For their final exhibition project, titled Portraits in Motion, students created mobiles based on historical figures that they were learning about. Utilizing skills and techniques they had developed over the course of the program, students created four sides to these mixed-media mobiles, each representing a different aspect of their story. Outfitted in their best suits and dresses, the students were eager to share their work with visitors, explaining the materials, process, and context behind it.

Teaching artist Jen Cecere commented, “The project added another dimension to what they were learning about in social studies class. They get really involved, and it becomes more meaningful to them. It makes learning fun.”

{Harriet Tubman mobile}

{Sacagawea}

{Napoleon}

Thanks to the PS 42 5th graders, for sharing their work with us! It will be on view through June 13. You can find out more about the A Year With Children exhibition here.

What do you love about the shop and neighborhood?
The Venice neighborhood has a great sense of community. We are surrounded by a lot of great restaurants and coffee shops. The atmosphere is very relaxed as we have a lot of customers that are on vacation and also a lot of beach goers. The Venice shop is an Annex boutique, meaning we carry several designers as well as the Steven Alan collection.

{Our backyard patio}

What are some items that customers love?
Being that we’re so close to the ocean, customers have been loving our Steven Alan beach blankets. They’re 6 x 7 feet, so they are great for picnics or sun bathing. Also, the No.6 clogs and Marais sandals that we just received have been fan favorites.

{Our beach blankets}

{No. 6 clogs}

What are you really excited about this season?
This season I am really excited about the Steven Alan short sleeve Single Needle shirts. The sleeves are the perfect length, and for the hot summer days in a Venice, short sleeves are a necessity.

{Andrew wearing one of our short-sleeved Single Needles}

What are some neighborhood spots you frequent?
Gjelina Take Away restaurant. They are located just a few blocks from the store and we can’t help ourselves from going there for lunch every day! If you are ever in the area I highly recommend the mushroom truffle oil pizza and the kale salad.

Pop in and say hello to Andrew and Liz at 1601 Abbot Kinney, and check out more of their neighborhood tips on foursquare.

Name: Lauren Levinger
Occupation: Editor-in-Chief, The Food Life
What’s your favorite part of your job? The eating! I’ve always loved food in a major way.
How did you get to know Petiole? I was friends with Melissa and I remember when she first started talking about the concept behind the line, and it was kind of lingerie-inspired. I thought it was going to be awesome, and it’s so exciting to see it come to fruition – it’s beautiful and I’m a huge fan.
How would you wear the T-shirt dress? Their clothes are just so easy to wear. You could just throw them on and kind of make them into whatever you want. I would wear it with my distressed leather jacket but then I could also make it a bit fancier. I can see myself going to Fort Greene Park wearing it to a picnic, but also going out on a date in it. The way that they’ve done it makes it really versatile.

Name: Leila Brillson
Occupation: Refinery29 Editor
What’s your favorite part of your job? The overwhelming enthusiasm people have about their projects, the world around them, and their work. It’s a really, really enthusiastic group.
How did you get introduced to the brand? I’m also friends with Melissa and when she first started Petiole, she came to me with the lookbook and I immediately thought Refinery29 should see it – it was so feminine and fun.  I remember the first little lookbook which was really basic and simple, but ultra-feminine and so wearable. So now I’ve watched it grow. It’s interesting because it grew from inner wear to outerwear – it was almost lingerie. Now it’s got a luxurious, comfy feeling, but it’s not over the top and you don’t need to layer it.
How would you wear the T-shirt dress? Oh my gosh, where wouldn’t I wear it? You could literally do anything with it. You could put a denim jacket over it for a Saturday afternoon, or a blazer and go out to dinner with it. Because it’s such fine silk, it goes with everything. You can dress it up or down. If feel like if I wore my hair up and a pretty pair of earrings it would be appropriate for a really nice dinner. Or, you could wear fishnet tights and boots with it.

Designers Cori and Melissa: This dress embodies everything we wanted from Petiole that makes women feel good – things that drape right over the body, that are easy from night to day, that can be dressed up or down to work and out and then again the next day. It’s made of crepe de chine. For most of our silks we do a double wash to add texture. People are normally scared of silks and don’t wear them day to day, but instead of a shiny look, the double wash makes it more heathered. The matte fabric on this dress also makes it more daytime appropriate. All of our pieces are inspired by vintage lingerie and vintage garment construction. This one has layers of silk underneath like a petticoat so it feels great inside but looks clean and modern on the outside.

Thanks to Cori, Melissa, Lauren, and Leila! You can see more from Petiole in our stores and our web shop.

- Photos by Billy Pavone

The snake ring from Conroy & Wilcox is so Arabian Nights, but in a modern, minimal way.

I love the geometric shapes on this Lady Grey Reflected Triangle Cuff.

The stones in these rings and earrings from Hephaistos have such a beautiful cut and color.

Maya Brenner’s Asymmetrical Mini Letter Necklaces are a great interpretation of the traditional initial necklace.

Tassia Canellis pieces add a delicate pop of color.

Thanks, Annabel! You can call our Tribeca store at 212.343.0692 for info on the items pictured, or explore more jewelry in our web shop.

- Photos by David Gonzalez

Our Oliver Suit Jacket is a one-button style that’s great for weddings because it’s a lightweight cotton/linen blend, so it allows you to look the part while keeping your cool on those hot summer days. The welted flap pockets can be tucked in to change up the look. You can pair it with the Oliver pant or tailored short, which are slim-fitting and have adjustable side waist tabs (in case you eat too much). I’d wear it with our Single Needle in gingham, maybe add a pop of color with one of our bright ties or fun socks from Etiquette, and Walk-Over Derbys.

Thanks Andrew! You can see all of our Oliver suiting options here.

{Alex and Matt}

What do you love about the store and this area?
Alex: We love the Tribeca flagship because it’s such a core part of who we are as a company. It all started down in this area, so it’s great to be in the center of it. It’s also a real destination location as well, especially on the weekends. People come down here specifically to visit with us, and maybe have a little brunch along the way.

Matt: I love that there are larger families down here and they have a lot of pets that they bring into the store. It’s nice because they’ll bring their friends and relatives when they come into town and they’ll spend an hour to two hours in the store at a time. When they walk by at night and see us closing up, they wave or pop in and say hi even if they’re not coming in to shop. It’s definitely a very friendly, personable clientele.

What are some items you’re really excited to have in the store right now?
Matt: For men, our Oliver Short and the Short Sleeve Single Needle in the bee print, which also comes in a long sleeve. Also, Baldwin denim – I wear them daily. I’m super pumped on the Acne suits, which are super light and slim fitting. There’s a style that’s pressed like a two-button but you can have it re-pressed to be a three-button. The fits are great and the colors are really good for the season.

{Acne 3-button blazer}

We also have some great Wings + Horns items. Their henley is great for summer days. Highland pants and shirts are awesome – I’ve been wearing them for the past couple of days. And the striped Jungmaven tees, which are really soft. They’re an organic cotton and hemp blend all made in the US, but they have to import the hemp from South America. It’s actually bleached out so it’s not a dip dye or anything – it’s like a reverse dye. The shoes that I’m most excited about, I would say are the New Balance Italian M991 sneaker and the Clae Gregory.

{Jungmaven Short Sleeve Stripe Tee}

{New Balance 991 DNR}

Alex: I’m obsessed with our Steven Alan Fletcher Dress – the print is bananas. It’s part of our later delivery. Steven and the design team have done some really interesting things with print this season and brought it in very thoughtfully. It’s the perfect little summertime dress with the open back. Another recent arrival is our Erin Short which comes in juicy colors. It’s a classic, tailored short and the the brights hues work with so many great neutrals. The Spring collection was inspired by the paintings of New England artist Alex Katz, and I really see that in the most recent delivery.

{Our Fletcher Dress}

We’re also really loving Whitney Pozgay’s WHIT collection this season – great prints and silhouettes, and an interesting use of fabric, texture and color. It’s a really wearable collection that speaks to both a younger client and an older client. She designs clothing that really fits women’s bodies and that women want to wear, which is exciting to sell. Another collection that I’m really excited about that I’d never worked with before is Something Else by Natalie Wood. We just got it in a few weeks ago and it just has a fabulous 90′s nostalgia vibe to it. The reaction has been very positive.

In terms of accessories, Clare Vivier bags are always popular. We’re always excited when we get a new batch in. Wendy Nichol‘s leather bags are also fantastic. She’s so chic and has such a great perspective. Her collection is really consistent and evolves subtly. The bags are handmade here in New York, and the pieces are so luxe but still feel very organic with a craftswoman’s touch. Another bag line we’ve is been carrying Lotuff. Each bag is handcrafted in New England in an old factory that’s been around for ages. I love the really rich blue-black, which takes away any notion that navy can’t be cool.

{Lotuff Small Leather Duffle}

We also take a lot of pride in our footwear assortment here. It’s really exciting having the collections that we have here, the different price options and variety of styles from casual to elegant. A Détacher is one I’ve always loved – Mona is one of our favorite New York designers. Her footwear is really wearable but it’s really progressive and a fairly universal option for women who feel like they might be intimidated by wearing some of her other pieces. We have a lot of great Rachel Comey in, too. That’s really done well.

{A Détacher Sandal Wedge}

{Rachel Comey Coral Sandal}

What are customers interested in this season?
Matt: Our male customers are also really drawn to the New Balance and Clae I just mentioned, but also the Nikes and Vans. They’re the California issued Vans so they have extra padding in the sole and they’re anti-fungal too. The Levi’s Vintage 519 Bedfords are so popular we’ve reordered them twice already. Those and the Simon Miller Slim Straight dark denim are our customers favorites. For the wedding season, there’s been a lot of interest in our Oliver Suit. And shirting, always.

{Vans LPE CA}

{The shirting wall}

{New shirts for spring}

Alex: Our Rita Dress. You can’t really look at it without imagining yourself wearing it with a pair of flat leather sandals and your hair down, on a patio with a summertime cocktail. It’s great for this in-between weather too, with a pair of Isabel Marant Dicker boots, a slouchy grandpa cardigan and a loose Lem Lem scarf. We also got in new No. 6 sandals for the season, which always makes the ladies go nuts. They’re so wearable and really comfortable. I work on my feet and I wear them all day long. They’re handmade in the US by Sven, and to be able to get the quality for under $300 feels good. There’s always a lot of excitement around the Acne collection we have in the store – denim, basics, and footwear.  Isabel Marant is always extremely popular. Clothing, shoes, and jewelry.

Jewelry is a really interesting category to do and a big part of what we do in Tribeca.  Our assortment continues to grow and we have really built the store into a jewelry destination. We have a really great fine jewelry selection that has a very specific perspective that relates so much to the Steven Alan brand as a whole. We have so many customers that are Steven Alan jewelry customers who will come in with layered pieces from Satomi Kawakita, Blanca Monrós Gómez, Jerry Grant . . . many of the collections have sort of a sweet minimalism to them.

Matt: People are coming in and shopping for engagement rings, wedding bands, or rings to stack with their wedding bands. We have return customers for rings because they buy one and will have another one on their list that they’ll come back to get and stack them.

{Jewelry from Samma}

Alex: We also have a large watch assortment that came out of Steven’s love of vintage watches. I had never worked in an environment that focused so much on timepieces and gotten to know the timepiece customer. Carrying the vintage pieces is really interesting – it’s been an educational experience for me. We love having them in here. The Junghans collection is gorgeous and customers go nuts when they find out we have it here.  They’re a fine Swiss watch company and it’s not very widely distributed in the US. They’re very masculine but elegant. We also get some really serious timepiece devotees who come here to check out the vintage watches.

Any favorite neighborhood spots?
Alex: For a great cup of coffee and lovely baked goods, Grandaisy. I love to start my day there. Birdbath also has amazing baked goods.

Matt: RBC coffee is also great. They have a coffee machine there that’s like a bajillion dollars. With a crazy name like the Ninja or something. Also, Billy’s Bakery for treats. The peanut butter chocolate cookie is our go-to. We buy them in the dozens. I buy cookies all the time. I just love cookies. The Tribeca Tavern is one of our after work hangout spots. They have really good burgers at night. Also South’s on Church Street is another spot that has a lot of drafts and good food. For break time, you get your lunch to go from Columbine and go down to the park on White Street near Grandaisy. It’s the only spot that has sun all day, no matter what time you go. The ARC, the record place, is awesome.

Come by and say hello at 103 Franklin, and check out more of our neighborhood tips on foursquare.

{Cary, left, and Jenna, right, outside their new space}

“At Ace & Jig, we’re not chasing trends, we want to make special pieces that you can wear year after year.”

How many of us know how hard it is to make a fabric swatch? While we often focus on the printed surface at Pattern Pulp, it’s always fascinating to hear how various designers approach their craft. Last Wednesday, I accompanied the fine folks at Steven Alan to interview Jenna Wilson and Cary Vaughan, the talented duo behind Ace & Jig at their new studio. We spent an afternoon sifting through texture, munching on petit fours from Betty Bakery and diving into the incredible story behind their brand and business.

{Discussing textiles with Shayna}

While it’s understood that most designers buy their fabric, Jenna and Cary do everything from scratch, a laborious (but rewarding!) process that utilizes their years of industry experience and involves ongoing trips to India. The ladies work with a textile guru who is as obsessive about the outcome as they are. “It’s a great process working together, it’s really fun and inspiring. He’s as meticulous as we are, and we respect each other’s expertise.”

{natural fiber}

So what’s a day in the life like when the ladies are at the factory working alongside the weavers and dyers? Follow along with our Q&A as we discuss their successes over the past year, how they’ve set a high ethical standard, and what a dream collaboration would look like (a little teaser: it’s pattern based) . . .

Pattern Pulp: So how did you meet your team? And tell us a little about global collaboration process…

Ace & Jig: Well, it was a long process finding a team we were happy with. We’ve been in the fashion industry for over ten years and we knew who we weren’t going to work with. Through friends we were very fortunate to find our current team, as we’ve been able to create fabric that’s very specific and technically difficult to weave. When we’re in India working alongside each other, it’s so much easier to experiment. They have these walls of yarn and we can be like, ‘oh, let’s do these colors instead’. It’s so much more hands on. They also have a free daycare on site with kids just running around. It’s really beautiful. It’s a very atypical factory environment. It’s open-air, they reclaim their water and the workers eat in the garden and sit with their kids for lunch. It’s in an old school that’s very simple and clean. It was very important to us that the factory be ethical and have a sense of our values and a feeling of soul.

{the antique metal loom, which sounds like a freight train}

Pattern Pulp: Walk us through a typical visit to India…

Ace & Jig: There’s a lot of stuff we do that’s less glamorous, like production, fittings, quality control. We usually go to develop fabric for the next season while simultaneously working on production that’s about to ship. We don’t work with our team like a normal factory where we just give them something to do. We’re almost like their family – we go out to dinner with them every night, we even went to their son’s wedding in Goa – it was so amazing! It was a three day extravaganza of the best food, the most color you’ve ever seen in one place, gorgeous beaches– everything was just beautiful. After each trip we’ve been known to bring back treasures (we’re hoarders!), everything from jewelry to leather sandals to textiles and lots of kids stuff. We got little wooden whistles and lanterns for Alice’s [Cary's daughter] birthday party last time.

{stacks of fabrics at the 8th Cross Malleswaram market}

Pattern Pulp: We’re noticing lots of stripes in your fabric, is it a coincidence?

Ace & Jig: Everything is a stripe! We’re constantly reinterpreting natural fiber – it’s all cotton or cotton-linen blends and variations within. We play with weights and textures, but it all goes back to the stripe. So for instance we did a polka dot last season and were like, ‘what if we did rows of dots?’ That was another type of stripe for us. It could be a stripe of texture, or of color. It may seem limiting, but we find a lot of ways to expand on the idea.

{Cary, Jenna, and Shayna discuss the stripe motif in an Ace & Jig design}

Pattern Pulp: Would you ever consider a collaboration?

Ace & Jig: We really love the Japanese designer, Tsumori Chisato. Her surface patterns are so colorful and whimsical, it’d be fun to have her prints atop of our yarn-dye wovens.

Pattern Pulp: How do you fuse your personalities when designing?

Ace & Jig: Well we both have children and focus a lot on lifestyle, which is inspired by our routines. With having kids, everything has to have a pocket, everything has to be easily laundered and pulled over your head, so it’s just easy. We started with a classic silhouette that’s made with special fabric that can be worn season in and out – nothing too trendy. We have people emailing us for things from our first collection or a collection from two years ago, which is cool.

{Swatches hang on the inspiration board}

Pattern Pulp: And finally, how has the past year’s success impacted your decisions for the future? What can we look forward to?

Ace & Jig: This has been a super growth year for Ace & Jig. Our Spring ’12 season was a hit. We did a runway show with GenArt, and had a lot of big orders which have grown our business substantially. Prior to this season we shipped everything from the factory ourselves so we’ve had to get a warehouse , a computer system and we hired our first employee! We’ve only had a chance to celebrate for like 5 minutes. It’s all coming together though, we just finished shipping and the product looks great. So that’s really been the biggest challenge this year – growth. Good growth, which is a great challenge to have. We’re rewarding ourselves with a side trip on our way to India. We’re stopping in London.

In terms of what’s next…because our story is a textile story, our fabric could easily translate into any number of things: children’s wear, and of course home is something we’ve thought a lot about. Up until now we’ve just been really focused on trying to grow in a small, measured way. But those are the directions where we’d like to take the brand eventually.  Cary is pregnant so a children’s line might happen sooner than we think!

By Shayna Kulik, editor of Pattern Pulp

Thanks to Cary and Jenna for having us over and sharing their stories (and petit fours), and to Shayna for capturing it. You can shop Ace & Jig in select stores or in our web shop, and head over to Pattern Pulp to read about all things print and pattern-related.

You spent your childhood in Barcelona, a city we love. Do you ever go back to visit? What is your favorite thing to do there?

Yes,  I am from Barcelona and I grew up there.  I moved away in my early 20′s.  It is still home, and I go back at least once or twice a year because all my family is there.  It is a wonderful city – bright and sunny and with lots of things to do but without the hectic stress of New York.  Life seems so much more relaxed there, and people seem to take more time to stop and enjoy things.  Of course, I love the food!  Both my mum and grandma are wonderful cooks so there is always delicious home cooking, especially my 85-year-old grandmother’s Paella – the best that you will ever have!  I love all the architecture (even more so since I married an architect) and revisiting some of my favorite buildings.  But two of my absolute favorite Barcelona things to do are to have Chocolata amb churros (hot chocolate and fried dough) and as many Tallats (espresso and steamed milk) as I can handle!

There’s a beautiful simplicity to your jewelry. How do you think your background in industrial design influences your work?

Studying industrial design helped me realize that so many products are designed and made for the short term.  And I knew I didn’t want to do that.  I want to create pieces of jewelry that last – something that can be passed down to daughters and nieces.  I always try to design pieces that are simple but interesting  enough that you can wear everyday and  I never put in the collection something that I wouldn’t love to wear myself.

How did you start working with recycled metals?

It was  kind of a natural transition, since I had a lot of extra scraps and little pieces.  I started using them to make beaded pieces.  That’s how the seed collection got started.

Is it the materials that first inspire you or do you usually have an idea in mind before designing?

It’s a little of both. I love rummaging through victorian trinquets at flea markets, and I’m also very inspired by finds i the park such as seed pods and twigs and branches.  Sometimes while designing with wax and sculpting pieces the idea sort of unveils itself.

Any plans to expand into other categories?

Yes! I started working with house wares a while back and made a few spoons.  I would like to be able add to that and build a whole set. I have also been having fun working on little tiny earrings and bracelets for my daughter..

Since it’s around the corner, what’s your ideal Mother’s Day?

A slow morning  reading “This is London” by Miroslav Sasek for my kids – that’s their favorite right now – and maybe having some yummy pancakes . . .

Thanks to Blanca for sharing her stories and photos. You can shop her designs in select stores and our web shop. We’ll also be hosting an event with Blanca at our Brooklyn shop on April 28 from 1 -5 PM, so be sure to stop by and say hello.

Monday: Still hanging on to the weekend in the laid-back Huarache.

Tuesday: All business in unfussy black t-straps

Wednesday: Wedges were made for chasing cabs

Thursday: Blue are you

Friday: Ready to kick up our feet in the 5 Strap Kiltie

Friday night: Switching it up with the detachable kiltie

No. 6 is available in our stores and web shop.

While there’s a clearly defined aesthetic in the collection, we also love how functional all of the pieces are. When you’re designing, what comes first – utility or form?

My ultimate goal with Batten has always been to make sportswear, which means each item has to be functional at heart. So when I design, I focus first on utility and construction. This part of the process is actually a lot of fun for me – ever since I was a kid, I’ve been really curious about all the small details that go into making clothes and shoes and bags. It’s been really interesting to focus on the construction of each Batten Sportswear item. I think this attention to utility is an important part of the aesthetic too.

{Shinya needed a jacket that was easy to pack and worked in different climates, morning to evening. The slimmer two-panel sleeve design on the lightweight Travel Shell Parka allows for easy movement in the outdoors but also creates a streamlined, urban silhouette. It also has an angled front pocket for easy access to valuables, and a back pocket for map storage.}

You honed your skills at Woolrich Woolen Mills, working with Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments for four years. How did that influence you?

Daiki is a really great teacher, and during those four years working with him, I had the chance to learn about all of the different elements that go into making clothes. It’s funny, because I never really expected to become a clothing designer. Sure, I’ve loved clothes my whole life, and since I was a teenager it’s been a serious passion. But I had never really thought about making my own clothes until I worked with Daiki. For example, my major in college was Business, and here at FIT I studied Marketing. My previous jobs in fashion were mostly in sales. When the chance came to be assistant designer for Daiki, though, I jumped at it immediately and found out how much I liked the design side of clothing. He taught me not only all the technical skills I needed but also how to use the knowledge about clothes that I’d been gathering since I was a kid.

As a vintage connoisseur, are there any favorite items you’ve come across over the years?

I’ve collected a lot of vintage over the years from lots of different eras, but my favorites have been outdoor clothing and backpacks from the 1970s and 1980s. Although, it’s still funny to think of the 70s/80s as a “vintage” era since it doesn’t seem so long ago. Lately I’ve started collecting some great stuff for a new project, but I’m keeping it secret for now.

{Since early mornings on the beach can be chilly, the Cutter Jac works as a shirt/jacket hybrid. It features 70s design details such as an elongated collar and stash pocket on the arm. We also dig the fun printed lining.}

You do everything yourself – from the sourcing and design to marketing and sales. What’s the most challenging aspect of being a one-man team?

When I was starting Batten, I decided that I wanted to experience all aspects of the business for myself. I had already had some experience with sales but never with my own clothing, so I figured being my own salesperson would be a great way of establishing relationships with the stores and getting to know my customers. I had the same kind of desire to really get to know my factories and suppliers first hand and see what kinds of relationships and collaborations we could come up with in order to be able to make the best product possible. As for sourcing fabric and trim, I consider this one of the most enjoyable parts of designing – touching and seeing the fabric, carrying rolls of it to factories, sorting through aisles of trim. I’m a nerd for that kind of stuff.

But being a one-man operation has also been a challenge since it’s difficult to wear so many different hats at once. And more importantly, I know that if I want Batten to grow, I’ll need a strong team. I’ve actually just hired one full time person and I’m looking for interns. The next stage is developing a strong infrastructure that Batten can be built upon in the future. What’s fortunate is that since I’ve already done every aspect of the job myself, I will be ready to teach my future team from first hand experience.

{The Packable Anorak easily flips into a tidy little pouch (we watched Shinya do it in a few seconds). Ultra lightweight and quick drying, it’s great to have on hand for unexpected showers while riding a bike. It also features a thoughtful side vent zip to help you get out of it quickly without pulling your shirt off with it.}

We hear you’re an avid surfer. What are some of your favorite surfing spots?

I’ve been lucky to be able to surf at some really great beaches, even though I’m not the best surfer around. I think my all time favorite surfing experience was in Nine Palms in Baja California (Mexico). My wife’s family is in L.A., and surfing in Malibu over the years has also been something really special – I love the surfing history of the Malibu beaches. Around here, I like the Cove in New Jersey because you get these beautiful tubes from the reef break with excellent views of Manhattan. I also like Lido in Long Beach because it has such a good atmosphere and I can get regular waves from the A-frame breaks.

What is it about East Coast surf culture in particular that inspires you?

Surfing in NYC has gotten popular lately, but it’s definitely not for everyone. The winters here are long, and the water can get really cold. Most of the year, you really have to put yourself in the right mindset (and the right gear) just to get in the freezing water. And a lot of NYC people have to get to the beach by public transportation. I love the A train to Rockaway, for example, but it’s not pretty especially really early in the morning when there are drunk or drugged out people still out and the rats on the platform are extra fearless. I think New York surfers are really dedicated – making the long journey to the beach and gearing up in their wetsuits and gloves and hoods to plunge into the freezing water. They do it because they love surfing, and that’s really inspiring.

But altogether, I’m still trying to figure out what East Coast surf culture really is and how Batten Sportswear fits into it. Especially since the ASP surf contest was held at Long Beach in New York last year, NYC locals are getting more and more into surfing. And there are NYC surf brands like Saturdays Surf. None of this was happening 5 years ago. I think we’re creating East Coast surf culture right now as we go along. That by itself is pretty inspiring.

Since you’re originally from Japan, we have to ask you – what’s your favorite place for Japanese food in New York, and are there any restaurants here that you wish were in Japan?

There’s a lot of great Japanese food in New York. I particularly like Kajitsu in the East Village and Hibino in Brooklyn. One NYC restaurant that I think would do really well in Japan is Frankies. I’ve had a lot of good memories at the Frankies on Court Street in Brooklyn, and my friends visiting from Japan seem to really love it.

What’s your ideal New York weekend?

I like to wake up early in the morning and go surfing in Long Beach. Then I have brunch with my wife in our neighborhood in Brooklyn, and we figure out the rest of the day and the evening. Sometimes we go shopping at the farmers market near Prospect Park and walk around the park. Sometimes we have friends over for a dinner party. My ideal weekend is all about relaxing and unwinding. For me, New York City is a great place to do that.

Many thanks to Shinya for sharing his insights and teaching us what all those strategically placed pockets are for. You can shop Batten at our stores and our web shop.

- Photos by David Gonzalez

We love the drip coffee and soy cappuccinos at the Blue Bottle kiosk on Linden Street. Their chocolate cookies are a guilty pleasure too – get one for now and save another for later.

Fatted Calf Charcuterie is just around the corner from the store on Fell Street and is a food lover’s haven. They have a delicious selection of fresh sandwiches, kale salad with bacon (our personal favorite), and a fun selection of pre-packaged pickled vegetables, olives, granola, etc.

When it’s a beautiful day in San Francisco we take all our goodies over to the Hayes Valley green at Hayes and Octavia for a picnic in the sunshine.