“Design is not just something you do on a piece of paper. Design is how you see, how you think, how you act. What you buy, what you own, what you surround yourself with. What you listen to, what you don’t listen to. What you watch, what you don’t watch. So design for me is a kind of way of life and perhaps a substitute for any kind of religion.”

We’re well into 2012 and yet to find a new artist (or new to us anyways) that truly stands out. That is, until we heard Minnesota bluesman Charlie Parr, over at Rollo & Grady. Charlie’s influences include Charlie Patton, Bukka White, and Reverend Gary Davis as you can see in some of his religious-based lyrics. He pulls influences from both historical and fictional accounts, often singing about people down and out or general human despair. Think American tall-tales from the gutter. He also just so happens to be an experienced yarn-weaver and quite a hit in Australia. He’s currently on tour promoting his seventh album, ‘Roustabout‘.

With all of the new arrivals coming in, we’ve decided to get our staff member Molly Szkotak, to choose some her favorite new items as well as some items that keep her going throughout the winter. Not sure what it takes to survive a cold winter in Richmond, take a look.

Just got a handful of new pieces in from California’s Garrett Leight. For those of you not familiar with the brand, Garrett Leight’s father is the founder, director, & owner of champion fashion label Oliver Peoples. The Spring 2012 Resort Collection is filled with the perfect balance of classic and modern styling for both men and women. We’re struggling not to accessorize every model with them. Basically, we love them. Click for the continuation.

Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Soulcraft is an exploration in hand-crafted and sustainable design. Embracing the philosophy that working with one’s hands nourishes the soul, pieces are crafted one at a time by  Sarah Herdrich and Tristan Campbell from reclaimed materials until they realize a second life. No one piece is perfect, and no two are alike. Here are some photos of Sarah crafting a few pieces in their studio.

Get them in your size in copper or steel in two different widths here. Enjoy!

The concept is relatively simple: Spots. Simple and varied in size and color, thousands upon thousands of spots span together to make one of the worlds largest paintings. And thanks to the Gagosian‘s arsenal of galleries, 331 of Damien Hirst’s “spot” paintings are on display right now across the globe – 11 galleries in 8 cities on 3 continents. But what does the worlds highest paid artist mean behind these canvases? Why has Mr. Hirst and his many assistants spet countless hours making lots and lots of spots?

First of all, if you’re from Richmond, you’ve got to admit the fact that Baltimore’s Future Islands played at The Camel is awesome. Samuel Herring’s voice and energy sounds like it could literally be heard all the way from Baltimore. He’s got more character than a Disney movie and a tone that sounds like it could be from a video game. Along with Gerrit Welmers, William Cashion, and the heat from the crowd, The Camel felt like a sauna tonight. Their next two shows will be held in their home state of North Carolina and then head further down south. If you can get the chance to check them out, it’s worth your time.

Checking Thrasher Magazine at least once a day should be a requirement for anyone with a soul. Whether you skate or not, the current state of the industry is beyond real and it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on. One relatively new team to watch is the Converse team. They recently just took a trip to Germany & Italy to skate some of Europe’s finest terrain. Click on for a nice little video from a company that’s actually focused toward skating.

How I Met Your Style is the combined forces of photographers Carmen Chan and Ken Wu, and gives viewers an intimate look at some of the up-and-coming ladies of fashion. Nicole Loher, also known as The Style Student, is an 18-year old fashion student living in Manhattan and climbing her way up the fashion ladder day by day. HIMYS takes a peek into her closet and life, and the result is stunning photographs of a beautiful personality. See the entire post here.

If you’re in New York, and you like doing cool things with cool people, then you definitely don’t want to miss this. Tomorrow night, our friends at RIPE bring you a photo show and zine release from Julio Pardo and Amanda Merten. The event is brought to you in collaboration with Friendship Worldwide, The White Glove Group, Trumbull Island, Trumbull Studio and Fun, and featuring music by Joey C. So get your cute little butts over to Trumbell Studio for a good time with good friends, and better than good work.

It’s not too early to be thinking about Spring, especially with this mild Winter weather we’re having here in Virginia. This Spring, it’s all about color, and we’re diving in head first with tons of brights to warm up even the chilliest of days. Check out all of our new arrivals for some super fun bright bursts of color, and here are our picks of our favorite neon pieces!

If you’re not a fan of this cold, do your self a favor and go rent the 1984 movie, Hot Dog, where you’ll quickly realize that there’s plenty of fun to be had in the snow. Better yet, grab a bunch of your friends and go rent a cabin in Tahoe (your local ski resort will do too). It’s movies like this that let you realize just how good a little bit of snow and a hot tub can be. It’s also no that bad for some fashion tips.

On our most recent trip to the big apple, we ventured into Brooklyn to meet up with the brilliant minds behind the label In God We Trust. Not only were we impressed by the merchandising and use of space in their Greenpoint shop, but also when we were invited back to peek into their studio space, where everything they produce is made. Shana and Holly were gracious enough to let us snap some photos of all the curiosities around as well. If you are up that way, please visit them and see for yourself at one of the three brick and mortar shops (Lafayette, Bedford, Greenpoint). Or, you can meet them at our store in Richmond, this March, when they will be visiting us with a trunk show (more details coming soon).

A few short weeks ago, we lost an important American abstract expressionist artist, Helen Frankenthaler. Frankenthaler is credited with launching the second generation of the Color Field school of painting, and her style of work- most notably the “soak stain” techique- was influenced by such artists as Jackson Pollack, Hans Hofmann, and especially Clement Greenberg. Her work has been exhibited over six decades, and has received much praise and numerous awards, as well as her fair share of controversy and critique. Helen Frankenthaler helped to shape a movement, and her contributions to the art world will most definitely be remembered.

Please help yourself to a trailer of Wes Anderson’s upcoming movie, Moonrise Kingdom.  This could possibly, very likely, I really hope, most definitely, maybe, be amazing.

“Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, MOONRISE KINGDOM tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love,

You can shop our edited selection of Band of Outsiders lightweight button down shirts and striped skinny ties, now in store and online. Just imagine how good you’ll feel once you have one on- definite essentials to step up your Spring wardrobe game.

“We are proud to introduce the Apolis + Need Supply Co. Richmond Market Bag exclusively sold at Need Supply’s Richmond shop in Virginia.

Whether you are a beer tasting enthusiast, a designer, or can just appreciate anything that looks good, I think you will dig Oh Beautiful Beer, a blog dedicated solely to the art and design of well packaged beer. Boy do I cherish a well crafted beer…

Okay, okay, so I know the holidays are over, The Nutcracker blah-blah-blah, but that is no reason to shy away from the brilliance of Tchaikovsky and the gracefulness of ballet dancing, not to mention the killer costume wardrobe and, in the case of this video, the Marie Antoinette meets 2000 Gwen Stefani-esque hair-dos. They really do it for me. Sold.

This past season’s Holiday Package was a long labor of  love.  It was exciting to see each piece from idea to completion.
A special very special thanks to Blanchards Coffee Co for their caffeinated wisdom, Big Secret for the laser engraving, Richmond Soap Studio for their knowledge, patience, getting the scent of our soap and candles perfect, and Adam Hogsett for his expertise of everything wood.

We caught up with Eric and Christine- the awesome couple behind UNIF- to get some insight on the brand and what they’ve been up to lately. We’re loving the 90′s grunge vibes of our latest pieces from UNIF, and especially love the fearless attitude and spunk that Eric and Christine bring. Click through for the full interview, and see more from UNIF here, here, and here.

We’ve been watching this video since it dropped a few weeks back, and maybe you have too. For those who haven’t seen it, you’re in for a real treat! What I would have given to be a fly on the wall..

Grain and Gram. Self titled as ‘The New Gentleman’s Journal’, Grain and Gram is chock full of amazing videos and interviews of young, hard working, inspiring and self starting, Gentlemen.

We couldn’t help but share this lovely little home visit from Refinery29. San Franciscan Nikki Garcia is the designer of First Rite, is insanely talented, down-to-earth, and well rounded. The self-described “thrift store addict” loads up her sunlit work space with just-right found objects, antiques and vintage finds, and talks about her love for denim, San Francisco, and the woods. Garcia is just about the perfect combination of casual and cool, and seriously adorable. See the entire interview (and her cute kitty!) here.

What’s not to love about Bianca Jagger? Besides marrying Mick (famously in YSL), hanging with Andy, and playing muse for Halston, she’s also a social and human rights advocate with a laundry list of charitable work under her very fashionable belt. The Nicaraguan stunner was all-out glam while making the party circuits in the 1970′s and 80′s, yet always managed to look equally cool in both floor-length evening gowns and menswear-inspired suits. Click through for some vintage inspiration from disco queen Bianca Jagger.

Who said dancing was dead? You’ve obviously not kept your eye on NYC. NextLevel squad out of Brooklyn continue to be one of the most notorious flexers or “bonebreakers” out there. Zilla March shows an amazing look into the current state of street dancing that’s going on. Think you’d be scared seeing these guys on the train? Nah

Talk about making use of small spaces- Japanese architect Ryue Nishizawa made a truly inspired home in Tokyo out of just 8 x 4 m (or about 26 x 14 ft). The house takes the great outdoors very seriously, and moves it inside, using an array of garden life and no walls to keep the inside in, or the outside out. Instead, there are floor-to-ceiling windows, plexiglass, curtains, and some privacy via leafy green plants. See more at today and tomorrow, and even more wonders by Nishizawa here.

The Selby has just produced a new video profiling the prolific New York sculptor Tom Sachs. Sachs is a sculptor, probably best known for his elaborate recreations of various Modern icons, all of them masterpieces of engineering and design of one kind or another. In an early show he made Knoll office furniture out of phone books and duct tape; later, he recreated Le Corbusier’s 1952 Unité d’Habitation using only foamcore and a glue gun. He’s a really cool guy.

So here we are at the countdown of 2011 and the lists are coming. Top 10 this and top 10 that. Finding everyone’s 10 favorite of 2011 shouldn’t be hard to do. However there are some lists that do need to be seen, such as the top 10 motorcycles of the year from BikeEXIF. Gracing the ranks are such beasts as  Dave Mucci’s amazing Honda CX500, Helrich Custom Cycles Triumph Tiger, and of course, a Moto Guzzi. No two are alike, and every single one is beautiful.

So over the holidays, our dear friend (and former site model) Brandon came to visit us from his fancy, far-away digs on the West Coast, and aside from making him model all of our new Gitman Brothers Vintage shirts, I had him throw on some of The Hill-Side pieces as well…

Here is just a little something for the last Friday of this year. Please enjoy!

The act of book carving or book sculpture is nothing new. If you’ve browsed around the internet, the chances are you’ve seen people cutting away at books, folding pages, burning the tips, and creating incredible works of art. And then there is Guy Laramee who changes the entire game. “The erosion of cultures – and of “culture” as a whole – is the theme that runs through the last 25 years of my artistic practice. Cultures arise, become obsolete, and are replaced by new ones. With the vanishing of cultures, some people are displaced and destroyed. We are currently told that the paper book is bound to die.”

One of our favorite bands of the year, the young (still in High School) trio from San Diego, Dirty Gold are still sounding good since their 2010 debut. Their amazing single and one of our favorite songs of the summer, California Sunrise, was hands down one of the biggest hits of 2010, resulting in an almost cult following afterwards. Their sound is an amazing combination of early surf culture mixed with the harmonizing of Vampire Weekend and then throw in a little bit of Paul Simon to the mix. Not sure exactly where we’ve been, but we just found out that they came out with a 5 track EP this past April!

“Kinfolk Magazine. For One For Two For A Few. Kinfolk. is our way of encouraging a natural approach to spending time with family and friends. Kinfolk is a growing community of artists with a shared interest in small gatherings. Every element of Kinfolk—the features, photography, and general aesthetics—are consistent with the way we feel entertaining should be: simple, uncomplicated, and less contrived. Kinfolk is the marriage of our appreciation for art and design and our love for spending time with family and friends.”

To Porsche enthusiast out there, the name Singer is nothing new. As Nicholas Maggio, of ATG put it, “Basically, Singer is to 911s as ICON is to Land Cruisers and Broncos.” Singer Vehicle Design is run by creative director Rob Dickinson and was founded in 2009 to explore the creative possibilities seemingly abundant within the vibrant world of the classic automobile. They are dedicated to the passionate study, preservation and optimization of the worlds most respected high speed vehicles. This pictures you’re about to see might hurt.

It’s hard to believe that 2o11 is almost over. Did summer come and go that quick? Ah well, time to look good for first late night of 2012! If this is the last year we’ve got, then you better make this night one to remember. Load up on the essentials, blow all your money on the most expensive hotel room you can find and have the best night ever. At the same time, wear something that won’t be forgotten.

It’s the end of the year, a time to reflect back and celebrate with our family and friends, look back at another year behind us, and get excited about the future possibilities.

Remember this? I, for one, didn’t get enough Chloe the first time around, and was thrilled to find that both Part 2 and Part 3 of her “At Home” videos are now available at Opening Ceremony. In these installments, you can take a look at her own personal photos and snapshots from over the years, even more closet treasures, and tons of stories behind the pieces and other little tidbits from Sevigny herself. Click here to see more!

A young man around the age of 22 usually begins the debate on whether or not to purchase a good rain jacket or a good umbrella. 95% of the time, the good rain jacket wins, which it should – boys aren’t ready for a man’s umbrella yet. Then later in his life, a little bit down the road, when that rain jacket doesn’t do a bit of good for his girlfriend while she’s walking in the rain, he realizes that it’s now time for that umbrella. But this young man knows that he doesn’t want the $9.99 umbrella from the pharmacy, he’s ready for something a little more.

Weronika of Raspberry and Red is only sixteen years old, but she has a sophisticated sense of style that’s beyond her years. The classic Polish beauty is full of poise and takes a simple and polished approach to fashion, without ever being dull or boring. I’ve fallen in love with her classic pieces and Audrey Hepburn-esque looks, and you just might too. See more from Raspberry and Red here.

Sit back in your seat, put on some warm socks, add a little “spice” to that egg nog, and relax because Jim Henson’s 1977 holiday favorite, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is now streaming on Netflix All those 80′s babies out there can thank us later. We found the full downloadable soundtrack and bloopers reel over at Aquarium Drunkard.

Duy, the man behind our videos, shot a roll of 35mm film in-between sets of our Holidays with Nature shoot (and eagerly passed the camera off to Ali and I a couple times, haha). Hope you enjoy these candid moments!

In celebration of footwear around the world and all those cold little toes, we’ve picked out 12 of our favorites for this holiday season. Heels, wedges, an everything in between, here’s a little preview of what we’ll be wearing this holiday season!

Is 2011 really almost over? Over the past 365 days, this planet has seen changes that have effected us politically, physically and emotionally. From earthquakes to protests, Ruters has compiled their best photographs of the year. Glancing at these really can make you thankful for what you have.

When it comes to timeless essentials that every adult male should own, it’s nearly impossible to leave out a well-made leather briefcase or field bag. When you graduate from the canvas tote or book bag and enter the world varsity players, the trademark of men such as Atticus Finch, remains in the details. A satchel style leather briefcase that will age just as good as you will is just as important as the belt that’s holding your trousers up. Luckily, our friends at Filson still make something incredibly similar. This bag reveals more than what meets the eye.

What looks to be one of the best seats in the house has turned up with some of the best photos of the night. Tommy Ton, of Jak & Jil just posted a photo set from one of the two Watch the Throne shows at Madison Square Gardens last month. You can hate them or love them, but when you sell out two nights in NY, you’re on top.

STRANGEBEAUTIFUL nail colors just landed at Need Supply, and we already can’t wait to get our hands on them- or rather, get them on our hands! Designer Jane Schub takes a creative approach to a common cosmetic product and transforms everyday nail color into stunningly provocative accessories for your hands. The colors are richly saturated, elegant, and strangely perverse- inspired by art, design, nature, even the strangeness of the human body. Still, they are completely wearable and impossible to forget. Even better, STRANGEBEAUTIFUL is a 3 FREE product, completely free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, and DBP. This isn’t your grandmother’s nail polish! Find the Library of Colors that speaks to you, and welcome to the world of truly luxurious nail color.

This little number from girl. by Band of Outsiders has arrived just in the nick of time to end up under the tree, and will be perfect for all the trips I know you are already mapping out for Spring! Whether you are planning that trip abroad, or just need something to wear for everyday kicking around the town, this waxed jacket should have you covered for just about anything.

The newest single from Ki:Theory featuring Maura Davis (formerly of Denali) has us getting a little weird up and around the office. This mix of steadily dropping beats and haunting synth, perfect with accents of Maura’s chilling vocals, makes a killer combination for a song you want to play on repeat on a long drive through mountains. Love.

The schoolboy satchel has been one of our favorite pieces from Pennsylvania’s BILLYKIRK, since we started carrying their product. Much of the company’s understated collection of leather goods are handcrafted by a small group of Amish leather workers in rural Pennsylvania. Their timeless pieces are designed with old school attention to detail and an eye for keeping things simple. This craftsmanship is some of the best in the industry. This winter, we’ve teamed up with BILLYKIRK to release a very limited version of their schoolboy satchel.