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OFFICE SPACE March 22 2012
I spent some time with my friend Jordan while I was out in NY. He’s a LA to NY guy, and one of the most talented designers I know. (If you’ve been rockin’ with me and CA for a long time, you’d know that he did the Revolution tee, the cover art to our anniversary mix, and also the complementing artwork to The Queen is Dead collab with Bambu.) My idea of spending time with him was seeing his place of work. Jordan works for Safari Sundays - a creative branding agency located in SoHo. Some of their clients include Pepsi and Bobble.
I got there while Jordan was trying to make deadline. I left him to work, was offered a Stella (opted for a Naked Juice instead), and sat in the lounge area with robust couches, advertising literature, a pinball machine, and banana wallpaper. I took a peek into the art directors’ space behind me, and was taken aback by the energy right away.
Then I met Damon Gorrie, the founder. He’s an Australia native, has been in the marketing space since ‘98, founded an SMS marketing company in ‘99, and then Safari in ‘05. His personality is off the charts. See below…I mean, full bar, black walls, Air Mags (!!!!!), Hover Board (!!!!!), and a chandelier? I don’t think I’d leave my office.
That’s Jordan on the left and Damon on the right.
And then there’s the art on the walls. I couldn’t photograph all of it because some of the staff was busy. But each office was different, offering a unique sense of inspiration maybe tailored to the person assigned to that room.
I’m a firm believer in the statement that goes something like “you are a product of your environment”. That goes for the people you surround yourself with, and also the space around you. Like I said earlier in this post, I was taken aback by the energy in Safari Sundays. Everyone was focused, working, channeling that creative gusto needed to finish a project. Best believe I was taking notes for me and the squad.
By the way, Jordan is doing this great project during Lent. Instead of giving something up, he’s creating something new for the full 40 some days. Check out what he’s done so far: 45x45.tumblr.com.
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REASON March 21 2012
In true Tricia form, I scheduled meetings while I was out in NY. With the CA blog, my position with Backside, and also my fashion contributions to Eight x Ten Magazine, my goal was to meet some of the tastemakers out there. So I linked up with Jon Price, co-owner of Reason Clothing, located in East Village.
You’re probably familiar with the brand and may not even know it. A couple years ago, they dropped the insanely popular t-shirt that had “Go Love Your Own City” on it. They took the success of that, furthered the Reason Clothing brand with more pieces that included cut and sew, and opened Reason Outpost that mixes the new with the old. The front of the space is where Reason is sold, and the back is where vintage pieces are sold. But everything in the store is for sale - from the rugs on the floor to the containers that hold the items.
Jon is an amazing curator. There is rhyme and reason (no pun intended) to everything he sells. For example, both the women’s and men’s vintage wear are themed. Right now, he’s selling a collection of Pendleton button downs, Harley Davidson muscle tees, collegiate tank tops, et al. The Reason brand is just as quality. It’s in between seasons right now, but their winter line had waxed jackets, varsities (which they can fully customize), and hoodies with detail at the neckline. I should also add that everything is super reasonable (again, no pun intended). I walked out of there with a Levi’s vest and a Nike infrared tank top for cheap. #WIN
Jon is also a prolific DJ. He spins all over NY, and really, all over the US. He told me about gigs he’s done in Miami, and he’s about to be in LA to hit the Hollywood scene. In addition to the clothes I bought, I got one of his CDs that I haven’t been able to take off repeat. When I asked him why the two-part operation at Reason Outpost, his answer was simple: “It’s inspiring.”
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TWOFER March 20 2012
Today you get a two-fer. You see, Christine Alane’s EP is finally here and so is her website.
I remember last year, after she was featured on the JustRight mixtape and after a “Ladies Night” performance at LiFESWELL, she and I spoke about doing an acoustic project. We thought about how cool it would be to rearrange favorite songs into that format, record it, and then share it. We took that idea and brought it to life with the help of Martin (Rhythm Natives) and Asi Friedman (producer). The original list of songs was long. It spanned decades, it crossed genres. But after a rigorous rehearsal and recording schedule, eight of them made the final cut.
By and large, Christine Alane is a personal project. Each song on the EP has significance to her. They are influential, reminiscent, familiar. In her own words she said, “This all started with my love for artists that came before me. The music from my past has made me the woman I am today. To them, I am forever grateful as I’ve learned to love myself in part through their music. Music is an integral part of my life; from church choirs, high school musicals, college music festivals, and talent shows I’ve always felt their spirit guide me. My connection to artists from my past definitely motivated my decision to make this EP a tribute to them, the real artists. I’ve thrown in some present artists whose songs feel good to me as well. So, this project is my ‘thank you’ to the past and present in hopes of making an impact on music and culture for a better tomorrow.”
You can download her EP on her official website, which like I said, launches today. As much as the EP is a personal project, so is the site. Sure, it’s got music, videos, and pictures, but it also has something that Christine hasn’t done before - a blog. It’s live with a little backstory on the EP.
There are so many ways I’d like to end this entry. In terms of the EP, I wanna say something about following through. If you have a goal, chase/nurture/invest in it. Put in the work, for the journey is the reward. In terms of the website, I wanna say something about accepting challenges and stepping out of your comfort zone. You become better because of those things. You’ve heard me babble about all that before, so I’ll just end it with this: congrats, Christine!
Get hip on www.christinealane.com!
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KEITH HARING March 19 2012
I was in Brooklyn over the weekend and surprisingly found out that a Keith Haring exhibit was showing at the Brooklyn Museum. Talk about perfect timing.
The show spans four years and features Haring in different lights - as a street artist, an activist, a curator. It shows his work in different mediums - murals, language, videos. The exhibit was structured in a way that separated those roles, and as they were introduced, Haring was quoted from his personal journal about his work. What stuck out was when he said, “I am making things in the world that won’t go away when I do.” Haring died at 31 in 1990, but what he sought to do through art, he achieved. Legacy will keep you alive forever.
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SO FAR, SOOO GOOD March 16 2012
I still have several days left out here, but I’m already going to tell you what my two favorite food spots are. Believe me when I tell you that my conclusions are not premature; I’ve eaten a lot since I arrived. Anyways, they are: 1) Artichoke Pizza and 2) Baohaus.
1) I was in Chelsea. I had just come off an hour long subway ride plus 30 min walk and I was hungry. Dinner wasn’t going to be for another 2 hours. So I got a snack. Half a slice from Artichoke Pizza. I was not expecting it to be that good. So good that I’m already planning that to be my last meal in NY.
First the chunks of cheese.
Then they drop a sauce in there that I can only classify as crack.
The artichokes.
Into the oven.
And boom, there it is. The cheese, sauce, and artichoke literally drip off the bread.
2) Baohaus has long been on my list of places to go since Jon (Rhythm Natives), Jerilene (Fatlace), and Bambu recommended it to me. It’s everything they said it would be. I never have bao the way this is served. I’m normally on that steamed bun tip, but not anymore!
I walked in, met Eddie (owner), saw that he was getting filmed (maybe for Cheap Bites?), and ordered.
I started with the pork belly bao (Chairman Bao) and the chicken bao (Birdhaus Bao).
Then I had something new off the menu - the Jeremy Lin bao with fried curry pork chop inside. It was “linsane”.
Topped it off with black sesame fries. It tastes kinda like donuts.
That’s Eddie (left) and his right hand man, Cory.
As I said, I’ve eaten a lot. And this trip is barely starting. Expect more.
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