Hasta La Ideas

Artisanal leather goods inspired by the Futurist camouflage patterns of WWI ships

Applying a Futurist pattern to an ultra attentive cold-embossing technique, the designers behind the new leather accessories line Midsummer +1 give an old-world Bengali craft new shape. The brilliant leather clutches—produced by a fair trade co-operative in Kolkata, India—follows the lengthy Shantiniketan process where the leather is soaked, stretched,…

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Three small batch breweries rethink the The Big Smoke’s take on beer

Nothing goes better with a carefully constructed burger or a gourmet hot dog than an equally well-crafted beer. With London’s independent food scene heating up, a number of local producers are creating brews to match this artisanal sentiment. Born from the quest for better-quality beer, here are three we’ve found that stand out for their distinct flavor and meticulous brewing process.

Redchurch Brewery

Following an unfiltered brewing process, Bethnal Green’s Redchurch Brewery bottles each beer live for the most in flavor and maturation. The 10-barrel brewery launched a year ago by lawyer-turned-brewer Gary Ward, who aims to raise the bar for traditional English beers by adding more depth to the classics with big, hoppy flavors. The Redchurch range currently includes aptly titled brews like Hackney Gold, Hoxton Stout—a rich, dark beer modeled after Guinness Foreign Extra—Shoreditch Blonde, Bethnal Pale Ale, India Pale Ale and Old Ford Export Stout.

The Kernel Brewery

Located in South London, The Kernel Brewery also bottles their beer alive, allowing it extra time to grow and mature while in the bottle. Now three years old, the brewery is the upshot of former cheesemonger and Kernel founder Evin O’Riordain’s trip to Brooklyn, where he became inspired by the level of attention paid to both producing and consuming beer. His range has grown to include a handful of porters, pale ales and IPAs, as well as an award-winning stout based on a recipe used by a London brewery back in 1890.

London Fields Brewery

Started just a year ago, London Fields Brewery reflects Hackney’s industrious spirit and artistic fervor. The 10-barrel brewery currently handcrafts five regular beers, including Pale Ale, Hackney Hopster, Unfiltered Lager, Wheat Beer and Love Not War—a nod to the London riots, which trapped the first batch inside the brewery. An integral part of the community, London Fields also frequently collaborates with their peers to create both experimental beers and neighborhood food events, like their summer affair with The Dead Dolls Club and their pop-up with Tomscoopery gelato.

Ben Blake’s growing collection of filter doodles celebrate the coffee community

Taking his belief that “coffee inspires creativity” to a literal level, Ben Blake documents his coffee journey in a series of doodles and sketches on filters, sharing his clever graphic narratives with a growing number of fans on his site, Draw Coffee. He considers all requests for java-related images, and his drawings span visual narratives about coffee companies, events, brewing methods and more. Blake even gamely incorporated CH dog-duo Otis and Logan into a recent set of filters.

Coffee drinkers are joined by the industry in taking notice of Blake’s art, with recent collaborations including a shell for a ZPM Espresso machine, and a line of mugs and apparel for Kuma Coffee in Seattle.

We asked Blake—who by day works in development for a liberal arts university—to share his thoughts about making, drawing and drinking joe.

When did you start drawing? Do you remember the moment when you realized that you love to draw?

I’ve been drawing ever since my Mom and Grandma told me to use my imagination. I started drawing famous cartoon characters from books such as Where’s Waldo, Dr. Seuss, and Calvin and Hobbes—over the years, drawing has really followed me. I remember all throughout high school and college using drawing as a way to pay attention in class. I don’t know that there is any particular moment where I realized I loved drawing—I think at some point I realized that I could sit down and draw for hours, wake up the next day, and still have an urge to put something on paper. There aren’t many things that drive me like drawing does.

What was your first coffee-related doodle? Why did you draw it?

At some point in college, I started to love coffee—not because it helped me stay awake, but because I recognized there was something special about it. As I started to learn more about coffee, I started to think about it a lot more. That’s when it started making its way into my doodles. I don’t always do coffee-themed doodles, but nearly 100% of the time, a coffee cup makes its way into the doodle somewhere. It’s kind of my not-so-sneaky tribute to coffee.

Why did you decide to draw so many of your sketches and doodles on coffee filters?

I think it was a natural extension of what I wanted to do with Draw Coffee. I wanted to present something unique that wasn’t being done— actually, the more I think about it, its kind of a stereotypical and cheesy thing for me to have done. I think the Hario filters have a nice, symmetrical shape, and the borders give the drawing some sort of finality.

When did you start Draw Coffee? What was your inspiration for starting the site?

Back in November, I discovered the website Dear Coffee, I Love You. I think the thing that brought me there was the “Coffee Lover Gift Guide” post—it made me realize how many coffee gadgets I wanted. After browsing the site a bit, I was inspired to learn even more about coffee. Two things happened right after that—first, I won a high-quality grinder from Baratza, which helped kickstart my journey to learn about coffee and how to make wonderful coffee at home. Second, La Marzocco USA started a Facebook challenge where they asked fans to post a picture of their brew method and brewing recipe each day. I participated, but I started to realize that my pictures looked the same as everyone else’s pictures. I didn’t like that, so I started to doodle mine instead. I wanted to keep track and share what I was learning, so I decided to start a year-long project where I would learn as much about coffee as I could, and doodle about it.

Why do you like coffee and the coffee community so much?

I have experienced a community full of passionate and creative individuals who love coffee. I’ve been welcomed with open arms by so many people—the drawing thing helped, obviously, but people are so willing to teach and share about coffee. It’s exciting, and I think it’s contagious.

One thing that seems to set the coffee industry apart from other industries is its collaborative nature. I think most wise, knowledgeable people in the specialty coffee industry recognize that there is no current definition of “best”. That’s important, I think, because rather than investing time into battering the competition and living on an island, folks are investing time in bettering the industry—working together on maintaining best and sustainable practices.

Where is the next coffee place you will be visiting?

Well, I’m fresh off trips to Portland, Seattle, and Chicago, but my cousin and I have a coffee-touring trip planned for either Chicago or New York in the near future. Beyond that, I know I’ll be in Kansas City, up and down the East Coast, and possibly down to Atlanta to see Jason Dominy of Batdorf & Bronson before my wife and I move to Bologna, Italy.

After all of this focus on the coffee world, have your coffee-making skills improved?

The more I learn about coffee, the better the coffee I make at home tastes, and the more I realize how complex and intricate coffee can be. What used to be a dull, bitter, muddy liquid has now become this bright, sweet, fruity, and complex drink that I look forward to hand-brewing a few times a day. It’s pretty common for people—mostly me— to describe coffee as “the nectar of the gods”.

What’s next for Draw Coffee?

I think as long as I keep learning and experiencing new things related to coffee, I’m going to keep drawing on my filters, but I’ve been also been doing a lot of projects with roasters, companies, and other websites. Through those commissioned projects, I’ve started to weigh taking design classes to learn typography, graphic design, etc. I would love to continue evolving my drawing styles, and hopefully expand them into other industries and ride that into even more collaborations. It’s been a fun ride the last six months, and I’m trying to let this grow organically to see where it takes me. Hopefully people will continue to find value or inspiration in my doodles, and hopefully they’ll want to learn more about coffee, too.

Hand crafted leather saddles from a fashion design professor turned bespoke upholsterer

Known to the cycling community as one of the premier bespoke bicycle upholsterers around, Australia’s Busyman Bicycles shines through custom craftsmanship in an industry salivating for specialized components. As the brains and braun behind the one man operation, Mick Peel turns regular old saddles into custom masterpieces by hand upholstering with traditional tools and a level of knowhow only earned through years of tinkering. His precise, and often intricate designs extend from classic perforations to perfectly mainicured letters and logos.

With a BA and MA in fashion desgin, nearly twenty years of lecturing on the subject and a sizable stint as head of the fashion design program at Melbourne’s RMIT University, Peel’s experience with elaborate pattern making and knowledge of functional design made for the perfect pathway into the world of custom saddle making. And as if his educational experience weren’t enough, Peel also did a fair amount of graphic design for Adidas Australia in the 1990s and has dabbled in furniture design here and there as well.

Regardless of the discipline at hand, Peel feels his knack for design comes from simply doing. “I do design by making. My knowledge of materials and techniques and the memory accumulated in my hands through crafting have become very much my tools and method of designing. In my practice designing and making are not separate things.”

As one would imagine working with a wide range of saddle designs means finding just the right materials to get the job done. As Peel points out, each leather has it’s own different characteristics and properties. Sheep is extremely soft and easily stretched but can be quite fragile, whereas cow leather is generally more balanced in terms of mold-ability, strength and durability. “My favourite material is definitely vegetable tanned, full grain kangaroo skin. It moulds more easily than cow skin and performs much better in both tensile strength and abrasion resistance. I will always choose kangaroo if it meets the specifications of the job at hand.”

While the expertly crafted saddles are Peel’s specialty, he also dabbles in crafting custom handlebar tape and other specialized bicycle components. For a closer look at Peel’s handy work see the slideshow below and keep an eye on the often updated Busyman Bicycles blog.

How a breed of obsessive mechanics and craftsmen are turning out vintage-inspired modern automobiles

The resurgence of handcrafted objects has spread from fashion to electronics to spirits—you can listen to vinyl LPs while wearing reissued Levi’s 1947 501s and sipping small-batch local bourbon in almost any city in America—but bespoke craft has largely eluded the auto industry. Sure, you can’t throw a rock in a mall parking lot without hitting a retro-inspired muscle car, and some manufacturers have made bolt-on aftermarket “customization” as easy as assembling an IKEA bookshelf, but theoretically, something can only be so unique when it’s being mass-produced for global distribution. On the other hand, vintage models give rise to safety concerns and lack the power of modern technology.

Thankfully, there is an emerging middle ground between the unique excitement of a vintage machine and the reliability of a modern one. More commonly seen in motorcycles that automobiles, a few small companies have emerged in the last few years to fill the gap. These 21st-century coachbuilders offer a product that is custom-built for each owner, a one-of-a-kind piece of drivable art for those who appreciate obsessive craftsmanship.

You’ve probably heard of the DeLorean Motor Company, maker of the legendary DMC-12. The original DMC folded in 1982, but a new DeLorean Motor Company was started in Texas in 1995 to support the 6,000 or so owners of the original cars. The new DeLorean has reached beyond just a parts clearinghouse—for around $60,000 they will build you a brand new deadstock DMC-12. You can keep it stock of course, but DeLorean will happily install satellite radio, iPod interfaces, GPS and Bluetooth for an additional cost. They also offer upgrades to the performance of the engine and suspension, which we’d recommend—the original DMC-12 managed a 0-60 time of about 10.5 seconds, just a bit slower than the 1991 Toyota Corolla. For those of you eager to drive the true car of the future, starting in 2013, customers will be able to order an all-electric version of the DMC-12. A perfect match for your Nike Mags.

If your tastes are more performance-based, and you already own a Porsche 911 in need of some modification, Singer Vehicle Design (SVD) has a proposition for you. Using Cosworth engines and new composite bodies from Aria, Singer re-imagines a customer’s existing 911 into a machine that looks iconic and actually outperforms its modern brethren. SVD collaborates directly with artisans, craftsmen and small manufacturers in Southern California to custom-build each car to the owner’s specifications and intended use.

The classic air-cooled engines can run from a sprightly 300hp touring model all the way up to a 4.0L, 400HP track monster. The interiors are refinished in new leather upholstery and beautifully minimal dashes that match the mechanical excellence under the hood. Bespoke quality comes at a cost, of course—SVD’s recreations will run from $190,000 to more than $300,000, and you still need to supply the original 964-body 911. And while Porsche purists might raise an eyebrow at a modern 911 that looks like it was built in 1971, you’ll be looking at them in your (hand-crafted) rear-view mirror.

By far the most intense of this new breed of bespoke auto craftsmen, ICON began as a Toyota LandCruiser restoration company that quickly shifted into an obsession with building more perfect versions of classic 4 x 4s like the Jeep CJ and Toyota FJ. In fact, ICON’s FJ44 is high on Cool Hunting’s list of vehicles we’d want during the Apocalypse.

The most exciting truck to come from ICON is their newest, the ICON Bronco, a faithful, if burly, reinterpretation of the cult-favorite 1966-77 Ford Broncos. ICON owner Jonathan Ward worked directly with Ford’s rockstar designer Camilo Pardo and Nike and Frog Design to re-imagine one of Ford’s most classic sport utility vehicles.

Utilizing an all-new reproduction Bronco bodyshell from Ford supplier Dynacorn, the ICON Bronco has the handsome good looks of the original, without being cloyingly retro. Under the hood, the Bronco is powered by Ford’s new 5.0L V8 that is currently in the 2012 Mustang GT, doubling the original’s 205HP. Other modern upgrades include a Parrot in-dash stereo running Android, military-grade LED lighting throughout, and a heavy-duty winch hidden in the front bumper. Everywhere you look you find obsessively rebuilt parts, like door lock knobs machined from solid aluminum instead of cheap plastic. About the only complaint we have is the loss of the original gauge design, but we’re nostalgic that way. For an exhaustive look at the making of the ICON Bronco, head over to Car Domain.

These newly reengineered vintage vehicles from DeLorean, Singer Vehicle Design and ICON are an obsessive, loving homage to the halcyon days of automobile production, and offer today’s independent driver exciting alternatives to the status quo of another all-wheel-drive supercar or mass-produced rockhopper. While none of these options come cheap, the amount of skill and labor that goes into making each one can justify the cost as buying more than just another car. Now that Ford is licensing full-body reproductions of their 1960s and ’70s Mustangs, we can only hope that this trend will continue to thrive.