Parov Stelar - Catgroove

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RELAXING

Tonight ...

A good book, a good havana, and good music.

Timeless pleasures.

Immersed in the “Œuvres de Jeunesse” of Balzac. First edition.

A "H. Upmann" in the mouth

The Gymnopédies in the background.

Chance or coincidence, this trio has in common to be born in the late 19th century.

Like the first pair of riveted jeans ...

Like Santa Claus ...
From the past I wish you a Merry Christmas !
 

WINTER SALES

As you perhaps already notice, we started our winter sales.

We think it's a pitty to wait till January to offer you great stuff at great prices.

X-Mas is on the 24 of December and not in January.....

So hurry up to find your most wanted item at -40% cause that will goes on till the 23rd (Midnight).

Have a nice Winter Sales Shopping.

MURDOCK LONDON

While visiting Liberty, we found in the LG floor a corner of Murdock London.

 

It's the first time we learned about the concept.

What to say about it ?

A place where you're back in time with a service and products that your Gran'Pa was used to.

Good range of products (they even have Pino Silvestre), very friendly, professional and helpful staff.

I had my bear done (before a meeting) and the result was relaxing and perfect !

The kind of service I would realy like to see more often.

Thanks Murdock.

LONDON

Last week we've spend some days in London.

We love this City(or should I say Country).

London is so big and have so many differents cultures that it's like you're visiting a country from one side to the other.

We made some shopping and shops visiting during our stay.

Here's the listing :

Albam at Shoreditch : nice selection and very friendly staff.

Barbour at Shoreditch : nice stuff but too commercial and what a pitty : we didn't found one piece that was still made in England.....

D.S Dundee : small shop with a nice selection of good quality.

Y.M.C : nice but quite expensive.

Grenson at Shoreditch : nice shoes but most of them doesn't seems to be made in England but more probably in India......

Number 6 : nice selection but you feel the "streetwear" background of the owner.

Son of a Stag : beautiful denim selection altough there's some brands I don't understand beeing there.

Present : very nice shop and selection, friendly staff : to recommend !

Three Threads : a little too streetwear for us with an English taste.

Dover Street Market : you MUST have a huge budget to buy there but don't go there to buy (unless you have this budget), go there to see and get inspired : beautiful.

Folk : becoming too "intelectual"....

Liberty of London : we are not department stores fans but Liberty is THE shop you have to visit while in London.

What a selection !!!!

From perfums to home decoration, from menswear to accessories : we never saw a so nice selection.

Of course, all what you have there can be found in other places but the way it's presented, the choice of the brands, of the labels, of the pieces : the nicest shop we have seen for a long time !!!!!!

In terms of hotels, we were the first days at the Town Hall Hotel.

The hotel isn't located in the center but 7 minutes away with the Underground.

A beautiful building that was transformed in a nice and modern hotel.

The staff is very friendly and helpful : to recommend strongly.

The days after, we were in the Sanderson.

Located in between Oxford Circus and Tottenham, the hotel have a great location.

Much more "hype" this hotel have great rooms and a nice bar/restaurant.

The breakfast have a large and quality choice.

More expensive but worth it !

For restaurants, there's so much good restaurants in London; we were at the Trishna, a real indian restaurant, very clean with a huge wine carte : perfect !

We also tried an iberic one named  Eyre Brothers : great food, nice crew, good music : love it !

If you need good restaurants addresses in London, I would suggest you to look at : www.bonvivant.co.uk

ENJOY LONDON !

SHOELACE

We just found out a new shoelace brand that we realy like : Pilipiment.

 

It's a french brand so as most of the times there's no english link but you don't have to be a genious to understand the colors and the prices (5€ each).

 

We find this idea to "custumize" your shoes with colored lace quite cool.

No matter if you put on Tricker's, Alden or Church's you give them a little "funky" twist just by changing the color of the lace.

 

The "plus" of those shoelace : they are Made in France !

CUISSE DE GRENOUILLE

During last Paris Fashion Fair we've found a new small French label "Cuisse de Grenouille".

With a name like that the brand could ONLY be French !

Means : Frogs Legs.....

The brand built his image on accessories (ties, belts, .....) and swimshorts.

All the production is Made in Europe (Italy, Portugal, France,....).

The brand have a fresh and nice look (kind of prepy but not in the serious way) with lots of colors.

Waiting for next summer to have them....

 

JACK STUART

A while ago we had the chance to meet two brothers who started again the shirt business of their Grand Father.

The Jack Stuart Company started in 1971.

They were specialized in high quality men's shirts.

They had a patent wich was a double hidden pocket were you could put your credit card.

Called "The Card Holder Shirt".

Today the two brothers are using the Family know how and the best fabrics to creat great shirts.

The first delivery will be in January 2012.

For the moment they have a website but that is much a kind of "inspiration blog".

Check it here : Jack Stuart.

We love it but as they say : "It's a Gentleman thing".......

CHARLES BUKOWSKI

Charles Bukowski ... American writer, born 1920, died in 1994.

He witnessed the dark side of America of his day. Alcohol, odd jobs, brothels, precarious. 

He writes about life, his life in the 50, 60, 70, 80 ... He wrote the vice and poverty, which makes his work timeless. 

And we know that time is often the judge of art, whether in cotton or in a book.

A "raw" man, as we like at Supra. 

A man who wrote his best lines drunk on his old Underwood. 

A man who does not care about fashion but had a style. His style.

A symbol of virility "unwashed". 

With the most extreme defects, vulgar and embittered. 

But proud, honest and uncompromising.

Some like, some do not ...

BALDER COLLECTIVE

Here's a new brand we found out a while ago : Balder Collective.

No, sorry.....to be honest they found us....

 

It's the kind of brand that we like here at Supra-Quintessence :

nice people, Norvegian Brand that only produce in Europe and a nice philosophy.

 

They are wishing to reinvent and redefine the Scandinavian values

within design, craftsmanship and materials.

Their vision is to make use of Nordic cultural heritage and its craftsman traditions. 

In order to create
viable clothing in noble materials with a refined finish  for the modern man, with a wish to signal
simplicity, honesty and strength.

Soon online at Supra-Quintessence.

WHERE IS THE COOL

Two weeks ago we were quite amazed when Laurent Laporte "Like" us on Facebook.

For the ones of you who don't know who is Mr. Laporte, that's one of the greatest writter on the French Blogger Stratosphere.

Here's what it's all about :

Where is the Cool.

Monsieur Laporte.

A chiper, à choper.

Autour de ton cou.

So THANK you Mr. Laporte for the "like" cause we like you !

THE TRAVEL ALMANAC

Today I was at the show room of Nudie Jeans in Antwerpen and between a nice talk and placing an order,  I found on the desk of Mischa (Nudie agent) The Travel Almanac.

That's the first time I saw the magazine and learn about it !

What a nice magazine !

Finally something else; something that you want to read from the first page till the last one.

A magazine that want you to meet all the people you read about in it and that make you travel without moving.

 

Just check : The Travel Almanac.

PIN-UP GIRLS

A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. 

Pin-up girls may be glamour models, fashion models, and actresses.

The term pin-up may also refer to drawings, paintings, and other illustrations done in emulation of these photos (check out Vargas). 

The term was first attested to in English in 1941 ,however, the practice is documented back at least to the 1890s.

The pin-up images could be cut out of magazines or newspapers, or be from postcard or chromo-lithographs, and so on. 

Such photos often appear on calendars, which are meant to be pinned up anyway. Later, posters of pin-up girls were mass-produced. They became an instant hit.

Many pin-ups were photografs of celebrities who were considered sex symbols. 

One of the most popular early pin-up girls was Betty Grable. 

Her poster was ubiquitous in the lockers of G.I.'s during WWII. Other pin-ups were artwork, often depicting idealized versions of what some thought a particularly beautiful or attractive woman should look like. 

An early example of the latter type was the Gibson girl, drawn by Charles Dana Gibson.

The genre also gave rise to several well-known artists specializing in the field, including Alberto vargas, Gil Elvgren, and numerous notable artists, such as Art Frahm.

Notable contemporary pin-up artists include Elias Chatzoudis, Armando Huerta, and Chuck Bauman. 

As well popular Pin-Up Artist Olivia De Berardinis who is most famous for her Pin-Up Art of Betty Page and her pieces in the earlier editions of Playboy.

Today some of the greatest Pin-Up's are Loulou von Brochwitz,Heidi Van Horne, Bernie Dexter and Veronica Varlow.