin and his cousin Quinn play together since their first album as The Noise about 8 years ago and I have always been widely impressed. Now as Suckers, with band mates Brain and Pan they’re in top form…and the press seems to agree with strong reviews from everyone from Rolling Stone (Hotlist) to Pitchfork to MTV (2010 Artist to Watch).

So the debut Album is out on June 8^th and I would highly encourage you to pick it up (suckersmusic.com, itunes, wherever). They have a unique sound and a creative approach that I have no doubt will lead to big things in 2010 and beyond.