A year and a half in, my Viberg 1950 Service Boots are aging very nicely. The Dainite soles have proved to be both durable and practical  (NY sidewalks can be slippery and slushy in the wintertime) and the brown harness leather still looks great after taking a beating. As a reminder, here’s what they looked like brand new.

Last fall, I traveled to Tokyo with my business partner and good friend Kiya Babzani to view Spring collections from all of the brands we carry at Self Edge. While there, a trip to the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market was in order. I will admit that I am not a major sushi connoisseur; I know what I like and am pretty easily pleased, but this was my first time in Japan since childhood and I had to experience what the freshest sushi in the world tasted like. I was not disappointed.

This week marked the launch of our new office and showroom space for 3sixteen: Chapter & Verse Agency. We took ownership of the space on January 1st and finished renovations in time for NY Market week a mere two weeks later. It’s where we’ve been meeting with retailers this week to show them what’s new with our brand and the ones our showroom now represents.

A few years ago, Johan and I wanted to be able to do sales and consulting work for other brands, but it didn’t seem to make sense to conduct that business under the 3sixteen name, as we are known for our clothing. Johan coined the name of the agency – Chapter & Verse – which is both a nice tie-in to our own brand’s name (3:16) as well as a phrase that refers to conducting business with great attention to detail. This year, though, marks the actual launch of the agency as a physical showroom and a business to help both established and newer brands gain market share through sales and PR work. It’s nice to see an idea finally come to (physical) fruition, and marks a new step for both Johan and me professionally.

Beyond its function as a showroom, we took this space because it’s a retail storefront and thus provides us with lots of flexibility. We envision it as being a daily hub where friends and colleagues can connect, exchange ideas, network, and enjoy really good coffee. It’ll also be the home to monthly gatherings, art/photography shows, and perhaps even a few special temporary retail events. Our first office space 5 years ago was also on Allen Street and, like this one, was a retail space. There was something special about being so accessible to friends who were in the neighborhood passing by – I’m looking forward to having this space function in a similar way.

Chapter & Verse Agency
162 Allen Street
Lower East Side, NYC
@cvagency

Two weeks ago, Davi and I spent the morning at Thomas Hooper‘s art studio shooting him for an upcoming 3sixteen Singularities piece. Here are a few things that caught my eye.

Look for the piece to debut on 3sixteen.com in early August.

Once summertime rolls around, I put the boots away in the closet and switch over almost exclusively to canvas and suede sneakers. I just don’t feel right trudging around in clunky, heavy footwear in the sweltering weather. For the past few summers, I’ve started on a fresh pair of white Purcells that end up looking (and smelling) haggard by the time September rolls around. As much as I’d like to keep them, I always toss them and move onto another pair the following year. This year I was given these UNDFTD Purcells as a gift and they’ve really grown on me. I’m now wearing them at least three times a week.

At first glance they’re plain old white Purcells, but they’ve got the red and navy accents that mimic the Chuck Taylor and their trademark tally mark logo on the leather pull tabs on the back.

The inside of the sneaker is lined with a lightweight black terry which feels pretty amazing when worn sockless. I’ll be sad to see these go come the Fall.

Nick Grant contacted me a month ago to participate in a Complex article entitled “How To Make It: 10 Rules For Success From Fashion Industry Insiders.” While I feel there are plenty of people who are just as (if not more) qualified than me to share these kinds of tips, I enjoyed writing my response because it gave me the opportunity to look back on all the crazy things that have happened in 3sixteen’s history and what I’ve learned along the way.

I don’t agree with all the advice given in the piece, but that’s ok – the fact that information and advice is being shared to help build up the next generation is fantastic, because when I was getting started none of this stuff was available. Blogs and other social media platforms over the past few years have allowed aspiring designers unprecedented direct access to their favorite brands, and while some of that access results in consuming mindless drivel (I’ve contributed my fair share), there are important pieces of information and advice being given – and that is definitely a good thing in my book.  That being said, I still feel that as much as the internet can provide, personal relationships with people you respect will yield much greater learning opportunities. You can’t just read a bunch of pieces online and be ready to take the plunge; that’s why I encourage people to seek out internships so they can immerse themselves in all aspects of their passion – not just the exciting, attractive parts that the internet shows off – firsthand.

5/16/12.
3:49am.
8lb. 8oz.

My friend Steve Opperman (formerly of Temple Bags) and his wife Rebecca have started a new furniture company called Stephen Kenn. Their steel frames are all locally welded in Los Angeles and the cushions are all made of repurposed WWII military fabric. Fans of his former bag collection will see many design similarities carried over into the furniture.

In addition to their furniture collection, Steve and Beks host a neighborhood coffee shop at their workshop/showroom space on weekday mornings from 8-11am. It’s called Backdoor Coffee Club and is open to the public, but if you plan on stopping by it’s best to follow them on Twitter (@backdoor_coffee) to see if they’re closed on any given day. I personally love the idea, as I find the idea of common spaces where like-minded creatives can meet up to build together and encourage one another to be extremely important for rejuvenating a sense of community (especially in larger cities). Apolis hosted a weeklong event last December called Common Table which sought to fulfill similar goals, and I’m guessing that it won’t be the last time they do it.

Stephen Kenn/Backdoor Coffee Club
1250 Long Beach Ave., Suite 120
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Thomas Hooper, Tattoo Artist & Painter.
meditationsinatrament.com

These American Optical modified sunglasses are one of my favorite arrivals at Self Edge this spring. They’re deadstock AO frames that we had bath dyed black and then bead blasted to give them a matte finish. The original plastic lenses were then replaced with deadstock glass UV-protective lenses – altogether, they make for a really unique and well-built pair of sunglasses. I scooped up a pair for the sunny days ahead.