ISSUE No 1 MAY 2012 (capsule)

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TALKING SHOP WITH IS CHRIS GIBBS OF UNION L.A. STYLE Union, the pioneering boutique that opened in City in 1989, fueled the invention and forward motion of American streetwear and has continually set and raised the bar for retail in its ANY many incarnations. Chris Gibbs, former NYC shop boy, now owner of Union Los Angeles speaks with Capsule’s Minya Quirk about the good old days, his weirdo past, the rebirth of Union’s L.A. chapter and the secrets to his success. GOOD? Fashion commentator Nick Schonberger weighs in

MQ: So you worked at Union NYC (RIP) for a while, can you tell me in what capacity, but also, what led to that? I mean, you’re from Canada. What landed you on Spring Street? And also, were you always into clothes? Over the past decade, we’ve refined CG: I wasn’t really into gear. I moved to New York and was working at a skate shop. I was dating (now wife) Beth back then. She was really tight with Harold Hunter collective sensibility while managing to and all of them. She used to get me free Union/555 Soul/Supreme shit. After hanging out with her for a while I saw this whole other side of the game; models, clubs, retain a healthy dose of youthful exuberance. fun shit…not the dirt bag skating shit I did. When Aaron moved from Union to Supreme…Beth got me in at Union. Even when toying with the traditional, we MQ: Year? buck the rules of decorum and wear, gasp, monk straps without socks. Or, simply don CG: Maybe ‘97? Over time i just kind of had an eye for what would sell and I eventually became the buyer. I literally just bought the shit I personally liked. I guess a fitted cap with suit. Yes, we’ve grown that worked ‘cause I was a fan before working there. I still use that technique now. I buy what I like. up from a misguided interest in jerseys as MQ: Well you have good taste. How’d that evolve? Are you saying you were NEVER into fashion in your younger years? Or was it an inventiveness that came with standard daily attire. But, we’ve never lost a those early streetwear years? love for being a bit bold. CG: I mean, I was like every kid. I wanted Nikes and shit and I would come to NYC for the summer and stay with my fam and get all the latest shit. But I was never Thanks to our good friend the Internet, style a “fashion” dude. mutates faster than ever these days. However, MQ: The youth culture today, it’s a totally different climate. With brands like 555 Soul, Supreme, PNB, it’s hard to explain to young people now how different it was certain things remain the same throughout – that people were making this kind of clothing for themselves and their peers for the first time. It wasn’t a big marketing machine like it is now. It was so organic. history —we transfer from periods of aggressive ornamentation to stripped down CG: In fact, it wasn’t till I moved here in ‘94 that I really got put on. I was into all those brands because they spoke directly to me. The one thing that might have set elegance (and back) in a constant yin and me apart was that I was an outsider in New York. I lived in Brooklyn with my fam and they didn’t get me. My friends didn’t really get me either. I was like a mixed yang cycle. And, again thanks to the Internet, nerd from Canada that loved underground hip hop, hated Biggie and skateboarded everywhere wearing vintage shit. Now, that would be a hipster. Then, I was a the connection between prevailing trends has weirdo. I guess I just embraced it and tried to be different. once again tightened. MQ: You hated Biggie???? What’s wrong with you?! That is to say, ideas are happily intermingling CG: Biggie to me was like Darth Vader. He was the illest dude but he worked for the dark side. He commercialized hip hop in a way that I despised at the time. Now in ways never before imagined. I get it all and can just appreciate him for being dope. I still think he was the beginning of the end. Liberty florals land on 5-panel caps. Blazers MQ: So where were you going to school and what were some other jobs you had? take tiger stripe camouflage. Pendleton wool CG: Medgar Evers! Then Baruch…This is going to be your weirdest interview ever. A Canadian that moved to Brooklyn to go to Medgar Evers, would skate to of Native American influence forms the school and hated Biggie. bodies of varsity jackets. MQ: I get all the good stuff. (continues on back page) CG: No doubt. (continues on back page)

Photo: Union L.A./Illustrations by Ben Lamb INTRODUCTIONS Capsule was started in 2007 to develop a global network of like-minded people that conceptualize, create, desire and buy the clothes that epitomize a new utopian vision of forward progress. Artisans, strategists, devotees and style leaders converge on Capsule to share this vision and bring it to life. When you come to SUMMER Capsule, you know you’re In Good Company. BUCKET LIST BRUCE PASK @brucepask Men’s Fashion Director of T Magazine: The New York Times Style Magazine With summer months in limited and a menswear stylist/fashion editor supply it’s best to make a list of all Lives in: The East Village, been there for years, and years…and years. you hope to do. Here, our own Style Advice: Be yourself, but do make an effort Favorite Restaurant: I had pretty much the most perfect dining experience James Harris shares his plans.

ever at Radio in Copenhagen recently. Bruce Pask Marc Beaugé Rahman Sami Aisha Speirs Favorite Hotel: Amansara in Siem Reap, Cambodia was unforgettable. Surf. Style Icon: I’m always impressed by a really well put together stranger. Be trill. Favorite Possession: My little cottage at the beach Get buck. Summer Plans: Spending as much time as possible at the aforementioned cottage. Find wifey. Roast a goat. MARC BEAUGÉ Get corn rows. Journalist, style writer, launching a brand, Larose Grow tomatoes. Lives in: Buy more underwear. Personal Style: A pair of used APC jeans with something lame Go fishing in a clean lake. Style Mantra: If people turn to look at you in the street, you are not well dressed Wear boat shoes on a boat. Favorite City: Scopello, Sicilia Throw a crab and scrimp boil. Favorite Restaurant: Le Bascou, Rue Réaumur, Paris Learn the true meaning of love. Favorite Book: Les Particules Elémentaires, Houellebecq Smoke a doobie with Danny Brown. Favorite Hotel: Not Chateau Marmont Go camping with #menswear dudes. Favorite Gadget: An electric razor for cashmere sweaters, very pleasurable Learn a word that’s cooler than doobie. What do you love about Capsule? The beards! Throw a sandwich across the room and yell YOLO*! Have my YOLO lifestyle sponsored by a beer company.

SAMI RAHMAN @OnceMusic Kenyan Lewis Kazumi Senshu BonnichonLucas Simon Hogeman Convince the youths of America to just stop it with dubstep. Creative Marketing & Special Events Manager for Thompson Hotel LES, NYC Answer dumb questions with HELL YEAH, FUCKIN’ RIGHT. Lives in: Tribeca NYC Enjoy an evening at Pumps, Bushwick’s premier gentleman’s club. What do you love about Capsule? The creativity is an inspiration Go to an A$AP Rocky show and not get punched in the eye this time. Favorite City to Visit: Favorite Book: Damn Good Advice by George Lois Favorite Hotel: Thompson LES and Thompson Belgraves Summer Plans: Visit my mum in India and Radio Head show Coveted Item: Vintage fender amp from 1966 *YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE AISHA SPEIRS Bureau Chief Americas at Monocle Lives in: West Village, NYC What do you love about Capsule? Bumping into brands and buyers that we know alongside new ones. Favorite Restaurant: Le Cabanon, Cap d’ail. Simple, home-cooked food served up under trees lit by fairy lights on a small cliff above the Mediterranean Favorite Book: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. Summer Plans: Regular trip to my family in the South of France and time with the other half’s fam in Vermont. Lawrence Schlossman Chicanot Nikky Jen Mankins Vincent Camille Favorite Possession: My passports

KENYAN PARIS LEWIS @fakebykenyan LAWRENCE SCHLOSSMAN @sartoriallyinc Prop Master Talks about men’s clothing on the internet Lives in: Accord, New York Lives in: Hoboken, NJ which is embarrassing so let’s say NYC Personal Style: At any given moment I’ll rock a 40’s, 50’s or 70’s Dad look Personal Style: Refined casual What do you love about Capsule? The love that people share for Design & Fashion Style Advice: Wear whatever the hell you want to Favorite City to Visit: Springfield, Ohio Favorite City: Florence Favorite Thing You Own: 1950 5 Window 3100 Chevy Pickup Favorite Restaurant: Extra Virgin POSTCARD FROM Summer Plans: Sending time with my gals antiquing and hitting the swimming holes Favorite Book: Flannery O’Connor’s collected short stories Favorite Possession: Father’s vintage Heuer watch KAZUMI SENSHU @peikazu What do you love about Capsule? You guys find the best brands before anyone else RAMBLERS BONE Designer, Thousands of Autumn Summer Plans: Outdoor aggressive cocktailing Lives in: Kamakura, Japan A spring/summer road trip is the perfect plan for expanding What do you love about Capsule? Pre furnished including hangers and free breakfast! NIKKY CHICANOT @lashmagazine one’s personal experience and enjoying nature at its most Favorite Place to Visit: New Mexico Founder and Editor in chief of Lash Magazine, lashmagazine.com Favorite Restaurant: Otafuku in Torrance, CA Lives: Between Paris and New York exciting; and photographers Mikail Kennedy and Sean Sullivan Favorite Hotel: Hazu (Okumikawa in Japan) Personal Style: Androgynous gothic with a twist of couture are on a monthlong journey across the American West Favorite Possession: Homemade Hawaiian Quilt Favorite Book: Less than Zero, Bret Easton Ellis sponsored by Wolverine, which they call Ramblers Bone. Favorite Book: Anne of Green Gables Favorite Hotel: Plaza Athenée in Paris and The Standard in New York What do you love about Capsule? The mix between street/everyday fashion and high end goods They sent us this postcard! LUCAS BONNICHON @cuisse2gre Founder of a French brand, Cuisse de Grenouille JEN MANKINS @birdbrooklyn Owner and Buyer of Bird The road from Zion to Moab in Utah is the edge of the world, we kept seeing signs for Hell’s Backbone miles Lives in: Paris, near Colette and miles out, then we rode it. Straight up the side of the mountain till you’re riding the spine, just you the Lives in: Ditmas Park, Brooklyn Personal Style: Surf is my way of life road and the wind whipping across the desert to drop you down below. Samuel Johnson said: “The use of Style Mantra: More color! Mantra: DO IT! traveling is to regulate the imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as Favorite Book: The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen What do you love about Capsule? This is the most fashionable and human show! they are.” Well I’ve seen the road meet the sky and keep going. Favorite City to Visit: Lisboa : you can surf, work, meet, discover things, have party the same day Favorite Hotel: Home Hotel in Buenos Aires Summer Plans: Driving tour of Scandinavia in July Favorite Restaurant: Le George, at Beaubourg in Paris –Mikail and Sean Favorite Hotel: Surfer’s Inn in Kuta LOMBOCK What do you love about Capsule? It brings together the best group of young, developing designers Style Icon: Owen Wilson Special Summer Plans: A Boat Surf Trip In Maldives! CAMILLE VINCENT @fshopperparis For more info check out ramblersbone.com Stylist for L’Express Style and les Echos Serie Limité, Fashion Consultant for mondefile.com and SIMON HOGEMAN @tresbienshop thefabshoes.fr & Personal Shopper, fashionshopperparis.com Co-owner/Buyer at Très Bien Lives in: Paris Lives in: Malmö, Sweden, Scandinavia Personal Style: Glamour & Chic Personal Style: Schizophrenic probably comes close to describing it, haha! Style Mantra: Better overdressed than underdressed Favorite City: I like many cities but New York is always a favorite, no doubt What do you love about Capsule? The concentration of trendy and avant-garde brands and the Favorite Restaurant: Belle Epoque in Malmö! new designers. Coveted Item: For the upcoming fall, anything from the Marni collection Favorite City to Visit: Los Angeles (which of course will be available at tresbienshop.com.) Favorite Restaurant: Le Schmuck in the 6ème in Paris Favorite Possession: Season ticket to Malmö FF’s home ground Favorite Hotel: Palais Rhoul & Spa in Marrakech (the greatest football team in the world!) Style Icon: Vanessa Paradis for her bohemian look, Diana Vreeland for elegant eccentricity, What do you love about Capsule? The food:-) and Scarlett Johansson for the glamour

Photo Credit: Mikael Kennedy In good company In fantastic spaces! The goal of Capsule is to provide a forum for the best brands in the world to collectively present product to the very top tier of retailer and the fashion press corps. Beyond that, we pride ourselves on providing a fantastic atmosphere; whether an indescribable vibe, a neighborhood that inspires, or a building that’s had myriad previous lives, Capsule is always special. It’s with great pride that we present some new venues for S/S 2013:

Cite de la Mode 34 Quai d’Austerlitz, 75013 Paris Men’s June 29-July 1 Basketball City Women’s September 28-30 Pier 36 at South St New York, NY

We’re just some Americans in Paris bringing some knockout clothes (between Clinton & Montgomery) to the most exciting fashion week in the world. Well, that’s what we’ve always thought. But when the city had plans for building a centralized Men’s July 23&24 hub of fashion commerce and buzz, and invited yours truly to partner with them in venue and spirit, we couldn’t help feeling a little bit Women’s September 18-20 flattered and fancy. Cite de la Mode has already been home to the When we stumbled upon 75,000 square feet of blank canvas, Lanvin showroom and some super high profile runway shows for a brand new, temperature controlled, kitted out space on our fair few seasons, it’s got (like our NYC venue) sick river views and brand isle of , well, we were pleased to say the least. Beautiful new finishings, plus a lineup of special events, clubs and exhibitions bathrooms, a mezzanine from which to overlook the show floor planned with the likes of Balenciaga, Comme des Garcons, Silencio, and built in lighting options galore would be enough. But plop the Le Baron, Le Pompon and more…whoa. In the 13th arrondisement, just whole thing down on the Lower East Side, throw open the doors for a hop skip from le Marais. We’re so excited. direct East River access and finish everything with a panorama that includes the majestic bridges plus the Statue of Liberty and you’ve EXPLORE PARIS! got the spot for what promises to be our most amazing New York Our new neighborhood, the 13th Arrondissement, has plenty of stuff to do. One show ever. of the highlights is La Butte aux Cailles – a bit of Paris that’s not on the average itinerary. The emergingly hip neighborhood of La Butte aux Cailles offers a EXPLORE THE LOWER EAST SIDE! glimpse into old Paris. Narrow cobblestone lanes lined with local craftspeople, Capsule’s moving back to the LES and we cant wait to get back to that historic exquisite art deco architecture and a late night bar scene make this corner of the district. The show is just a quick walk to Essex Street Market, an indoor 13th a quaint place to visit. market place featuring artisanal food and craftsmen which began in 1940 as part an effort by Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia to find a new place for pushcarts and street vendors to do business off the crowded streets of the area. Take a look inside this historic location.

Postbahnhof The Venetian 3rd Fl Ballroom Straße der Pariser Kommune 8 3355 Las Vegas Blvd South 10243 Berlin Las Vegas, NV Men’s & Women’s July 5&6 Men’s & Women’s To us, Berlin is a city so teeming with an unmatched combo of history August 20&21 and raw, new energy it makes sense for Capsule to move into one of the city’s most exciting venues. Postbhanhof was formerly (1842) a Were you there for our second Las Vegas show? When train terminal and then later, devoted to the postal system. It boasts the we were in a (relatively) tiny ballroom and the place was historical beauty that modern structures lack – think big gothic windows packed with editors, cool kids and all the best buyers? and massive halls both at street level and above, and a completely That was a goodie. Lucky for all of us, and just to keep you refurbished interior which means smooth sailing from a production on your toes, we’re headed back to the third floor of the standpoint. A convenient location, bananas views and space to breathe. Venetian ballrooms, to our cozy nest, but this time as you We can’t wait! may have guessed, we’ve got the whole floor. Right off the Grand Canal Shoppes. You know, where the mime is. Follow EXPLORE BERLIN! the Rococo carpet and fly with us. It’s gonna be a fantastic Berlin is known for its flea market scene and trendy markets pop up all over the city summer. in the summertime. The Antikmarkt Am Ostbahnhof is located quite close to the Postbahnhof and is worth checking out. Old postcards, stamps, coins, antique jewelry, EXPLORE VEGAS! East German artifacts, and antique house wares is a lot of what you’ll find there. While Las Vegas is not known for its sightseeing and cultural Open Sundays. opportunities, we’ve found that the best way to see it all is from the air. Take a hot air balloon ride and get a glimpse of Sin City from 1000 feet up. There’s no telling what you’ll see since the balloon flies with the prevailing winds. The flight patterns and landing sites vary due to the changing wind directions. And,when you’re back on the ground you’ll enjoy a champagne toast. THE WORLD IS YOUR VENDING MACHINE Catching up with Arnaud Delecolle, of The New York Art Department R CAPSULE GOES GREEN Over at Capsule headquarters, the spirit of spring has taken root in our offices, and we’ve decided to There’s nothing like grilling in the summer, and we’ve partnered with Sailor Jerry to whip exercise our green thumbs by planting a hanging up some amazing barbecue and refreshing succulent garden. cocktails at Capsule Berlin. Grab a grill and a glass and try these recipes at home! Succulent plants are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Pulled Pork Butt HONEY Because of this, these chubby little shrubs make great office plants because they store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots, and therefore need very little attention. Ingredients: They also add a welcome bit of life and greenery to what can sometimes be an 120ml orange juice CHILD otherwise drab environment. 60ml lime juice We selected over 100 plants and planted them in a cedar wood frame with a galvanized 60-80ml Sailor Jerry Spiced Walking through carrying a steel mesh overlay and a waterproof backing board that was built especially for the 1 medium white onion, chopped bunch of bees with you is a sight that even purpose of creating a wall-hanging garden. We are waiting patiently as the plants take 6 garlic cloves, chopped jaded New Yorkers don’t see every day. But 6-8 weeks to root in their new home. By June, when Capsule Paris kicks off, the plants 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons dried oregano Whitney Fuller, Sales Manager of the Ace should be established enough for us to be able to hang the frame. Hotel NY raises the fuzzy insects on the roof 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder of the hotel and has had some pretty funny For those of you who would like to try this at home, we recommend selecting a wide variety of 2 teaspoons sea salt moments transporting her charges. “One day succulent plants, of varying shapes, sizes and colors, in order to create a dramatic impression. 1 bay leaf whole I was in Union Square waiting for a friend to ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

help me carry my newest package of bees. I MordechaiPhoto Credit: Rubinstein 1 pork butt got approached by, like, 60 people, the most perfect cross section of New Yorkers: a mom Arnauld Delecolle built his first empire, Alife, with his partner Rob Cristofaro and after years of success the gentlemen are onto the next one. Their new venture, Instructions: with her son in a superhero mask who asked The New York Art Department is a small creative studio that does branding consultancy for third parties and releases original content and works by the artists TO FINISH FIRST 1. Combine first 11 ingredients a hundred questions – he wasn’t afraid at all; they represent. in a bowl and stir. 2. Place pork roast in a slow this guy who told me stories about the wild Their most well known creation to date is titled The Art Machine, a vending machine that sells small pieces by a range of 50 artists costing anything from $5 to cooker and pour marinade hives in the banyan trees he used to climb as the thousands. It was on display at The Hole gallery on Bowery for the majority of its life, a space that the NYAD has a longstanding relationship with. Delecolle YOU MUST FIRST FINISH over it. a kid in the Caribbean; hipsters with Leicas; and Cristofaro have been friends with The Hole owner, Kathy Grayson for over a decade and the gentlemen are now acting as creative directors for the retail 3. Cook over low heat 4-5 hours, an unnaturally tanned gentleman with a gold David Einsiedler of Hamburg-based furniture house PLY shows us space that functions to support her gallery. turning every 45 minutes to an necklace on Bluetooth who had probably left how to re-finish an Eames Chair hour, until it falls apart. The Hole Shop features works hand-chosen by Delecolle and his partner, based on a criteria of “goodness” that basically amasses to a collection of objects the city once in his life – he wanted to know 4. Serve on a bun with coleslaw the men find unique, interesting and worthy of appreciation. The shop not only exists as a source of profit and an event space, it is also intended to be a site for how to start a hive. Cops. The cops were the and pickles on the side. best,” she laughs. cultural conversation that celebrates spontaneity and creativity outside the confines of a corporate structure. The New York Art Department is planning a series of not-to-be-missed summer events, including its grand opening and first curated show in June. In July the Urban beekeeping can be an attractive shop will host a book signing with Montreal pornographic filmmaker, Bruce La Bruce, as well as release a series of products with club owner and all-around Backyard Tea pastime or microbusiness, and while it can playboy, Andrei Saraiva of Le Baron. We caught up with Arnaud Delecolle to find out what the entrepreneur is up to in the midst of his new project. be dangerous, the rewards are sweet. When Ingredients: handling bees, it’s always wise to “Suit up. Capsule: Will there be gory, pornographic zombies at the Bruce la Bruce book signing? 2 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced And know the signs of anaphylaxis,” Whitney 1 part iced tea Arnauld Delecolle: YEAH – Naked zombies, blood spattering all in the gallery. But you’ll have to ask Kathy more about that. warns. Whitney’s bees produced several 2 parts lemonade dozen pounds of honey last season, which she C: The Art Machine was a favorite piece at The Hole for a long time–if you could buy one thing out of a vending machine, all logistics aside, what would it be? packaged into small jars as gifts for friends, AD: You mean like the world is my vending machine? Instructions: and uses in a wide range of recipes. One of Add all ingredients to an ice- her favorites? The perfect summer daiquiri, C: Totally. filled, gallon jug, & add a which can be achieved by blending rum, AD: Small house by the beach in New York. I would even go South to Jersey Shore. I’m down with the East Coast. Maybe Long Island? Or Maine and New sliced lemon. some honey, some fresh lime and Hampshire—beautiful beaches, its just insane. Stuff that I’ve only seen in movies, New England beach house republican-old-money type stuff. grapefruit, and ice. C: What are you tired of seeing in the art world? AD: The Hole is one of the few places that there is some creative expression that can happen without the confines of total corporate sponsorship. I think corporate sponsorship is wonderful and it makes a lot of things happen and I’m grateful for it. But some art has just become so limited. Especially in the fashion world. Rob and I are spontaneous people and the NYAD is a place for spontaneous creative discussion and products and ideas. Trying to add some interesting perspectives to a conversation that could easily get stale. C: What’s on your summer bucket list? AD: Just took one thing off my bucket list and shaved half my face. Hashtag bucket list. [laughs] SUMMER STYLE Now that the weather’s getting a bit warmer, I’m obsessed DO YOU with obnoxious short sleeve shirts. We’ve seen them all

over the European catwalks of late, but my favourites are David posing with his refurbished Eames Chair and shoe rack loud Hawaiian versions like Leonardo DiCaprio wore in READ ME?! Romeo and Juliet. I’m pretty sure it’s all I’m going to be I like combining design classics from Eames, Jacobsen or Saarinen with the rough patina of industrial objects. We look for original industrial stuff to use in WHAT’S Jessica Reitz of Berlin’s coolest curated wearing this summer, and no doubt I’ll be doing the same other contexts as an ´unestablished furniture´. For example at the moment we are restoring shoe-racks from a Czech shoe factory. The racks were originally magazine and bookshop, Do You Read Me?! thing next year, too. Real men go floral. used for gluing the shoes on the top, and then they were put inside for drying. Combining well-known forms with unknown furniture, smooth surfaces with recommends the perfect summer reads. rough ones, simply nice objects and objects with a defined use, objects like this with, for example, an old black fiberglas dining chair from Eames, makes me YOUR TYPE? Isaac Hindin-Miller, Menswear Blogger Shop the store at Capsule Berlin! really happy. Every designer has a favorite type­face. Going beyond BOOKS I hope that for Spring 2013 we’ll see a trickle-up trend of REFURBISHING AN EAMES CHAIR conveying information, fonts help to express taste, designer sunglass brands using colorful mirrored lenses. Berlin, Freunde von Freunden 1. Remove the old leather or fabric style, opinion, and attitude. The typeface a designer The market seems ready for the redefinition of the Oakley Future Beauty, Akiko Fukai 2. Remove the foam with something like nitro uses — and how he has manipulated it — reveals the Frogger. I just had polarized gold Oakley lenses put into Chanel, Her Life, Justine Picadie 3. Dismount the legs personality and aesthetic of the designer himself. A my black Persol frames, because the only other option 4. Fill the original holes in the seat with a black epoxy glue new series of books from Gingko Press, I Love Type MAGAZINES was those cheap street vendor styles. 5. Clean the legs by sandblasting explores some of the most popular fonts right now – Futura, Avant Garde, Bodoni and DIN — examining Micah Johnson, Stylist Endless 6. Re-paint the legs Inventory 7. If necessary, renew the shock mounts under the seats the history, and appeal of these type-faces, as well 8. Re-mount the legs as how the same font can impact the impression can be altered to create different moods and generate an Romeo and Juliet 1996 PLY was created in 2011 to outfit companies with special and vintage furniture. entirely original effect. Ply.de See the finished rack and other PLY finds at Capsule Berlin BPMW 80 8TH AVE/No 202 NEW YORK, NY 10011

IS STYLE ANY GOOD? (cont.)

We’ve come along way from all-over print TALKING SHOP WITH hoodies. Once firm distinctions in urban tribal dress are fading. In part, it is because the surface CHRIS GIBBS OF UNION L.A. knowledge passed through Tumblr and (cont.) wordpress sites ignores any real cultural connotation. We learn the visual markers of styles, rather than the values that backed MQ: Ok so you were living with family (what family) in what part of Brooklyn? their original conceptions. Old timers may CG: My dad is the youngest of 10. An immigrant from Barbados. Everyone else left Barbados and moved to Brooklyn thumb their noses at new ideas, but there are except him. He moved to Canada. I would spend summers here and go to summer school at Pratt. When I graduated from positives. high school, I moved in with my auntie and her daughter in the Clinton Hill co-ops. Beth used to live on Clinton and We actually have forged something of a Myrtle. We met on the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway platform, where I kicked my game!!! generational identity. MQ: Ok, so you were in at Union. Describe the vibe, the people, the everyday of it. Then a little about what you wanted to Wait, what? Yes, in an era where we so do once you got the buyer position. many children live off older folks nostalgic CG: Shit. It was one of the easiest gigs on Earth. At the time we sold like 80% of our shit to Japanese students and tourists. musings, an odd mix-matched aesthetic has They were the only ones that really got it. The rest we sold to the NYC tastemakers (djs, socialites, designers, all around grown from the ashes of “streetwear.” The the coolest heads in the city). So I met so many amazing people…and everyone would kind of meet up and just hang out uniform has become a sort of anti-uniform, and talk shit. It was like the barbershop but for creative people and half the time I was there alone…and it was quiet too… with a prevailing YOLO attitude flashing a not like the big business this has all become. We had a bench out front where I would either read books for like 5 hours middle finger at conventions. Once it was a day on or sleep. Then some Japanese kid would come in. Buy up half the store and that was our day. Becoming buyer considered edgy to wear chucks with a suit. was more gradual. It just kind of came to be over time. Again, I would just start ordering the shit I wanted. I was a weirdo Now, we don’t blink at brogues with shorts. so at the time you could find me wearing a like a vintage suit with a torn up sweater…then I would remix that shit with (Though, sometimes, we might roll our eyes). the hottest kicks in the game and a throw back, so heads couldn’t front! I would find brands that I liked personally, so I wouldn’t have to pay full price. Chosen garments flow in and out of rotation from a broad sweep of influences. The pieces MQ: So tell me about the dissolving of the NYC shop, the relocation to LA – how did you land the keys to the castle?

Photo Credit: Shaniqwa Jarvis Shaniqwa Credit: Photo come together through universal obsession CG: I moved to LA (following Beth) like 8 years ago. I didn’t with pattern. Even hiking shoes are covered immediately come to Union out here. In fact I barely knew Eddie (Cruz). The two stores were kind of separate. in leopard. It’s really quite remarkable. It wasn’t really until Supreme opened out here that I came back to Union. When I started back at Union then…it We are at the apex of a tumultuous decade. was really the first time the two stores (NYC and LA) were connected. I would share my buys with NYC. The main reason that the NYC store closed is not totally known to me…if I had to guess I would say it’s related to Culture at large has faced obvious traumas, the same reason I got the keys out here. Streetwear, for lack of a better term, was created by and sold at Union and these have lead to characteristic (through the trifecta of James Jebbia, Mary Ann Fusco and Eddie Cruz) in my humble opinion. But it blew up, retrenchment in style. But, we’ve also tackled went commercial and the two Unions couldn’t compete with the masses…I mean Macy’s was now carrying the (as much as possible) the wilds of new media. type of shit we enjoyed exclusives on for so long. Eddie (my boss at the time) and I differed on how to move Our current style reflects a leaning forward forward. I wanted to go more high-end eclectic and he wanted to go more streetwear. We finally just came to an while looking backward. It also shows that agreement to let me buy him out and do my thing…it worked out. while our footing might be unsure, the power MQ: Can you talk about some of the brands you bought for the store in NYC? of our stride hasn’t diminished. CG: We broke Rogan Denim. Rogan used to hand deliver the stuff to me. We broke Adidas Originals, believe Few people embody the current zeitgeist like it or not. PRPS denim, all the OG streetwear lines: 10 Deep, Social Studies, Elements of Style, Snafu, Ssur etc. one of my fellow co-workers. His zest for Duffer UK, Maharishi, Mackintosh…we used to sell Mackintosh way back in the day, Ken Sport mix tapes and life is matched by a passion for playful dress. shit…plus we used to parallel buy the ill kicks and shit from Japan. This was before Nike figured out there was Unafraid he pulls from any and all possible money to be made with limited edition sneakers here in the US. looks. In fairness, he often borders on the ridiculous. Yet, at his best, he mixes elements MQ: Break down the product mix now at your Union; what you buy, what’s selling and why… from Savile Row to skate with deft hand. CG: We have a special relationship with Visvim. It’s our top brand and we have kind of grown together. It’s not Cultural references points connect naturally; something we planned, it just happened. They best represent the kind of stuff that does well for us – high design, patterns that should never find space together high quality updated classics made by one of the best designers of our time. We have about 70% Japanese somehow mingle in chorus of “yes, I can do product. My feeling is, the best shit is coming from them. They took our streetwear and made it better. I feel like although the prices are high, they make sense for whatever the fuck I want.” what you’re getting. And it’s still cheaper than many European goods. But we look everywhere…one of our favorite brands is this line called TEN C, they’re out of Italy. Another great seller is a local guy, Tantum. He was/is a customer who was inspired by what we do and started his own thing. Best part is, it’s a fair price point. Is style today good? We are killing it with his stuff. He has become a top seller literally overnight! Who knows. And, who cares. There is, most MQ: So you’ve successfully built Union 2.0 – your Union. I think all eyes are on you (they should be) for what’s at the forefront of cool guy style. How you have importantly, a true sense of fun. done it and what are your secrets to success? You can buy classic, but classics change. I CG: Well…I like to think it was more of a progression and less of a change. My Union was inherited and I learned from the best and still try to keep that spirit. We didn’t come up with the phrase (in fact it is are built for and by the golden era of hip hop; as we grow up our styles mature but the foundation of rebellion, creativity, diversity and fun that represents that golden a paraphrased line from the Britcom Peep era is still here when you look at version 2.0 For the most part, as I have been saying…I wanted to buy what I was into and I wasn’t into graphic tees, fitted hats and Show), but it fits. Classic is no longer static. It sneakers anymore. I mean I will probably always be a sneaker head, but my taste was diversifying too. I wanted something new. I wanted quality, style, design and fluctuates with taste. Breaking hierarchical a sprinkle of fashion. Some shit that was fresh and unique but still wearable and not costumey. So I started getting really surgical with the edit. In terms of secrets traditions, we’re notably understanding to my success, there are maybe a couple. 1. The main thing is that I always buy with the end user, the customer in mind. That’s big. We are not conceptual…and classic as a plural and taking the better bits although that might not be great for press, the press ain’t shopping here. 2. Hard work…sounds blazey but I ran this store like it was mine, even when it wasn’t. I took from everywhere. pride in every aspect (and still do). 3. Lastly, passion. We are all really into what we do and people pick up on it and respect it. We are more than happy to share why we have a $1200 boot in here and what makes it special. If that’s not your thing…cool we are never condescending. Oh one more thing: we still remember our roots. Contrary to popular belief, we still have inexpensive options here. We still want a young kid, new in the game to be able to come here and be down.