Alphabet Bags

by Karen Day

The simple, heavyweight cotton Alphabet Bags from the creators of Keep Calm Gallery are now available in every urbanite's favorite color—black. With the same classic typography as the first round of totes, Keep Calm screen prints each one in the UK and offers up the letter of your choice.

Designed by business partners and couple Hayley Thwaites and Lucas Lepola, the bags are £12 and can be purchased online.

Rapha x Timothy Everest Bespoke Suit

by Brian Fichtner

Rapha Performance Roadwear's new collaboration with tailor Timothy Everest, one of the leading practitioners of the New Bespoke Movement, isn't doing anything to help stop the brand lust I already have for the cyclewear company. I was recently invited by Slate Olsen, Rapha's General Manager for USA operations, to check it out at Signature Cycles' Manhattan showroom near West End Avenue, a trek I made because I know Rapha doesn't disappoint.

Timothy, who travels to New York nearly every six weeks for fitting appointments, was present to give me some details on the bespoke suit, which is the first piece to emerge from the twelve months of discussion with Rapha. The suit, he explained, draws on inspiration from both classic cycling imagery and more recent examples of urban cyclewear while maintaining Rapha's commitment to elegant functionality.

Available in three beautiful patterns, the ensemble consists of a button-down jacket, a vest and either plus-fours or full length trousers (with an integrated button to hold the rolled cuffs while riding). The real beauty of it lies in the jacket. Timothy designed the piece with the utmost attention to a rider's needs. The lower parts of the jacket can be fastened to the pockets so they don't flap about while pedaling. The buttons close high, keeping the fit snug when leaning over the bars. This high cut also allows for a continuous line when the collar is flipped and buttoned.

In the back, Timothy added extra fabric to key stress points around the the armpits and upper spine so there's plenty of room for the coat to expand when the wearer hunche over the handlebars. And, noting how exposed shirtsleeves can be an unintended consequence of cycling in a suit jacket, the coat sleeves are cuffed and can be turned down to make up for the extra arm length of a riding posture. Splashes of Rapha's signature pink highlight many of these details; a smart reveal when the jacket is transformed from office to road ready.

Naturally, the suit wouldn't make any sense in Rapha's collection if the rider suffered from dysfunctional fabric. To this end, Timothy developed a proprietary blend of wool for use on the suit, the fibers of which have been treated with a nanotechnology for incredible resistance to water. He demonstrated this several times by pouring water on the floor, the result of it running right of the coat.

The bespoke suit is available immediately for $3,500. Appointments can be made by emailing the atelier: bespoke [at] timothyeverest [dot] com [dot] uk. Oh, and for those whose wallets are a little slim this year, fret not; plans are in the works for an off-the-rack version of the jacket this fall.

Retrowerk Steampunk Watches

by Watchismo

Known for its durability, style, quality and efficiency, Retrowerk's watch is both tech-savvy and ultra Army-strong. Featuring compasses, portholes, steel pistons, crown covers and revolving jump hour discs, the German watch is prepared for any adventure.

The Piston (left) is a good example of Retrowerk's strong focus on design. It's a cross between intricate mechanical detail and functional precision with Swiss ETA 2824 movement, a grenade-like cap and steamroller case, making it a watch to envy .

The Compass (right) features a thick glass and steel case enclosing the dial. It also has three discs, for hours, minutes and seconds for a fun way to watch the time fly by. People will definitely be impressed with this multi-functional piece of gadgetry.

Purchase in steel or brass with prices ranging from $429-$1,098.

Droog New York Store

by Karen Day

Joining the design elite on Soho's Greene Street, droog opened their multi-story NYC showroom, shop and exhibition space yesterday. Dutch designers Studio Makkink & Bey lent a hand with the interior, a space that blurs the lines between objects, store fittings and architecture with its House of Blue concept, which allows customers the opportunity to purchase parts or fixtures, like a working chimney, and even have it made to fit and function in their own home.

The 5,000 square foot space is the first stateside location for the Amsterdam-based design group, whose only other brick-and-mortar shop is in Tokyo. True to droog ethos, all three offering up a unique shopping experience.

Founded in 1993, droog has helped to launch the careers of many designers as well as shape the way people think about design itself with their innovative products and progressive approaches.

droog New York
76 Greene Street
New York, NY 10012 map
tel. +1 212 941 8350

Staton Uberstand Laptop Stand

by Mike Frank

Thanks in part to laptop stands like this two-tiered one by Staton, the days of lugging around crates of vinyl are slowly fading as DJs trade their decks in for laptop setups. Although we're the first to argue that nothing quite compares to a record, advancements in programs like Serato and the ease of carrying thousands of mp3 tracks have made going digital more palatable to audiophiles.

The Uberstand solves the issue of what to do with your laptop when you get there. After several precarious situations, I upgraded to Staton's Uberstand Laptop Stand. Unlike most stands on the market, it's made of aircraft grade lightweight aluminum and quickly folds flat into a 12" zippered bag. An included shelf makes a good spot for amps or external hard-drives, minimizing the entire footprint of the setup and allowing for cramming into small spaces. While it suffers a bit from stability issues, it is by far the best option we've seen for the traveling DJ.

The Stanton UberStand Laptop Stand is available for $80 from the Guitar Center.

Dufala Brothers: Trophy

by Brian Fichtner

I'd never heard of Steven and Billy Blaise Dufala, two brothers producing art together under the moniker Dufala Brothers, until yesterday when Amy Adams, director of Fleisher/Ollman Gallery in Philadelphia, sent me a couple of jaw-dropping images of their recent work. Now I'm contemplating a day trip to Philly just to see their installation.

"Long Runner" (below) and "Special Air Mission 28000" (right), are both to be included in the brothers' new exhibition, "Trophy," which opens today. Since I haven't had the chance to see the remainder of the work yet, I can only hope it will be on equal footing with these jocular Nike sculptures.

Illustrator Sarah Carter-Jenkins

by Lost At E Minor

Australian illustrator Sarah Carter-Jenkins creates luminous, sensual artwork which practically glides across the page with its elegance, subtle coloring and intricate detail.