Self Edge New York

by Josh Rubin

San Francisco denim mecca Self Edge will be peddling their pure quality goods at a new location in the heart of NYC's Lower East Side beginning 24 July 2009. Known by denim heads around the world, Self Edge offers authentic Japanese selvedge jeans—at times joining forces with denim connoisseurs, like for their recent Self Edge x Dry Bones x Superfuture Community Denim collaboration.

Owner Kiya Babzani answered a few questions for CH about the upcoming boutique and the beautifully crafted denim found within it. For an in-depth look at Self Edge, be sure to check out our Rough Cut video on their San Francisco shop.

What's the address? Why that location?
One fifty-seven Orchard at Rivington, right between BBlessing and Reed Space. We thought the Lower East Side was perfect for us, exactly the type of neighborhood which we feel comfortable in, it has it's similarities to the Mission District, where Self Edge San Francisco is and we enjoy that.

How big is the space and will the vibe/decor be like the SF location?
The space is about 25% larger than SESF, but the vibe and look will be similar—a very comfortable boutique where we welcome clients to come in, sit down and hang out for a while. It's a place where people can come and learn about vintage styling manufacturing processes and really see what the Japanese have achieved in reproducing some of the long lost styles of garment design and manufacturing.

What about product line? Same as San Francisco?
Same as SESF but we're adding Joe McCoy's and Ande Whall. We'll also have a fuller representation of Flat Head, Real Japan Blues and 3sixteen, carrying things that we never brought in at SESF. In addition we're bringing in some Self Edge New York exclusive products starting with a couple of items from MFSC.

Why NYC? Why now?
We wanted to open another Self Edge and Los Angeles was on our mind, then the right opportunity came up in New York with the owners of 3sixteen taking part in the store. We think between the two entities we can bring something fresh to New York, a very purist view of denim and vintage style garments from the Japanese point of view, with purist being the key word.

Does this mean we get to see you in our fair city more often?
I'll definitely be making the cross country trip quite often, something which I used to do about ten years ago when I lived in between SF and NY for a couple of years. I'm older now and not looking forward to traveling back and forth but it'll be quite worth it in the end, especially if New York's reaction is as good as the Bay Area's was to SESF.

Self Edge New York
157 Orchard Street
NYC, NY 10002 map

Self Edge San Francisco
714 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110 map

Painter Shannon Freshwater

by Lost At E Minor

Shannon Freshwater makes a lot of design-oriented, abstract images and illustrations. But the Los Angeles-based artist's more involved figure drawings and portraits, as well as her sculptures and photography, reveal a bit of a darker, gothic side.

Alex Pinna: Big Pinocchio

by CH Contributor

by Paolo Ferrarini of Future Concept Lab

If Sardinia's beautiful seashores aren't alluring enough, the little town of Tortolì is hosting Alex Pinna's giant sculpture, "Big Pinocchio."

At over 50 feet long, the huge iron Pinocchio—painted white and lying on his side—is a new landmark for the Italian town. A permanent addition to the Parco delle Sculture del Museo Su Logu, Pinna's Big Pinocchio is a grand accompaniment to a retrospective of his work, curated by Vittoria Cohen.

The exhibition displays the artist’s ability to create lightweight, imaginary characters—like the tenacious men made out of rope, his bronze shadow-like figures or ceramic half moons which hide mysterious bodies.

“Fun and irony are always the protagonists of Alex Pinna’s work," writes Cohen in her introduction to the exhibit. "And this gigantic Pinocchio lands to the Sculpture Park with the usual aplomb that the artist is able to infuse.”

Founded in 1995 thanks to the initiative of director Edoardo Manzoni, Su Logu displays works of art by Maria Lai, Mauro Staccioli, Umberto Mariani, Massimo Kaufmann, Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Alfredo Pirri and many more.

Big Pinocchio
Through 15 August 2009
Ex Blocchiera
Via Eleonora d'Arborea
08048 Tortolì Ogliastra, Italy map
tel. +39 347 0637242

Popup Resturant LudoBites

by CH Contributor

by Julie Wolfson

Dreaming up chicken liver mousses and pairing foie gras with maple syrup, talented chef Ludovic Lefebvre's summer pop-up restaurant LudoBite makes other food taste boring in comparison. The graphic sign, an angry rooster sporting a heart tattoo and wielding a large knife, lets diners know they have found the right Los Angeles locale.

Ludo aims to both challenge and please his customers, coming up with creative and unusual dishes that still delight. The menu features ingredients prepared with innovation and flare, but with attention to subtlty and taste. His cold Chorizo Cantaloupe Cornichon soup (pictured above) features a chorizo base with cubes of cantaloupe and cornichon ice, garnished with orange flowers. Somehow, he makes the combination of spice, sweet, and salt work. A focus on fresh and local ingredients caters less to current trends than it does to the time-tested tradition of seasonal French cuisine; as Ludo reminds, French chefs cook seasonally all the time.

Ludo's own experience includes a stint as the executive chef at L'Orangerie and Bastide, as well as a recent spot on an episode of Top Chef Masters. In the episode, faced with making street food from pig's ears, he made quesadillas. Not only does the show highlight his creativity, but in his accompanying home video highlights his joy in the kitchen, intensity at the gym working out and a big smile during a volleyball lesson.

This summer Ludo's focusing his devotion to his food at Ludobites, housed it in the casual, modern atmosphere of Silverlake's BreadBar. Prices range from $10-28. with opening hours on Tuesday-Saturday evenings. Visit OpenTable to make reservations.

LudoBites
Through 22 August 2009
BreadBar
8718 West Third Street
Los Angeles, CA 94008 map

Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle Now Available

by Evan Orensten

Enertia, a new buzzed-about electric urban commuter bike, hit markets yesterday—surprisingly, at Portland, OR's Best Buy rather than at a dealership. But the unusual distribution strategy is the least of reasons why the motorcycle is getting all the attention. With stats like 18 horsepower, a top speed of 55 mph, a three-hour charge time and a 45-mile range, it's the first electric motorcycle to offer a feasible zero-emissions way to run around town.

Ashland, OR-based company Brammo, the company behind Enertia, clearly don't intend to replace a real hog with it. Instead, the lightweight extruded aluminum vehicle (280 pounds) represents an entry-level ride for inexperienced and expert users alike, making it the first electric bike with potential to make it big.

Priced at $12,000 (and with premium design elements geared towards the eco-luxury crowd), it may take a price drop to truly serve as a bike for the people, but it will eventually be at BestBuy stores nationwide—follow the Twitter feed BrammoSays for updates.

Absolute Appetite Zest Plates

by CH Contributor

by Laura Neilson

Designed by London-based Absolute Appetite Studio, these Bone china plates add comic book-style explosive doses of punchy humor to table settings, making even the blandest entree a feast for the eyes.

Available in four different flavor bursts (olive green, chocolate brown, cherry pink and sepia black), the 11-inch plates vividly illustrate how an age-old industry can adapt to meet the demands and tastes of a younger market. They're made from traditionally-crafted Bone china in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England, an area celebrated for its historic pottery industry.

Zest plates sell for approximately $42 each via the U.K. store Dream Icons.

Check out Absolute Appetite's other products on their site, including the clever maraca-inspired Samba salt and pepper shakers—which are available for purchase from Charles Marie for $75.

See another image after the jump.