My wife Tran and I have been busy the past couple weeks building out a new space that will house our first pop up store. Having taken a few months off since closing down the permanent storefront we wanted this space to more accurately reflect our individual design aesthetic and personalities. The permanent storefront ended up becoming a quite repetitive and stale environment for us. The pop up model will allow us to pair what we offer with the space it’s being offered in. As a result the soft goods and accessories housed in this iteration of The Fabric Lab are the result of a curative process that ensured everything throughout is cohesive and presented in a more thoughtful way than we’ve been able to accomplish with past versions of the store.

I’m writing this post under the influence of excitement, anticipation, and a wee bit of exhaustion… I’m equally proud to announce the completion and simultaneously the opening of the new but temporary The Fabric Lab.

Please join us on June 12th as we open up the space to the public for the first time and celebrate our new home on Colfax in Denver. Postman will be plugging in and cranking out tuneage throughout the day, Tran and I will be in full effect with pregnant bellies up in your face. We are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor and the toils of our friends with you. The Fabric Lab Pop Up Store is tentatively scheduled to run through the end of September. Regular business hours will be 10PM TO 9PM DAILY.

The Fabric Lab Pop Up Store at Mod Livin’ : Opening Reception : June 12th :
5327 Colfax Avenue Denver, CO : 12PM – 6PM

I ran across Mr. Penfold’s work for the first time on the karvt site and was immediately taken by the combination of his quirky/dissected style and color combos. Residing in Cambridge, England Mr. Penfold uses screenprints, woodcuts and etching to make his prints and draws inspiration from people he has observed in bars and pubs around Cambridge. To keep up with Mr. Penfold, his work, and other doings check out his website, tumblr blog, and flickr.

“PROJECT HELLO is an idea and an event intended to provide a platform for Denver creatives to get together and expose their work to their peers while also providing a context for the community at large to unite, build, and shape a supportive creative artistic community in Denver,” says PROJECT HELLO creative director Sandra Fettingis.

My wife Tran and I are both super stoked to be participating in Project Hello‘s first exhibition taking place this Saturday March 8th at the TAXI Building in Denver. Tran is putting together an ambient fashion show and I’ve got a super secret snotty zine in the works… there will be a fairly varied mix of artists showcasing work that spans across multiple mediums… I hope to see a few friendly & familiar faces in the mix.

PROJECT HELLO PROGRAM: MAY 8TH
12PM: EVENT OPENS :)
1:30 – 2:30PM: Readings
3 – 4:15PM: “HELLO there fashion….” fashion show by Tran Wills
4:30 – 5:30PM: Readings
5:30PM: mjolniir DXP Performance
6PM: Modern Witch
7PM: EVENT ENDS :(

PROJECT HELLO EVENT LOCATION : Saturday, May 8th, 12-7pm
TAXI @ 3455 Ringsby Court, Denver, CO : www.taxibyzeppelin.com : google map

Above is a few snaps of the Create Denver Week Pop-Up store build-out in progress courtesy of Samuel Schimek with 15 Min. Sam concepted and conceived the idea of a pop-up store that is filled with artwork, clothing, jewelry, paper products, and other items that have all been designed and developed by Denver artists and creatives… I’ll be in the space this afternoon trying to help with the final push before the doors open for a week starting tomorrow. The Store opens April 10th and is open until April 17th running in conjunction with Create Denver week… business hours will be
11am – 7pm daily!

Create Denver Week Pop-Up Store : 1600 Glenarm Denver, CO : Open Daily between 04/10/10 – 04/17/10 : 11AM – 7PM

Benny is opening his first store in San Francisco April 17th. The grand opening event starts at 2PM… Not only will he be flipping the switch for his flagship store but he’s also unveiling the 2010 Spring/Summer line. If that alone isn’t enough, there will be skateboarding, a DJ and a TACO TRUCK!

I’ve followed his success for sometime now and must admit I’m super excited to see his hard work pay off… Unfortunately Celeste and I won’t be in town for the opening, but will surely make a stop upon arrival.

Benny Gold Store Grand Opening
Doors: April 17th, 2PM
Party Afterwards
3171 21st St San Francisco, CA

On a long list of things I am super excited for in SF, checking out all of the shops and street level brands is somewhere close to the top. Being in a place with so many people all getting after it, I’m sure to stay occupied and equally inspired…

Of the brands/shops I’ve come across during my search for shit to see, Unscripted caught my attention pretty quickly. Everything I’ve seen from them so far is supremely immaculate and sharp. Their blog also sums up what I would think is a perfect version of a work/live lifestyle. The whole crew seem like super chill peoples. Check em out.

Jeff Staple has always been a fairly huge inspiration to me.. and seems to have taken a path in his career that really resonates with my own ideals. Although this is the first of this series of interviews I’ve seen, Good To Great seems to be a healthy resource for inspirational/motivational chats with heavy hitters in and around the creative community. Check out the first of the series on the R+I Creative vimeo page. R+I Creative site.

The Art Directors Club of Denver 6th Annual Paper Fashion Show is happening tomorrow Thursday, March 18, 2010, 6:00pm at Mile High Station.

I seem to miss this event every year and have heard nothing but greatness in regards to all of the shows in the past. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it out tomorrow night… fingers crossed… drop a comment if anyone is locked in and going to the show.

Mile High Station : 2027 West Lower Colfax Avenue : Denver, CO 80204

Less than two weeks away – Submission Deadline is March 1, 2010 to be considered for exhibition inclusion. Creatives of all shapes & sizes in various stages of artistic career & development are encouraged to submit. There are a few guidelines for submission, all interested should send the required info and content to projecthellodenver[at]gmail.com.

Matt Scobey just wrapped up an insightful interview with the gals behind Project Hello Sandra Fettingis & Louise Martorano which has been posted on the PH site for viewing pleasure. Sandra and Lisa shed some light on what you can expect from both submitting to and attending the event. The Project Hello crew has also worked up a Facebook page to keep us all in the know.

Cheers to Sandra, Lisa, and everyone else involved in helping bring this event to life…. I’ll be participating and look forward to seeing some radness and meeting some shiny new souls on May 1st!

ELM&OAK first event, LIFT OFF takes place tonight in Denver at City Hall. Show starts at 9PM. You’ll be able to catch a grip of excellent music, art and even some new apparel from the ELM&OAK line, some of which will be designed by yours truly. Make sure to drop by and get down.

For more info check out the LIFT OFF FB event page.

“With our events we strive to bring you some of the most forward thinking musicians, beatmakers, artists, graphic designers, MCs, lighting/visual designers, and DJs from all over the world. LIFT OFF will feature performances by Alex B, Two Fresh, Mux Mool, Devonwho, Fisk, and live art by Berkvisual. Elm&Oak’s new clothing line will be available for purchase at the event so make sure you stop by the booth and check out the new designs.

Also, our good friends from clothing company Grassroots California will be making the trip out to set up a booth showcasing their newest line. Check em out!”

Who: Alex B, Two Fresh, Mux Mool, Devonwho, Fisk, and live art by Berkvisual.
What: LIFT OFF
Where: City Hall, Denver
When: Tonight, January, 22ND – 9PM