Friday, October 28, 2011

As the fog rolled in, Another rotation around the sun...




Believe it or not, after 38 years, I was not aware that a rotation around the sun equals one year. Yeah, I know...probably something I shouldn't admit. But I am most grateful for the last nine rotations. Thanks for all the nice birthday wishes!

(And for everyone who can make the trip, just two more years until 40 rotations celebrated in Tavarua!)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Does anyone know who shot this image???

I have referenced this image as inspiration on multiple projects over the last few years, but now I would like to get the rights and pay the photographer to integrate this image into a new creative endeavor. If anyone knows who this is and has a link or any information, please send me an email...Thank you!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Message Board

Curated by Ryan Heywood. Opens October 28th, Byron Bay, NSW

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Penny Stock & Pretty Penny...the Stories.

So it's only recently that I have started posting our POP studio fashion pursuits on bonfirebeachkids. For so long, it was everything outside of our studio stuff, but I do spend most of my time building fashion brands, and half the building process is creating some good buzz. So consider this the first collective blog post on bonfirebeachkids for Penny Stock Trademark, and let's get some good buzz brewing with some conceptual history on Penny Stock and the launch of Pretty Penny for Spring '12. No need to go into great detail as the seasonal concept stories and books themselves are as fun to produce as the collections. So without further adieu...

This is what's in the stores right now - Autumn '11 "The Ranch"



You can see the entire look book here, and you can buy it online at Black Bird & Need Supply Co, among other great boutiques and nationally at Bloomingdales and Urban Outfitters. If you're in Australia, find us at General Pants, or in Canada we're at Holt Renfrew and in Japan, we're at United Arrows. Selectism just did a little write up on Autumn, and they said it best - "What sets [Penny Stock] apart is their dedication to quality at a reasonable price. Yes...you can shop without fear of offending your wallet." This was the reason we gave this brand birth, accessibility!

We're launching our women's collection called Pretty Penny along with the next Penny Stock collection for Spring '12 entitled "Coast to Coast"...



And this past Spring '11, we presented "The Enlisted Penny"


NMRKT.com did a little film on Spring '12 "Enlisted Penny" collection...

Penny Stock from NMRKT on Vimeo.


And we were honored to get some press on The Reference Council, The New York Times Style Magazine and the cover of WWD. The best part about this cover - it was a complete surprise. Here's the entire Spring '11 look book.

And another jump into the future is our Deep Diving adventure for Summer '12 entitled "Under Water"...


Costa was rocking Summer's Deep Diver mesh cap when I got back from the surf last weekend...he gets first pick of everything...

And if you're in New York this week, come down to the Rusty Knot Tuesday evening from 6 'till 8pm for some 99 cent beers and some more story telling. Penny Stock was born during the recession so we're still cocktailing the cheap and cheerful way...

And before I sign off, here's the Summer '11 collection entitled "Summer School" in which Michael (our lead designer for Penny Stock) and I were featured in Nylon Guys for a pretty cool piece on the origins of the brand. And you have to check out our recession busting first collection for Autumn '10. At the time, we were only doing a few shirts and pants including the Penny Oxford, but you can see the look book here. We were honored to get President Obama and the Kennedy Brothers to rock a few pieces from this first collection...

Finally, check out our website - pennystocktrademark.com and like us on facebook. Thanks and hope to see you in NY.

Who ever said the best things in life are Free???

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Surfing Essay



Photographs by Anthony Friedkin. Go Here. Natas is a super babe - those pants are all time!

I met Jim Harrison on the way to Jackson Hole...

OK, so I didn't really meet him, but I did read about him in this well written article in Outside Magazine that I picked up on my layover in Denver on my way to Jackson Hole a couple weeks ago. The piece was penned by a younger acquaintance of Mr. Harrison's named Tom Bissell and it started like this...

After 34 books, endless Hemingway comparisons, and too many battles with gout, legendary author Jim Harrison is unsurpassed at chronicling man's relationship with wilderness. His secret? Ample wine, cigarettes, fly-fishing—and an inability to give a damn about what anyone else thinks. Our author takes a literary pilgrimage to Montana.
I enjoyed reading this whole piece and would suggest it to any of my friends who can slow down for a little wisdom and insightful thoughts on life, such as...Nature is slow, Harrison told me. “That’s how I saw so much—because I was out there all the time. When it’s slow you don’t, of course, always see something. You just see what’s there that day, and sometimes it’s quite extraordinary.”And this line is slightly out of context, but I did enjoy reading Harrison's quote that “Most writers know only four birds—hawk, gull, crow, robin.”...earlier, the writer, Tom Bissel confessed he had already confused a crow with a raven in Harrison’s presence.

Over Harrison's career, he had been ­offered several ­“really cushy jobs” by various ­creative- writing departments that would have paid him some serious loot, but he always said no... “I turned one down for $75,000 in a year that we made $9,000.” When I asked how he had been able to do that, Harrison told me what he told them: “‘Somebody’s got to stay outside,’ ” he said. “And I still think that’s true. Somebody’s got to stay outside.”

And I'll part with these very wise words from Harrison. After confronting a friend on a sensitive topic with a very blunt and honest reaction to a story his friend told him, Mr. Harrison didn't mince words by proclaiming to the author, "Sometimes politeness was just a way to ­escape what needed to be said." Something I employ ever too infrequently, but I'll be taking this to heart a little more regularly.

And in honor of the inspiring wisdom of Mr. Harrison and the very colorful translations by Mr. Bissell, I am from this point forward, declaring my "vow of obedience to awareness." Thank you.

And here's a view of the spring fed creek behind Noah & Ned's Mountain Khakis design studio in Wilson, Wyoming. If you crop in close to the center of the image, you'll see every single color in the rainbow. Maybe that's the iPhone app I used or the blurry eyes I was observing with after my trip to Ned's secret roof perch.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Three things I enjoy immensely, coming together for a little show...

So this clip has already been well documented on my friend's websites such as Mollusk, Venice and Firstpoint (those might be the same things...gang shootings, celebrity sightings and dirty wax, not sure), but one major reason I have Bonfirebeachkids is to have a place to store inspiration that I want to keep coming back to. So this clip of Dane dancing with her majesty, the Queen of the Coast, on fiberglass spaceship will give me something to aspire to every time I jump into the sea...

Dane Reynolds Sucks At Surfing. from Michael Kew on Vimeo.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

New Juice. Local Juice...and then we plugged into a new source...


I don't get out of the studio much, especially in my own backyard, but New High Mart in Los Feliz was a trip worth taking. In fact, along with my other new favorite spot, Feal Mor on La Brea, these are two great reasons to head east a little more often. It's cool that the retail creativity in La La Land is flowing during these slimmer times... there's a few other spots on planet earth that would round out my top five, six or seven places to drop my Am Ex when the magnetic strip works (in no particular order)...

-General Store, SF
-Tortoise, Venice
-New High Mart, Los Feliz
-Feal Mor, Los Angeles
And on a slightly more grandiose scale
-Merci, Paris
And a smaller bonus mention would be
-RTH, Los Angeles
Finally, for perfectly edited and dry-cleaned vintage presention in a flawless spectrum of chromatic brilliance
-Thanx God I'm a V.I.P, Paris

This is sort of a ridiculous post. I'm basically a fashion blogger now, and I'll get you a digital map for your shopping exploits shortly along with gourmet coffee outposts and easy bathroom stops along the way...yeah right.

Here's some medicine from Feal Mor on La Brea...
And catch some vintage goods mixed with new craft at General Store in SF (above), but I already snatched up that Gothic falconry flag in this pic so you can't have that. And you can read a little more about the POP collaboration with Serena and QSW here.

So as you can read...I'm feelin' pretty good about the home town (even though I had to hear about New High Mart from my most-plugged-in mate, Brian Awitan, currently residing in Deleware)! And a honorable mention to the entire village of Tokyo...you have always inspired me, but I've been way overdue for a visit! And we'll leave you with a sweet little pic of Fuzzy checking out RTH a few weeks ago...GET OUT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD!

Last week was crazy...transition everywhere, restless energy, new energy...feeling inspired and then BOOM, a bomb of an email. But all in all, we weathered it all in good form and was glad to get to this glorious weekend. But as Michael moved into his new office yesterday, he "Smudged his new Space"...he threw a little sage on me too...smelled like a little indigo boutique in Tokyo with stone floors.

Light offshores, warm early sun, tide rising and my own little peak...kind of a rad morning.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

I've been cheating on Bonfirebeachkids...

So I have a little secret...this blog is not my only digital diary. I've been posing as a contributor for the Quiksilver womens blog as well. However, my posts are a little different than what you'll find on bonfirebeachkids...consider them a little online journal of everything that happens during the creative process for Quiksilver & QSW...the collaborations, the inspiration and anything that ignites my mind and get's my fingers typing...check it all out here. And keep coming back for more...just another place to drop my countless iPhone pics along the way!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Think Different.

This man did, and because of this reason, the world is a very connected, colorful, and musical place. And Hannah just pre-ordered two iphone 4s's...Thanks Steve. Well done.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The House that Rambled...

Hannah and I have a new wood and glass obsession, but this time it's little further from the beach...300 MISSOURI AVE

Monday, October 3, 2011

Life is a complex web...

I'm not sure where this image came from as I stole it off my girlfriend's desk top...but it reminded me of life at the moment. As you can see by the fact that it's been over a week since my last post, I've been pretty slammed. Life really is a complex web...it can be confusing at times, but hopefully yours is as colorful as the "web" above.