There’s no question the Aether pop up shop, which the L.A.-based outfitter has dubbed the AETHER STREAM, is one of the most awesome moveable retail deployments I’ve ever seen. In concept the formula is simple, take a 34′ Airstream PanAmerica (originally made in Jackson Center, Ohio — what what), hire Paris-based designer Thierry Gaugain to make it look like a bad ass hybrid den / workshop and then attach it to an especially made Armbruster WWII canvas army tent.

I caught the AETHER STREAM while it was in New York during December, but I never got a chance to talk about it here until this past week when I headed out to San Francisco for the third stop on its tour.

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I met Mark McNairy in an office in the Garment Center in 2005. During our first encounter I distinctly remember thinking that he hated me. I also remembered thinking that I wasn’t so sure about him either. After a short while I realized that McNairy was not only one of the funniest people I had ever met, he is also one of the most talented. Over the past seven years of working with him I’ve come to appreciate the way in which Mark sees the world. I love the the crazy twist he puts on the classics and I’ve come to terms with the fact that Mark can create great designs so easily, a skill I don’t seem to possess.

Thinking back, I also remembered working with Mark at J.Press and trying so hard to get people to appreciate and love the clothes he made as much as I did. In those days the battles were hard fought and not always won, but there were bits and pieces of press and attention. I started ACL in December of 2007 and it only took me about a month to make my first mention of Mark. At that point he was working on several projects, all of which I was on-board with. Even at that point he had been around much longer than I had, and I would be full of shit if I didn’t admit that I learned a lot of what I know from Mark. We bonded over Ivy style, over made in the USA and all sorts of other random things. When I made my first trip to Japan Mark was the one who showed me the ropes. He was the friend who woke me up everyday with instant coffee and cigarettes. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to how much Mark has influenced ACL and my own personal style.

It is all of these things that makes me so proud of the recognition and attention that Mark is getting today with his nomination as one of GQ’s best new menswear designers in America. It’s true that McNairy isn’t exactly new (the guy is basically old enough to be my dad — sorry buddy), but he certainly is one of the best. To see the attention and praise Mark has received over the past few years has been equal parts incredible and inspiring. It is also entirely deserved.

The other nominees for GQ’s BNMDA are: Saturdays, BLK DNM, Ian Velardi, Ovadia & Sons and Todd Snyder — all good brands with talented folks at the helm. All of the nominated designers will be contributing to a special collection for the GAP, a new partner for GQ’s six year old contest.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I am pulling most for Mark. It’s success that is long over due and definitely deserved.

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If you spend any amount of time at Italian clothing trade shows (or reading blogs about the things seen at Italian clothing tradeshows) you start to get a complex about your ability to dress yourself — at least I do. When I go to Pitti I start to wonder about my comparative ability to layer, choose colors and to mix textures. It’s a humbling exorcise in general, but my perceived personal style deficiencies are provoked most inside the Brunello Cucinelli stand.

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My appreciation for the hyper-specialized Italian menswear brand Slowear is no secret. While in Italy between Pitti Uomo and the watch show in Switzerland I stopped into the brand’s cozy flagship in Milan. The shop houses a great representation of each of the labels that make up the Slowear brand, with an impressive selection of trousers from Incotex that really caught my attention. Individually, Incotex is by far the most widely known brand of the bunch and the pants have reached icon status in both Europe and Japan. I’m told that the business in America is strong as well. I believe it too, because the brand is strong to me.

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Talking about Shelter Half a while back, I noted the further development of L.A.’s La Brea Avenue as a new little area of interest for retailers. There have been great stores in this part town for a long time, Union and American Rag being probably the two best known and most widely respected. General Quarters is one of the newish shops to join the menswear fray on La Brea. The store got a lot of call outs when I was working on an update to the LA shopping map and it wasn’t until recently that I had a chance to stop by. While the store is not “just opened,” I think it was worth highlighting here for those that don’t spend much time in LA.

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Out and about in Cleveland today, I spent the afternoon doing some last minute Christmas shopping (the last minute makes you the most productive — don’t forget it). Eventually I ventured over to Cuff’s Clothing — one of my favorite shops. I was thinking just last week that stores like Cuff’s in Chagrin Falls and O’Connell’s in Buffalo are two truly unique menswear shops that set the standard for specialty retail in America. When I go to Cuff’s I can’t help but to think how the selection is both classic and modern at the same time, with an emphasis on quality. Cuff’s sells brands like Crockett & Jones, Brioni, Kiton, Charvet, Barbour, Southwick and Oxxford — among others. Also, Cuff’s has what I think is the only remaining Hermès shop-in-shop in the United States. And all of this in a world where many specialty retailers are either painfully boring or going out of business.

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The fall catalog from Beauty & Youth United Arrows showed up at my office a little while back and I am starting to suspect that it was sent just to taunt me. The Japanese shop is one that I always make a point to visit while in Tokyo. This season the guys at Beauty & Youth went crazy making up some awesome Harris Tweed clothing and accessories — which were far and away my favorite items on offer.

In addition to the private label, Beauty & Youth are also stocking some great footwear like the corduroy Vans and the limited distribution Irish Setter boots from Red Wing that are pictured below. It’s a solid offering of updated classics that has me contemplating a trip to Tokyo, or at least an email to my proxy.

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Convincing your best friend to drive you to downtown L.A. to check out a new shop isn’t always an easy thing. As someone that lives in New York I get the aversion to “downtown” — it’s a big commitment. Similarly for me, at times it is difficult to get me to leave my twenty block bubble in downtown New York. Luckily though, my friend didn’t mind making the trip and today we got to check out the new retail arm of maker Apolis for the first time.

The new shop, dubbed Apolis: Common Gallery is a minimal men’s retail store on East 3rd Street that stocks all of the complete line from the burgeoning menswear label, along with nearly all of the brand’s many collaborations. The simple space, true to its name, also serves as a gallery to showcase the content (film and otherwise) from the company’s many sourcing and humanitarian missions all over the world.

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