Walls come down

Sorry it's been a bit barren on the blog front over the past few days, I've been knocking the hell out of this wall.

I thought it would be a straight forward job to get the plaster off, especially as it is only a little wall, but it has been a nightmare, frankly, accompanied by a lot of pain. My hands have so many blisters on them that I'm typing this with my elbows.

On top of the feature bare brick wall, we're also giving the room a bit of a freshen up, so posts might be sporadic for a day or so. But rest assured you will be witness to the result.

Chinese blue: seeing is believing

I must say Lizzie's idea of Chinese blue for the hallway didn't exactly have me brimming over with enthusiasm until I saw this pic. It actually looks quite cool with those pictures.

Another decorating job for the week ahead.

White mountaineering AW2011: I can see a pattern emerging

I still haven't really got my head around White Mountaineering. There are parallels with Visvim on the technical side which are totally up my street and the folk influences offer a unique enough angle.

But all those patterned knits and patchwork creations do have a whiff of the Libyan freedom fighter about them.

Whatever, my opinion counts for nothing in the scheme of things and if you're not into snowflake jumpers there's always the BLK line.

One thing is for sure, White Mountaineering doesn't appear ready to take a different direction anytime soon.

Girls Friday - Elizabeth Taylor: she's dead, but she lived

"What am I supposed to do? Sleep alone?"

Elizabeth Taylor, 1932 - 2011

Outlier Pivotal Bomber jacket: chuck something at it

Outlier, New York's answer to Rapha, have done a very decent job of reinventing the bomber jacket here, and at the same time given it the kind of bombproof treatment demanded of clothing in capital cities.

The Pivotal Bomber Jacket is at home either on or off the bike thanks to its pivotal sleeve contstruction, uses breathable Schoeller 4Season fabric and is wind, water, stain, muck grease and ketchup resistant.

You'll be asking yourself how you ever got by without one.

Rapha in miniature: riding your way

You're going to see a bit more of these little cyclists over the coming weeks. They are the legendary P'tit Velo, the inspiration for generations of French youngsters to take up riding.

They are still manufactured in France by Roger Fonderie more than 50 years after they were first produced, unchanged in materials and appearance.

The little fellas were immortalised in a feature on them and the photography of Janol Apin in issue 11 of Rouleur.

Over the coming weeks I will be offering for sale cyclists I have painted in various states of Rapha dress. These will be the ultimate collectable, each wearing an individual outfit.

You can find the first rider, in the 2010 Condor Sharp team kit, on Ebay now.

Grenson SS/11: suedes of summer

There's nothing like an English shoemaker to stoke the patriotic flames but sometimes they do tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to pushing the stylistic boundaries.

Not so Grenson, who have taken their considerable cobbler prowess and added a contemporary twist via the use of crepe and Vibram soles.

The spring / summer 2011 collection brings you a whole load of this, in the sort of soft summery shades and lightweight suedes which have you musing over warmer times.

Best of all, you can buy their shoes at their online store. 

Hermes iPad sleeve: well covered

I've been looking at Hermes in a different light since that post on the touring workshop. Seeing the efforts that go into producing each piece does offer a different perspective on why this ranks among the more exhorbitantly priced luxury brands.

All the same, I can't help wondering what cost more here - the iPad or the leather sleeve it's sheathed in.

Stussy x Fragment One World One Heart tee: help save a nation

I've been sitting here watching the tsunami and following events unfold in Japan in awestruck disbelief. How could such a catastrophic series of events happen? And what can we do to help?

It's nice to know I can help, in the only way I really know how - by purchasing a t-shirt. Proceeds from the sales of these tees will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society to directly help with the rescue and relief effort.

It just so happens that the Stussy x Fragment Design One World One Heart tee is actually a very decent looking garment anyway. So you get to wear your support with a bit of panache.

Stussy is taking pre-order sales on its online store. Tees will begin to ship Wednesday, March 23rd 

Visvim Gila Moc Mid-Folk: straight forward footwear

Visvim does it best when it keeps it simple, as is the case with Hiroki Nakamura's latest creation, the Gila Moc Mid-Folk.

This is as basic as a shoe can get, with its unlined kudu leather upper, cowhide midsole and vibram sole, it's a kind of wrap-around regressive progression of Visvim's legendary native American inspired FBT mocassins.

Add to that a limited palette and a suede leather and your feet will already be feeling more comfortable just looking at the picture.

It's worth noting that they have been compared to something Rentaghost might have worn.

Via Slamxhype