ON & BEYOND

Matter Magazine issue no 1

Vincent — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:46:31 +0000

I’d seen the cover of Matter‘s inaugural issue on Yayo‘s instagram a few weeks ago and a relentless search for the magazine imminently proceeded. My friends at MAAS & Stacks came through, answered the call and sent one my way. A classy gesture to say the least!

The mag has a nice feel on the hand: matte finish & respectable weight. The cover is lighter than expected, but pairs well with the unpretentious non-grid layout of the text blocks; a carefully considered nonchalant kinda appeal.

Unis | Sullivan Pants

Vincent — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:13:36 +0000

My favorite pickup from my recent NY trip has to be these Unis cargos. Available in 2 other colors, designer Eunice Lee really nailed it with these fatigues; color, fit and large side-pockets are the main criteria I look for in a pair of cargos.

Reigning Champ / Wings + Horns

Vincent — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:25:33 +0000

I had the pleasure of heading down to NY again this year for mens week at capsule and project. The main goal of my trip however, was to meet with Doug from RC/W+H. Ironic that us canucks are having a meeting in the states. The details of the meeting and future projects between CYC and I will stay sealed for now, but here are some snaps of the fall2012 line from my Canadian friends at the Ace Hotel.

view more photos of my trip on my instagram: onandbeyond

Arc’teryx Veilance

Vincent — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:48:43 +0000

I’m starting to have some serious obsession issues with the veilance line. Every jacket I’ve acquired from them has met all my expectations. The tailored aspect of the fit is like no other jacket I’ve ever owned. I’ve not had the chance to see anything else but the jackets, but from what I hear they’re equally impressive… would love to hear from anyone who has anything from the clothing line.

Just added this primaloft insulated 3L shell jacket to the lineup; the insulation from the 140g primaloft is surprisingly warm.

Porter utility bag as a bonus.

I WISH THEY MADE THIS FOR GIRLS Vol.10 | Charlotte

Vincent — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:34:27 +0000

“The amount of times I’ve actually heard a girl say “I WISH THEY MADE THIS FOR GIRLS” when looking at boys’ clothes goes beyond memory. From that quote, I’ve begun a little Photo Series project with some of the most gorgeous women in my life. Done right, the series should have that inexplicable umph most guys feel when waking up and seeing a girl in his t-shirt and boxers. Dressed in my clothes, they will, one by one be featured on the blog.”

View Previous Entries from the Series

Charlotte – Visvim 101 Jacket / Muji T-shirt / Goro’s Pendant and Ring

check out her photoblog here: charlotteratel.tumblr.com

Manitobah Video

Vincent — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:00:15 +0000

Manitobah Mukluks | Part 2

Vincent — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:39:30 +0000

Aside from the aboriginal artists performing their handcraft, the Manitobah Mukluks company also has a manufacturing HQ in the outskirts of downtown Winnipeg. The building houses the company’s management team and shoe-makers. It is an odd feeling to be so patriotic, but boy do I feel proud to say that Manitobah is 100% Canadian made. Manitobah Mukluks seems to have found the perfect formula in making The Ultimate Canadian boot; with the upper being a tribute to the Canadian Aborignal boot and the bottom being a true testament to weatherproof technical footwear, it is obvious to say that this boot will be warm and ideal to face Canadian winters. That’s right, they’ve incorporated vibram soles to their mukluks, something you don’t see from other “moc-makers”.

One of the highlights of our visit was meeting the employees manning the sewing machines in the factory. There was such a minute attention to every little task they performed, that their pride in working for such a community invested company was more than evident…

I wanna thank Sean for having us in Winnipeg and sharing a very personal side of his company with us. This was easily one of the most eye-opening trips I’ve had the pleasure of going on. A little video recap in a few days.

Manitobah | The Storyboot | Part 1

Vincent — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:24:02 +0000

The previous post was a prelude to a more extensive and in depth look into a project that I am proud to be documenting. I could start by writing about the company, give a generic introduction to the project and call it something abhorrent like “Canada’s best kept secret”, fortunately that’s not how we do things around here; I will however, retrace my day spent with members of the Cree Nation in Norway House, a small rural community north of Lake Winnipeg. Enough. Let’s flip the cover. Sometime last week, I was flown out to Winnipeg along with a few other media-related invitees to meet Sean McCormick, founder and CEO of Manitobah Mukluks (more on Sean & Manitobah Mukluks in Part 2 of the Visual Essay).

The first thing I noticed is a contagious passion and sympathy in regards to the dying tradition of aboriginal art. In fact, Aboriginal art does not receive the recognition nor value it truly deserves especially when we think of the numerous companies mass-producing replica moccasins and mukluks, selling them dirt cheap, making it impossible for the aboriginal community’s lack of brand identity to compete and market their goods in a postmodern shopper’s world… Which brings us to the matter at hand; Sean has developed the Storyboot project in which Manitobah Mukluks commissions aboriginal craft-artists to hand cut, sew & embroider Mukluk boots in the method they were always meant to be made. Not only is it a means to revive the art but also as a way to give back what is deserved to the native community.

The premise of our journey was to visit Norway House and meet one of the artists contributing to the collection of one-off’s. We were lucky enough to have time to roam around the town which gave us a glimpse into the social imperfections making the Storyboot project that much more relevant when in situ.

At last, we get to observe each needle and thread meticulously puncture the freshly smoked deer hide; it’s a visually mind-numbing experience similar to watching the timelapse of an architectural build site. We sat in the room for a while, asked her questions about her past, about the community but most importantly about the art of handcraft and how it is bringing the Cree nation together.

This isn’t nearly the end of our journey nor is it the conclusion to my visual essay. We have yet to see the arms holding up the curtains, the people sweating to make project’s like this possible, a less romantic but equally pertinent side of the company. Hold tight we’ll wrap up the dichotomy in a few days.

Passenger

Vincent — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:18:56 +0000

Packed

Vincent — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:19:21 +0000

My buddy Adam started a new content based website (IAMPACKED.com)… not exactly breaking new grounds. Geared toward travelers, it’s more of a refreshing twist to the “whats in my bag” flux. It’s nice to see what people like mr. Gibbs and mr. Marshal pack as their travel essentials. Go submit!

Here’s my submission: