The Pop Up Flea (PUF), hosted by Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean, kicked off in New York last Friday with a lineup full of new-age Americana from relatively small brands in a quaint space with free Yeungling (beer).

I showed up on the opening night, which was great because both Michael Williams and Mordechai Rubenstein (Mr. Mort) were there. As the event organizers, they have a unique insight into what’s going on and why–helpful because I came into it thinking that it would be strictly made in America goods. Not so.

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The Bloggomist: In Context…
Design Opinion

The air is crisp, the pedestrian pace is quickening, and my nipples are hard enough to cut glass.  Yes, winter is upon us. To ward off the skin-cinching wind and shelter myself from rain and its frozen derivatives, it’s time to break out the big guns. It’s time to take on the storm-hardened, thick-skinned attitude of an 18th-century sailor. It’s time to wear a pea coat.

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For the past year and a half, Quincy Jones III of QD3 Entertainment and director Adam Lough have been working on a behind-the-scenes documentary about Lil Wayne, aptly titled The Carter. The documentary has been praised for its unfiltered and sometimes shocking view into the rockstar lifestyle of one of today’s hottest and most prolific artists. The trailer hints at Wayne’s open drug use and resulting manic personality, including confessions from close friends who are worried about his health. →

The Bloggomist: In Context…
Design Opinion

For my first installment, I considered starting at the basics and working my way back to the current trends through things like oxford shoes, blazers, and the black dress. But then I saw a pair of saddle shoes and thought, “Screw it.” These are coming back into style, and it’s high time we knew what we’re getting into when we don these familiar classics. →

Aaron Britt, one of six editors at Dwell magazine, is a perfect example of the modern-day journalist, putting his hands in as many pots as possible in the hope that one heats up.  It’s the only way to survive in a market where immediacy has become paramount to all else.  Print is suffering across the nation, newspapers are on the endangered list, and more and more people like Aaron are out of work.  However, Aaron is one of a rare few who have carved out a niche for themselves by writing about what they love.  In addition to editing Dwell, he also pens a bi-weekly column on men’s style for the San Francisco Chronicle called The Pocket Square. →

There are objects so iconic, so classic, so brilliant, that their basic design prevails despite the ever-evolving world around them.  The simple elegance of an oxford shoe, the molded comfort of an Eames Lounge, the militaristic utility of a trench coat–there’s something about each that is undeniably right. →

Treasure Island Music Festival – San Francisco, CA
Live Review: 10/18/09
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The weather turned for Day 2 of our festival, and what seemed like the usual San Francisco fog was actually just clouds. Tank tops and cut-off jean shorts turned into slick leather bombers and halfway-on beanies. The line for iced lemonade migrated to the coffee stand. That’s life in San Francisco—you just have to roll with it. I wish I’d packed a thicker jacket, though… →

Treasure Island Music Festival – San Francisco, CA
Live Review: 10/17/09
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The Treasure Island Festival kicked off with a sunny un-San Francisco feel to it.  The weather was slightly warm, and the sun glistened across the bay.  Excitement was in the air from the moment I stepped into line to board the bus, and was only furthered by the electric atmosphere of the festival-goers upon arrival.

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A few years back, Kurt Vonnegut wrote a story outlining his theory behind why he was never awarded a Nobel Prize for Literature.  The answer: his hatred for Saabs.  Excerpt below, more here.

I used to be the owner and manager of an automobile dealership in West Barnstable, Massachusetts, called “Saab Cape Cod.” It and I went out of business 33 years ago. The Saab then as now was a Swedish car, and I now believe my failure as a dealer so long ago explains what would otherwise remain a deep mystery: Why the Swedes have never given me a Nobel Prize for Literature. Old Norwegian proverb: “Swedes have short dicks but long memories.”

$10,000 jeans, courtesy of Luxist.com

There’s no other way to look at it: the salad days of high-end designer premium artisanal denim are pretty well over. Consumers just aren’t spending like they once did. But, that’s okay, because according to a recent New York Times article, it was all a sham to begin with.  Industry executives openly admit that denim prices were as artificially inflated as $140/barrel oil and Britney Spears’s talent.  Now, the market is settling, and the weaker competitors are being weeded out.  Many have fallen, and even more surely will.  Evisu is bleeding money, Paper Denim and Cloth has lost it’s cache, and the new sweetspot is down to $160 from $300.  Get the full discount here.