A couple of months ago I received an unexpected email from Think PR basically telling me that I’ve been selected to wear (test, review, ect.) NSF Clothing‘s new denim that they are launching this Fall.  To be perfectly honest with you, as much as I love NSF I wasn’t too thrilled about their denim launch initially- mainly because when most brands experience success in a specific area then try to make the transition into the denim world, they fail miserably.  It wasn’t until recently (two weeks ago) when more information was released about this debut that I was actually excited…come to find out Simon Miller is the designer for the denim collection!

Well yesterday morning the highly anticipated package finally arrived and I couldn’t open it fast enough.  Short-story shortened, my faith was restored; they definitely exceeded my premature low expectations.  Sometime next week I’ll do an “initial fit” post, but until then enjoy the preview of them below.

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A couple of months ago I stopped by the 722 Figueroa Showroom to check out some new merchandise, and one of their stand out brands (in my humble opinion) was CXXVI (pronounced just as written C-X-X-V-I).  After previewing their Spring/Summer ’11 collection, I came across some of their items geared to launch this Fall/Winter and I can honestly say they are on to something great; from hand-printed garments to hand-crafted jewelry, they are doing it all.  My personal favorite are their bags, specifically this “Tougher Than Nails” Tote they have coming out for Fall.  In fact, I had the opportunity to review it on my own so I enlisted my good friend Brandon Brown of Milkmade to assist me with the visuals.

CXXVI Description:

Inspired by the hard-working inhabitants of long-forgotten port towns and the gritty days of old New York, CXXVI delivers a unique and simple product crafted by the hands of a new generation. Each clothing piece and accessory is hand numbered and stamped the day it is printed/produced and the day it is packaged. All the inks being used are mixed by hand and printed in their NY workshop. This gives the graphic a soft touch and makes every single piece different and unique.

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The hot weather here in Los Angeles has finally settled in, and as a result, I find myself wearing more shorts than usual (i know this may not seem like a big deal to some, but I am that crazy guy who can wear heavy raw denim jeans year around). In fact, one of my favorite pair of shorts from this season happens to come from the LA based brand, NSF Clothing.  Since I love the shorts so much [extends arms], I decided to feature them in another installment of “Essential Picks”.

Brief Info

100% cotton and they come in black/red, green/teal, light blue/brown and navy/green

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Anthony Bob ❘ Downtown, Culver City
He carries a Jack Spade Wool Felt Pack

This past weekend while eating in Downtown Culver City I spotted a familiar bag pass my dinner table; since my camera was handy I decided to track the person down in hopes of adding to my ongoing photo exhibit I call…What Men Carry.

This second installment features Anthony Bob (cool name), and he is carrying a Jack Spade Wool Felt Pack.

Last week I had the opportunity to spend sometime at the  IOAN™ office, and if I had to use one word to describe my time there- it would be INSPIRING.  I haven’t been around such positive energy (in a working environment) in a long while; it felt good seeing a small team (5 0r 6 people) coming together to execute the task of a 20 person staff.  And let’s not even talk about the stuff they have in the works- I got a chance to see all of their upcoming projects and releases, and I can honestly say they are a force to be reckoned with.  In my humble opinion, the way they are going about designing their products is putting them in a lane of their own…from the Espadrilles, to the selvage denim, to the hand-woven belts, and surprisingly they produce chairs as well.

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Juan Diego Gerscovich
Co-Founder of INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS™

Last week while at the INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS™ office/showroom, Juan Diego Gerscovich (one of the three founders) filled me in on what’s “essential” to him.  Check out that what he had to say below.  Disclaimer: please excuse the noise in the background, there was some construction going on outside lol.

Happy 4th!!!

A couple of weekends ago I was off (from my day job) so I figured it was the perfect time to do another installment of “Essential Picks”.  The weather was in transition mode, preparing for the season’s change, and so was I; instead of wearing my traditional raw denim, I used this opportunity to debut my new Dockers SF Tapered Khaki’s.  Yes Dockers, the same brand you have in mind, but most likely not the same fit.

Dockers newly evolved aesthetic is a direct result of their new silhouettes tailored specifically for today’s modern man.  And the SF Tapered happens to be chief among the new fits- they take the cool and trim attitude of your favorite pair of jeans but dresses them up slightly, offering refined details like slanted trouser pockets and double welt pockets in the rear.

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