Style

There’s a saying that most people like to throw around with warning, “never mix business with pleasure”. But what happens when your business is what makes you happy and fulfilled. This is best way to describe entrepreneur and artist, Julia Kreibich – founder of Shoebizness.com and Julia Veli. In a world where most people are told to either chose one path – business or pleasure – Julia has decided to choose both and hasn’t looked back for a second… even though everyone seems to be looking her direction.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s New York Times best selling book “Blink”, he talks about rapid cognition, the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye. During the time I was reading “Blink” I was also flipping through my latest issue of GQ, which named David Mullen of B.D. Baggies one of the Best New Menswear Designers in America. There was Mullen, casually hanging with a group of models, showcasing the brand, I don’t know what it was but in a blink of an eye, I made up my mind – I had to contact him.

Cruising the aisles of the Pool Tradeshow during MAGIC, it was hard to keep track of where I was. Some booths made me feel an east coast, some a west coast feeling, others showed a more European flare. With anyone who is anyone in the fashion world gathered in one space to show their lines, you are so concerned about making sure you see everyone that rarely do you circle around to the same booth more than once.

There has been a long-standing battle in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fashion between two industry heavyweights; TapouT and Affliction. Forgive me for putting both names in the same sentence since the bitter rival between the two brands have caused enough heated discussion alone to garner its own pay-per-view event between friends and athletes choosing sides, but at this year’s MAGIC Marketplace Conference all was settled.

Nothing is better then when you can combine fashion and literature to make a line that is so cutting edge it bears right use the name of one of literature’s most rebellious and influential characters with that of Mr. Jack Kerouac in its bio. Their site explains the inspiration as, “Two of his earliest characters, recently uncovered in his personal journals, bore the names Zagg Parker and Warby Pepper.

MAGIC! MAGIC! MAGIC! For those of you that have been under a rock for the past several years, MAGIC is the elite fashion trade show in the world.  MAGIC, which took place in Las Vegas February 16-18, is the place to be if you plan to show, network, buy or in my case report to the world, about the best brands on the planet. As a dedicated journalist I was there this year and report back to you so stay tuned!

One of my favorite bands, blink-182 have just released an exclusive Haiti Charity T-shirt. All proceeds from the sale of this shirt will go to the Red Cross. Each shirt is $15 and is only available on the bands official online store: www.blink182merch.com. Get your own now and help out a great cause.

With the holiday season upon us, we thought it would only be suitable to feature a family dynamic in the world of style and so I present to you the story of Pacific Leather Works. After leaving the Air Force, artist John D. Andersen settled in Germany with his family. A master craftsman, Andersen’s ability to not only match colors but make repairs practically invisible led him to the leather restoration industry.

The Art of Something Beautiful

By Richie Frieman