Recycled sails from Maine fused with Pennsylvania wool in a line of new bags
Since its start in 2005, Sea Bags has spawned a number of imitations, but unlike its competitors Sea Bags still uses only retired sails for its durable, handmade totes and accessories. Now the Portland, Maine-based brand has partnered with fellow East Coast company, Woolrich, marrying its weathered nylon with…
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Our latest video explores the workshop where creative minds gives classic trucks new life
For our latest video, the third to premiere at the 99% Conference last week, we drove through the desolate corridor of I-5 to the outskirts of Los Angeles to visit ICON, California’s premiere builder of custom trucks. Newest in the line-up, the ICON Bronco takes the body of a classic 1970s Ford Bronco and rebuilds it from the ground up. All ICON’s trucks maintain the personality of the originals but add new technology to make driving easier. We spoke with ICON founder Jonathan Ward about the new trucks, what makes his process possible and what it takes to construct a vehicle by hand in LA.
New American-made men’s basics at an affordable price
To rethink the process of American-made goods and reinforce the values of domestic production, former Chrome bags President Bayard Winthrop founded American Giant, a new line of high-quality menswear. Focused on the basics, the first line of affordable garments includes five variations on the sweatshirt made with an exclusively produced, 14.8oz cotton fleece.
The garments’ immediately apparent durable quality, coupled with the weight and construction of the heavy-duty cotton reminds us of Carhartt, but without the workwear aesthetic. All styles save for the crew neck feature double reinforced shoulders, elbows and forearms to extend the life of each piece, and the entire line is outfitted with exaggerated four-inch cuffs and waistband that offer comfort and security without a feeling of restriction.
Inspired by classics, the overall feel of American Giant seems to fit somewhere between vintage collegiate apparel and contemporary everyday wear. The collection comprises a subdued “American palette” of red, heather gray, indigo blue, off-white, black, brown and burnt orange, and sells between $59-$89. American Giant is now available online with an expanded line including T-shirts and other essentials coming soon.
Rich, handmade soaps pay tribute to pirates and perfume from historic New Orleans
As a family-run business, New Orleans-based Sweet Olive Soap Works believes in working with fellow sustainably minded people to keep production local and customers supplied with the best ingredients available. So to make everyone and their skin happy Sweet Olive makes each olive oil-based product by hand with nutrient rich, Louisiana-grown ingredients, using the cold process method and curing each batch for a month. The mild, moisturizing and handmade soap offers the body benefits by avoiding chemicals and synthetic dyes while naturally slowing the skin’s aging process through hydration.
The line’s signature variety is, of course, the Louisiana Sweet Olive, but our favorites of the slab-cut soaps were the Vetiver and Goat’s Milk bar and the Lafitte 1815. The silky Vetiver and Goat’s Milk pays homage to New Orlean’s French heritage, blending the Creole culture’s signature Vetiver fragrance—first imported to the colonies from East India—with creamy goat’s milk and notes of almond oil and sandalwood.
Named for the French Pirate who helped defend New Orleans against the British in 1815, the masculine Lafitte 1815 combines fragrant oak moss, sandalwood and light undertones of cedarwood and black amber. Plus, the activated charcoal acts as a natural solution for drawing toxins from the skin, and gives the bar its dark hue.
For more information on Sweet Olive Soap Works and their wide variety of handmade soaps check online where the 4.3 ounce bars sell for around $6 a bar.
Selected American-made bags fit for everyday carry or a weekend away
Although the year’s busiest travel days are over for some, our globe-trotting schedule never seems to let up. Inspired by the thought of the next adventure on the horizon we’ve gathered up a handful of our favorite new duffel bags—each expertly crafted in the USA. From dead-stock denim to Wisconsin-grown leather, these five bags will look great slung over the shoulder of both him and her.
Made in America with both domestic and international materials is the Oaxacan Duffel from Eugene, Oregon’s Will Leather Goods. Each unique bag incorporates hand-woven, vegetable-dyed wool rugs from the Oaxaca region in southern Mexico, and comes trimmed with American leather. With this multicultural approach, Will supports small communities through fair trade and sustainable production. Available online from Will for $495.
The latest travel piece from the New York-based label brings a subdued aesthetic with a hint of spring to guide you through the gloomy winter months. The Devere Duffel‘s thick denim bottom and canvas upper are made of 100% cotton with rich leather accents. Available online from Rag & Bone for $275.
As the most industrial of the group, the Alpine Duffel Bag is technically meant for the construction site. However, its heavy-duty leather duffle features supple, Milwaukee-grown oil-tanned leather that’ll last a lifetime and only look better with wear, so we couldn’t help but recognize its aesthetic appeal. Plus, the multitude of pockets—two outer, ten inner—come in handy even if you’re hauling office supplies instead of power tools. Look to Home Depot where it sells for $313.
Named for the nautical term for luggage taken on a voyage, the Dunnage is a slender duffel perfect for daily commutes and weekends away. The minimalist bag features one slit pocket on the outside and a zippered one the inside, providing just enough storage to keep things in order. The ballistic nylon shell sports leather accents for a classic look. Available from Blue Claw Co. for $178.
Constructed by hand in Los Angeles, the Arrow Duffel Bag features a wrapped denim body with 100% cotton lining in a hue they call “lime sorbet”, and dark brown leather straps. Like all Me & Arrow goods, each product is made with vintage, dead-stock fabrics. Both go for $234 online.
Two new pieces of simplified travel gear from Eugene, Oregon’s heritage-inspired workshop
Working out of Eugene, Oregon—108 miles south of Portland—Archival Clothing has drawn some serious attention in the world of menswear since their debut just a few years ago. Focused on producing domestically made goods they consider to be the “best in category,” Archival Clothing makes impeccable adaptations of vintage rucksacks, handmade leather goods and quality garments. Archival carries on with supremely simple goods for both men and women, releasing two new products just in time for the busiest travel season of the year. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the new duck canvas duffel bag and waxed canvas dopp kit.
In an effort to support what remains of U.S.-based manufacturing, Archival selected American-made 18-oz duck cotton, Horween leather, YKK zippers and finely woven thread as the bag’s foundation. Brass hardware sourced from the UK, combined with waxed cotton tape and riveted stress points hold the bag together. All details aside, the bag’s color is what sold us—vibrant cobalt blue and striking red accents make for a perfect contrast to the dark winter days to come, while the ultra-tough nylon truck tarp bottom is perfect for combatting the harsh conditions inherent in traveling. Plus, the duffel meets TSA carry-on size limits.
With purpose at the forefront of its design, the slimmed-down dopp kit that weighs just four ounces and folds to pocket size when empty. Constructed entirely of American-made materials as well, the 10-oz waxed canvas body is both waterproof and durable. We like the bright red, whose color only gets better with wear.
Both additions to their collection of bags and garments are available now in the Archival Clothing online store. The duffel is available in navy or cobalt blue and sells for $205, while the dopp kit comes in red, dark brown and navy, and sells for $60.
Handcrafted rings inspired by surreal structures and existential themes
Influenced by existential Nouvelle Vague films and the dark Northwest wilderness, Eric Saeter‘s eponymous jewelry line is marked by rich detail and surreal structures. The Seattle native was initially driven to the trade in 2008 by what he felt was a lack of inspiring jewelry on the market. Since then his work has continued to grow in its level of craftsmanship and unique, unisex style.
Saeter uses only solid sterling silver, 22k and 24k gold vermeil—rather than finger-staining bronze, nickel or pewter—throughout the collection for a weighty effect, casting each piece in a series of molds and finishing it by hand. The holistic, hand-crafted approach ensures no two rings are alike, each earning its own naturalistic character in singular imperfections and blemishes. The Earthworm ring pays proper homage to the mother of mulch with deep ridges on a substantial band, showcasing the designer’s knack for detail and texture.
The geometric Salt riffs on the jagged natural crystal of the ocean in gold vermeil with smooth surfaces and softer edges. My personal favorite, this statement piece bears tiny witness marks that help create an organic aesthetic reminiscent of something one might find deep in the mountains of Mordor.
Playing on themes of mortality, Snakes is a “textural serpent” devouring itself in a coil of intricately detailed scaled bands. The Oyster hides two small pearls deep inside the ring’s structure, kept safely close to the hand and away from the prying eye.
Jewelry by Eric Saeter is available in select boutiques and directly through his online shop where rings range between $355 and $515.
A new collection of classic neckties with a modern silhouette, hand-sewn in America
Since opening their first brick and mortar outpost in South Williamsburg this past summer, Brooklyn Tailors has been busy building their bespoke tailoring clientele and expanding their line of off-the-rack menswear. Now well into the fall season they’ve released a selection of neckties made entirely from 100% English wool, save for a corduroy style. Designed with the same attention to detail and reverence for proper, traditional craftsmanship as their tailored garments and shirts, the necktie collection offers an ever-expanding selection of fabrics styled in a classic yet modern silhouette.
Brooklyn Tailors with a third-generation tie-maker based in New Jersey, allowing them to oversee the operation through each step, from sourcing fabrics to final production. Each tie is hand-sewn with a free-floating interlining and finished with a hand-slip stitching and bar tack. To lend a slightly more contemporary feel to the accessory, the line adheres to a slightly more trim—though not “skinny”—width than your father’s old-reliable work tie.
Another element of their slightly-more-modern aesthetic is length, with each tie cut roughly three inches shorter than the industry standard. Co-founder Daniel Lewis expands on the decision, “I’ve never liked seeing the tie reach past the belt line on a person’s trousers. So we’ve sized our tie a bit shorter for a length that looks cleaner, and more intentional.”
The collection currently comprises eight neckties, with several more styles debuting in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for more offerings along the lines of wool tweeds, Japanese cotton twill and, later in the year, chambray and oxford. Priced at $85 each, they’re likely an investment piece for the holiday season, but with a level of craftsmanship to match. The necktie collection is now available at their Brooklyn shop and online boutique.
Italian elegance meets modern convenience in luggage handmade in Chicago
For all the recent proliferation of American-made men’s leather goods, few brands have been able to unite old-world elegance with domestic craftsmanship. More formal than the ubiquitous rugged duffel but no less relaxed, Libero Ferrero‘s luggage moves in a new direction with a smarter aesthetic for high quality classics made stateside.
The brand’s Oak & Eddon bag caught our eye with its clean and modern take on a classic carry-on suitcase. The bag’s double-zip closure lends nice symmetry to the silhouette, along with a surprising amount of space—designed with FAA requirements in mind, it can accommodate laptops up to 20 inches. While weekenders remain a great standby for casual trips, this bag is for the kind of gentleman that springs for extra legroom.
Brothers Matthew, Adam and Peter Lafferty, founded Libero Ferrero as an homage to their craftsman grandfather, the first in his family of Italian immigrants to be born in America. The bags are handmade in Chicago from heirloom-quality materials like plush suit-wool linings from England’s Holland & Sherry and domestic leather sourced from the much-coveted Horween Leather. These details, combined with the all-brass hardware finishings, make for luxurious yet understated luggage.
To ensure function and durability on par with the aesthetics, the brothers spent a year and a half in research and development in collaboration with head designer Julia Salamon. The Laffertys bring their respective backgrounds in architecture, art direction and design to the line, which also includes the Thompson medicine bag, Portage shoulder brief and the gym-ready Duffle.
All told, the strength of the debut collection seems promising for the longevity of the brand. The bags are available online through Libero Ferrero, with prices ranging from $850 to $2,650.
New American classics from the Brooklyn-based menswear brand’s “Pompous Circumstance” collection
Going strong in its third year of production, Brooklyn-based fashion label Feltraiger makes what they call “New American Classic” menswear with a healthy sense of irreverence. With each collection the label takes on a different subculture—for Spring/Summer 2012 founder and creative director Daniel Feldman was inspired by the way high society spends their leisure time. The “Pompous Circumstance” collection offers a clean, well-trimmed look reminiscent of days spent quail hunting at the country home.
After a quick look at the line we were most intrigued by the label’s outerwear, which includes key pieces—a trim-fit, anorak-style pullover; a slim camouflage bomber and a lightweight classic hunting vest—blending classic and contemporary design. The vest in particular goes easily from the country to the city, with an urban-appropriate aesthetic and all the essential technical features a hunter may need, down to a detachable rear game pouch.
Run by Feldman, along with his brother Jon, Feltraiger—named for the family’s original Russian surname prior to emigration—is made entirely in America to ensure control of the highest standard of material and craftsmanship. For the time being Feltraiger is sold exclusively through their online shop; come Spring 2012 the duo will expand by opening a brick-and-mortar flagship in New York City.
Photography by Gregory Stefano
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
