Start With Typewriters » a visit with

John Derian

Jeremy — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:23:14 +0000

For some reason, there are “things” in life that we yearn to go back to.

We want fans from the 1950′s, clothes from the 1960′s and stereo’s from the 1970′s.

You mean you don’t want to DJ your house via an iPad?! You’d rather have a Marantz tube powered receiver?

Nostalgia is a big deal, we like old things because they were made better (supposedly) and remind us of ____ (insert good memory here).

Leading the entourage is John Derian. He sells witty paperweights, plates, pictures, furniture etc. All with a few simple things in mind…nostalgia. His designs remind me of a kind of waspy old museum. Or your friends Grandpa’s house that told too many war stories.

He’s not exactly new to the scene, he started his business in 1989 with a small shop in the East Village of New York City. Quite a few people have fallen in love with his designs, so much that he also has a line for Target and sells his world famous paperweights at J.Crew too. I’ve never wanted to buy plates more in my life.

Do we need these? Maybe, but that’s for you to decide.

An Updated Classic

Jeremy — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:34:27 +0000

The other day, I dropped by Brooks Brothers to check out their new arrivals. I was quite surprised…A soft jacket?! No shoulder pads!?

Finally, it looks like BB is showing that they are owned by an Italian company! The jacket was beautiful, and yes it sure was soft. Virtually no shoulder pads and a great drape. Good price too! ($448)

Even the construction was impressive (and yes this was made in Thailand). I guess the reason I was so surprised is it looks like BB is finally going after the younger guy who wants to look nice. Earnestly seeking new customers instead of hoping for their previous’s next of kin.

Their ties are thinner, almost all the shirts I saw on display were their new “Extra Slim Fit”, their pants are slimmer. Way to go BB! Looks like J. Crew will continue to have competition on their hands. Thank goodness!

Now THAT is a soft shouldered jacket!

A Visit With: Leffot

Jeremy — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:16:10 +0000

This past weekend I had the pleasure of sitting with Steven Taffel the owner and founder of Leffot.

Leffot opened in the Spring of 2008 and has since changed the way men shop for shoes.

For me, there are a few things that are important in a retail store. Brands, service and, last but not least, environment. Steven has nailed all three of these and could practically open up a consulting business with how well he runs Leffot.

Leffot carries some incredible brands like Edward Green, Gaziano & Girling, Pierre Corthay, Rider Boot, Quoddy, Alden and Saphir…

Alden (love that blue one!)

Rider boot...check that cordovan in the middle. WOW!

Gaziano & Girling

After roughly 10 years with Prada, Steven and his wife decided to open up a store.

“…I don’t think women love shopping in men’s shoe stores. So we wanted to make sure it was attractive to men and women, an environment they felt comfortable in.”

You don’t really realize it, but Leffot is laid out like a dining room: A nice table in the center is filled with shoes, a lovely chandelier hangs above the table and the walls are a dark, relaxing color.

With centerpieces like this:

Saphir Shoe Care

it’s quite an appetizing table (though I won’t eat shoe horns).

The customer service there is unmatched. While we were talking, a man walked in and expressed to Steven his frustration of not being able to find shoes in his particular size (9EEE aka super wide feet). I started smiling as I could see Steven ready to take on the challenge. Steven showed the gentleman custom shoe orders from other customers and explaining how you could get one to your exact specifications, etc. You could see the man’s jaw falling to the floor. He seemed so anxious to order a pair of Edward Green shoes that he fumbled to pull his business card out of his pocket.

Steven does quite a few custom orders out of Leffot. Near each brand of shoe, he also has each company’s leather samples on display, which is something that I think more stores should do. I sat and flipped through them and thought about ordering a few custom pairs myself. Sadly, your old blogging buddy Jeremy has got to save a bit more.

Edward Green

Leather Samples

Watching Steven help a few other customers was so inspiring to me. He is a man who is passionate about what he believes in: shoes.

Good enough for me. I’ll be coming back again and again.

Next time you’re in Manhattan stop on by Leffot 10 Christopher Street 212.989.4577

Here are some other photos below

Quoddy

Wolverine, Church's

A Visit With: Made With Rest

Jeremy — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:33:07 +0000

This evening I made a stop by Rest Store in the Lower East Side. Its rather easy to pass up, a large black door on the street with nothing but a buzzer on the outside.

No sign, just 223 on the door.

I buzz in and am greeted by the shop’s owner Michael. He’s wearing a knit cap, McNairy kicks (for Rest Store) and an adidas jacket.

“Hey man, c’mon in.” He says.

I felt like I just got let into Wonka’s Factory…

The shop is laid out nice and clean, (clothes hang near the wall) a smell of japanese incense is in the air. The jamaican vibe is there too, in fact when I checked out it was on this old bodega looking thing. Talk about attention to detail – there wasn’t a single thing that seemed out of place or overlooked.

The clothes consisted of a mix of Post O’alls, Mark McNairy, and MWR’s own line of shirts and pants (which were very nice). Oh yeah, and everything is made in the USA. (THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!)

Overall, the shop is definitely one of the coolest stores I’ve been to. Michael is nice as can be and the clothes are legit. What more can you ask for?

The icing on the cake though; maybe its just because I love details, was the packaging

See for yourself below and next time you’re in NYC head on over to Rest Store you won’t regret it.

Slick box...

Very Nice

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