CREATURES OF THE NIGHT: LAST WEEKEND TO VISIT THE WOODLAND PARK ZOO'S NOCTURNAL HOUSE

The news came as a real blow to all of us here at Blackbird too. It's true, Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo is scheduled to close down its beloved "Nocturnal House" exhibit on March 1st ,which means that this weekend will be your last chance to visit all of the House's glorious nighttime creatures before they're moved to other exhibits or even other zoos. This weekend, go pay your respects.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Hawk and Woodland Park Zoo. To read the full coverage from MyBallard.com, click here.

BLEACH: 20 YEARS LATER

This week, Seattle music fans celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Nirvana's seminal first album, Bleach. If you haven't dragged this gem out lately, it's time to throw it back on the stereo. The Blackbird office was playing it at high volume yesterday, and we all agree it's as good now as it was when each of us first heard it.

Check out one of our local papers, The Seattle Weekly's excellent commemorative issue this week. They've devoted their cover and several pages to the album that introduced the musical world to Nirvana with articles on the band's early years, Nirvana bassist, Krist Novoselic's interviews with two of the band's early drummers, and a sit-down with Seattle music legend and Bleach producer, Jack Endino. It's a great read for anyone with an appreciation for the band that made Seattle grunge capital of the world. Click here to check it out.

Below, enjoy grainy footage from Nirvana's first recorded concert at the Community World Theater in Tacoma, Washington.

Video: ON THE STREET with Bill Cunningham

WATCH THIS VIDEO from The New York Times street fashion god Bill Cunningham.

FIXED GEAR + SEATTLE = FAST FRIDAY

When Blackbird friend Adam Sinding sent us word of the documentary "Fast Friday", about Seattle's fixed gear riding community, we got excited. It's hilly here, and we get our fair share of rain, but in Seattle bikes are kind of a thing.

The film is named for the monthly event, "Fast Friday", which was started by clothing designer Dustin Klein (Cadence clothing) as a way to bring together Seattle's fixed gear riding community. In 2006, the year Fast Fridays got started, director David Rowe started showing up and participating, camera in tow. A year and 30 hours of footage later, he had the material for his documentary about the emergence of Seattle's fixed gear community. Not to mention footage showing off some of today's most talented riders.

The film is traveling to 17 cities worldwide with this year's Bicycle Film Festival, and is also available for sale on the website, www.fastfridaymovie.com. For now, check out the teaser photos that the director sent our way, below:

[photos courtesy of David Rowe]

SUPPORT LEO IN WHISKER CONTEST

Leo, whom many of you know from our shop and website, will be competing in next week's first ever North American Beard and Mustache Contest. His mustache is shaping up nicely (see below). We think he has a good chance in the competition, so come help us we support him. The competition is being hosted by the Whisker Club at Elks Lodge in Bremerton on July 5 (click here for details). If you have any tips to help Leo prepare for the competition, stop by the store or email him at leo@blackbirdballard.com.

Leo's Mustache, one week before the competition.

These guys are serious: Leo will face competition from the likes of these guys.

SAVE POLAROID

Many of us have been lamenting Polaroid's statement in February that it would discontinue the production of Polaroid film by the end of the year (see The Lede's article "Polaroid Abandons Instant Photography"). As the film becomes scarcer and prices reach unimaginable heights, the future of instant film seems bleak.

[photo from The Lede]

But there is hope! Many are signing the Save POLAROID Petition in hopes of convincing Ilford to take over the license and production of Polaroid's instant film, and it seems that they are listening. Take a moment to sign the petition, above, and respond to Ilford's survey, below.

Dear Polaroid user

My name is Judy Wong and I am the Marketing Manager for ILFORD PHOTO.

Thank you for contacting HARMAN/ILFORD PHOTO regarding the 'Save Polaroid' campaign.

ILFORD PHOTO is very interested in your views on Polaroid.

To that end I have compiled a short questionnaire (below) to try and gain a better understanding of what it is about Polaroid that users particularly love and I should be very grateful if you could spare the time to complete it.

Please rate your responses to statements 1 to 7a (I love Polaroid because.......) on a scale of 1-10 (where 1 is high and 10 is low) and complete questions 7(b) and 8, number 9 is optional. If answering number 9, please be as precise as possible.

Question
1. ... it allows the capture of spontaneous and instant images
2. ... I like the feel, smell and tactile nature of a Polaroid print
3. ... I prefer analogue to digital technology
4. ... I use it as a proofing tool
5. ... I like the size of the image it creates
6. ... it allows me to print real b&w silver halide images from the negatives
7.(a) ... I like the quality and look of a Polaroid image*
(b)* (Please describe what it is that appeals to you about the look of
Polaroid, eg its use as an artistic tool for expression)
8.What would you use to replace your current way of working when the
supply of Polaroid film eventually runs out?
9.Any other comments (please be brief and explicit)

Please reply to this email address (ie Jane.crossen@harmantechnology.com)

Many thanks for your time, it is much appreciated.

Regards

Judy Wong

IN HONOR OF YSL

In honor of Yves Saint Laurent's passing earlier this week, Seattle's NWFF has added extra screenings of the documentaries "Yves Saint Laurent - 5th Ave Marceau 75116 Paris" and "His Life and Times" to its schedule this evening. The documentaries were also screened earlier this week as part of their program "Prêt-à-Filmer: A Week of Fashion Films". For more information, see our previous blog post and www.nwfilmforum.com.

[photo from www.film-forward.com]

ARI COHEN IN NEW YORK

We said farewell to him back in March and we miss him dearly, but luckily we can still get our fix of Ari, Blackbird's previous store manager, on the web. Check out photos of him at the launch party for the new issue of Oakzine on Oak's blog [www.oaknyc.com] and Fader magazine's website [www.thefader.com].

[photo from www.thefader.com]

[photo from www.oaknyc.com]

TIM HAMILTON ON EVB

A great new interview with Tim Hamilton just came out on eastvillageboys.com. Hamilton, one of our new designers this Spring, talks about his Iowa upbringing, getting his start in fashion at Ralph Lauren, and of course, his own clothing in their article "Tim Hamilton, Heir Apparent".

Tim Hamilton in NY this year
[photo from eastvillageboys.com]

a few of Tim Hamilton's looks
[photo from eastvillageboys.com]

Hamilton explains that fabrics and their movement are the starting point for his designs, with inspirations like the people and objects around him adding to the look of each season (think 60's furniture, his intern's book on the Polish ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinksy, and his 20-something friends in Paris and Japan). Regarding his background, he does admit that his family gave him an early sense of looking put together that marks his personal style, but he doesn't feel that his Iowa upbringing has a heavy impact on his clothing.

It's fun to be privy to this and a few more personal details that we hope for in a good interview, but this interview is really special because of Tim Hamilton's authenticity. He doesn't come off as pretentious, but simply offers down to earth, non-contrived responses to his interviewer's questions, and even gets a bit playful. Check out the interview ["Tim Hamilton, Heir Apparent"], and see his clothing in our store and on our blog [previous posts]. Enjoy!

SHIPLEY & HALMOS AWARD

Congratulations are due: the new clothing line Shipley & Halmos is receiving its first award after only one season. The National Arts Club, an association for American fine arts, is officially bestowing its premier young designer award to designers Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos on May 20.

For more info on the award, check out We Are The Market's article [link]. To learn more about Shipley & Halmos, check out our previous post [link].

Sam Shipley (right) and Jeff Halmos (left)
[photo from RG Vogue]

SUPERHEROES

Perhaps it began when I first heard about the movie Iron Man or when the Emerald City Comicon captivated Seattle last weekend. Whatever started it, superheroes and villains seem to be in our midst lately, and I think it's pretty fun.

So Blackbird presents Two Steps to Becoming a Superhero.

First, choose from our suggested activities to ignite your imagination. Then, channel your newly found inspiration into a superhero wardrobe. Don't worry, you won't have to wear tights or a cape...

[image from emeraldcitycomicon.com]

STEP ONE: Comic-centric Activities

Go see "Iron Man" at Ballard's Majestic Bay Theatre
Showtimes - 12:30pm, 3:45pm, 6:45pm, 10:10pm
[click here to buy tickets online]
2044 NW Market Street
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 781-2227

Read a comic - take your pick at Arcane Comics on 15th Ave in Ballard
5809 15th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 781-4875

Visit the exhibit "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" in New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art
May 7, 2008 - September 1, 2008
[click here for hours and directions]
1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
New York, NY 10028

Read the NYTimes article "Power Dressing" about the Met's exhibit



STEP TWO: Hero-ific Wardrobe Ideas (steal our ideas or make up your own)

Channel your inner Clark Kent and wear a suit with thick-rimmed glasses. Pick up some pomade and get coiffed to complete the look.

Modern takes on Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne.
LEFT: photo from Nom de Guerre fall/winter 08 lookbook [link]
RIGHT: photo from men.style.com [link]

Choose your weapon like our Billykirk leather cuffs or your favorite watch - they're current and basic so only you will know that they're really your secret weapon.

Billykirk leather cuffs

Invent your own superhero outfit. Pick a perfect ensemble that you can rely on to give you some extra "POW!" when you need it.

Whether it's bold colors or perfectly tailored basics, if you feel powerful, it's your superhero outfit.
photo from men.style.com [link]

MEN'S BAGS ON REFINERY29

Our Jack Spade and Billykirk bags are amongst the top "manly" bags of the season according to Refinery29's article "15 Spring Bags for Guys". Check out their article [link] and our selection below:

Jack Spade - Luggage Gabardine Flat Utility Bag
[see previous post for details]
$545

Billykirk - Leather Shoulder Satchel (available in black)

[see previous post for details]
$324 sold out

WINGS + HORNS SNEAKERS IN REFINERY29

Refinery29 praises our newest Wings + Horns shoes in their article "Game On: Wings + Horns lays the ground for a cool new sneaker hybrid". Check out their review [link to article] and our previous blog post [link] for further information.

HOW TO SPEND YOUR TAX REBATE, AMERICAN STYLE

A recent article on men.style.com, "The 600 Club", suggests some cool American-made goods to buy with your tax rebate. The idea is: spending your money will stimulate the economy, but spending it on American-made goods will keep the money in the U.S. and increase the value of the dollar.

This got us thinking about Blackbird items that are made in the USA. Here's a list of things you can buy in our store that will make Uncle Sam proud (click on the links to see more product info):

Lynchburg, VA - Moore & Giles - leather goods
New York and California - Obedient Sons - suits, shirts, and jackets
California - Baxter of California - men's grooming products
North Carolina - Rag & Bone - shirts, pants, and jeans
New Jersey - Malin + Goetz - grooming products, candles, and fragrances
Somewhere, USA - Loden Dager - pants and shirts
San Fransisco, CA - B. Son - cotton jersey shirts
New York and California - Band of Outsiders - suits, shirts, and ties
New York - Patrik Ervell - jackets, shirts, and pants
Los Angeles, CA - Simon Miller - jeans
Portland, OR - Tanner - leather belts
Somewhere, USA - Sharp's - grooming products
Made by the Amish in Upstate New York - Billykirk - bags and wallets

Photos from "The 600 Club" on men.style.com
[right: Band of Outsiders shirts and ties, ties available at Blackbird]
[left: Patrik Ervell jacket, available at Blackbird]

Endovanera Opens Front St.

Can you imagine a design studio in a boathouse? Endovanera, one of Blackbird's new brands this season, started out making custom designs out of a boathouse, but have recently upgraded to a new studio/showroom in LA. Check out their recent write-up in Refinery 29 (click here for link) for more about their cool new space, "Front St".

Even better: come in and see our selection of their Spring items. Stay tuned for an even fuller collection this Fall.

(photo from Refinery29.com)

Models Wanted

Have you ever considered a hobby in modeling?

Blackbird is looking for volunteer male models for photo shoots and runway events.

Requirements:
-at least 5' 11"
-trim or lean physique; no overly muscular body types
-comfortable in front of the camera
-confident runway walk

Auditions will be held Monday April 7th and Tuesday April 8th
from 4:00 - 6:00 pm at our office

Location: Blackbird office
2208 NW Market St. Suite 320
Seattle, WA 98107

If you have photos or a portfolio please bring them to the audition.

Seamless in Seattle - Deadline Coming Up!

Local customers with clothing design aspirations:
Brush up your portfolio and get ready for Seamless in Seattle, Seattle magazine's local fashion design contest!

The entry deadline is April 9 and the five winners will have their designs placed in local shops, showcased in Fashion First's August runway show, and featured in Seattle Magazine.
For more information on the contest, visit seattlemag.com/seamlessinseattle.

Beware of Fakes

Looks like someone is knocking off Common Projects by creating fakes and selling them to unsuspecting folks. The pictures below came from a listing on eBay and if you click on the image you can definitely tell the quality is poor. I confirmed with CP that they are not real. BEWARE THE FAKES!