Hasta La Ideas

A pair of well loved boots gets a much needed refresh at the century old workshop

American made since 1905, Red Wing Shoe Company in Red Wing, Minnesota, has earned a worldwide following for their sturdy, durable boots built to last a lifetime. Not only do they make top notch (and increasingly fashionable) footwear, Red Wing firmly stands behind their product—offering repairs and modifications to anyone with a pair in need. This unprecedented service gives well worn boots the chance to be brought back to the original workshop to be rebuilt with original equipment.

I’ve worn my boots for 13 years, and realized this fall that they were ready for a refresh. Although the leather uppers are absolutely in their prime, the years of wear and tear left the soles in a much sadder state. So, to give my beloved boots a little tlc and to get an inside look at the repair process, I sent them on a journey back to their Minnesota roots—with explicit instructions to keep as much well-earned character in the boots as possible.

In the same fashion as the boots were originally made, the resoling process is done by hand—with the aid of a few heavy duty machines. After the worn sole is removed the remaining material is sanded smooth, exposing a bit of the original leather last and preparing the shoe for their new soles. A layer of glue is applied to both the new sole and the old boot and left to sit under a heat lamp for some time to cure. The two are then joined together and held under intense pressure until bonded. The excess sole is then trimmed down to the proper shape and given a brief washing before leaving the re-assembly line. The boots are boxed up along with a fresh new insole and two pairs of laces, black and tan, and sent back to the owner.

Lacing them up for the first time this season was like seeing an old friend. As comfortable as ever, with their well-earned patina and some welcome new support. The rejuvenation process had breathed new life into my old boots without permanently changing the feel or overall appearance, just as I wanted. Of course, if you want them all polished up they can do that too.

The repair process includes anything from resoling and restitching to changing eyelets or hooks and is available for any pair of well worn Red Wings for $95. The price includes shipping to and from the repair shop, replacement laces and a round of leather treatment and conditioning.

For more details on the repair and modification process visit Red Wing Shoe Company online. And for a closer look at my boots’ journey view the gallery below.

Styled iPhone shoots from a leading Brazilian vintage supplier

Here’s one of the more ingenious ways we’ve seen people use Instagram: instant fashion editorial. Paula Reboredo and Gil França, the couple behind Sao Paulo vintage store B. Luxo, have come up with a way to market their goods and get a response immediately, by doing fully styled mini editorial shoots for Instagram.

The couple began by posting images of selected clothing and accessories to their b_luxo account, and the response was so overwhelmingly positive—their current follower count stands at 1,523—that they’ve segued into full-on fashion shoots, all photographed in the shop.

Reboredo and França first style the models (who happen to also be clients), and then França (also a photographer) shoots the images on an iPhone 4. Despite the variety of photo retouching apps in existence, França’s approach is refreshingly simple: he only treats the image on Instagram, using the tilt-shift blur effect and applying a preset filter before uploading. The results give the images a retro sheen that are a natural fit to the clothing and accessories they show off.

B. Luxo’s current editorial consists of 16 looks, and a previous shoot focused on a Halloween theme. The photos are posted with the name of the item and sizes. Comments from followers have reached frenzied heights, with users calling and reserving the pieces as soon as they appear in the feed. Reboredo and França plan to continue doing these fashion shoots into the near future. “It’s quick and efficient,” Reboredo said.

Larger brands are increasingly tuned in to the pictorial social media venue. Topshop hosted in-store, fully-styled Instagram shoots on iPads (the complete gallery lives on their Facebook page). Bergdorf Goodman launched an interactive Instagram shoe map with editorial-inspired shoe pics. B. Luxo, however, is the first we know of dedicating their account exclusively to editorial spreads.

Follow the boutique by their username b_luxo on Instagram to keep up with their latest features.

Questa è la versione vintage della Air Max Light. In uscita il mese prossimo.
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A hunting inspired coat re-issued from Eddie Bauer’s archives

New from Eddie Bauer’s Fall line of heritage garments is the Camoweave Forester. The handsome coat pays tribute to its hunting-inspired predecessor first introduced by Eddie Bauer in 1965, using the same superior construction techniques and materials. The unique, shadow plaid pattern is woven into the fabric—rather than printing directly on top—using yarn in 14 different colors, blended together to create the distinct camouflage.

The 11-oz. wool and quilted lining deliver plenty of warmth for those days when your shell won’t do. When it comes to wet weather, it should be noted that the jacket relies only on wool’s natural, but somewhat minimal, water repellence—to preserve the fabric’s purity, the finish was left uncoated and untreated.

For utility, the jacket features four cargo pockets on the front, and a larger, dual-entry field/game pocket on the lower back. This kangaroo pouch style pocket is often found on traditional hunting jackets for extra storage that won’t get in the way.

The Camoweave Forester dropped today at Eddie Bauer online, and follows in select stores in early November. At $399, think of it as an investment.

Vatican Ferraris, other gorgeous mid-century cars and more at the U.K.’s biggest vintage car show

The annual vintage car show at Goodwood is so much more than that. With races, air shows, thousands dressed in period costumes and even a working ’50s-era supermarket, the event provides a playground for those in love with bygone ways of life. As the guest of Veuve Clicquot, it was hard not to also be taken with the scene, arriving in high vintage style in Pierre le Gloahec-Hénanff’s gorgeous (and appropriately champagne-colored) Jaguar E-type. The MoMA-approved aggressive bonnet and beautiful wood interior make it easy to understand why so many are such big fans of the car—Pierre’s driving (he used to race Jaguars and now spends his days at Le Petit Hôtel des Hortensias in Brittany) didn’t hurt either.

We knew we were off to a good start when stopping for gas along the way, we ran into friends of his who brought a Vatican Ferrari (the manufacturer used to give the Catholic city cars). The pair, dressed in full vestments, caused a passerby to pee her pants from laughter.

Proceeding to the plot of land known as Goodwood, we started seeing vintage planes zip across the sky. The open airspace is just one of the impressive features of Goodwood, which dates back to 1697 when the first Duke of Richmond established it as hunting grounds.

At the Revival, you have your choice of activities—shopping, eating, visiting the recreated Tesco—but we headed to the space Veuve hosts near the track to watch the races. When the vintage race cars aren’t speeding around what has been called the most beautiful track in the world, you can go check them out in the barracks.

There, you have the chance to see some of the most famous winning models, a vintage car-lovers dream. It’s tough to pick a favorite, but the 1956 Ferrari 860 Monza is definitely up there.

Of course, just a year older, the Type Ferrari 250 TR57 is stunning too.

Fast-forward to 1961 and you have Ferrari’s 250 GTO SWB “Breadvan.”

Following that year, Ferrari made this yellow-and-green 250 GTO.

But not all the stunners were Ferraris. For a futuristic vision that dates back to 1954, there’s the Mercedes Benz 1196 Streamliner.

This ’57 Aston Martin DBA1 also caught my eye.

And the blue 1951 Maserati A6GCM, as well as its little brother from 1953, are both Richmond Trophy-winners.

Bugatti’s 1947 Type 73C has the distinction of having earned a Goodwood Trophy.