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buckets and spades weavers door
Blogger Buckets & Spades interviews Weavers Door manager Lee Fleming
as Sheffield’s Mamnick and now our label, Northern Goods Co! I caught up with Weavers Door store manager, Lee Fleming over cup of coffee from Duke Street Espresso Bar. We chatted brands, music, Liverpool and future collaborations;
Buckets + Spades - You mentioned you’ve been going since 2010, how do you think the menswear market has progressed since then and how do you ocated down the twists and turns stay ahead of the game? of Cavern Walks in Liverpool is a small menswear store, with a big Lee Fleming - I suppose I only have presence, heaps of personality and a limited viewpoint with regards the a dedicated following. In fact, the change of the menswear market but location of Weavers Door is perfect, with regards to where Weavers Door is it’s far enough off the busy high street positioned; I definitely find men of all to be considered a hidden gem but ages are more concerned about their close enough to one of Liverpool’s appearance and clothing choices. most historical and culturally relevant Quality is always at the forefront for us, everyone is a lot more ‘clued up’ areas. and therefore are careful and their Last week I took the opportunity decisions are well considered. to catch an early train down to Liverpool, to shoot the shop for a B+S - Just being a stone’s throw away Store Visit feature. Liverpool is one from the busy high street, Weaver of my favourite places to visit so I’ll Door really does stand out from take any excuse for a day out there. the crowd in terms of menswear It’s one of the first places myself and competition. What has been the Hollie took a day trip too, I’ve lost reaction from the public and do you count of how many exhibitions and see a lot of repeat custom? gigs we’ve attended over the years. LF - Weavers Door is tucked away Since opening in 2010 Weavers on Harrington Street, it’s not too far Door has been providing the city away from the main trading streets with something that is was missing; a but we have definitely found we’re menswear store that not only stocks become a destination store. Our established, quality brands but also customers enjoy the notion that our carefully chosen independents and brand mix is unique to Weavers Door, exciting up-and-coming labels. every garment hanging on a rail is This little space of Liverpool boasts well considered. Our regulars are key a brand list that could rival any; to our business, we know everyone Barbour, Edwin, Folk, Norse Projects, personally and appreciate their Oliver Spencer, Our Legacy, Red ongoing support since we opened. Wing, Sunspel and Universal Works I believe they enjoy Weavers Door to name a few. They’ve also been for more than the clothing, we work keen to work with independents such very hard as a small team to create a
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independents are realising they are unique experience for our customers, from our customer collaborate to highlight the best Liverpool has to offer. service, product knowledge and in store events. B+S - Liverpool city itself has a real sense of B+S - What’s in store for Weavers Door this coming community and there’s definitely been a rise in AW? Have you bought any new brands in, which independents, have you been working with any are you excited about? other local business or projects? LF - We are really excited for Autumn/Winter LF - Liverpool is definitely seeing a change in the 13 and what it has in store for Weavers Door. We city, where independents are realising they are had increased our offering for our current brand unique, but by connecting with each other the mix alongside introducing technical outdooring independent way of living becomes more visible. from Patagonia, knitwear specialists John Smedley, We are fortunate to have close relationships with Italian Bootmakers Fracap, Sneaker supremos Nike other independents such as Bold Street Coffee, and Converse. Camp & Furnace, Santa Chupitos and Berry & Rye. The Weavers Door Journal has a direct influence to these formed relationships with the local community. We are always looking to
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Earlier this week, we gave you a preview of the Baracuta Blue Label Fall/Winter 2014 collection. Having newly appointed designer Jeff Griffin as the new creative director, the brand takes a step back closer to their British heritage with more focused manufacturing and design. Griffin speaks with us on the significance of British menswear, who the Baracuta customer is, and how he’ll lead the brand differently than former director, Kenichi Kusano. Read our full Q&A after the jump and be sure to check out our exclusive first look at their Fall/ Winter 2014 campaign video, The Journey, which gives a behind-the-scenes peek at his design process.
Butterworth & Roberts, a fantastic mill.
Life is a journey and this is part of the journey. It’s always great to meet people, listen to their stories and look in from the outside. My craft is menswear and working with other companies gives you a freedom to explore ideas. How great is that?!
Who did you have in mind for Fall/Winter 2014? What is the kind of lifestyle you envision for your customers?
You mention the importance of British manufacturing — How does British menswear differ from others?
British manufacturing is important, and very importantly, doesn’t like change. This is why we have some great classics; The Land Rover Defender for example, the Mini, the Trench coat, the Mackintosh, the Waxed Jacket. Why are we good at menswear? Perhaps our rich history or weather, which has a huge influence. The fantastic art colleges, most of which have a creative way of How do you feel about being appointed Blue teaching; John Galliano was a teacher of mine and Label’s new creative director? Paul Smith. You can’t get better than that!
Our design studio is based in a farm on the Cornwall Devon boarder close to the edge of a cliff on the Atlantic coastline. Very dramatic! A million miles from the streets of Hoxton, but it gives me peace. I feel I know the Baracuta customer well: He visits Cornwall and sometimes stays with us in our own campsite or the Geo Dome eco retreat; He comes from the city, sometimes in a VW van; Some surf, some climb, some cycle; They are all ages but always young in mind; Some have even been bankers, some love Northern Soul. They come from everywhere. They love original things, they love transparency. Sometimes they can put up a tent, sometimes not.
How, if at all, will the Blue Label change from Kenichi Kusano‘s directorship? Kusano began his designs from the fabrics — Is there a difference in how you approach your designs? Kenny is Japanese so of course we will see things differently, but we both have a love for similar ideas, craftsmanship, quality and design. I loved what Kenny did with the G4 and G9, but my brief was different. It was to give a British feel to the brand as well as modernizing the heritage [and] creating new icons for the future, all with a Griffin taste. Myself and Baracuta started with fabrics. This is where the journey started: Isle of Lewis in Scotland for Harris Tweed, traveling to Huddersfield for What is your favorite piece/style in the collection and why?
I love the mix. It’s like baking a good cake: A bit of Baracuta, a bit of Heritage Tweed, a touch of military, and a lot of love. It’s only nine styles and I like them all.
Selectism interview Jeff Griffin on his appointment as Creative Director of Baracuta Blue Label 6
Blogger Steve Booker discusses the Topo Designs Klettersack
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products. I used this bag as my carryon for my trip to Toronto and it was excellent. The best thing for me was the zip section at the top of the bag, when travelling you don’t want to be sitting with your keys, wallet, change, passport etc in your pockets and at the same time you don’t want to to keep routing around for these either; the top pocket was absolutely brilliant and very useful for quickly accessing my valuables. Overall the backpack is a great size and has a separate laptop section which keeps it nice and safe, it’s also very comfy on the shoulders and back especially when carrying This is the Klettersack Bag in Navy heavier items. and the things that stand out for me with this bag are the pops of colour I think this bag is pretty reasonably against the navy blue. I love that they priced at around £100-ish for the have chosen a vibrant red for the quality of the backpack and I’m drawstrings and then an awesome extremely pleased with it! You can bright yellow for the interior, which find the Klettersack on the Topo is almost like a little surprise when Designs website. They also do it in a you open the bag. For me it’s all number of awesome colours and ship about the attention to detail like internationally too. these when it comes to creating great ’ve been looking for a good backpack for so long now; one that can fit my Mac, camera stuff and other bits and pieces in without being the size of a small elephant. I found Topo Designs through Instagram I think, while browsing their site and reading their story I fell in love with the products immediately. They are based in Colorado and all of their products are made in the U.S.A, the quality really is amazing. You may recognise this backpack from some of My/Louis’ videos in Toronto as I know a lot of you asked about it.
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t was a chance conversation 50 years ago that led to the creation of what many regard as the most legendary driver’s watch of the all time: the Heuer Carrera. Jack Heuer, the great-grandson of Heuer watches founder Edouard, was attending the Sebring 12-hour endurance race in which two of the era’s most famous drivers, the Mexican brothers Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez, were competing. The brothers’ parents were also there and told Jack about an annual, madcap road race called La Carrera PanAmerican that took place in Mexico during the early Fifties. The Carrera was considered the most dangerous motorsport even in the world. Despite never witnessing it first-hand, Jack was enthralled by the idea of the even and used the name on his next watch design - and so the Carrera was born.
the Carrera was born First launched at the end of 1964 in the form of a chronograph, the Carrera enjoyed a 20-year production run, during which it was made available in a large number of guises, ranging from a simple, three-handed watch to a self-winding chronograph with date display and a second time zone. The line was dropped in the early Eighties (after Heuer became TAG Heuer), only to be revived in 1997 with a ‘Classics’ series based on the Sixties originals. The reborn Carrera proved to be a major sales hit, and the name has once more become synonymous with the brand’s most successful sports watches. To mark the year’s 50th anniversary of the Carrera, TAG Heuer has introduced a whole new line of watches in different configurations, the most special being the Carrera Calibre 1887 Jack Heuer 50th Anniversary Edition. The timepiece features a version of the 45mm case used in the awardwinning Mikrogirder concept watch. It’s made from black titanium carbide steel that is variously brushed, polished and sandblasted. Jack Heuer’s coats of arms decorates the smoke sapphire case back, through which can be seen TAGs 39-jewel ‘Calibre 1887’ in-house automatic movement. The most distinctive feature of the watch, however, is the ’12 0’clock’ location of the winding crown and pouch pieces. TAG is also celebrating the Carrera’s half-century with a concept watch, of which the case, back and bezel are made form Formula One-quality carbon fibre. The entire piece, which also contains the 1887 movement, weight a featherlight 19g - but its not available to buy (yet)…
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Drivetime - Man About Town discuss the origins of TAG Heuer
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Kinfolk explore Presents of Mind
experiences to be shared together
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ome of the most meaningful gestures that can be given are not, in fact, wrapped in red bows, but are actually experiences to be shared together. It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday shopping tide and get swept along the traditional path toward a crazy buying frenzy, picking up gifts not because they’re special or unique, but just to pile things up under the tree. Now that anything and everything can be bought with one click, it takes very little brainpower or emotional energy to select holiday presents for our favorite people. Of course, we won’t argue with the fact that there is great joy to be found in picking out the perfect present. But we can all use a reminder that there are ways to put a bit more thought into the gifts you choose for friends and family. We like the idea of giving intentional gifts that leave us with memories, rather than leaving us with more stuff. Remember when you were a child with only pennies to your name, and you gave your parents coupon books of chores and kind tasks that you may have never actually fulfilled, but it still meant the world to your folks? Channel that same selfless spirit, add a bit of sophistication, and vow to actually follow through on the promises made. Here are some ideas for thoughtful, last-minute ways you can share your love for those nearest and dearest through intangible means. + Give the gift of a daylong escape. Take the train somewhere outside the city, go to the beach or venture to the snow. Whatever the case, allow your friend/mother/uncle the opportunity to leave behind the laundry and errands for the day, and plan a special adventure for just the two of you. Be spontaneous: Stop along the way to enjoy whatever catches your fancy, whether it’s a hidden bookstore, an antique shop or the cows along the highway. It’s guaranteed you’ll both return to your normal routines feeling refreshed, energized and happy to have shared something together. + Odds are you have a few friends (if not scores of them) who are new parents, or who have been growing their brood for a while now. In either case, it’s likely they don’t get date nights too often these days. Sacrifice a few of your own nights of freedom to watch the kiddos and allow your friends a series of good old-fashioned dates out on the town. If you have children
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of your own, arrange a sleepover at your place for all the tots and provide a true night of peace for some other harried parents. + Some of us love indulging in cultural experiences, but never set aside time or money to plan ahead and take advantage of them. Think of someone in your life you know who loves attending the opera, theater, art exhibitions, a poetry reading or concerts, but doesn’t often buy tickets themselves. Gift the promise of taking them to one of these affairs of their choosing, or surprise them with something you know you’ll both love. If you’re really feeling generous, throw in dinner beforehand as well.
you’ve managed to plan ahead this year, homemade gifts can be both economical and memorable for your recipients. Make a book of significant experiences from the year—a mix of photos and words that sum up your shared moments. If you’re proficient in the kitchen, whip up some spiced nuts. If you’ve just taken up ceramics again, throw a little pot and put a plant in it—even if your efforts are a bit lopsided. The point is, as clichéd as it may be, the older we get, it truly is the thought that counts.
+ One of the best parts of gift giving is lavishing something gratuitous upon your loved one—meaning, giving something they don’t necessarily need, but providing the means for an experience they likely wouldn’t seek out themselves. There are more than a few of us who are overworked, stressed-out and face each morning with new anxieties simply as a result of not taking enough time to breathe. For those in your life that you know this is the case, gift a visit to a spa to get a facial, a massage, or just to go sit in the sauna. This doesn’t have to be pricey—some places allow use of the facility for just $20 or so. No matter how extravagant the package, the recipient will be grateful for a bit of restorative time. + Handmade gifts are, for the most part, few and far between these days. Who has time to sit at home in the evenings and knit a scarf, fashion pinch pots, make homemade candles or paint a picture for someone? The rarity of these objects heightens their value, and shows your friends that you actually set aside hours to devote to something special in their name. If
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Apartamento talks with creative Atsuki Kikuchi
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tsuki Kikuchi was born in Japan in 1974. He is a graphic designer, art director, and curator who works in Tokyo. He lives with his wife Izumi Shiokawa, a successful illustrator, in a Western-style home in a West Tokyo suburb. Western-style means high ceilings, two bathrooms and a lot of space where, unusually for a Tokyo apartment, the objects inside seem to float freely. The apartment is decorated with patterned rugs and a sofa, and the shelves are filled with Kikuchi’s objects: some pumice, a pendulum, a ceramic egg, a wooden bear eating a salmon and a collection of stones.”People like giving me rocks for presents,” he says. “This was a gift from my friend, from Shikoku. I like to take stones from one place and leave them in another place. It’s a kind of terrorism.” While having his portrait taken for this interview - sitting at the dining table in his home - we start talking about his work between photographs. He tells us how busy he is these days, working ‘morning till night’. His wife thinks he might be a workaholic. He is not so sure,”...maybe,” he says. Like many eccentric thinkers he has discovered an idiosyncratic sleeping pattern which helps him produce his best work. This morning, like almost every other morning Aisuki Kikuchi
woke up on the couch in his office. “That couch is the most expensive piece of furniture I’ve ever bought,” he says. He sleeps there each night so he can wake up in his office and begin work before dawn, While the rest of Tokto sleeps. In this interview he talks about Japan in the 1990s, splitting meaning from form, and the mystery of the sun hitting a tree. My best work happens in the morning. It’s a really important time, no one calls, no one emails, i just work. It’s the only time i can concentrate, so i sleep here on the couch in my office for five or six nights a week. I wake up with the sunrise each morning. That morning time is when i meet my deadlines. If my deadline was yesterday i can send the work in during the gap before everyone else starts working. I usually have a nap in the afternoon, too. This time right now is normally nap time. Sorry, we’ll try to be fat! Japan has this reputation of being organised and efficient, but it seems that everyone’s incredibly overworked and always push their deadline right to the last second. Where was your first office? I began my first graphic design studio, called Neo Standard Graphics, in 1995 with a friend. I was also spending a lot of time in Studio
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an object that looked like a plastic bag being sucked up by a vacuum
Shokudou, which was an artist run space. Actually it was one of the first artist run spaces in Tokyo. I eventually became a curator, organising exhibitions and things like that, but for no money, obviously. That’s why i started my graphic design studio, after thinking about how i could use my skills to make money. The first time i saw your work was for the Shun Ga Marugoto magazine, I remember the cabbage issues in particular, the cover had a photograph of a cabbage and huge Katakana letters for ‘cabbage’ written above. It was impossible to miss. Each issue of Shun Ga Marugoto was about one ingredient, like cabbage, tomato, lemon or eggplant. They made 30 issues between 2007 and 2012, but they’re on a hiatus now. Usually magazines offer lots of different information about different things, but Shun Ga Marugoto was more pragmatic and tried to show the connected points of one ingredient through different types of content. When i designed it i made the name of the special ingredient look like the name of the magazine and made the magazine title tiny. I thought it was funny and weird to see just the word , or noun, like ‘cabbage’, lined up in the magazine stand. Where did you study graphic design? I never studied graphic design, i studied sculpture, but dropped out in my second year, in 1997. I started my graphic design studio before dropping out. On the wall in your living room there is a sculpture that looks like a small pillow bolted into the wall, or a bag of liquid bolted to the wall. Did you make that? Yeah, i made a lot of objects like that. I liked plastic moulding and casting. I once made an object that looked like a plastic bag being sucked up by a vacuum. Another one was a pile of large fabric bags, like a tower. Both were made of fibre-reinforced plastic. Sometimes i still make 3D objects, but no one really knows about that. What was the city like for you during the ‘90s? That decade seems to be revered as Tokyo’s cultural golden days, especially the late ‘90s. I can only talk about the alternative art and design scene of the late ‘90s, but there was no system for contemporary art, just really old style galleries. However there were many new young artists who all had a lot of energy and were thinking about the things they could do. Computers and mobile phones were becoming more accessible around the time and, for the first time, anybody could use these types of technology at home. A new
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environment was coming into being where individuals could promote themselves; if you learnt the skills you could be independent and you didn’t need to join a company or system. We all felt like we could do something new. Apart from the money, why did you want to become a graphic designer? I was really interested in media and the internet; in data. I wanted to experiment and i learnt a lot from working in a digital format. Pixels, images, photographs, are all like weight, but vector data is an algorithm, thus ‘form’. The concept is different. Completeley different ways of thinking. In a way, you can separate everything into two ways of seeing.
interacting with one another. I want to understand each part of the system separately, or each separate subsystem within the larger system. If i can do that then maybe i can put the back together in a different order, to create a new system. In the natural world there is a lot of noise through, and i don’t just want to put the parts of the systems back together to get a correct answer, i want to capture that natural noise whenever i make anything. I always add noise to my work. It makes the work real. What does noise look like? I draw it. You’d understand if you saw it, for me noise can even be meaningless lines. Its not about representation, you’re just making shapes?
Everything? Relationships, things, systems, weather, really everything? Yeah, non-representational. When i’m drawing a representational icon, I think so. At least you could say its its something else. Like my stone one way of looking at things, but I’m collection, i like to take icons made not academic or anything. I can’t put for something and i place them it in to clear words, but i feel it. You somewhere else, because then they come across things in your life that lose their function. make you curious about the way they work. In nature you might see a tree hit by the sun and it makes a shadow. Seeing the way the grass grows in that shadow, you wonder about the qualities of the light, the shadow, and the grass. I start to wonder, why is it made the way it is, what is the system behind it? I wonder if these kinds of natural systems can be adopted into the way i work. But how would you adopt something like the system of the tree, the shadow, and the grass into your work? You have the light from the sun hitting the plant and the water thats in the soil and all these factors mix together to form a very complex system, all
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of Arsenal’s more iconic strikers record-breaking turn, “I was there when Ian Wright broke the record and it was actually the wrong one, it was the next goal. I used to love him. He was a fucking hero!”
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lfie Allen is centre stage. Standing topless in the changing room, he’s toying with the idea of trying on a box-fresh Arsenal kit laid out in front of him, before opting for the sharp suit instead. As we head out through the tunnel and onto the pitch, there’s a sense of optimism around The Emirates that defies any Olympic-led backlash. Team GB’s daily exploits may dominate the public agenda, but across town the simple ritual of new lines being painted on to an expansive, sundrenched pitch still excites. In exactly one week’s time Robert Van Persie will sign for Manchester United and football’s harsher realities will return. For now though, it’s clear blue skies. Allen appears to be in equally sunny a mood. While the transatlantic plaudits for his break out acting role are gladly received his head appears decidedly unturned. Any talk of LA is kept at a healthy distance as milky tea and bacon rolls are ordered from a nearby café and he catches up with old friends. North London is home turf and has been since a family move to Islington coincided nicely with one
Despite a brief flirtation with the aforementioned United the youngster was quick to grasp the merits of supporting your local side and found himself with a season ticket at Highbury. It proved a timely realization as the club went on to briefly seize power from their Manchester rivals. The doublewinning side of 1997/98 still triggers the fondest memories for Allen, “When Adams knocked it in it was unbelievable man. It can’t be Tony Adams whacking in some half volley to win us the league. It was insane.” Did he ever feel spoilt having so much so soon? “Yeah definitely. That was our golden period but I remember going to Fulham as a kid — and I’ll say this openly because we do need to make a bit more fucking noise — there was so much more buzz. I remember thinking — wow — they’re getting the confetti out! I did want to support the underdog but... you know”. It turned out all right? “Yeah (Iaughs)” In fact, the 25 year—old seems to have almost studiously avoided supporting the family side. “My dad was a Fulham fan but he never pushed it on me”. Instead he sampled
Alfie Allen talks Arsenal, hatred for Wayne Rooney and Game of Thrones 19
an eclectic mix of sports growing up whilst being schooled in Portsmouth, ‘‘I was really into ice hockey as well and later on rugby”. Allen senior was more hands-on, however. when it came to his children’s on—pitch development,i used to do a thing called Hotshots in Hyde Park and I remember one time I wasn’t playing well my dad came on the pitch and literally got me by my shoulders and placed me by the opposition goal. Complete goal hanging! And it worked I scored a goal.” The fifteen years as an Arsenal fan have ran parallel with Allen’s emergence as an acting talent cemented in recent years by his role as Theon Greyjoy in the HBO series, Game of Thrones, landed in 2010. In this post—Twilight era I wonder if there is more pressure on actors, like footballers, to succumb to all manner of diets with an increasing focus on physique? “It differs for every job... he says, eating his bacon roll! (our food arrives with comic timing) I wouldn’t say it’s healthy for an actor to be like that all year round; even footballers go a bit mental. When I did my sex scenes I knew they would be see forever really and wanted to make sure I was in bloody good shape for it. I didn’t regret that at all.” The long—running drama of a successful HBO series is not too different, I suggest, from the compelling narrative of a Premiership season? Last season’s title decider was certainly stranger than fiction, “Definitely. It’s entertainment. It’s performance. All the girls tune in for something like that. It’s like with England, people just get well into it. It’s atmospheric.” Much of Allen’s formative years would have been spent experiencing this inclusive England atmosphere as the national’s sides‘ stock ran high and football anthems — quite often his dads dominated the airwaves. It’s fair to say he hung out with more footballers than your typical pre-teen. “I mean... not regularly. When we were kids it took a while to work out what my dad did for a living. Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Paul Kaye were all involved in British comedy at that time but I remember playing in a tournament with David James and Goldie.”
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Occasional appearances at the Celebrity Soccer Six-a-side - a late nineties forerunner to Robbie Williams’ now annual pro-celebfest - also saw him get scouted by an unlikely source. “My dad was standing behind the pitch and this really Scottish voice came up beside him and said (remarkably accurate dour Scot impression) ‘That kid’s alright’ and it was Kenny Daglish.” Surreal? How suspicious Rod Stewart attempting to then have Allen thrown out of the tournament for having too good a game. The actor has little time for more recent England players, “At one point England had the most over— rated spine: Terry, Lampard and Rooney”. Ah, the over-rated years... “Yeah never mind the golden years. “The over—rated years!” Allen has never forgiven the latter for ending the “Invincibles” run a few years back, “I still have a burning hatred for Wayne Rooney to be honest. It was Sol Campbell, the foul that never was, and the penalty that shouldn’t have been. That’s why I will say in a football mag I can’t stand Wayne Rooney. It annoys me that because he’s the darling of English football, if he dives its fine because he’s Wayne Rooney. Remember when Pirez did that? He got slaughtered!” There is one England star however whom he continues to hold in great affection, “I’d love to meet Gazza. Lily said to me ages ago how amazing would it be if Gazza sorted out all his problems, went and got his coaching badges, came back and got England to the World Cup and we won the final!” I’m impressed with this level of fantasy. I tell him. You have to believe in fairytales right? “Totally! It would be amazing.” Of course, Allen is no stranger to bad boys himself. He regularly plays them. Is he attracted to footballs increasing supply? “Um yeah but even Bolt gets that label now just because he’s a bit over confident! He’s the fastest man in the world! You can see he’s not like that and he’s playing up to it. He’s blatantly a lovely guy, probably the same with Balotelli to be honest. I kind of like the fact he doesn’t celebrate.” Almost all of Allen’s tenure as an Arsenal fan has come under the reign of one man. Where does he stand on the increasing Wenger divide? “I would like him to stay at the club and take a director of
‘that kid’s alright’ and it was Kenny Daglish
football role and then get more of a motivator in. I read something ages ago where Tony Adams said they would giggle sometimes when Wenger tried to gee them up. He’sa tactician. You need people like…I mean I hate the man...but John Terry does that in the Chelsea dressing room. Apparently when Wenger would try, Tony would come in afterwards. I wouldn’t say sack Wenger but I would say the end is coming, but that’s healthy I think.” Acting being such an insecure trade, does he envy that type of longevity? In a sense, Wenger is the star of a long running series. would he want that? “It would depend what the long running series was. If people are going to know me for this huge HBO mega role then so be it. I’m not really arsed about it.” You wouldn’t feel stale? “No. Not at all because I think characters evolve and people change. You can do what you want as long as you have the blessing of the writer. My character in Game Of Thrones, he’s very grey, you can’t really figure him out. He obviously tends towards the bad side of things but in the series we’re shooting now I really hope people are going to feel sorry for him.” So you can twist and turn as a character? “Yeah definitely you know... things change all the time.” He reaches for the Arsenal kit next. Somethings always stay the same.
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Inventory visit shoe makers Red Wing Shoes: An International Family
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ometimes the best way to make sense of something is to work backwards to retrace the steps of history rather than start at the very beginning and move forwards chronologically. Which is why, on an unexpectedly warm November afternoon, we found ourselves enroute to the Red Wing Japan offices in Ebisu, Tokyo, in an attempt to better understand a US shoe manufacturer founded in rural Minnesota in 1905. A century later Red Wing Shoes repurchased the distribution and licensing rights for their brand in Japan. They regained control of a product that had, until then, been managed by a distribution company who at one time were responsible for supplying the in demand Red Wing product to the once emerging, and later all conquering, Urahara movement. In the aftermath it became clear that while there was an established customer base in Japan, it had largely been lost to the countereaction of a trend. Determined to re-examine their priorities, and utilize the customer base the distribution company had helped to establish, Red Wing Japan was a new venture for the American company, and one that has provided both a sustainable business model and access to an exciting new market. Today the work of the Japanese subsidiary, guided by Michiya Suzuki and under-pinned by the designs of Akinobu Iwasaki, dictates much of what goes on elsewhere in Red Wings international heritage markets. The hard work, creativity, and success of the division has enabled the company to once again focus on the fundamentals that had allowed for their success in the first place.
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How did you and product designer Ahinohu Iwasaki came to work for the company? I was hired in 2005 to set up the division, and before that we had a very good distributor here in Japan by the name of Midori International. Aki was originally working for them, so we hired him when we started Red Wing Japan. Before we took the company back it was actually suffering quite a lot, because of fashion trends and an over saturation of the product in the market, so we started to think about having an overseas subsidiary, and creating a lifestyle business alongside the work styles we had become known for. Since then, Aki has become the only designer we have for the lifestyle division, and he works alongside our corporate product development team on all of the Red Wing Heritage pieces. He is the core engine behind the creation of our product. He knows everything about the shoes, and is one of the most important guys on our team. What exactly is the Heritage division? We are not a brand that is always creating something new — we don’t design a whole new season of items, but instead focus only on our core designs. We will introduce new items,
but only very gradually, and only once we know that they are perfect, or as close to perfect as they can be. A lot of the product already exists in our archives, and Aki’s goal is to really create something inspiring for today’s consumer. He is using design ideas, references and tools from the company’s great past. Since 2005 it has been our goal to bring those great traditions back to the brand, and a lot of those have to do with the American work industry, which is a very important component of the North American culture. The whole country was built in only a few hundred years, while most other countries take a lot longer to achieve this. The idea of hard work is part of the DNA of North America, which is why, over the years, America has produced so many great products. This is the spirit we are trying to capture with the Red Wing Heritage division. We’re very proud to be a company with our own rich history, and are lucky to be considered part of this culture. How important has the Japanese lifestyle market been for the development of the division? Really the lifestyle items were born in Japan. These products have grown up here, and since the mid 70s, when the Japanese fashion consumer first adopted American workwear products, they’ve been very popular. At that time the lifestyle sector wasn’t very well understood by the brand, so it was largely taken care of by the distributor. This demand eventually grew to include many other imported brands from the US, leading to a boom in the ’9os, and a whole movement around these types of products. This was also the time of the Urahara movement, where companies like A Bathing Ape and Neighborhood were being created by a younger generation. Interestingly the footwear young people embraced was largely made by Red Wing - a natural choice because a lot of hip-hop style originally came from workwear. What was important was that the distributor was not a typical fashion company. They had originally intended to sell the Red Wing brand to the work markets, but soon realized it would be more successful as a lifestyle product. While back in the US the brand began to develop the use of new technologies and new models that were predominantly for the work market, Midori began to feel that there was a need for developing their own product, to satisfy
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How did that new interest in the brand affect the company and the product? With a boom like that the style is eventually embraced by a progressively younger audience. Here a problem arises because the originators of the movement are now in their 30s and don’t want to be seen wearing the same clothes as younger guys. A lot of retailers ordered as much inventory as possible while the boom was expanding, but they didn’t necessarily realize that the popularity of these products was peaking before it was too late. In turn, sales on the distribution side began to suffer because the stores had full inventories that they were unable to sell. How did Red Wing begin to overcome that? Through product design. After the collapse of the market our team began to consider a different view regarding the development of new product, and how we should grow our portfolio moving forwards. This was around the time that Red Wing Japan was established, and we began to think a little more strategically about the product we would be introducing. What we discovered is that because the company has a history, it really adds value to the items we make, and this enables us to sell key styles year after year. We turned this into a strength rather than a weakness, and began to return to our roots - protecting the products that Red Wing had been making for years, and going back to the style and construction of our original designs. We separated our sales divisions into
fashion trends and an over saturation of the product in the market
the customers, and the market that they had created. Red Wing began to allow special models to be made, and the company was excited about this new fashion market in Japan.
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domestic and international markets, which gave us focus. The international division began to really embrace the lifestyle market, and by creating our own international subsidiaries we no longer had to rely on the whims and needs of distributors. This was a big step for the company and soon after the international divisions began working together on all of the lifestyle products. We started to share our experiences and exchange information regarding the market and product, and gradually all the subsidiaries became more closely aligned. Even the smallest change can have the biggest impact, and these lessons are being learned all the time. This is why communication between the markets and our subsidiaries is so important. Was it a case of having confidence in the product, knowing it was good enough and did not need to be changed? The only change was to stop making changes! In order to support our core business we have had to regulate how many new products we release, and what changes, if any, we will make. Rather than following either a demand or a trend, we have instead been very careful regarding what product we launch, when we launch it, and how much of that product we make. What I’ve asked our sales guys and Aki to do is to really examine our existing portfolio, and try to think about how we can reinforce that. Even now, when we launch something new, we have to consider that it might mean dropping an old style, and this has forced us
to think much more seriously about what we really need. The Goodhue County town of Red Wing, from which the shoe brand takes its name, is small and unsurprisingly dominated by the company’s presence. Red Wing Shoes owns several large buildings on the town’s main street, which include the company offices and the brand’s flagship retail store. A little outside of the main town are Plant 2 - the production factory that was built in 1965 to accommodate a surge in demand - and the company owned S.B. Foot Tannery, which is located in the nearby Featherstone township. The tannery’s acquisition in 1987 has allowed Red Wing to control every stage of production: from the process and colouring of the hides, to the various construction methods used to manufacture the shoes and boots at the plant. Michiya and Akinobu visit the small mid-western town upwards of six times a year, and are familiar with every inch of the shoe manufacturing plant and leather tannery. This attention to detail is apparent throughout the Red Wing brand, and can be seen from the conference rooms in Tokyo to the Puritan sewing machines on the factory floor in Minnesota. The marriage between the western and eastern worlds that the company inhabits has been successful thanks largely to the unified mentality that both share - a belief that a quality product can outlive a temporary trend.
To make a completely new item, it takes years. Sometimes we try and it doesn’t work, but we’re conditioned to be very patient. Each market we work with - Japan, North America, and Europe - has different ideas and needs, and we have to try to adapt to them. We get a lot of input from our sales people, and a lot of them have been with the company for as long as 20 years so their feedback is invaluable. We have a global portfolio, and we work very hard to maintain each of these markets. Sometimes there is a common product carried across the board, and other times each market has different styles that we produce specifically for them. We are looking at least two years ahead, because we know its going to take that long to be happy with something. We now have a much better understanding of the right product to introduce at the right time. This happens not only because we are thinking long term, but also because of the way that the company is set up - we’re not really comfortable producing something quickly. How do you balance the need to create and sell new designs with manufacturing a quality product that’s built to last? I think one of the things we always think about is whether the new product we are creating has roots in
How challenging is it to introduce a new style into the line?
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American work history. This is the criterion we have always used for product development in the Heritage division, and by having this mentality we have a good anchor for any new release. Sometimes we do create a new platform for a shoe design that was not used in the past, and in this case we try to think about whether it is something that would have made sense in a historical work setting. New products do arrive on the market, and that is exciting for our customers, but these are designs that work alongside the shoes and boots that our customers already own.
are not influenced by a single fashion trend. We have already experienced a popularity boom, and the subsequent bursting of that bubble, so we know how scary that can be. We have to understand that the current interest in workwear and Americana cannot last forever, and we have to consider how we can succeed without it. This means we have to go back to relying on our greatest strengths: the things that attracted our customer to the brand in the first place.
Is it interesting to see the US embrace the same identity and aesthetic that has been so popular in Japan for so There is a familiarity to them, and long? Do you feel like you are able to this helps to tie the products together reach a broader audience now? throughout the line.
workwear and americana cannot last forever
How do you feel the company has What’s interesting is that it’s their changed since the introduction of culture, it’s a US identity and Red Wing Japan? aesthetic, but it is surprising how quickly they are now starting to catch The business has grown a lot. Our up. This helps to make our brand real, value is based on a longstanding because today’s American consumer association with American work can now appreciate what we do to a culture, and we are much clearer greater degree, and for a while it was now in our communication of where disheartening to see an American our products come from. I think the brand be so much more successful customer appreciates that, and even if abroad. I feel as though we’re in a the trend changes again, the customer fortunate position because we have will still understand why Red Wing is a strong platform in Japan. A lot of a valuable product. Development of other US work brands are now trying the product has also been another to enter the lifestyle sector, and much major change. Footwear has a fairly of that pressure is to meet the needs limited shape - there is only so much of the Japanese market. We don’t feel you can do to the core design - but I this need as much and this allows us think people really notice the details, to consider only what is best for the so that’s extremely important. It is product, rather than worry too much part of the business approach to about what the market requires. diversify the brand and make sure we
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Do you think the current trend is at all similar to the boom you experienced in the ‘90s? No, because while the trend is reaching a peak, it has been a slow and steady rise this time around. People are not rushing after something without understanding what it is, and it appears to be a long-term interest for a lot of people. The trend is of course making classic Americana more attractive to a mass market, but I think that even if you’re aware of the trend and are responding to it, it isn’t something you are being forced to partake in - it’s a decision for most people, not a response. We also have so many competitors today, but this is good because it means that the consumer has plenty of options, and our customers are looking at us as part of their selection rather than being forced to buy only our product. For a brand like us there is a fundamental need to provide something stable. The world is changing so rapidly and
it’s a decison for most people not a response I think that our customer appreciates the familiarity we provide. So many other things in their lives are changing — they need the latest computer, the newest phone — and I think there is now a greater appreciation for something that lasts. Our roots are deep, and our product is always consistent because we respect our origins. We have an opportunity to improve and continue to create something interesting for a really long time. For us it’s about protecting what we have, rather than rushing to try and create something new.
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C
offee is the springboard into millions of people’s days. It provides both the urge and the tempo of the working shift and is similarly regarded as a drink of relief and relaxation. Coffee shops provide the unique spaces in which the necessary ‘pick-meup’ shot of utility can be enjoyed a few feet from the chatty, two-hour cappuccino. Although, within our chosen coffee shops, it is often easy to miscalculate the labour intensive process that brought this exotic product to our favourite spaces. The full process, from bean to cup, is a long one. It is estimated there are around 2,000 hours in each cup of coffee: from growth, harvest, treatment to transportation, roasting, and brewing. The bit we often see - the 24 to 30 seconds it takes to brew an espresso - is a minute fraction of a long and varied process. But while this is an impressive fact, it seems to understate the amount of time that roasters and baristas take in their efforts to hone their skills and better understand the product they spend their lives around. A great deal of time is spent brewing, tasting, and researching to ensure that the coffees are enriched by all hands that touch them.
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Eddie Twitchett and his daily grind
The earlier part of the process, coffee’s growth and harvest, conjures images of sun-dappled fields and humid racks of coffee berries drying in the tropical air. We imagine postcard landscapes of misty mountains, baskets of red, plump berries, and the bloated hessian sacks that are the main export of these equator-hugging countries, which provide the favourable conditions for the growth of the world’s second most traded commodity. Although, miles away, tucked into the hills of the green, temperate expanse of the Somerset Levels, nine miles south of Bath, Eddie of Round Hill Roaslery is playing his crucial part in transforming the coffee bean (the seed of the coffee berry) into something both unique and part of a broad and popular drinking culture. His role as a roaster is an imperative part of the process, with the responsibility and authority to articulate what is best about a coffee by roasting in a way that emphasises a coffee’s specific character. The worktops in this small, mezzanined businessunit are covered with the paraphernalia of high quality coffee production: amongst tampers, cupping spoons and group heads are instruments of precision like digital scales and timers. It is clear all aspects of coffee production are precise, but the roasting phase -when the treated bean is turned into something very specific and distinctive with a carefully premeditated intention - is perhaps the most so. As part of the process there are obviously a number of variables the roaster can control, such as the temperature and length of the roast. Although some - particularly those which occur before the beans have met this shore, such as climate and crop environment - are beyond the control of the roaster but nonetheless must be responded to. Even something as seemingly innocuous as a change in the reservoir used by the local water board, can completely change the taste of the coffee. To Eddie, this is part of the charm and excitement of coffee: “It’s not simply a case of getting any old beans and putting them through the roaster. Coffee is as varied and differently influenced as wine, and that’s where the excitement lies.”
of quality; he is also looking for a series of signifiers which suggest a unique coffee of character with attributes fitting to his style and flavour inclination. Each roasting selection has to identify the elements of the bean that are going to speak in the idiom of the roaster. In Eddie’s case, this means brightness and high acidity; flavour preoccupations that result in surprising tastes of berries, fruits and light flavours like bergamot. In sourcing a coffee, these are the elements that speak to Eddie and the ones that he wants to tease out of the profile and amplify. The individual identity infused into this process is obvious and is reflected in the environment around. Everything holds a personal stamp, from the stenciled hessian sacks and hot pink espresso machine, to the unique rubber hand stamps on each of the bags. The process allows him to impart his own voice into the coffee production, so that it is possible, on some occasions, to identify a roaster as well as the bean, by the taste of the coffee. The process at Round Hill begins - as it does in other roasteries - with minor roastings of sample coffee beans to learn if they would be suitable. These small tests - carried out by ‘cupping’ the coffee (an exercise of comparative slurping and spitting, much like wine tasting) -are elocutions of a broader voice that belongs to the country or the bean; it may be Ethiopian, but it could also speak specifically of Ethiopian regions such as Sidamo, Yirgacheffe or Harrar. The roaster, possessing a broad knowledge of these coffees, and therefore building up certain expectations, will try, tentatively, to understand the nuances of that particular
Therefore, small, independent roasters, like Eddie, choose beans on much more than the fundamentals
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sun-dappled fields and humid racks of coffee berries drying in the tropical air
the temperature of both the roaster and the beans), the loss of moisture causes a loud popping sound. This, I’m told, is the ‘first crack’, and the gradually darkening beans suddenly double in size. Starches are turned into sugars and proteins are broken down completely altering the cellular structure of the bean and releasing the compounds and characteristics that create the aroma and flavour we all know.
harvest, from that season, and that farm. From here a challenging and invested decision is made; from these exciting and unknown explorations, a coffee is selected. The actual process of roasting, once bean selection has been made and preparation done, is actually rather short: between eight and fifteen minutes at anywhere between 180 and 240 degrees centigrade. The process, though, is not a simple one and the beans go through a number of phases of alteration. The large sacks of green beans that are hard like bullets, with an aroma reminiscent of hay and are seemingly completely inedible, sit heavily at the edge of the roastery. Eddie carefully measures out the batches before pouring them into the chamber above the roaster. Soon after the beans ricochet down the chute into the cast iron roaster - which has been gently heating for nearly 20 minutes - they start to release the aroma of toasted popcorn and the small window in the roaster reveals a light yellow colour emerging in the beans.
Eddie meticulously records all this in a logbook. He is able to track exactly how each individual batch of coffee was roasted. His hand written charts are a perfect depiction of the precision that strikes through and an ultimately serendipitous and personal process. The beans are cooled before being de-stoned (by a huge vacuum) and then bagged up for distribution to coffee shops around the country or the local farmers’ markets. The foundations of these processes are the same between roasters. But the coffees they select vary greatly and the aspects they want to draw out are specific, particularly amongst smaller batch roasters where the almost scientific aspects of coffee roasting meet a more intuitive, variable approach.
Then, once the coffees are roasted and the bags are sealed, the wider dialogue can begin. “Coffee is all about relationships,” Eddie says. “The best part is being out and visiting coffee shops and baristas, and talking about the coffee and what you’ve done with it.” This is the exciting As the beans begin to heat up and dry point where the process opens up and out (Eddie is constantly measuring the product - the new elocution - is
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tested by the taste of others. This is an opportunity to speak to buyers, brewers, and those closer to the point of the consumption (though a roaster is inevitably constantly tasting and testing coffees) that are slightly removed from this precise form of alchemy. Roasters are constantly searching for new coffees and adapting to changes in seasons and harvests, as well as to changes in markets in new emerging countries that bring a whole host of new profiles and possibilities. In doing so, they are searching for a new presentation that fits into their personal idiom and identity, while still performing with confidence in a wider conversation. Then comes the tricky part: the part where, as a roaster, you’ve got to trust the brewer to grind correctly and brew appropriately, to present the coffee in the way it deserves and was intended and, ultimately, to let the coffee speak for itself.
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