PROJECT | The Ten Dollar Bench

I first saw Project Room's DIY "Ten Dollar Bench" at a friend's house and remember it really struck me. Raw, simple, modern. Project Room, the L.A. design group run by Isaac Resnikoff and Lizz Wasserman, has created furniture installs for some of this city's favorite restaurants including Sqirl and Blossom. Beyond their commercial design work and shop, Project Room also kindly shares their plans for the DIY Ten Dollar Bench online so you can build yourself as many as needed.

After months of wanting to build my own Ten Dollar Bench, I finally took on the task this weekend. Had the wood cut at the hardware store, and went right to work. Let me just tell you that this is an extremely satisfying and very doable Sunday project. Download the plans to the Ten Dollar Bench right here.

ICON | Sade

Photo of Sade Adu by David Montgomery, 1980.

"I'm not anti-fashion, but I've always had a bit of a punk attitude. That's important, I think. I do my own thing." —Sade

Side note: this photo makes me never want to wear a belt again.

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GEAR | Filson Zip-Top Tote Bag

When considering carry-on luggage, most people max out on space as much as possible. Between luggage fees, lost bags, and long wait times for checked luggage, people are schlepping as much as they can with them to the gate and on to the plane. So beyond the primary carry-on bag, I am always trying to be strategic with my "personal item". My three needs for a personal item are: it needs to be big and still fit under the seat, it needs to zip shut, and it needs to have a little give. The L.L. Bean zip-tote ($29) is a great option that I have used many times—its only flaw is a lack of shoulder strap. I've also been a fan of the French-made Tampico bags, but they're made of cotton, so they're not the most resilient. Recently I found the Filson Zip-Top Tote ($285), and think it may be a big winner. It's roomy with pockets on the outside, a zipped security pocked on the inside, and cotton oil finished shelter cloth on the outside of the canvas that's really soft. Filson's lifetime guarantee speaks for itself in terms of durability, their stuff lasts forever, and if it doesn't they'll fix or replace without a question. I had to add a little something though, so I sewed on a Japanese patch by A Love Movement. Perfect. I'm ready to take it for a spin.

UNIFORM | M.Nii Tees

Speaking of striped tees...here's a Hawaiian label that is making waves in the menswear universe, but thankfully also creating some duds for the ladies. Started in the 1950s as one of the first board short makers, M.Nii's became an institution. While their women's collection is limited to woven tops (tees, tanks, and t-shirt dresses), there are definitely some board shorts for the borrowing.

UNIFORM | Short-Sleeved Striped Tee

Photos of Italian actress Paola Pitagora in 1963 by Marisa Rastellini.

Thick stripes, short sleeves.

SCENE | The West Coast, 1951.

Photos of West Coast Youth by Loomis Dean for LIFE, 1951.

In 1951 a feature article ran in LIFE Magazine that highlighted the west coast's youth as a new crop of Americans that were "brawny and buoyant" and an asset for the country's future.

"From the sun-drenched valleys of Southern California to the rain-drenched inlets of Puget Sound this new race of children, of whom some three million are now in school, have one big thing in common. It is a lust for the outdoors, and the richly scenic coast offers kids a maximum of temptation and a minimum of inconvenience in fulfilling it. The bumper crop of youth also shares a buoyant optimism of spirit, a supreme confidence in its ability to get on in the world. This current of self-reliance is without intellectual basis; it may spring in part form youth's closeness to nature, from intimately living with wind, sand, and sun."

STUDIO VISIT | Joshu+Vela

While in San Francisco on Monday, I had the opportunity to do something I've been meaning to do for almost a year: visit the Joshu+Vela HQ. I've been a long fan of the American bag and accessories company since I discovered them a few years back. But after meeting the brand's founder, Noah Guy, a few times, I became a super fan. Everything that goes into the products is highly considered from the hand-cut copper rivets, to the vegetable-tanned leather, to the dead stock waxed canvas—each and every piece has a singular quality to it.



The Joshu+Vela HQ in the South Market neighborhood of San Francisco is small. It's actually tiny, which makes it feel very much like you're below deck on a boat. Each storage space, workspace, and desktop, however small, is thought out for maximal efficiency, just like everything made by Joshu+Vela. Their products, from the backpacks and duffles to their dopp kits and key chains provide everything you need and nothing you don't. I have no shortage of experience with tote bags and I have to say that their boat tote is one of the best in the market. Joshu+Vela just relaunched their site today with a roll out of both their classic items in a selection of five new colorways, as well as their limited goods. Check out Joshu+Vela and their new site right here.


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