Wouldn’t you love to go an adventure in one of these?
All photos My Cool Caravan.
Archive for the ‘Photography’ CategoryRetro CaravansFriday, April 1st, 2011SandwichesWednesday, March 30th, 2011Maybe it is because spring is here, at least today (Mother Nature is playing a lovely April Fools day joke on us folks in Maine and dumping several inches of the white at this point icky wet stuff on us Friday), that I am thinking about picnics. Baskets, blankets, thermoses, coolers, and sandwiches. The editors at Saveur and Whole Living must have the same idea, they put sandwiches on their covers. To continue with their theme and my train of thought…I bring you Scanwiches, a website devoted to scans of sandwiches. Deliciously fun.
All images Scanwiches. Daytona Beach Week 70s and 80sSaturday, March 19th, 2011Are you kidding me with this Flickr find!?? If you like this check out The Selvedge Yard for amazing pics of the ultimate badasses Steve McQueen and Johnny Cash, Irving Penn portraits of the Hells Angels, and a sweet post on Deep Purple.
The StrongholdSaturday, March 19th, 2011One-of-a-kind jeans are bound to have a great tale behind them….the process, sewers, history, materials, design, and soul. My Stronghold jeans have some serious soul and let me tell you we are going to have a heck of a good (old-fashioned) time together. The fit, oh the fit….it’s like that lopsided grin worn just right…determined and indestructible. I feel more 1950s drifter than 21st century hipster in my finely crafted jeans….like they are meant for grassy hills, old barns, creek beds, and warm summer nights on Megunticook Lake in a small boat with friends and a sufficient amount of cold beer. Established in 1895 The Stronghold was the first denim brand manufactured in Los Angeles, and operated continuously until its closure in 1949. In 2004 North Beach Leather (a brand supposedly worn by none other than Elvis!) creative alumni Michael Paradise and Von Dutch veteran Michael Cassell resurrected the heritage denim brand. Forget the 50 or so years in-between, these jeans have never gone out of style. I guess you could say I love my Stronghold jeans. Is this really surprising to anyone who knows me that I would? American made, hand sewn, denim (my favorite fabric and folks this was long before the current head to toe trend), practical, and beautiful. Their shop on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice is lovely, a charming and warm experience. **The brand can also be found at Bergdorf Goodman and Jeffrey in Manhattan and online via Orvis.
Rather than try to describe the brand entirely on my own, I thought it best to get some help from the gentleman who sold me my jeans…readers meet Ryan Gray…. Who were some of the early well known persons to wear Stronghold jeans – I remember a picture of Charlie Chaplin for instance hanging in the shop. Did he/any other film stars wear them in “real life” or the cinema?
RG: Denim Blue Jeans did not make it into mainstream fashion until the late 1950′s, but most of all old Hollywood cinema used Stronghold for costume wardrobe because they were the workwear brand of Los Angeles from 1895 to 1949. I.E. Grapes of Wrath with Henry Fonda.
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The jeans seem to have had a purpose and in the history of the company many stories. Have the owners been able to relocate/purchase some original Stronghold jeans?
RG:There are quite a few collectors throughout the world that have acquired and collected old Stronghold pieces and have quite a bit of value. The company today has acquired a few pieces to keep in archive as we are trying to continue to keep the detailing as close to all the original pieces.
Would it be correct to say each pair of Stronghold jeans has “one-of-a-kind charm”…whether or not the pair of jeans is tailored…? What about the jeans being a testament to preserving the lost art of hand-building clothing?
RG:Of course, every jean is handled, cut and sewn with care. All rivets are hand hammered and the buttons are three pieces. Every step of the jeans construction is with care and passion.
Has Stronghold inspired any projects i.e. home furnishings, books…?
RG:The Stronghold has the goal of being the quintessential American Luxury Brand and stay true to the craftsmanship, heritage and premium quality in many different markets.
Of all the denim trends, which do you think has lasting quality – skinny jeans, jeggings, washed out jeans, over-decorated jeans…?
RG:Denim Blue Jeans will never go out of style. Cuts, Washes, colors and embellishments always come and go just like most brands….
The current denim head-to-toe jean look has me thinking can you wear too much denim?
RG:I wear head to toe denim all the time, the key is always to mix truly worn pieces/vintage with your newer dark denim or chambray.
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There it is folks…see you around town in my Strongholds!
All photos by Jacques Miakinen. Merci beaucoup Jacques for allowing me to use your beautiful photographs!! **Please do not use Jacques photographs without his permission. Comment below and I’ll be happy to forward your request (this includes reposting onto Pinterest).
RIP LeRoy GrannisTuesday, February 8th, 2011Photographer LeRoy Grannis passed away at the age of 93. “Granni” captured some of the most well known surf pictures of the “Golden Age” of the 1960s and ’70s. His initial foray into surfing began at age 14, but it wasn’t until the age of 42 that he picked up a camera and made a career out of it. In 1964, he co-founded International Surfing Magazine, now known as Surfing Magazine. A few of my favorites:
Downtown from BehindTuesday, February 1st, 2011Next week I am heading to Manhattan for food, art, and friends. These pictures from the blog Downtown from Behind are making me smile as the snow continues to fall here in Maine and I plot out my time in the great city. I have yet to rent a bike in the city, but it now occurs to me I should ask my hotel if they rent them (after all they can oblige guests with antique cars and helicopter pickups). Downtown is where I choose to spend my time, and always walking…save for the ever essential trip uptown to the Met.
HaPPy HOlidAYs!!!!!!Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
Nutcracker Costume Fitting by Rachel Papo.
Bill Murray’s “Scrooged“ Bottom photo Not a Robot but a Ghost. Lunch Break Higgins BeachWednesday, December 15th, 2010Between meetings today I drove to Higgins Beach to check out the waves. A handful of brave souls were stand up paddle boarding and surfing. I passed one guy on my way down to the beach whose face (all you could see of his skin, the rest covered in neoprene) was cherry red, but he was smiling. These folks surf Maine waters during the winter and they love it; they also suffer occasionally from slight hypothermia. Interland!? Kessler!? I am still motivated to go in (gloves, booties, and thick winter suit all “check”), but it is going to take a sunny day or a gorgeous snowy one.
One amicable surfer (Peter Slovinsky) allowed me to take these pictures of him before he went in. Obviously, I am no Nick LaVecchia but these are fun none the less.
Nick LaVecchia’s Winter Surfing PicturesTuesday, November 23rd, 2010Halloween WeekendFriday, October 29th, 2010Have a fun Halloween Weekend!! I have a couple costume parties so most likely tomorrow I will have to track down/piece together a costume (probably not going as this). Hope you have fun partying, watching scary movies, or trick-or-treating. xo A couple of Flickr shots that feel right about now…
Top photo by Sparth. Middle photo by Grant Harder. |
