Archive for September, 2010
The family-owned Quoddy, has been producing some of the highest quality handmade footwear since 1909. Each pair is made by a single set of skilled hands, with generations worth of knowledge running through their veins. This history of craftsmanship echos with each new piece they put out, showing an extreme attention to detail and selection of some of the finest materials. To prove their confidence in quality, you can get your shoes refurbished by the craftsman that originally put the shoes together. How many companies in the world can actually say they do such a thing? I’m sure you have more fingers then companies you can list.
Leffot recently had a fire sale of sorts to clear some room for their incoming F/W stock and this lovely pair of black Bluchers was something I honestly couldn’t turn a blind eye to. As with most handsewn mocassins, these shoes seem to just wrap themselves around your foot. The outer is crafted beautifully in Horween Chromexcel leather, which with care and aging, will only look and feel better over time. The interior is leather lined, with a footbed padded with memory foam, making these perfect for going commando with your feet. With its white camp sole and contrasting white cross-stitched moccasin toe, these can be worn with just about any outfit year round. If you ever find yourself in a postion to pick up a pair of Quoddys, regardless of the silhouette, its an investment you won’t regret.
One of the few books I remember reading as a child and actually enjoying, was Pinocchio. Not the Disney version, but the original Carlos Collodi version. No singing and dancing, and a lot less colorful, but still I enjoyed it for some odd reason. Even during Disney’s period of bastardizing their properties, Pinocchio managed to make it untouched. So when photos from Kaw’s exhibit at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum showed a Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket figure, the kid in me only had two questions; when, and how much.
Like Kaw’s previous Darth Vader and Storm Trooper releases, I figured this one would be limited due to licensing, and see very few appearing stateside. With a bit of persistence, and quick figures, I managed to secure one for myself, and I can honestly say its one of my favorite pieces I own. The figure is about a foot tall with articulation at the arms, hands and feet. The collab was done rather brilliantly, meshing Kaws’ style with the Disney character aesthetics. You can instantly tell it is a Kaws piece, and recognize that its Pinocchio in the same glance. Overall my inner child and outer crotchety ole man both agree that it was a worthwhile investment.
As a child, I made it an effort to watch the live broadcast of the the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade every year. Watching my favorite cartoon characters float down the streets of New York was just kinda mesmerized me. Like most childhood attachments, as I got older my overall interest began to wane. I wasn’t as attached to the spectacle as I once was, although I still love seeing the Snoopy float. I can say I probably haven’t watched the parade in 10 years, and really haven’t found a draw to get me to either.
This week though, an announcement that superflat artist, Takashi Murakami would be involved in this year’s parade has peaked the tiny bit of interest that I assumed no longer existed. The intent is for Murakami’s studio mascots, “Kaikai” and “Kiki”, to be turned into floats of their own. This will definitely be interesting to see his characters turned into sixteen foot floats, as I’m sure most of the children spectating the event will have zero idea of what they are actually seeing. No photos of the actual floats have surfaced as of yet, but stay tuned.
