01. Well-Appointed Guest Rooms, and Tattoo Suite Down the Hall (Above)

“The sun had long since set when the design — an intricate garland of roses and a few skulls drawn on the skin in Sharpie marker — finally dried and it was time to begin tattooing the client, who had arrived shortly before 4 p.m. The usual accouterments — individually wrapped needles and tubes, containers of ink and antiseptic, and a smear of A+D ointment — were fanned out across a table next to the artist.” (NYT).

02. ‘My anger’: Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto opens up about losing his father and his rage at fashion’s frivolities

“Happy birthday, Yohji Yamamoto. In the black box of a space that is the fashion designer’s ultra-chic Paris HQ, celebrations are well under way. The man himself, also dressed in black and, specifically, tailored trousers, leather jacket and fedora, stands quietly – almost shyly – to one side as his president, one Mr Shohei Otsuka, bestows not-so-shy gifts on his colleague and friend. There’s a pair of oversized vintage Levi Strauss jeans, two “ugly” and certainly, given the monochromatic setting, luridly colourful and equally large T-shirts, a birthday cake iced in a shade that might not unreasonably be described as venom green, and a fringed leather whip. Much hilarity ensues when Mr Yamamoto demonstrates the potential ferocity of the latter – he’s holding it, his team is quick to point out, upside down.” (Independent).

03. Food and Design: a report by Dezeen for Scholtès

“Earlier this year, Dezeen teamed up with luxury kitchen appliances brand Scholtès to investigate a fascinating trend: the cross-pollination between the worlds of food and design. The main focus of our research was the Milan furniture fair in April, where we conducted video interviews with designers and chefs and filmed many of the food-related events taking place in the city.” (Dezeen).

04. Floyd if not Pacquiao then…Martinez??

“Paul Williams has trouble with southpaws, and Sergio Martinez made that perfectly clear this past Saturday. Floyd Mayweather in pursuit of a Manny Pacquiao fight has consistently attempted to ‘one-up’ the P4P king. Here again is an opportunity for Floyd to ‘one-up’ the 8-division champ by signing to fight middleweight champ Sergio Martinez. Berto won’t do it, perhaps Williams was a little bit overrated and overlooking Martinez, in any case he won’t do it either, nor will Saul Alvarez, Matthew Hatton or Mayweather fighting any of the other ‘usual suspects’…” (East Side Boxing).

Japanese tastemaker, The Real McCoys, bring back a classic. The brand “BUCO” was founded in 1933 by the Joseph Buegeleisen Company and they originally made motorcycle jackets, accessories and helmets. The resurgence of Buco is all thanks to the desingers at The Real McCoys. A recent release is the “J-100 Horsehide Leather Riders Jacket.” The exterior of the jacket is made of 100% “Genuine Horsehide leather” with a 100% Rayon full body lining. The jacket offers “TALON” zippers for the two chest pockets and sleeve pulls. A supreme jacket remade with talent. The jacket is available at BlueInGreen.

More looks after the click.

This is a U.S.A made knit cap from Patrik Ervell. I initally balked at the price until I noted it was made from Alpaca. Pricey! “Committed to an anti-old-timey aesthetic, Patrik Ervell creates forward-leaning menswear that is nothing short of awe-inspiring. employing innovative techniques and materials, yet still exercising a degree of restraint, the swedish-born designer successfully strikes a balance between subtle and explosive.” $105 at Opening Ceremony.

More looks after the click.

Burgundy and navy are the two colorways Oki-ni has of the new Maison Martin Margiela 11 folding leather wallet. They’re part of the MMM pre-Spring/Summer 2011 collection. The mix of zip and fold win me over, though it is a bit too gutty for me. Maybe a few weeks int he back pocket will slim it down some.

More looks at the Maison Martin Margiela Folding Wallet after the click.

Our dear friends at Men’s Mentore continue to set the trend in the Italian men’s market. Their look at the extrenely difficuly to find Stewart Archive B7 Parka shows us exactly why we read them. “As I understand it there should be a couple of companies – from Japan – who make replicas of this model, but nothing even remotely comparable to the original. The only hope then is to convince those of Stewart to try to make one properly.” A huge find.

More looks at the Stewart Archive The B7 Parka after the click.

The lookbook for Spring 2011’s Woolrich Woolen Mills collection has arrived. From our runway preview: “This is of course Daiki Suzuki’s final collection for the line. His final call is a good one with the classic Americna brand being reworked – again – for a modern audience. Suzuki’s “influence lies in pioneering outdoor brands from the 1950’s to 80’s—companies like Holubar, Sierra Designs, Early Winters, Gerry and others, many of whom have long since ceased to exist. In particular, Daiki recalls being an avid rock climber during his high school years in the 1970’s, a decade that saw the birth of Gore-Tex, and other synthetic materials developed to answer every demand of rock climbers.”

More looks at the Woolrich Woolen Mills Spring 2011 collection after the click.

Autum sought to “build a sleek, minimal alternative to the plethora of cases out there, custom fitted for iPad & Macbook Air.” We think they have done it well. Their sleeves are made from a semi-rigid padded construction that safely holds your laptop or iPad while keeping it sleek and beautiful. Autum sleeves are made in the U.S.A.

More looks at the Autumn “Straight Jacket” sleeves after the click.

The colorway is why the latest CONCEPTS collaboration with Sorel wins. “Concepts has partnered with Sorel for the second year in a row with the intention of finding the sweet spot at the intersection of designing for fashion and creating for purpose. We are offering 2 models, the Men’s 1964 Premium and the Women’s Tivoli— both styled in charcoal wool, red high lights and replacing Sorel’s traditional rubber toe with rich leather.”

More looks at the Sorel for Concepts 1964 Premium Boots after the click.

Ski season is around the corner.

Lust for the mountains breeds desire for new sticks. Placerville, Colorado’s Wagner Custom Skis and Snowboards handcrafts their wares in small lots. Terrain, location, style… all these are taken into account as the team assemble custom rides from the best available maple and ash (not to mention state-of-the-art plastics and resins). To make things better, the shop is fully powered by sun and wind. Quality craft for outdoor pursuits.

Visit Wagner, map out your Skier DNA, and be ready for the slopes.

Take a look at some of the wood finishes used by Wagner Custom Skis and Snowboards after the jump.

We love this kind of stuff. True working man’s gear that is as fashionable and street worthy as when worn to protect our borders. The Canada Goose “Tactical” collection offers superb looks for the common citizen while outfitting law enforcement. “As a leader in extreme-weather outerwear, Canada Goose understands the importance of superior quality and cold-weather protection.” Check the gallery: the “Wilderdown Pants” are serious.  Hilton’s Tent City should be able to help you get your hands on these.

Many looks at the Canada Goose Tactical Line after the click.