On location in Bangkok

I had my location for the Some Product look book shoot picked out at least two years ago. It’s an outdoor hair salon of sorts, where various ladies get made up and have their hair done, before venturing out into the night. I was drawn to this location, its wild energy, its constant flashing neon lights, its intense colors, its heat…it’s pretty overwhelming really. I have been coming there ever since, to shoot it, meet the people who work and hang out there and also to gain their trust and hopefully permission.

Finally a few weeks ago, green light!

So, what happens when your booked model cancels the night before the shoot? Well, in this particular instance, you go with your gut. I had my location, I had an assistant and I had only a night to get this done.

I met my assistant  Mook in a hotel restaurant a few hours before the shoot and explained the situation. Various friends were called, texts sent, all to no avail. Secretly, I didn’t really care, I knew in my gut I wanted to use someone that we would find, there, on location. In a way I was glad the model cancelled and no one was available. It was a case of needing to adapt to the environment and the situation at hand.  I told Mook, ” We are going on an adventure…”,  and she was game!

Shots below are of us at work, Mook and the incredible and very “Grace Jones” looking Nan. The complete Some Product f-w 12 look book shots will be published here in the coming days.

Photos: Some Product, Assistant & Stylist: Mook, Model: Nan

Secret Dream Location 2012

Fire of Love

The Gun Club’s first record – “Fire of Love” is dangerously contagious. It infected me the very first time I heard it and after years of inactivity, the virus resurfaced recently, with a real vengeance! It still sounds just as bad ass, sleazy and lean as I remembered it. In my mind the best example of the blues and roots rock-n-roll infused with the raw energy of early LA punk. This is done with such flair and conviction on this record that it permeates every cell in my body right down to the bone every time I hear it. With so few constants in life, Fire of Love remains an exception. It sounds as good now as it did the first time I heard it. That really can’t be said about most music.

“Every drop in my body moves with the train” – J.L. Pierce

The Gun Club family tree illustration : Sarah Carrier

Helping The Hood

This holiday season, Some Product donated over 250 brand new tees and bags to The United Gospel Mission. I am very grateful that we can be in a position and more importantly, frame of mind to be able to help on any level those in society who really need it most. All this will actually go to the  folks, in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside neighborhood, just a few blocks from our office. I have to say this small gesture was an incredibly satisfying and at the same time, a very humbling feeling.

Photo credit: Some Product

Something…

… about George Harrison is really awesome. He was in a band with two of the most gifted and groundbreaking musicians of all time, yet he always somehow remained enigmatic and seemingly unaffected by “it all”. Having recently watched the excellent and very long Scorsese documentary on him, I was reminded of how much I liked him and his music. This George Harrison tee has been available from Some Product for the past several seasons. He just never really goes out of style.

Bonus points for George – He financed Monty Python’s ” Life of Brian”.

Chains Of Love

When Chains of Love asked for some band merchandise, we collectively came up with the idea of printing customized symbols instead of the usual sizing, as well as hand dip dyeing a limited number of tees. It’s always a pleasure to work with talented people on something fun and a little unique. To hear the amazing C of L sound, cleak here.

S.L.E.A.Z.E.

Just unearthed some photos from the first, infamous Some Product co-produced Sleazeball night at the Penthouse Night Club. Great shot of Cotton wearing one of the earliest SP designs ever produced, that was also used for the poster.

Occupy This!

About 6 years ago Some Product was asked to appear on MTV with models wearing some of our designs and give an interview. I asked my friends, Justin Gradin and “The Doctor” to come hang out, and maybe do a little  “modelling”. They showed up wearing these amazing Megaphone gas mask contarptions, that “The Doctor” had made and to everyone’s amusement, scared the shit out of all the MTV wussies. Both are wearing the Some Product AG line released in 2006.

Your Older Brother’s Bedroom

Promo shot for the now almost legendary Some Product produced club nite – “Your Older Brother’s Bedroom” circa 1999-2000. Man, wish I still had that Ozzy tee, I traded it for a lame bootleg AC/DC tee. Bad decisions were made.

Ballistico’s House of Ill Repute

I was asked to do a carnival type of an attraction for the Halloween Midway at The Waldorf Hotel. This whole idea and concept came to me withing 10 seconds of being asked. It turned out very very close to the initial concept and rough sketch. The weekend turned out to be a lot of fun and “Ballistico’s Ball in the Hole” game worked out amazingly well.

Ronan Boyle X Some Product preview

So excited to be working and collaborating with a good friend and an amazing artist – Mr. Ronan Doyle. This is a preview of just one of the tees for the upcoming season. I will be posting more as this project develops.