Advertorial content: When he’s not gunning for a world title or re-establishing chess as the game of kings, chess phenom Magnus Carlsen makes time for modeling. The 22-year-old Norwegian first stepped in front…
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While it may not seem like it, the concept of a brand collection lookbook is relatively new. In fact, the single word still draws a red squiggly line under it in most word processing programs. But now…
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To accompany their just-released SS13 accessories collection, Brooklyn-based design outlet The Hill-Side created a dynamic lookbook of 10 cheeky gifs animating exploding neckties, swirling scarves and peeping pocket squares as…
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Approximately one in three—that’s the statistic for women who will be raped or beaten in their lifetime, a demographic that works out to one billion worldwide. Eve Ensler and her nonprofit, V-Day, aim to change this statistic with One Billion Rising, a global call to action for people to…
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The heritage brand builds a uniform to outfit a San Francisco restaurant
by Yale Breslin
Orondava Mumford, Global Design Director at Levi’s, was in charge of creating the uniforms for the staff at San Francisco eatery Saison. We dug through his sketchbook leading up to the unveiling of the restaurant’s new sartorial choices and spoke with Mumford about the inspiration behind his heritage-focused design process, and his grand plans for the U.S. Postal Service.
The Levi’s brand has partnered with San Francisco’s acclaimed Saison restaurant to create a functional workwear wardrobe for the modern pioneers of this unique, open-kitchen environment. With this collaboration we are proud to celebrate chef Joshua Skenes and sommelier Mark Bright, who not only embody the pioneering spirit of the Levi’s brand but the most relevant expression of innovation, localism and craftsmanship.
Actually we refer to it as a wardrobe rather than uniforms. When Aylin Beyce (co-designer on the uniforms) and I went on our initial research dinner date at Saison, we were impressed by the intimacy of the experience of having a meal there. While the wardrobe was designed with a singular aesthetic, we offered variations on fit for the cooks—if you normally rock skinny jeans, why should you have to come to work in loose, ill-fitting chinos?. The female servers were offered a tunic, a dress and two different pant styles, whereas the partners, Josh and Mark, have completely custom-made garments based on their respective trades and day-to-day functions.
We based both the men’s and women’s designs on a coupling between our brand’s workwear heritage and the modern approach to function needed in a restaurant of Saison’s caliber. Consistent details were used such as a trupunto stitch detail, natural horn and corozo nut buttons, and a fabric and color scheme that reflected the restaurants interior. In maintaining the highest quality of fabrics, which we felt reflected the high quality of ingredients on the menu, we chose selvedge fabrics from Italy, Japan, England and the US.
I am extremely passionate about Levi’s being involved in projects such as these. Saison is a local San Francisco-based concept started by young entrepreneurs innovating within their fields. Levi’s is an original San Francisco-based brand, which through the creation of the 501 supported the pioneers of the early 1800s migrating west during the Gold Rush in pursuit of the American dream. It’s what we do. If anyone from the U.S. Postal Service is reading this, I am dying to redesign their uniforms too.
I have the dream job. My official title is Global Design Director. I focus specifically on all menswear products below the waist as well as our iconic “trucker” jacket and versions of it. I manage a team of some of the industry’s best designers hailing from all over the world. My main responsibilities are to inspire and lead the design team in creating a compelling, yet commercially viable global product that supports and deepens the brand’s values and identity while challenging and pushing the boundaries of modern American design through craft, sustainability and innovation. I love my job.
It was the balance of familiarity and pure innovation. The menu never fails to thrill the palate and the execution, delivery and atmosphere surrounding each plate was such a lasting impression. We went about creating the wardrobe as such. We even went as far as to have a custom-made wardrobe unit built of reclaimed local redwood and steel to house the wardrobe, which now stands inside the restaurant. No detail was left un-challenged, as I’m sure Josh wouldn’t craft a menu any other way.
Photographer Tim Barber introduces animated GIFs to an exclusive menswear line
Like the brands they represent, lookbooks run the gamut from those shot on Brooklyn rooftops to full-scale studio productions with renowned fashion photographers. In what may be an industry first, Freeman’s Sporting Club recently enlisted photographer Tim Barber to take a different route, creating a series of animated GIFs to show their Spring/Summer 2011 line. Whether juggling in a Tropical Gossamer Machinist Shirt or dropping trou in Summer Weight Grey Jeans, the lighthearted concept has a practical side too, giving a sense of how the clothes move when worn.
Also seen in the work of photographers Reed + Rader, using GIFs for fashion spreads breathes life into clothing that still photograph just can’t do. This effect, combined with Barber’s clean and simple aesthetic, makes for an incredibly effective campaign.
The project follows Barber’s lookbook for FSC last season (their first-ever) when the photographer poked fun at male stereotypes with a catalog of tongue-in-cheek scenarios. With lightweight, casual fabrics at the forefront of this collection, again Barber perfectly sums up the season.
The current FSC collection, which includes their new Limited Edition Black on Black Summer Tuxedo ($2,300), is available now online as well as at their NYC and San Francisco locations.
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