The wonders of space, mater, solar systems, the earth, mountains, waters and atoms that hold it all together will more than likely always be a constant and ongoing question until the end. All it takes is one clear night, a quick glance at the sky and more questions can fill your head than you can handle. These days, of course, we could look up and see the stars (go figure), or we can turn to the internet for high definition images of galaxies far away – which in reality are hundreds of millions of light years away. Which then really means that what we’re actually seeing is hundreds of millions of years old and the fact is that it might not even be there anymore. Crazy, huh? It’s a lot to think about and a lot to take in.

This weekend I was able to tag along and take some behind-the-scenes photos of local jewelry designer Rachel Albright of Academy Jewelry, for the look book shoot centered around her S/S12 collection. The day was essentially perfect. Sun out, I made my way down a wide cobblestone alley-way and arrived at a small, fenced-in backyard behind a cozy coffee shop, complete with old claw-foot bathtubs, a barren cherry blossom tree covered instead with silver tinsel, and a bench covered in props, head pieces and photo equipment. I ventured inside the apartment located above the shop to find a bustling room of models being dressed, photographers loading film, and was greeted with an enormous smile and hello from Rachel herself, jewelry in hand to style the first outfits.

The following are photos I took of how the day progressed (I couldn’t resist, and Rachel didn’t mind). Please be sure to keep checking her facebook page for the actual look book, follow her on twitter, and see what she’s up to on the Academy blog. You can also shop her current stock here.

Look Book Credits:

Photography: Maxwell Runko, Mikala Casuccio

Models: Julianne Zimmerman, Emily Glisson

Styling: Rachel Albright

YEARS is an insanely amazing project produced by Bartholonäus Traubeck. It literally tells the life story of a tree in musical form. The modified record player reads the tree like it would a vinyl record and interprets the tree rings into an impossibly haunting composition. Technically speaking, it reads the rings by its light and dark value and its texture. It then interprets that data into a musical scale and outputs that data as music.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

There’s really nothing like sitting around a roaring campfire in the middle of nowhere with a few of your close friends. That ring of warmth around the fire attracts everything from cold toes and damp socks to amazing stories and pinch of solitude. Toss in a warm thermos of dark roast coffee and that night around the campfire might turn into morning before you know it. To help make this situation become reality, we’ve paired with our neighbors at Blanchard’s Coffee Co. to create what we simply call, Camp Coffee.

Once in a while you stumble across something on the  internet that is worth every single penny. No matter what it costs. Thus when we realized that for only $1,165 we could be riding around on our motorcycle in a fully functional Storm Trooper suit, we started to count our pennies. Officially licensed, this replica leather suit is formed from molded leather and CE-approved body armor that will keep you save if your tipping your bike or sliding sideways after an intense cop chase. Can you imagine pulling up next to a 10 year old in the back of a mini van with this on?

Uncle Dressy (a pun on one of the most well known, and well dressed sitcom actors to the day, Uncle Jessy) is a new blog put together by the creators of Richmond’s Blaaahg. It’s a blog dedicated to the appreciation of a well dressed man who’s never afraid to break the mold. From men’s fashions around the world, especially where fashion is of little concern, all the way to the streets of Italy, it’s showcasing some of the best around.

In conjunction with the Facebook Edition Porsche , Volkswagen is launching their version of the the social media automobile, the Fanwagon. Unlike the Porsche, Volkswagen’s version just so happens to be equipped with unique tools that make direct reference to the social network (license plate displaying the status, print NewsFeed, etc.)..

A long time ago, a time during warm weather and lush trees, a time where skirts and tank tops were everywhere, we were on a bike ride through Richmond. It was on this bike ride when (for no apparent reason) we recaptured the many reasons why we love cycling so much. The next day we discussed the idea over a delicious cup of coffee and soon found ourselves sitting down with our good friend Tim from Carytown Bicycle Company. A new project was in the works. A bike that could be ridden every single day, rain or shine, even through Richmond’s notorious streets.

These vintage photos of Maureen and Noreene came from a lot on eBay, and ended up on flickr. The Irish-American twins, thought to be from Texas, clearly had amazing style and fun-filled lives. The photo set depicts the girls from the late 1930′s up until the 90′s, and is definitely worth a look! See the whole lot of Maureen and Noreene here.

It’s that time of year again! Printed one-of-a-kind sweaters from Pretty Snake are now back in stock. Each vintage-sourced sweater features a glorious mound of black cats adorned with 3D shifty cat eyes!

Cory Richards doesn’t write any fashion blogs. He doesn’t follow trends and probably doesn’t even own a collared shirt. He has, however, survived avalanches, come close to death, saved his friends’ lives, and climbed more alpine first ascents than most could dream of. He is a climber, a photographer, an alpinist, and the first American to successfully summit an 8,000-meter peak in winter. He was just named National Geographics adventurer of the year. Basically, an American badass.

There are so many reasons why Leandra Medine, aka The Man Repeller, is one of my favorite bloggers. She’s got a totally wacky sense of style (and the confidence to carry it off) and is funny as hell, just to name a few. According to Leandra, being a Man Repeller means “outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls (see: human repelling), shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.” She is somehow able to poke fun at the ridiculousness of the fashion industry, and yet gleefully take part in it at the same time. She’s like a breath of fresh air in the gigantic universe of fashion bloggers. Learn more about man repelling (or become a man repeller yourself- I do it all the time!) at Leandra’s blog, and see a girl that is serious about fashion, while never taking herself too seriously.

Our friend Jenna is truly a one of a kind soul. Her style and attitude are completely unique blend of Virginia and beyond. She’s traveled to some pretty far off places yet still makes Richmond her home. For November, she’s showing her essential winter selections from hot Tulsi tea to tanned leather. Take a minute to see what keeps this little style icon going throughout the winter.

Just north of oRichmond in Washington D.C., the Dandies and Quaintrelles have successfully pulled off their third annual Tweed Ride. The DC based social group is known for organizing and hosting vintage-inspired and always stylish events in partnership with an support of noble causes. With refined style and purposeful living, hundreds of cyclists rode through the streets of DC, two wheels at a time. Click for the video.

Matt, the builder, designer and tinkerer behind the brand Wood&Faulk, started out sharing his ideas, thoughts and projects on his blog with its namesake. Wood&Faulk became his chosen moniker after two streets he lived on while living in Kansas,Woodrow and Faulkner. While living there, he learned a lot about working on old houses, building furniture, plumbing, electrical, working on cars, wood projects, metal projects et al. Now, Matt lives in Portland, Oregon, in a 103-year-old house with a little shop in the back, which he is still continually tinkering in.

I took a gander at the workspaces tumblr after Krystle posted an amazing photo of Jenna Lyons’ office, and haven’t stop looking at it since. A person’s workspace is just as telling and intimate as peeking into their home, and just as inspirational. This blog shows you the creative spaces of so many different types of people doing every different type of things with them, there’s no way it won’t get you geared up to starting creating something. So if you haven’t already, give your Monday a swift kick to get going with some workspace inspiration here.

While we were all going nuts during the Autumn/Winter photoshoot, I managed to snap a few photos with my Dad’s old Canon AE-1. So heres a little behind the scenes look at a crazy fun weekend for Need Supply Co. in Richmond Virginia. Enjoy.

Our good friend, Mr. Plett, of You Have Broken the Internet, came down to Richmond, Virginia for a little fall visit this past weekend. He just put up some photos of his travel to the city of brick and beer. If you haven’t had the chance to visit Ryan’s TravelWell blog yet, then let a little trip to Richmond be your stepping stone.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Richmond is absolutely full of stylish babes. It’s also full of some great vintage and thrift stores, thanks to its southern charm in an urban atmosphere. Julia is a local graduate student who is completely obsessed with thrifting, and has turned the hobby into some pretty perfect looks and a really killer blog. Check out La Belle Oiselle to see her quirky and cute outfits- usually completely second-hand- her charming personality, and her super cute dog makes a few appearances too!

AMIAWESOME.COM

Ever wonder if you were awesome? Or even doubt your awesomeness? Well, I present to you the magic 8 ball of the internet, answer for your awesome doubtful-ness, oh you of little faith… Bookmark this jam as your homepage and start off your day knowing that yes, you are awesome. (and refresh the page, JUST to make sure.)

Our A/W 11 Catalog is printed and circulating… Be sure to pick up a copy if you haven’t gotten one already!!

Just a handful of images that we’ve found along the internet from a few good blogs. Mod Rockers, Dine Alone, Na Nin Vintage, Life in the Cell, and of course FFFFound. If you’re not familiar with these guys, then say hello.

I love a girl that has fun with fashion- otherwise, what’s the point? You will almost always find Joanna Hillman in her trademark Ray-Bans and red lips, looking from the neck down a bit wacky in the best of ways. As the Senior Fashion Market Editor of Harper’s Bazaar, she’s one of the frequently photographed fashion insiders that we just can’t get enough of. She plays with prints and textures, wears shiny metallic pants, and speaks out about dressing true to yourself instead of just following trends- how can you not love her?! Click for more photos of the outlandishly stylish Hillman, and click here to get a peek at her behind the scenes.

This is something I absolutely cannot wait to try out! Found at HonestlyWTF via Christine, this great little DIY project is the perfect substitute for your go-to accessories when you want some extra sparkle, and something a little unexpected. Click through to learn how, or see the original post here.

We’ve always got small little side projects going on. It’s these side projects that keep moving forward and open to new ideas. Whether it’s creating a pair of trousers that we’re proud enough to put our name on or serving BBQ and sweet tea on a Thursday night, just because – we’re a fan of getting things done that are off the to-do list. Over the past few months we’ve been slowly working in our spare time with a couple of our good friends right up the street at Carytown Bicycle Company. We’ve been working on a project that involves two wheels rather than two legs.

We absolutely love the amazing bags by Claire Vivier, and took a peek inside the designer’s digs with some help from Closet Visit. Vivier’s closet is actually a small room in her house, filled with art, handmade jewelry, and her coveted vintage finds, and her work space is brimming with projects and inspiration- the kind of studio that really gets the creative juices flowing. Check out her space here!

It was literally the other day that we were asking ourselves, “What in the hell is musk?” Besides the obvious scent for men, what does “musk” entitle as far as scent? What’s the history behind the scent? Well, it’s Sunday evening and we just so happen to come across the answer we were looking for over at Kempt. Apparently, the word “musk” is something that gets thrown around a little too much. In reality, it derives from the Asian (Siberian) Musk deer [pictured] that’s known for it’s insane, predator-like teeth and it’s musky glands. Sounds pretty gross.

If you didn’t make it out to our Raleigh Denim party last night, you missed some great jeans, great food, great music and of course great company! The BBQ was flowing, the live music was pumping, and Victor introduced us to the new women’s line from Raleigh (Look for it in store soon!). Luckily our friend Cameron Lewis was there to snap some photos of the event- click to check them out!

If you’re like us, you wait all year for New York Fashion Week- all the best dressed people in one place, amazing new collections, and the best internet-watching of the entire year (or people watching if you’re lucky enough to be in NYC)! While NYFW of course is all about what’s happening on the runways, what’s happening in the streets is always worth a second look. Click to check out our picks of the best street style from September’s New York Fashion Week. Photos via Mr. Newton and Refinery 29.

I’ll admit, I never thought the pastel-colored hair trend would last. But these days, models, fashion insiders, even celebrities are getting in on the trend in their own different ways. So, it looks like I may have been wrong- and the truth is, I’m still loving those pink, purple, and even green streaks that keep showing up. What once was reserved for adolescents going through a certain “emo” phase, is now gracing catwalks, red carpets, and the heads of the coolest girls around. So go ahead, show your wild side!

In 2002, when filming Gangs of New York, he would listen to Eminem to get angry. In 2003, he was chosen by People magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People” in the world.  During the filming of The Last of the Mohicans, he built a canoe, learned to track and skin animals, and perfected the use of a 12-pound flintlock gun, which he took everywhere he went, even to a Christmas dinner. Besides that, he has appeared in nearly 30 full length feature films, was the first of three consecutive British actors to win the Oscar for Best Actor in a leading role and can play a pretty damn good Mohican.