Celebrating the life and times of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins (who would have been 100 years old this year), Sailor Jerry launched the “Hold Fast Tour” on Thursday June 9, 2011 in New York. The brand swiftly headed to Long Beach, CA for Ink n’ Iron last weekend and hits Boston today.

The purpose of the tour is to find people who embody Jerry’s steadfast spirit of rebelliousness and feature them in an upcoming series of mini-documentaries. Equipped with a fleet of Airstream trailers, Sailor Jerry will hit music festivals, biker rallies, and BBQ conventions – all in the name of honoring men and women who remain true to their own individual belief in the American spirit.

Visit SailorJerry.com for all the locations the Airstreams will hit and be sure to share your story (as well as raise a glass in memory of Mr. Collins).

Photography by Tommy B. More, taken from Ink n’ Iron, after the jump.

Starting today is the a charity art event entitled ‘AI Heart Japan’. Culminating with an auction, dinner and raffle on Thursday the 14th April, the event has rounded up some of the biggest names in art and fashion to donate one off pieces that’ll be available to view at Devonshire Square. Some of the folks involved are Aitor Throup, Gareth Pugh, Issey Miyake, Paul Smith and there’s even a coat from Alexander McQueen’s first menswear collection in the mix. All proceeds go to the Civic Force, a non-profit organisation that’s working on the the ongoing tragedy in Japan. All details, including tickets to the auction, dinner & raffle can be found on their website.

Wear the Pants means different things to different people. For those at the 2011 OnPoint Community Credit Union Bend WinterFest, the largest winter festival in the Northweast, it meant a group of gentlemen starting their chainsaws and carving some ice.

One of the keynote events at last weekend’s Winterfest, the Dockers Ice Carving contest provided heated competition and a thrilling display of artistry. James Royal took first place, transforming two blokes of ice into a magnificent Merman. With a regal lion, James Waldron was hot on Royal’s tail, proving that even detail oriented battles can hold a little heat.

Above image courtesy of Jill Rosell.

Images of winner James Royal’s champion Merman and a full look at the contest, via Curated, after the jump.

“If we win, we’re taking the money with us to Vegas next week and putting it all on black.”

The guys from Riviera Club were, of course, joking, but they’re jovial attitude towards yesterday evenings GQ Best New Menswear Designers in America event at the Ace Hotel was mirrored by all involved. Kirk Miller, the man behind Miller’s Oath, expressed sincere excitement and admiration for all six of the nominees (Gant by Michael Bastian, Miller’s Oath, Patrik Ervell, Riviera Club, T Alexander Wang, and Warriors of Radness). When asked what he would do if he was named winner, Miller stated, “fix my HVAC system.”

Rick Klotz, representing Warriors of Radness, told us, “I hate accolades and awards, but the people here have been really cool.” We think the range of menswear represented is also pretty cool, especially given that this year each nominee will have a hand in designing new looks for sponsor Dockers (in previous years, only the winner has worked with the brand on a capsule collection). Douglas Conklyn, Creative Director of Dockers, shares our view, brimming with excitement thinking about what the talented group will bring to the project.

We’re betting the results will be pretty solid.

A full compliment of images from last night’s event follows after the jump. The winner of the GQ Best New Menswear Designer in America will be announced this afternoon.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com and Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com.

Curated reports “Nothing says “It’s Christmas!” like a holiday pop-up shop from type masters House Industries. This weekend they skip up 95 to NYC to open their Holiday Market at Partners & Spade. It’s only logical they have a party, taking place from noon to 7pm on Saturday, December 4, 2010. House will be unveiling new products and offering custom screen printing by Awesome Dudes (who are literally awesome dudes from Philly).”

If you miss the event, don’t worry, Partners will have House wares available throughout December.

Partners & Spade, 40 Great Jones St., New York, NY

The Centraal Museum in Utrecht is celebrating the legacy of Gerritt Thomas Rietveld through a series of events staggered over the remainder of 2010. The events are separated by region, meaning they take individual stock of Rietveld’s influence in a given area via smaller installations. For example, beginning in October, Rietveld’s furniture will be given a comprehensive exhibition. Additionally, Canadian designer Maarten Meerman’s 1:144 scale model of the Red and White chair (and other miniatures) will be on display.

Design Boom has the full story. Make sure to visit them for all news related to the “Rietveld Year.”

More images of Rietveld design and inspired design after the jump.

While some members of staff are hopped up and ready to listen to a mammoth dub step session in New York this weekend, others are thinking along more cerebral lines.

Sanford L. Smith & Associates presents their 18th Annual Outsider Art Fair from today through February 7, 2010. Sponsored by the American Folk Art Museum, the Outsider Art Fair draws 38 dealers tied by a desire to highlight artists working outside of the mainstream. This includes art that is visionary, self-taught, intuitive, and primitive in nature.

In all, a viable way of spending a potentially snowy weekend.

The fair takes place at 7 West 34th Street, New York, New York.

If old school tattooing is your thing, you might consider heading to Philadelphia this weekend. The Mighty Warship Olympia Tattoo Festival brings 40 artists practicing traditional American styles aboard Independence Seaport Museum’s 1892 National Historic Landmark Cruiser Olympia. It’s a rare opportunity to get tattooed in the same manner as a 19th-century sailor – except without the potential for syphilis.

While there you can also view Skin and Bones, the museum’s original exhibition exploring the roll of tattoos in the life of the American sailor (note: I served as a content consultant).

Great fun for all. Running October 16 – 18.

Head to the jump to check the poster. Above is a historic image of tattooing aboard the Olympia. (via Curated).

Going on until Sunday, San Francisco Design Week (click for full program) features a series of lectures, film showings, exhibitions, and related events. The program is sponsored by AIGA San Francisco as a way to encourage conversation amongst the City’s diverse design community. With a goal of raising public awareness to the importance of design in all facets, San Francisco Design Week is this year hinged on the notion that “Design Makes a Difference.”

Several times a year, Lodger Footwear spreads its wings to meet with clients around the globe. This month, New York and Boston are on tap. Lodger will be in the Big Apple on the 24th and 25th, and the Bean the 26-27. Details are available on the Lodger site. The trip will serve as formal introduction of Lodger to the USA and present an opportunity for personal fitting appointments.