Blamo!

There is a bit of lore with clothing brands from Japan.Maybe it’s because if you like clothes, nearly every road leads to Japan.But how do their clothing business and industry work?What’s the deal with Kapital? And why are so many of these brands hard to find outside of Japan?I sat down with Jonathan Lukacek, ex Kapital employee and founder of the Bandanna Almanac.He’s loved Japanese clothes so much he moved there and hasn’t looked back since.Jonathan and I discussed the myth behind the Japanese fashion trends, what it’s like to work in the industry there, and why he continues to love it. Last but not least, he shares how John Mayer got into Kapital.It’s Blamo! Extra with Jonathan Lukacekhttps://www.bandanna-almanac.com/**Listen to the entire episode on Blamo! Extra

My guest this week is Helgi Óskarsson, co-owner, and CEO of  66°North.Helgi and I discuss how the nearly 100-year-old brand began by making clothes for Icelandic fishermen, with the goal of saving lives, how that naturally led to a commitment to sustainability, and how building things to last -- whether a coat or a company -- changes how you think and act.NOTES(11:10) Hans Kristjánsson and 66°North’s History(12:06) Iceland’s Ring Road(22:35) Grime (music genre)(28:44) Slow Fashion(29:23) Patagonia (book on business philosophy)(32:30) Iceland’s Sustainable Energy(35:24) Fashion Forum(48:24) “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight**This episode is sponsored by Topper Jewelers, check out their new collaboration with ORIS! **Want even more Blamo? Join the BlamFam  on Patreon and get access to additional interviews, a community slack, special events, and more!

My guest this week is Jordan Page, stylist, DJ, consultant, creative and curator of veryADVANCED. He’s worked with Supreme, The Fader, Nike, Hypebeast, Vice, Grailed, and many more.Jordan and I discuss how he grew up reading encyclopedias and dictionaries for fun, the struggle of making it in New York City, and how losing a job and getting evicted led him to thrifting as a way to afford a wardrobe, which developed into a passion for vintage and a thriving career in the world of fashion.NOTES(03:26) Points on the Board (podcast)(06:04) The Fader(10:55) Fader Fort at SXSW(20:38) SZA (singer)(27:02) Only NY (brand)(31:02) Visvim’s Christo (article)(49:26) Diet Prada (Instagram)(49:51) Emily Oberg (Instagram)(52:58) The Great British Bake Off on giving and receiving feedback (article)(54:55) Alessandro Michele and Dapper Dan (article)(1:00:20) Reebok (video)(1:02:19) Jordan Page on Twitter(1:07:10) Corey Stokes (stylist)**This episode is sponsored by P. Johnson, & Bespoke Box (enter BLAMO for 20% off your first box!)**Want even more Blamo? Join the BlamFam on Patreon and get access to additional interviews, a community slack, special events, and more!

Rowing Blazers founder, Jack Carlson returns!Jack and I talked about how he went digging to find the pieces of the late Princess Diana and how he brought back one of the most talked-about sweaters ever.We also discuss how Rowing Blazers creates their collabs and how they went from a book to a brand.If you know you know...It’s Blamo Extra and Jack Carlson is back!**Listen to the entire episode on Blamo! Extra

My guest this week is Savannah Yarborough, founder and designer of Savas. The Nashville based leather workshop. She's made jackets for Jack White, Justin Theroux, and more.Savannah and I discuss her journey from remaking t-shirts as a teenager to founding her own bespoke brand. Along the way, she competed in extreme rollerblading, hung out with the Hells Angels, studied at Central Saint Martins, led menswear design at Billy Reid, and discovered the transformational power of a leather jacket.  NOTES(07:37) Extreme Rollerblading (video)(14:12) Hells Angels(16:38) Central Saint Martins(21:36) Ann Demeulemeester(23:08) Billy Reid (Blamo! Interview)(43:22) A Leather Jacket That Lasts a Lifetime (Bloomberg video)(1:02:50) Hiroshi Fukiwara and Fragment**This episode is sponsored by Topper Jewelers, check out their new collaboration with ORIS! **Want even more Blamo? Join the BlamFam on Patreon and get access to additional interviews, a community slack, special events, and more! 

My guest this week is Paul Smith, the legendary British fashion designer.Paul and I discuss how a cycling accident launched his career as a creative, why his wife’s knowledge of couture has been essential to their success, and what it’s taken for his business to last 50 years and stay independent.NOTES(00:00) Paul Smith and cycling(17:30) History of Le Bon Marché(23:15) Giorgio Armani on Slowing Down(24:34) Supreme(25:04) 18 East(36:41) Yves Saint Laurent(44:44) Paul Smith & Land Rover(49:58) Friendship with David Bowie(52:41) The Lumineers(52:54) Jimmy Page**This episode is sponsored by P. Johnson, & Bespoke Box (enter BLAMO for 20% off your first box!)**Want even more Blamo? Join the BlamFam on Patreon and get access to additional interviews, a community slack, special events, and more!

If you go deep in the Blamo! Archive or listen to me lament my wardrobe choices over the years; you’ll find that I only recently have started to find my style.Someone who has helped me a ton with this is my friend Patrick Johnson of P. Johnson Tailors.For starters, nearly everything that comes out of that brand and workshop I want. But when you boil it all down, it’s very simple stuff. When I think of what a solid wardrobe needs to be these days, the essentials are always from P. Johnson.So what has been up to? And where did this turtleneck under the shirt vibe come from? And why is Richard Gere on all their mood boards?It’s Blamo! Extra and Patrick Johnson is back.**Listen to the entire episode on Blamo! Extra

My guest this week is Patrick Robinson, Founder, and CEO of Paskho.Patrick and I discuss his career designing for some of the biggest brands (including Armani and the GAP), why he thinks runway shows and seasonal collections are no longer relevant, and why he believes local makers and sustainability are the future of clothing.**This episode is sponsored by Topper Jewelers and Rowing Blazers  (enter BLAMO for 10% off your order)**Want even more Blamo? Join the BlamFam on Patreon and get access to additional interviews, a community slack, special events, and more!  

Scott Schuman has always been teaching people how to dress.You may not have been learning from him directly, but chances are, the images you had saved or the ones you thought of in your head or the ones on your favorite designer's mood board…were probably taken by him. The Sartorialist himself has been showing the world how to dress through his camera lens for over 15 years.And now, with his new book The Sartorialist Man: Inspiration Every Man Wants, Education Every Man Needs, it's time to hear from Scott himself on what he's learned, with a little bit of help from his friends.It's Blamo! Extra and The Sartorialist, Scott Schuman is BACK.**Listen to the entire episode on Blamo! Extra

My guest this week is Connor Ratliff, actor, improv performer, and host of the podcast “Dead Eyes.”Connor and I discuss how moving from being an amateur to a professional actor ruined it for him, how he rediscovered the joy of performance through improv, how he was fired by Tom Hanks because he had “dead eyes,” and how that turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him.NOTES(00:06) UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade)(08:38) Band of Brothers (TV series)(10:02) Del Close(10:47) John Belushi(16:26) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (book) and the “real” story of the Tin Man(31:12) 12 Hour Day with J.D. and Connor (podcast)(34:14) Guster (band)(36:45) You Can’t Always Get What You Want(44:15) Tom Hanks on SNL**This episode is sponsored by P. Johnson, Bespoke Box (enter BLAMO for 20% off your first box!), Rowing Blazers  (enter BLAMO for 10% off your order)**Want even more Blamo? Join the BlamFam on Patreon and get access to additional interviews, a community slack, special events, and more!