Eames x Street Art x Barneys

Credit Luna Park

A collection of the iconic EAMES Plywood chairs (DCM and LCM) hooked up with a little street art, displayed in the window of Barneys NYC Madison 61st street for the month of May 2010. Curated by NYC urban design artist Billi Kid & co. to benefit Operation Design.

Eames originated in the 1940's, creating modern pieces with a vision of high aesthetic value, idealism, sustainability, and technology. As I view a piece I feel a collaboration of mid-century, present, and the future...I guess this is also known as timeless. I love all the pieces I own and sucks I couldn't be in NYC to appreciate this display in person. At least there's pics to document the exhibit.

Item I Desperately Need: Common Projects Achilles in Raw Black Leather

It's amazing how quick a company can grow. First time I heard of Common Projects in '06 or so, they had one shoe, the now-classic white achilles, a bare bones low-profile "luxury" sneaker. In retrospect, it was priced at a reasonable $200ish. A year later, they dropped the now-classic light grey achilles, easily one of my favorite shoes that I own. Now, they drop like 20+ models per season, they've experimented with everything from leather oxfords to basketball high tops, and no color is out of the question. And their cheapest shoe now retails somewhere around $375, with their dress shoes asking for $500+.



They've had some misses during their expansion, but they hit a homer with this one:

Handled it for the first time this past weekend. If the classic achilles is like a BMW 5-series, this would be the M5. Now, I'm not sure what raw leather entails, but I don't think its like comparing washed denim to raw denim. These shoes ain't developing whiskers over time. The shoe just looks less refined, with its ragged edges and that shoelace guard thing in front. Other upgrades - metal eyelets and leather laces, with a putty-colored sole. Subtle, but significant upgrades. And you pay for it - $420.

Unis Love

Recently, Unis was nominated for this year's GQ Magazine's Best New American Menswear Designer, even though Unis is more than 10 years old I believe. But that's GQ for you. Didn't think Unis would win - it's not fashion-forward or comprehensive enough of a collection to be a contender - but I'm glad they finally got some widespread attention.





Back in '07 or so, while making my rounds at Seattle's Blackbird, this Unis shirt caught my eye. It was pretty basic, although it had one subtle distinction that separated it from all other button-ups - small slightly-rounded button-down collars (though not club collars). I've been a devoted follower ever since, and whenever I'm in NYC, I'm sure to drop by their NoLita store at least twice. Unis, to me, is about effortless style and coolness and is much more focused on maintaining this consistency than pushing the fashion envelope - they've perfected "basics" like BD shirts (which fit better than Band of Outsiders in my humble opinion - see Felix shirt), chinos, outerwear and they never try to add trendy twists to their pieces, which I appreciate. You take out their clothes, and I still love Unis - their stylish website with its candid street shots in the city, their sparse yet casual-chic store (located across from Cafe Habana no less)...hell, even their store smells good, so good that it made me investigate what the scent was, and of course, it's a $70 scented candle made by some local indie scent-maker, which has since found its way into my apartment. Style is obviously found in many areas outside of clothing, and Unis epitomizes this.


Their clothes is not cheap, but it's understandable considering all of their garments are produced in NYC (I think). Despite its recent press, Unis is still hard to find. I think partly because Unis wants to retain their locally-made, small company vibe, and partly because they aren't trendy, so you're not gonna hear about their runway show or see a Unis ensemble in a Barney's catalog. Definitely not complaining though. They do have an online store now, with a limited selection. You can phone order if you know what you want though, and Unis ppl have been extremely helpful everytime I've done so.


More recent press:


New York Times Profile on Unis - 2009


Debonair Interview with Eunice ("Unis") Lee - 2009


Village Voice Names UNIS Best Local Menswear Designer - 2009

Band of Outsiders Fall/Winter 2010

Nobody does youthful prep with swag better than Band of Outsiders. Every season I lust for BoO pieces, only to re-realize I don't have the ideal frame for it (aka slight flat-chested skinny-armed frame). Well, they done did it again for f/w 2010, and once again, I'm gonna try to make it work somehow. When it goes on sale.


My favorite looks from the show:

Black corduroy suit with (I'm assuming) overdyed green oxford. Gold buttons and fingerless gloves/handwarmers could be hot in 2010, if it isn't already.

Simple black 2-button suit with yellow/black buffalo plaid BD...Whiskey-colored laceups with white laces round out this perfect color/pattern combo. 

Bomber with shearling? collar. This is a much more rugged look than what I'm used to seeing from BoO, but I'm liking it. Fit here is just on-point from head to toe. 

Double-breasted cord blazer (w/ gold buttons of course). Will probably cost tuition at your local state university. I probably wouldn't wear yellow pants with knee pad detailing, but I like the whole color scheme here. Swagger required for this outfit. 

Ok, these pants I would wear. Not even sure what to call this color...but again, the whole color scheme here is great while maintaining wearability. Perfect fit and proportion. 

The Whole Collection