Parabellum Fall/Winter 2011 Collection

Union Los Angeles has taken stock of a wide range of pieces from Parabellum. Their signature bison leather goods are now available in a pumpkin finish as well as chocolate brown leather. We remember seeing last year’s black bison leather being mated with military grade ceramic detailing while this season’s goods are mated with copper.

The Thursday Cocktail…..Death’s Door White Whisky

The unaged whiskey category is alive and well, with product offerings available from heavy hitters like Buffalo Trace and artisan producers like Death’s Door.

Death’s Door White Whisky ($30) is distilled in Wisconsin and made from a blend of local wheat and malted barley. As the name implies, the spirit lacks the gold, amber or brown colors typically associated with whiskey because it’s not aged in barrels. Barrel aging gives whiskey its color and much of its flavor, often softening the spirit and rounding it out with oaky touches, like vanilla and caramel. Death’s Door, however, is rested in stainless steel vats for a few weeks to allow oxidation before bottling (technically, it does see the inside of a barrel, but just for three days to meet the legal requirements for calling a spirit “whiskey”).

The result is a whiskey that’s rich and malty and slightly vegetal – more like a pisco or tequila on the nose. Flavors range from raisins and dark fruits to malted grain notes. Whiskey drinkers will notice the creamy, whiskey-like body, but otherwise, Death’s Door White Whisky is a different thing entirely. Score some for yourself, or surprise your whiskey-hating friend (we all have a few, unfortunately) with a bottle of the crystal clear spirit.

Alden Choco Suede Plaza Boots

Alden continue to show off their skills with these suede boots. Khaki with a cap toe, slim and neat, these are an all-situation type of footwear, keep on walking straight from the office to the bar with no problems. If you’re looking for a more refined take on the Indy then these might just be your thing. Available at Leather Soul.

Tech Tuesday……For my photographers

Just because you don’t work for National Geographic doesn’t mean you can’t look like you do. Get yourself a nice travel vest with umpteen pockets, grow yourself some reasonable but not mangy facial hair and throw down a bit of cash for the Carl Zeiss Custom SLR Lens Case ($6,063). Like a giant oyster with precious goodies to reveal, this impact-resistant and waterproof case houses five of Zeiss’s optical beauties: 1) Distagon T* 2.8/21; 2) Distagon T* 2/28; 3) Distagon T* 2/35; 4) Planar T* 1.4/50; and 5) Planar T* 1.4/85, all chosen specifically to lend manual focusing strengths to those filmmakers and photographers breaking into HD (and aren’t we all). It’s also a nice shot across the starboard bow for those of you seeking out the limited-edition Nikon set. The Zeiss hard case is lined with a custom foam lining that cradles each lens like a Faberge Egg. At 6-grand, it’s not your run-of-the-mill lens kit, but if you’re not a total photo hack, it will bring visual joys immeasurable.

Billykirk Autumn/Winter 2011 Bags and Accessories

We previewed the Billykirk collection for Autumn 2011 way back. Today, we bring you some fresh looks at a few pieces as presented by Indigo & Cotton. Quality and craftsmanship is what the collection has always been about. Everyting is handmade by the brothers in their Jersey studio. Photography can only show so much. Hunt down the collection and feel it for yourself. About to order another bracelet today.

The Sunday Drive…2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe

Mercedes-Benz surely knows how to celebrate in pomp and style. And to ring in their 125th year, the C-Class Coupé is out with a young and sporty look. The two-door car will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show this year and is all set to woo people aged between 35 and 45. While the outsides glimmer with LED diffusers, the insides offer a huge range of color accents, and a sporty dashboard panels which features the control panel for the command center in silver-colored keys. You can also opt for a black piano-lacquer look, nougatine burr walnut wood, dark aluminium or brown ash burl finished interiors.

The Sunday Ride…VTM Spacester

If we had to guess what the future holds, we’d predict that there will be Roombas shoveling our driveways, electric grills that give you that charcoal taste we all crave, and this bike.  Shaped by hand around the Harley-Davidson Sportster engine, the Spacester looks like it was stolen from the set of the next Tron movie.  A product of VTM (the French custom motorcycle shop), the custom bike sports a front fork from a Yamaha YZF-R1 and a ridiculous amount of machismo.  It might be awhile till you can your hands on a bike like it but in the meantime we recommend hanging the pictures above your bed to look at while you’re  drifting off to sleep.

This is a throwback moment…..

Playboy’s Cyber Girl of the Year 2008, Jo Garcia, certainly inspires you to dust off those old gaming consoles.  Featuring old favorites like Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt, and relic-like gaming experiences like Game Boy and The Power Glove, this is about as sexy a blast from the past can get. Garcia has always been known as an avid gamer, listing her favorites as the Radiata Stories and Xenosaga trilogies. Enjoy!

Rolex’s HTE series of watches adds two more pieces to close out the collection. The 39mm and 42mm celebrate the achievements of the children of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, two famed explorers known to be the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest back in 1953. The 39mm congratulates Sir Edmund and his son Peter as the first father and son duo to reach the summit while the 42mm sheds light on Peter and Jamling Tenzing Norgay summiting Everest. Select HTE buyers will also get a once in a lifetime opportunity to join Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay on their expedition to Everest Basecamp in May 2012. Big shoes to fill but we’re hoping they succeed in moving their fathers’ legacies forward.

The Thursday Cocktail….THE MACALLAN ICE BALL MACHINE

rocks glass
1.5 oz of your favorite Macallan….

Simon Spurr Travel Bag

Simon's Spurr's Travel Bag ($1,790) is all about the details. From the deerskin leather to the slit pockets on the outside for your newspaper/umbrella or phone, Spurr offers an impressive option for the smart traveller.

Tech Tuesday……Ron Herman & mastermind JAPAN x Casio Exilim TR100

Apparel companies Ron Herman and mastermind JAPAN introduce an exclusive new take on Casio’s Exilim TR100 pocket camera. The updated Casio Exilim TR100 is offered in either black or white featuring a 21mm lens, an angular pop-out handle, a 3-inch touch-screen display and a 12 megapixels HD recording system. The compact carrying design makes these ideal for when on the go and the collaborative work with Ron Herman and mastermind JAPAN make it a must-have electronic device for fans of both brands. The redesigned Casio Exilim TR100 is scheduled to launch this October in limited numbers.

Ermenegildo Zegna Celbrates 20 Years China With Limited Edition Products

Italian fashion and fabrics house Ermenegildo Zegna celebrates its 20th year in the Chinese market with a series of limited edition items. Next to a special watch collection with Girard-Perregaux, cufflinks and limited edition fabrics, the brand also teamed up with luxury phone maker Vertu. All items of the China 20th Anniversary Collection are limited to only 20 pieces and will be available at the following stores.

Melting Chair by Philipp Aduatz

Showing at this years London Design Festival, Phillip Aduatz’s Melting Chair looks like a shape-shifting, melting mirror. The chair, made of glass fiber reinforced polymer, is coated in silver and scratch resistent lacquer.

The Sunday Drive… Maserati Kubang

With Ferrari releasing a shooting brake, I guess it comes as no surprise that Maserati will soon be releasing their own SUV. Based on the Grand Cherokee and Mercedes ML platforms, the Kubang will be powered by your choice of a 450 hp 4.7 liter V8 or a 300 hp 3.0 liter turbodiesel and both will be matched with an 8-speed automatic transmission

The Sunday Ride…2012 Ducati Diavel AMG

Ducati and AMG further solidify their relationship with a new model for 2012, the Diavel AMG. The new bike is based on the Diavel Carbon and features AMG's trademark five spoke wheel-styling, AMG-style sport exhausts, and matte black carbon fibre bodywork.

Rihanna for Emporio Armani Fall/Winter 2011 Campaign

It’s been announced that Rihanna will be the new global face of Giorgio Armani’s Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans. She’s gone blonde and has already done her first shoot, one that will go live this month worldwide.

Who knew it was Amish?

So , about 5 years ago I was working with an interior designer on developing a retail space for am well known Italian Foods Co, to remain nameless. Anyway I was so taken by the craftsmanship and design of his bag, I had to quietly do some research. That's when I discovered Billykirk. At the time they had an only few classic designs. Since they have expanded the brand , and even done a few design collaborations with other popular designers. If your looking that timeless bag, or that belt or wallet (all hand-crafted by the amish ) that you will have till they call you grandaddy, then billykirk is for you.

The Thursday Cocktail Recipe…for the Weekend

Belvedere Red vodka

8 limes wedges

1 tsp sugar

Crush sugar into the lime wedges with a spoon. Place the lime wedges in the bottom of an 8 oz. glass. Cover with crushed ice, fill glass with vodka, and serve.

Lagomorph Design Bike

The Black Walnut Frame and Fork Stem bike from Lagomorph Designs is a gorgeous, simplistic rendering of the modern bicycle. While most bicycles now a day’s are built more with durability and easy ridership in mind, Lagomorph’s latest design is geared more towards high fashion and style. The bike sports world class craftsmanship, and while it isn’t practical for strenuous riding, the bike does provide riders with a gorgeous retro form of transportation.


The bikes are hand crafted and are built with some of the finest wood on the market today. The bike’s design is available for viewing on Lagomorph’s website.

Tech Tuesday……Sony Tablets

Sony joins the tablet battle as it unveils two new models to hit the market soon. Dubbed simply S and P, both models are Sony’s first foray into Android tablets. Featuring a 9.4-inch IPS display that features Sony’s very own TruBlack and Bravia technologies, the “S” model is Wi-Fi-enabled and comes in 16GB and 32GB sizes. It is also capable of cross-device connectivity as it comes with an IR port on the backside which can be used to control Sony Bravia TVs, while Bluetooth connectivity allows the device to interact with the PS3. The P model on the other hand is a clamshell device that comes with two five-inch 1024 x 480 screens. It can work independently or together depending on certain applications used.


Source: TechCrunch

Add a little rock and roll to my oxford….

From Rachel Comey comes this classic dress shoe form in matte black with a green rubber sole. It’s a fun update to a basic essential and it’s always nice to see something crazy from Rachel Comey. “Often her clothes seem daunting until the piece is tried on and suddenly it takes on a life of it’s own. Using daring cuts, bright patterns, and an artist’s eye, Rachel creates clothing that is modern and timeless all at once.Now available at the Opening Ceremony online store, New York designer Rachel Comey’s Uncle Dan Oxford Shoes will be sold for $340 USD. Her shoe collection for both men and women have been a big draw for customers. The designs are often vintage-inspired and edgy as seen in our images for the Uncle Dan Oxford. This makes Rachel Comey collections an obvious submittal to Opening Ceremony’s evolving and eclectic rotation of featured brands.