House of 950's Maiden Voyage

House of 950 is a new label started by my friend Eric Holbreich, a designer I used to work with, and his partner Alice Spies. I would describe their clothes as experimental, clean and minimal, awkwardly charming, and ultimately very wearable. I had a little chit-chat with co-founder Eric about starting his new line, his inspirations, plans for the future, and wishes of dressing the almighty Tilda Swinton.

House of 950's debut collection lookbook

Tell us about your line and why you decided to start it.

House of 950 is a collaborative workshop that focuses on garments that are often unisex and multifunctional. We think about the use of garment. How can people interact with it, how comfortable is it? We wanted to bring back the innovative craft where the make and finishings are just as important as the original idea. We manufacture everything in New York City so we can monitor the process and make sure everything is the highest quality possible.

Where are you two from and how do your roots influence the way you make clothes?

I’m from Indianapolis and Alice Los Angeles. Alice thinks about simplicity and comfort all the time she thinks that is what L.A. is all about. Indiana is a really clean, flat place with lots of trees and open spaces. I don’t feel comfortable in very fitted clothes, but I like everything to have a clean look.

Who/what else influences your design?

When we start designing a garment, we will have a general idea of what it should be. We don’t really draw, or if we do it is usually of a pattern piece. When we make the garment, that’s when we play with it, what could it be, could it be something else. We then think about what is missing in clothing that we think should be there, like a detail on the cuff, or a hidden pocket in the seam. We want the clothes to be convenient and recognizable but at the same time different and simple.

Tell me about the odd, graphic shapes that your clothes are made out of.

The shapes that our clothes make are usually related to the function of the garment, or the elimination of a conventional seam and the replacement with another type of seam. Most of the garments have no fixed closures. To close the garment a person has to first choose a way to wear it. The clothing allows the user to express their own idea of how they want it to look like. The Amish shirt for example has four different silhouettes. The user has the option to choose which one is right for their mood.

House of 950's Amish shirt

And the prints?

This collection we collaborated with the artist Alphonse van Woerkon. We transformed his portrait of Kiki Smith into a textile, and then turned it into a shirt. We didn’t want it to be a recognizable face, but we wanted elements of Kiki to show through. You can see her eye and her nose, but the panels of the shirt cut it. It makes it more abstract and interesting.

the Kiki Smith shirt, one of my favorite pieces in the collection

You deal a lot with interactivity and customer participation (in your presentations, the lookbook). Why do you think this is essential to your brand?

Our brand is about the customer. We want them to feel involved in the process as well as the company itself. We are building the House as a collaboration between us as designers and the customers. We don’t like the idea of being singular, or alone. Interactivity, I think, would be the perfect one word description of who we are and what we want to be. We created this idea called the Minute Museum, where the traditional museum is reversed. The people who come to the exhibit, are the exhibit themselves. We use this to allow the people to interact with the clothes as well as showcase the clothing on real people.

the drawstring jacket, which I had dubbed "the noose jacket"

Tilda Swinton comes to you the day before a big premiere and begs that you dress her. What will you put her in?

First of all we would die. Then we would pull it together and put her in the Portrait Shirt and the Thai-Tie Pants hands down. Then we would probably die again. We know she would look amazing wearing those two pieces!

Plans for the future?

We are going to keep doing what we are doing! We are just starting and we have a long way to go. Every day is exciting and a new territory for us. The idea of creating our own path and it working, is amazing. (and frightening!)

photographs via House of 950

Sequins, Spots, and Self-expression

Last Saturday, I walked over the bridge to DUMBO in Brooklyn for their annual Arts Festival: a weekend-long celebration of "the best in local, national, and international art amid the breathtaking backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline". It was an exhilarating afternoon---think Fashion's Night Out, minus all the tourists; swap fashion for art, and free drinks for food trucks. Expecting that the art set would be a little more accepting than the fashion folk, I decided to wear two items in the much-maligned materials, sequins and leopard print.

Illesteva sunglasses, Junya Watanabe x Comme des Garcons shirt, Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons bracelet, Uniqlo jeans, leopard-print shoes from Lane Crawford

The sequins on this Junya Watanabe shirt seem to be oxidized and almost crumpled, and are embroidered on to the faintly printed black-and-brown batik fabric with very thin copper wire.

This horsehair and leather bracelet, on loan from Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons, has been my alternative to the multiple-layered bracelets, a.k.a. "arm parties" that abound. Sometimes the most enjoyable parties are those you rock with just one else.

Prada saffiano briefcase and leopard-print shoes from Lane Crawford. I don't seem to be getting that much wear from these shoes in today's sole du jour, the Vibram thick wedge. I find the wearable comfortable footwear to be proper dress shoes with slim all-leather soles.

Enough about about my artfully put-together outfit, let me share with you the art my eyes saw at the DUMBO Arts Fair:

sparkling walls

and twinkling rain

light boxes

and backlit black shingles

love you

and f*ck you (It rotates!)

twigs

and twilight.

photographs by Tiffany Gong and Izzy Tuason

Tim Hamilton Spring 2012

For Spring/Summer 2012, Tim Hamilton collaborated with conceptual artist and friend Seth Price to create a collection that explores themes of militarism and aviation and how these affect the wide fashion-consuming audience. These were thoroughly elaborated in the Tim Hamilton X Seth Price pieces, all made out of canvas, featuring the printed liners designed in collaboration with the artist.

Tim Hamilton X Seth Price bomber jacket worn over a jumpsuit from the same series, lined in the credit card and "paychex" liners

The presentation, produced by Alex Antitch for Ace Collective, was as much an art installation as it was a fashion show. Tim Hamilton took over the old Pearl Paint shop on Lispenard Street and transformed it into a haze-filled den with dark electro blaring and violent street scenes flashing on vintage Trinitron monitors. As some of you know, or may have guessed, I've had the privilege of working for New York designer Tim Hamilton the past few months, on the press side of the business, and the Tim Hamilton Spring/Summer 2012 collection that recently showed at Fashion Week was as much my baby as it was to everyone else on the team. Dearest readers, humor me and let the doting father brag.

bold stripes on a surprisingly masculine open-necked knit

black on black on black: Tim Hamilton's rendition of the Perfecto, in black leather, with black suede sleeves and all-black hardware

the taped blue belt

and taped shoes, courtesy of Dr. Martens

the press guy in a white Tim Hamilton jumpsuit mulling over the repercussions of the printed liner

This hidden-placket double-breasted white coat, a unisex piece, could be the perfect late Spring jacket.

the semi bowl-shaped crew cut: hairspiration?

easy-icy makeup by the brilliant Deanna Melluso at Artlist

A The Dandy Project exclusive, scenes from backstage:

shooting the lookbook

getting all dolled up...

...and do-ragged

The do-rags were a technique used by the hairstylist to keep the hair flat and sleek and clean. She would style the hair, cover it in do-rags, and spray on it through the holes. I'm most definitely trying this out at home.

Nariba's look

Showtime looms-

And lights.

photographs by Hudson Shively

The Perfect Tank Top

Tank tops have, arguably, crossed over from the realm of underwear to being articles of clothing acceptably worn out in public. In the caramelizing heat of New York City, bereft of personal automobiles to ferry you around in air conditioning, it is only just that these sleeveless shirts for men be allowed. I think Blood is the New Black makes the perfect tank tops: the fabric is soft and thin but not flimsy, the front cut flatteringly low and wide, and the armholes not obscenely low. I'd size up on their tank tops for extra breeziness.

Number (N)ine sunglasses, Blood is the New Black x Brian Lichtenberg tank top, Topman trousers, Margiela shoes

Blood is the New Black collaborates with various artists for the prints on their shirts. The print on mine is Brian Lichtenberg's rendition of Martin Margiela's infamous hair jacket. To further the tribute to the designer who had since left his eponymous company, sunglasses that are reminiscent of his L'incognito shades:

shield sunglasses by Number (N)ine

and shoes from when Martin was still at Margiela:

Margiela ivory laceless cap-toes

photos by Pop, Bop and Snap

In Search of: The Summer Tote

The weather is finally hitting the seventies in New York City, and as I stow away my woolen snoods and heattech tops, I begin my quest for a vessel to hold my everyday essentials with ample breathing room. I need a tote for the summer, and I need it to be beautiful.

I've had my eye on this YSL tote for about a couple of years now. It's reasonably priced, subtle, and handy, and the tumbled buffalo leather will age well.

YSL tanger tote (via YSL)

Here's something a little more obscure, but from the same house: the YSL for Atelier New York tire track-embossed tote in chocolate brown. It's a beautiful bag, but I'm just not a fan of the pregnant look on flat totes. Must I only carry around sheets of paper, and if I'm being generous, a pack of Listerine breath strips all summer?

YSL x Atelier New York tote (via Atelier New York)

This Margiela tote, a roomier riff on the popular Jil Sander market tote, exudes an art world vibe. Margiela leather shopping bag on one hand, complimentary crudité at a Chelsea opening on the other.

Martin Margiela collection 11 leather shopping bag (via Margiela)

Speaking of the arts, this Lanvin tote of pieced satin and leather seems to be a Parisian post-apocalyptic take on patchwork arts and crafts. And I have yet to own a piece of Lanvin.

Lanvin satin and leather tote (via Lanvin)

I've blogged about this a while back, but I still want my version of Tommy's rainbow-lettered Goyard St. Louis tote. I'd have it in a size larger, with the front emblazoned with my Lord of the Rings name "ISIDORE", rendered in roygbiv.

painted Goyard St. Louis tote (via This is Naive)

I might yet have to be sold on the idea of boys with Birkins, but the Hermés Haut a Courroies (HAC) is legitimately a men's bag; a piece of luggage, but a men's bag nonetheless. And it is breathtaking.

Hermés Haut a Courroies on the Fall 2011 runway (via The Fashionisto)

Dare I say Kanye West pulls off his man-Birkin rather masterfully? (I'd swap out the white sneakers for black slip-on shoes but) I can actually see myself in this outfit. The bag is beautifully battered.

Kanye West with a vintage Hermés Haut a Courroies (via Birkin Watcher)

Hermés dreams aside, if there exists a summer tote close to perfection, it may well have to be this elusive YSL with the handle straps morphing into a slithering network of strips forming the brand's insignia.

YSL Sac Vavin (via Jak and Jil)

It's called the Sac Vavin, produced in limited quantity Spring of last year, and is rumored to be available via special order at select boutiques. It straddles the line between clever and logo-a-gogo, and in this age of feigned subtlety and an obsession with obscurity, carrying around a bag with a logo bigger than my head could well be quite refreshing.

Dear readers, what will you be toting around this summer?

Cold Picnic

Cold Picnic is a new unisex jewelry line by Peter Buer and Phoebe Sung, born out of an attempt to carry on the tradition of storytelling through symbols, inspired by 1970s arts & crafts, ancient cave paintings, African textiles, and Native American history. The result are pieces that are charmingly raw and very wearable.

This necklace (in ink-printed hand-cut cream scrap leather from a local bird toy factory strung on vintage coil, hung from vintage mixed chains) would be the perfect casual bow tie substitute, worn over a buttoned-up club-collar dress shirt.

Peter Buer had approached me as a fan of The Dandy Project asking if he could get my thoughts on his jewelry line. Somehow I found a kindred spirit in him, both moving to Boston from overseas and trying to find inspiration to create beautiful things in historically rich yet decidedly un-fashiony Beantown. Let me share with you the little chit-chat I had with Peter and Phoebe about Cold Picnic, Boston, and bird toy stores.

This coiled bib necklace made from vintage chains and findings would make for a more restrained bow tie substitute, or as a subtle detail over a white t-shirt in the summer.

Tell us about your line: what you make, your inspiration, your techniques.

Cold Picnic is made up of a lot of narrative pieces. We've been getting our inspirations from images that tell stories - the carvings on eskimo bows, african cave paintings, native American symbols, ceremonial weaving... and a lot of the books we got our research from were 1970's craft books we found at library book sales.

What is your background? What do you do? What got you started on making jewelry?

Both of us have fashion backgrounds. Phoebe got her first degree in sculpture before getting a second one in fashion design, and Peter studied art in England before coming to America to get his fashion design degree. We worked a little around New York and Boston before we decided to go into jewelry. It was a nice break from apparel - it's more self sufficient - there's no need for pattern drafting, sample makers, fits, etc. It's a bit more spontaneous and organic.

What role does living in Boston play in your creativity?

We might never have gone on our library book sale kick if we hadn't lived in Boston, which has really amazing libraries. Old textbooks and how-to craft books are so inspiring. We really just kept collecting them until we couldn't not make stuff! Also we didn't have a ton of people we knew in Boston so we had lots of time at home to make things! Hopefully now that we're moving to Brooklyn we'll be able to keep up the pace!

Men and jewelry... your thoughts on this?

Our first collection had some unisex pieces, but they were pendants, and it still didn't feel that natural - at least to Peter - to wear them casually. For our second collection, we really wanted to incorporate pieces that men could wear every day, and without it really feeling like a statement. Its not fun when one of us gets to wear our stuff every day and the other is left out in the cold. The cave painting cuffs felt like a natural way to go.

Nearly all the pieces are unisex, but I thought their hand-printed black ink on cream-colored suede earrings in the shape of thunderbirds

and arrows were very interesting.

I find it interesting that you source some of your materials from bird supplies stores. What got that started?

We always wanted to be an eco-friendly company, and even started out using scrap leather for Fall 2010, before we ran out and couldn't find the quality we wanted from remnants. For Spring we had almost given up on sourcing scrap leather–it was difficult enough finding the perfect color and weight–when we contacted a local factory which just happened to manufacture bird toys. They showed us a few leather qualities but each was too dark, or too stiff... finally the owner took us to a back room with boxes upon boxes of scraps, all different shades and sizes. Many of them were absolutely perfect so we just dug and and sorted through the ones we wanted. He gave us a few empty boxes to carry them out, charged us by the pound.

Anything exciting coming up for your line in the immediate future?

We going to be doing the Brooklyn Flea this spring and will have loads of flea-only pieces. We hope to do a few fairs around New York and Philly this spring and summer, and may try to do some of the West Coast fairs soon. We're also going to be designing the aprons and a small line of home goods for the store Emily Thompson Flowers in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

This unisex leather printed cave painting cuff would look great layered with other bracelets and a watch.

A similar leather printed cuff, but in a wider version, this time inspired by textiles and patterns.

GIVEAWAY: Cold Picnic would like to send one of you, dear readers of this blog, a leather cuff from their new line (your choice of design, in either the wide or the narrow style, the last two photos posted). All you have to do is fan both The Dandy Project (http://www.facebook.com/thedandyprojectblog) and Cold Picnic (http://www.facebook.com/coldpicnic) on Facebook and for verification, e-mail your Facebook name to thedandyproject(at)yahoo(dot)com. The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced soon. Contest is open to all readers of The Dandy Project, worldwide.

EDIT: And the winner goes to... (It's a joke, I know.) Ruud Saerens of Belgium! Ruud, you will be receiving an e-mail shortly. Thank you all for joining.

Cold Picnic's site

Cold Picnic's online shop