ps-this gorg portrait is by my good friend Walter Briski!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
North Shore Animal League Adoption Event this Saturday at the store!
ps-this gorg portrait is by my good friend Walter Briski!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Countdown to Capsule
Well, what’s not to love about John
Bartlett? After all, he epitomizes
friendly neighbor, is a champion of
animal rights, a mindful vegan, yoga
enthusiast, winner of two CFDA awards
for his eponymous label, men’s wear
OG, hottie and oh yeah, Harvard alum
(undergraduate, thank you very much).
We’re more than excited to see what
John has in store with his collection
for S/S 2011. Expect colors inspired
by optimism, the Hare Krishna and
Eastern decorative arts coupled with
his signature breed of American
classic that includes military details
and fine tailoring across clothes
built for stylish men of all ages.
John will be providing the soundscape
for Tuesday night cocktails atop our
new home at 548 West 22nd Street - now
that’s a sunset cruise you’ll want to
take. Only at (capsule).
www.johnbartlettny.com
Thursday, July 8, 2010
AmFar's Inspiration Gala - June 2010
A JB Sateen Suit with Military Details used recently on the catwalk of the Inspiration Gala at
NYC's Public Library.
NYC's Public Library.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Gay New York Weighs in on Wooing LeBron James - Seen in Details
BY LAURENCE LOWE
JUNE 24, 2010
At least half a dozen NBA teams are expected to come a-courting when LeBron James, a.k.a. The Greatest Basketball Player in the World, becomes a free agent at the stroke of midnight on July 1.
Yet no one's shown a greater willingness to sacrifice their time, their livelihoods, even their dignity, to curry King James' favor than the long-suffering fans of the New York Knicks. Count among the supplicants Mayor Bloomberg ("As the good book says, lead us to the Promised Land—and that's a quote from the King James version!"), Police Commissioner Ray Kelly (who advocated the use of bribery), the general manager of Scores (lap dances for life), and, most creatively, Moishe's Movers, which set up a mobile storage container in the parking lot across from Madison Square Garden for fans to fill with tchotchkes and personal messages before delivering it to LeBron's palatial home.
Still, we couldn't help but notice that there's one enormously influential sector of NYC's population that has yet to be consulted: gay New York. "With teammates you have to be trustworthy," LeBron said soon after John Amaechi became the first former NBA player to come out of the closet in 2007, "and if you're gay and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy." One thing LeBron can trust: The offers below are ready to be redeemed.
MICHAEL KOKELL, Commissioner, New York City Gay Basketball League
"Where else will pink #23 jerseys fly off the shelves? Come to New York and see your gay fan base explode! Sure, many of us are impressed by your play on the court, but who do you think is really buying all those shirtless photos of you online? Gay New Yorkers! So, at the risk of hearing my partner's father (and Cleveland resident) complain about NYC buying more championships, come to New York! Don't tell Derek Jeter I said this, but you'll have a great shot at unseating him as NYC's hottest athlete and, more importantly, inspiring an entire community of gay athletes."
SPLASH BAR
"As one of the NBA's top scoring players, we would like to offer you the opportunity to position your well aimed balls at some of the most enticing baskets in the USA."
NICO MUHLY, Composer
"What you clearly need in New York is appropriate music. It can follow you around: a leitmotif to be folded into any context. I'll write a brassy fanfare, a thundering bass line for the club, a subtle thing for the morning time, and something to be blasted during games. And if Jean-Georges' double-chicken extravaganza is too much, we'll take you on a sea urchin crawl."
JOHN BARTLETT, Menswear Designer
"Dear LeBron, please come to the coolest city in the world. As a men's designer, animal activist, and yoga freak, I can promise you three things that make the Manhattan man! I can hook you up with my tailor, who's made suits for two presidents and Michael Jackson. I can find the perfect shelter dog to keep you warm at night. And because New York can be a bit stressful, I can hook you up with the most smokin' hot yoga teacher around!"
TOM KELLEY, Director of Operations, Nickel Spa for Men
"To get LeBron James to come to NYC and join the Knicks, we have created the new LeBron James NBA-Style Sports Massage with Hot Pepper Oil and will offer him unlimited treatments for his entire life at the spa!"
JONATHAN ADLER, Interior Designer
"Dude, if you come to New York I will decorate your phat pad and make it insanely squishy for entertaining all the fab people you will meet here. You can't be a true metrosexual in Cleveland! Also, New York has a range of fab tattoo-removal facilities, should you ever choose to pull back a bit on the ink."
PARKE & RONEN, Menswear Designers
"NYC is fit for a king—just look at all the queens we have walking around! If you come here we can offer you a limited edition LeBron James bathing suit—with drop crotch to accommodate."
HARRY ALLEN, Interior Designer
"I've come to the honest conclusion that I just don't care if LeBron James moves to New York. I know very little about basketball, and I don't like team sports in general. I would certainly help him decorate his apartment, or supply any of my design services, but he would have to pay like everyone else. Besides, most of the people I want in New York are already here."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
SideWalk CatWalk
The "Sidewalk/Catwalk" project was just unveiled today on Broadway in the fashion district. The mannequins are designed by various American designers and will be outside on display through the summer.
To check out the John Bartlett Mannequin, it is located on Broadway between 40th and 39th Street.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
At Home with John Bartlett - Vevant
by Lauren David Peden
Designer John Bartlett has been putting his signature spin on menswear since launching his eponymous collection in 1992. The Cincinnati native – who studied menswear design at FIT after receiving a sociology degree from Harvard (you know how you do) – subsequently went on to win two CFDA awards, was named Creative Director of Byblos and Liz Claiborne’s men’s collection, and took a year-long sabbatical in 2002 to study Ashtangha yoga and Buddhism in Thailand and Cambodia (you know how you do) before relaunching his namesake line a year later, and introducing womenswear for fall 2010.
Three years ago, he opened a store in the West Village, just around the corner from the duplex apartment he shares with his partner, John Esty, and their three dogs, Huff (a Bernese Mountain Dog), Millie (Jack Russell/Chihuaha/Cujo) and Tiny Tim, the three-legged mutt – “I think he’s a Rottweiler/Shepherd/Pit Bull mix, but everybody has a different opinion” – who serves as the official John Bartlett logo (that’s Tim’s handsome visage on JB’s store window, shopping bags and t-shirts).
Vevant recently stopped by the duo’s chic lair, and the always-charming designer took a break from working on his spring 2011 collection, preparing his mannequin for Seventh Avenue’s upcoming Sidewalk Catwalk project and getting ready to accept the American Image Awards’ Designer of the Year prize, to give us a tour.
BOY MEETS BOY
When John [Esty] and I moved in here, he and I had both been through very rustic, Adirondack, Stickley – for me, Joseph Beuys-ian –periods, but when we moved, our aesthetic became a little bit more colorful and eclectic. And it’s definitely a combination of weird, early seventies Regency with a lot of handmade artisan details.
When John [Esty] and I moved in here, he and I had both been through very rustic, Adirondack, Stickley – for me, Joseph Beuys-ian –periods, but when we moved, our aesthetic became a little bit more colorful and eclectic. And it’s definitely a combination of weird, early seventies Regency with a lot of handmade artisan details.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
After living and working in Italy and traveling around the world for so many years, my goal when I turned 40, was I wanted to make my world smaller, not bigger. So I wanted to live in the West Village. I wanted to work in the West Village. I wanted to have a store in the West Village. And John Esty’s framing shop is right next door, and this place became available through his landlord. So he actually designed the whole space; it was a raw space. John recommended that they raise the ceilings, he created the wall dividers. They gave him free rein. He did work here every day; it was probably a six-month project. And once the architectural plans were finished, he designed my store, too. So he’s a man of many talents.
After living and working in Italy and traveling around the world for so many years, my goal when I turned 40, was I wanted to make my world smaller, not bigger. So I wanted to live in the West Village. I wanted to work in the West Village. I wanted to have a store in the West Village. And John Esty’s framing shop is right next door, and this place became available through his landlord. So he actually designed the whole space; it was a raw space. John recommended that they raise the ceilings, he created the wall dividers. They gave him free rein. He did work here every day; it was probably a six-month project. And once the architectural plans were finished, he designed my store, too. So he’s a man of many talents.
SITTING PRETTY
This chair [gestures to a green leather chair on a white circular base] is from a company called Espasso in Tribeca, which represents Brazilian furniture designers. I was able to go in and pick which acrylic material I wanted, and which leather color I wanted. So I was able to really personalize the chair. I love it. It’s on a swivel and it’s kind of a two-person chair or a human-and-a-dog chair. These shoes are ours. We wear the same size shoe and we do share. The horns were a Christmas gift from John and came from one of my favorite home stores, Mantiques on West 22nd. The owner finds a lot of industrial, really heavy, unwieldy objects. I’m drawn to anything that’s pointy or you can hurt yourself. Anything that you can, like, impale yourself on, I love. And we wanted to have more color so John designed these industrial rugs. He got to really use color blocking, with the fuchsia, the brown, the orange. They’re great for the work space and they’re great for the dogs.
This chair [gestures to a green leather chair on a white circular base] is from a company called Espasso in Tribeca, which represents Brazilian furniture designers. I was able to go in and pick which acrylic material I wanted, and which leather color I wanted. So I was able to really personalize the chair. I love it. It’s on a swivel and it’s kind of a two-person chair or a human-and-a-dog chair. These shoes are ours. We wear the same size shoe and we do share. The horns were a Christmas gift from John and came from one of my favorite home stores, Mantiques on West 22nd. The owner finds a lot of industrial, really heavy, unwieldy objects. I’m drawn to anything that’s pointy or you can hurt yourself. Anything that you can, like, impale yourself on, I love. And we wanted to have more color so John designed these industrial rugs. He got to really use color blocking, with the fuchsia, the brown, the orange. They’re great for the work space and they’re great for the dogs.
LIVE TO WORK
My work, to John’s dismay, has slowly found its way into the the dining room area. This worktable used to be there [gestures to the adjoining room], and then one Thanksgiving we had a big dinner and we moved it here and it stayed. It’s an incredible worktable. It’s a reproduction of a bricklayer’s table from a company out of Atlanta called BoBo. I like the rustic feel.
My work, to John’s dismay, has slowly found its way into the the dining room area. This worktable used to be there [gestures to the adjoining room], and then one Thanksgiving we had a big dinner and we moved it here and it stayed. It’s an incredible worktable. It’s a reproduction of a bricklayer’s table from a company out of Atlanta called BoBo. I like the rustic feel.
CHIC HAPPENS
My style [as a designer] has evolved over the years, but it is always a personal reflection of where I am in my life. It’s very American. It’s very sensual and sexual. It’s moved away from being for, like, the fashionista kids and is much more reality-based, great clothes for guys. I get a lot of really cool, young families who live in the Village, and the wife is kind of pushing her husband to take a step forward. It’s a nice way to take a step forward without him feeling silly. And with the women’s collection, it’s pretty much the same idea. A lot of it is made in America. There’s a lot of tailoring, great cuts – something that you want to just throw on every day. And my woman is very strong and very independent.
My style [as a designer] has evolved over the years, but it is always a personal reflection of where I am in my life. It’s very American. It’s very sensual and sexual. It’s moved away from being for, like, the fashionista kids and is much more reality-based, great clothes for guys. I get a lot of really cool, young families who live in the Village, and the wife is kind of pushing her husband to take a step forward. It’s a nice way to take a step forward without him feeling silly. And with the women’s collection, it’s pretty much the same idea. A lot of it is made in America. There’s a lot of tailoring, great cuts – something that you want to just throw on every day. And my woman is very strong and very independent.
TEXTILE TALK
Right now I’m working on spring ’11; I’m in the early throes. Basically I go through and see every vendor, every mill, and then I start putting down all my [fabric and inspiration] boards. It’s always like creating a meal where you have all these ingredients but you don’t know what it’s going to be like until the last minute. So I have an idea of what I want and then hopefully the pieces will start coming together. I always have loved camouflage and military’s always been a part of my inspiration, so I’ve developed a Tiny Tim camouflage, which is really cool [shows us a dog-print camo fabric]. Isn’t it sweet? I worked with a guy, Tom Cody, who’s got an amazing print studio, and he took my logo and color ways, and we played around. It took a while to get the right dimensions. I always circle around the same ideas. I think it’s what most designers do. One of my earliest shows was based on Hare Krishnas. I love orange and pinks, obviously, and I really get very inspired by Eastern dress, and a lot of dress that people in different spiritual movements wear. So the whole Hare Krishna thing I love. And my guy, you know, he loves military details. So I’m working on a combination of the two. We’ll see where that goes.
Right now I’m working on spring ’11; I’m in the early throes. Basically I go through and see every vendor, every mill, and then I start putting down all my [fabric and inspiration] boards. It’s always like creating a meal where you have all these ingredients but you don’t know what it’s going to be like until the last minute. So I have an idea of what I want and then hopefully the pieces will start coming together. I always have loved camouflage and military’s always been a part of my inspiration, so I’ve developed a Tiny Tim camouflage, which is really cool [shows us a dog-print camo fabric]. Isn’t it sweet? I worked with a guy, Tom Cody, who’s got an amazing print studio, and he took my logo and color ways, and we played around. It took a while to get the right dimensions. I always circle around the same ideas. I think it’s what most designers do. One of my earliest shows was based on Hare Krishnas. I love orange and pinks, obviously, and I really get very inspired by Eastern dress, and a lot of dress that people in different spiritual movements wear. So the whole Hare Krishna thing I love. And my guy, you know, he loves military details. So I’m working on a combination of the two. We’ll see where that goes.
MIRROR MIRROR, ON THE WALL
John made that in, like, an hour [gestures to a geometric mirror]. I think it’s inspired by a designer he likes. It actually cracked a couple of places, but he just threw it together one day. I mean, I’m all thumbs. But he can make anything.
John made that in, like, an hour [gestures to a geometric mirror]. I think it’s inspired by a designer he likes. It actually cracked a couple of places, but he just threw it together one day. I mean, I’m all thumbs. But he can make anything.
CERAMIC CHIC
This is kind of our ceramics setting. The [owl] is a ceramic porcelain piece, made by an artist named Jon Rappleye. He worked with John Esty in his frame shop, and he’s become an incredible artist on his own. He had gone out to Kohler – the porcelain/bathroom people – and they taught him how to work in porcelain. So while he was there doing that, he created these very eerie images. And I love John Derian’s work, but I loved these plates especially because it’s all different types of men from different cultures. And my friends have a company called Carter & Cunningham and create really interesting mirrors. They take antique, re-found mirrors, and develop really beautiful ceramic tiles that are inlaid into them. So they create all these different thematic mirrors; this is one is more Moorish.
This is kind of our ceramics setting. The [owl] is a ceramic porcelain piece, made by an artist named Jon Rappleye. He worked with John Esty in his frame shop, and he’s become an incredible artist on his own. He had gone out to Kohler – the porcelain/bathroom people – and they taught him how to work in porcelain. So while he was there doing that, he created these very eerie images. And I love John Derian’s work, but I loved these plates especially because it’s all different types of men from different cultures. And my friends have a company called Carter & Cunningham and create really interesting mirrors. They take antique, re-found mirrors, and develop really beautiful ceramic tiles that are inlaid into them. So they create all these different thematic mirrors; this is one is more Moorish.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I was up late last night trying to find a vegan cooking school because I’m trying to move towards veganism, and I know I’m going to end up eating salads and vegan cookies. The vegan thing is new and I’m trying to figure that out. What I’m finding that makes it even more important, is how the environment is so affected by factory farming and that the plot of land that it takes to feed one meat-eater could feed ten non-meat-eaters because it takes so much water and so much gas. I mean, half the fuel and half the water that we use in our country is to fuel the farm factories – and the methane gas that these cows are burping into the environment [contributes to global warming]. It’s so fascinating how this is all connected – the environment’s affected, animals’ lives are affected, our health is effected – all these things. I had no idea.
I was up late last night trying to find a vegan cooking school because I’m trying to move towards veganism, and I know I’m going to end up eating salads and vegan cookies. The vegan thing is new and I’m trying to figure that out. What I’m finding that makes it even more important, is how the environment is so affected by factory farming and that the plot of land that it takes to feed one meat-eater could feed ten non-meat-eaters because it takes so much water and so much gas. I mean, half the fuel and half the water that we use in our country is to fuel the farm factories – and the methane gas that these cows are burping into the environment [contributes to global warming]. It’s so fascinating how this is all connected – the environment’s affected, animals’ lives are affected, our health is effected – all these things. I had no idea.
SO-FA, SO GOOD
John Esty designed the couches. The fabric is some kind of high-tech micro fabric that you can basically wipe down with Windex or whatever. We put this [inflatable air mattress] bed up about two months ago for a friend who was staying and I refuse to take it down, even though it kills the room, because the dogs are not allowed on the couches. So Tiny Tim and I lay on this when we watch TV. John’s like, “That is going down.” I’m, like, “Okay, then the dogs get to go on the couches.” He’s like, “No.” I’m like, “Okay, then it’s never going away.” It’s unsightly, but I love it.
John Esty designed the couches. The fabric is some kind of high-tech micro fabric that you can basically wipe down with Windex or whatever. We put this [inflatable air mattress] bed up about two months ago for a friend who was staying and I refuse to take it down, even though it kills the room, because the dogs are not allowed on the couches. So Tiny Tim and I lay on this when we watch TV. John’s like, “That is going down.” I’m, like, “Okay, then the dogs get to go on the couches.” He’s like, “No.” I’m like, “Okay, then it’s never going away.” It’s unsightly, but I love it.
NOW SHOWING
I’ve done two fashion shows here. Fashion shows are really crazy expensive and when I started doing shows again, I wanted something that was very personal. I wanted to invite people into my space and make it very intimate. The reason I had to stop having them here was because the guest list kept growing, and I kept insulting people who wanted to come so it just became harder to do. But I loved doing it here because the guys got dressed over at John’s [framing shop]. I love that kind of homegrown, grassroots approach – and especially in light of the economy, it made so much sense. So I loved doing them here. It just felt like home.
I’ve done two fashion shows here. Fashion shows are really crazy expensive and when I started doing shows again, I wanted something that was very personal. I wanted to invite people into my space and make it very intimate. The reason I had to stop having them here was because the guest list kept growing, and I kept insulting people who wanted to come so it just became harder to do. But I loved doing it here because the guys got dressed over at John’s [framing shop]. I love that kind of homegrown, grassroots approach – and especially in light of the economy, it made so much sense. So I loved doing them here. It just felt like home.
GOING TO THE DOGS
I do a lot of work with North Shore Animal League; they’re an amazing place. We do adoption events with them three or four times a year; they come to the store with a big mobile unit. I’m good friends now with a lot of people there so we’ll talk beforehand and they’ll be like, “Okay, are there any requests? Somebody looking for a certain type of dog?” And they’ll hand-pick the dogs and cats that they bring. More and more now, there are a lot of purebred dogs that have been rescued from the puppy mills, and there’s a lot of people who have a specific breed that they love. Like [men's fashion editor/consultant] Michael Macko got his gorgeous dachshund, Crystal [at a JB/North Shore event], so a lot of people are able to find a breed that they love there, rather than going to a pet store. When I turned 40, I wanted to get a dog so I went out there and that’s when I met Tiny Tim. And when I opened the store, we came up with this idea of doing the adoption events. It’s my favorite day in the store because you get to play with all these dogs and I get to see dogs – and cats – find homes. It’s a win-win.
I do a lot of work with North Shore Animal League; they’re an amazing place. We do adoption events with them three or four times a year; they come to the store with a big mobile unit. I’m good friends now with a lot of people there so we’ll talk beforehand and they’ll be like, “Okay, are there any requests? Somebody looking for a certain type of dog?” And they’ll hand-pick the dogs and cats that they bring. More and more now, there are a lot of purebred dogs that have been rescued from the puppy mills, and there’s a lot of people who have a specific breed that they love. Like [men's fashion editor/consultant] Michael Macko got his gorgeous dachshund, Crystal [at a JB/North Shore event], so a lot of people are able to find a breed that they love there, rather than going to a pet store. When I turned 40, I wanted to get a dog so I went out there and that’s when I met Tiny Tim. And when I opened the store, we came up with this idea of doing the adoption events. It’s my favorite day in the store because you get to play with all these dogs and I get to see dogs – and cats – find homes. It’s a win-win.
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