The Right Place, The Right Time
The Right Place, The Right Time
"You should start writing again." I was sitting at a small table on a sidewalk in Silver Lake, having dinner with Kyle, as we started talking about the year ahead. It spurred a question in my brain: Why had I stopped writing in the first place? It's a combination of things, honestly. I started a new job, we're still in the midst of a pandemic, and perhaps the largest personal factor, the looming approach of my 40th birthday this summer, and the uncertainty that change brings.
Kyle is a planner, and it's a trait that I've gratefully inherited from him. We look at the year ahead, make ambitious goals, and generally achieve them, our track record is pretty spotless. Going into this year, I realized I've missed connecting with random people from the Internet, folks who have similar interests and aspirations to my own. I used to view the Internet as a great unknown that offered strange and wonderful destinations to discover... It's certainly lost that luster for me. So the plan is to try and bring back some of the wonder from the "old days,” to share things in hopes of reconnecting with folks I've missed and meeting new friends along the way.
✖ — It’s 2019, Kyle and I are in Paris, and we’re seeing racks of Bode in-person for the first time thanks to a well-timed trip during Paris Fashion Week (we also got to see Daniel Roseberry’s inaugural collection for Schiaparelli but that’s a story for another time). A short sleeve button-up made of county fair ribbons, hand-painted jackets of vintage rugby players, and patchwork quilts line the small showroom space and it’s crystal clear that Emily Bode has a vision for what luxury fashion can look like. Cut to last weekend, as we enter their brand new shop in Los Angeles (only blocks away from our Mid-City apartment) and that same feeling of wonder overtakes us. The shop itself is stunning, of course, built out by her partner in life Aaron Aujla, who co-owns interiors/furniture company Green River Project. Both The NY Times and GQ have stories which give a great glimpse of the space in case you can’t visit, but if you’re in Los Angeles, I highly recommend you stop by.
✖ — One of my weekly rituals over the past couple months is listening to the weekly mixes from Beats in Space. Started in 1999 as a radio show on WNYU 89.1FM, it was recently acquired by Apple Music, who clearly recognize Tim Sweeney and his contributions to the electronic music scene as extremely valuable. You can expect a mix from Tim and special guest stars ( such as Galcher Lustwerk, Fort Romeau, Planningtorock) each week so you’ve always got something great to look forward to.
✖ — A future Bobby goal is to open a coffee shop one day and Ramdane Touhami, best known for his work restoring fragrance brand Buly 1803 (I’m a huge fan of their Venus de Milo), is making me real jealous with the opening of his new coffee spot The Gazoline Stand. I love the idea of turning a forgotten space into something beautiful and meaningful for a neighborhood and that’s exactly what’s happening here. Who cares if the coffee is good so long as you can hang out and build an interesting clientele?
✖ — I stumbled across the work of Adrian Hogan, an illustrator based in Tokyo, who has a really expressive and colorful style that I was immediately drawn to. He’s done covers for Japanese magazines like Popeye and Brutus, he often draws really beautiful vignettes of cities, and has a great eye for portraiture.
✖ — I have a new, daily go-to for lip balm and hand cream thanks to Korean brand Nonfiction. The vegan lip balm is made with rosehip fruit oil, macadamia seed oil, and jojoba oil, and it’s honestly one of the most pleasant lip balms I've tried (and I’ve tried OH so many…). The hand cream is a santal, and honestly, who doesn’t love the scent of santal? The pairing has really helped round out my morning routine, especially in the drier winter months.
✖ — In case you missed it, the new trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness came out and it looks WILD. First off, so stoked to see Sam Raimi directing this film, I’m hopeful he brings some of that early Evil Dead energy to this project. Second, huge yes to more Wanda. Third, and not to spoil anything, THAT “MYSTERY” VOICE! I’ve read lots of theories and it brings immense joy to this little comic nerds heart.
✖ — Is eating bugs the future? I dunno! I do know if you brand and market something with thought and care people will absolutely buy into your bullshit, no matter what it is. That’s why I love this Polish design concept called BUGBAG, which sets out to get you to love bug-based snacks. This project feels really successful to me because it embraces that these products would be made of bugs and celebrates it. Paired with some great type choices, a unique color palette, and a suite of interesting iconography, it’s certainly going to grab your attention. Trigger warning: there are grubs in gelatin which might gross some folks out.
✖ — If you’re looking for a great long read to enjoy before bed this week you should check out Nut Tree Forever, a piece by Leilani Marie Labong who writes about the Nut Tree, a fruit and nut stand that over time transformed into a modernist Disneyland. Growing up in Northern California I remember visiting the Nut Tree as a child, so this provided me with a huge sense of nostalgia.
The Trend Report™ by my partner, Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick, is a sharp and insightful look at everything going on in the world, arriving every Sunday to your inbox. Highly recommended, obviously.