Curated did a great Q&A the other day:

“Since the release of Crack & Shine, London’s first graffiti book, publisher Fred Forsyth and photographer Will Robson Scott have been traveling the globe to bring together some of the worlds most notorious and prolific writers for a second volume, Crack & Shine International. Crack & Shine International is an honest and revealing picture of graffiti worldwide, offering within the chance for writers to discuss style, influence and history, and consider how these elements have come together to make graffiti what it is today.”

Read the Q&A over at Curated.

Levi’s Made & Crafted was founded on a simple premise – “Modern items based on the principles of good design.” In that mission, the Levi’s DNA forms a backbone for forward thinking approaches to classic garments and accessories, all of which privileges the right fabrics and the correct manufacturing. For Autumn 2011 the line, now in its second full season, has expanded to include knits, shirting, and a special capsule collection of “Made in the USA” denim. The looks are contemporary and fresh, but with a decidedly familiar feel; the balance of new and old in the pieces struck admirably.

We caught up with the Amsterdam based Made & Crafted design team to chat about the Autumn 2011 collection and to see what the future holds for the line.

Our discussion, and some fine garments, after the jump.

By this point you’ve probably read a little bit about One Nine Zero Six. You’ll also probably have noticed that we’ve taken quite the shine to the brand. So to find out more, we spoke to Dean Webster, man behind the brand to find out a little more about it.

Curated has a great little Q&A with artist Vanessa Prager:

“Self-taught painter Vanessa Prager reveals her latest works this Thursday (June 2, 2011 to be exact) in a special one-night-only exhibition hosted by Danny Masterson. The venue is fitting for Prager, a painter who finds inspiration in a mix of contemporary narrative and vintage photographs. In anticipation of the show, Prager and I got on the phone to discuss the idea behind Across the Universe and her process.”

Read it over at Curated.

Shot in San Francisco, the Spring/Summer 2011 lookbook from Aether shares the brand’s commitment to a range of outdoor pursuits. You’ll find boating, cycling, and most importantly good old fashioned kicking back at the beach. As expected, the garments meld functionality with sleek silhouettes created to work equally well on a yacht and on the block.

While Aether is based in LA, you’ll find no SoCal/NorCal rivalry here… in fact, there is sound reasoning for the decision to capture the Northern climate. With that in mind, we caught up with the Aether team to discuss their inspirations for the current season and to find out who owns the worst boards shorts in the world.

Read our Q&A and view the full Spring/Summer 2011 lookbook from Aether after the jump.

Curated has a three part Q&A with Alison Kayman:

“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is the first feature-length film about internationally renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. With ambitious installations, including the much discussed Sunflower Seeds at Tate Modern, Weiwei’s star in the art world is equaled only by his stature as a political activist. Alison Klayman’s film examines the complexity of Weiwei as an artist and social activist, detailing preparation for major exhibitions as well as clashes with Chinese government.”

Read part one (parts 2&3 are yet to be released) over at Curated.

Here at Selectism, we occasionally like to step out from behind our desks, off the streets, and onto the trails. In this venture, we often take a look at brands that differ from our core interests. Ahnu Footwear is one of those.

Founded in 2007, Ahnu designs products geared toward active lifestyles with a focus on responsibility in all environmental and social encounters. Of course, this relates to sourcing. And, as such their story has great ramification on all brands seeking ethical supply chains.

We caught up with Jacqueline Lenox, Brand Director of Ahnu, to learn more about their intent and interests.

A short Q&A after the jump.

We’ve all received (and given) bad gifts.

A few months ago we put our lady on the street, Cary Randolph Fuller, to the task of producing a guide for girlfriends (or wives) buying for their men. After some discussion, Ms. Fuller decided that a chat with J. Crew men’s stylist Jack O’Connor would prove fruitful. Below are her words and an insightful (and demystifying) Q&A. Many thanks are due to Ms. Fuller.

Several years ago, to commemorate a special occasion, I bought the (now ex-) boyfriend a pink and navy Ralph Lauren repp tie. At the time I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t thrilled, but age and experience have exposed the error of my ways. (And that error is: Neckties are kind of boring.) These days I steer clear of presents with seams and sizes, preferring to bestow upon the men in my life gifts that cannot be worn.

Unless…I could enlist the help of Jack O’Connor, stylist for J. Crew’s men’s division and one of New York’s best-dressed. J. Crew has perfected the art of accessible fashion by marrying a well-edited selection of small heritage brands with its own collections. The results are always quirky and unique yet somehow instantly recognizable. To know J. Crew is to know the aesthetic and aspirations of the most stylish men and women. I recently sat down with Jack and his assistant Shawn Buchanan for a little primer on how to shop for the men in my life. Along the way I learned some valuable lessons for every woman who wants to give a gift that keeps on giving – the gift of great style. – Cary Randolph Fuller.

Above is a picture of Jack O’Connor. Read Ms. Fuller’s Q&A after the jump.

One of the things that surprised us at PROJECT was New Era’s EK Collection. Named after company founder Erhardt Koch, the line is inspired by classic and vintage headwear. Certainly a departure from the baseball cap New Era is best known for, the 59fifty.

Wanting to dig a little deeper into EK, we caught up with designer Bill Hodge. We spoke about the intent of the line and its potential to remind of New Era’s rich history as a cap maker.

Read the interview and view a full selection of offerings from New Era’s EK Collection for Spring 2010 after the jump.

Undoubtedly, the recent and regularly publicized trend for Americana has created new reverence for locally made and manufactured garments. A number of brands following that notion regularly escape our full attention. To that end, Cary Randolph Fuller spent a bit of time chatting with a few of the folks in New York dedicated to Big Apple production.

The purpose of the Q&A is two fold – one, to give voice to smaller brands and two, investigate the process they go through as emerging entities. A third reason behind our Q&A was to get a little feminine perspective on Selectism. We’re male heavy, and though the subject might not be directly geared to the lady, Cary’s concern and interest in menswear differs from ours.

The focus here might be New York and the City might have garment trade advantages over other locales, however there are universal lessons that may be useful/inspiring to people across the United States.

What follows is a discussion with Adele Berne and Mike Kuhle of Epaulet, Eunis Lee, Mordechai Rubinstein, and Roy Dank. Above is an example from Roy Dank’s The Wurst Editions. Pieces from the others are peppered throughout the Q&A.