11/21/08: Neurotic!!!

oneculture: SEASON 2

Okay, it cost me 50 bucks but I just had to re-take the Pulsar photos…with shoes! And I think that it makes one hell of a slight difference too. The silhouettes are fully defined now. Pulsar-Slim Taper, for instance, actually looks slim and tapered, as it should. Now I can get some shut-eye…

Mark Presents
By the way, I’ve added fitting session videos of Pulsar and its slim, tapered leg counterpart to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarkPresents

For the record…
I’ve redesigned and revamped my entire spring collection since it was feature on Denimology just a couple months ago. That’s how neurotic I am!!!

Stay tuned!  I’ll keep you posted…

Cheers,
Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

11/19/08: Spring 09′ Update, Part 2

oneculture: SEASON 2 (barefoot)

Last night’s fitting session marked the climax of spring 09 sampling: we finally achieved desired results. One more minor adjustment to make and the patterns will finally be ready for marking and grading. For whatever reason, the sampling process was extremely draining this time around. I’m happy and relieved to be done with it…

In Pursuit of Perfection
I thought I’d share a photo from last night’s session. These are the prototypes: Pulsar, Pulsar-Slim Taper, Hello Again and Hello Again-Slim Straight. They give you a strong sense of what the finished product will look like. However, the final production pieces won’t be exactly the same; they’ll be even better. Improvement is the constant goal and as president (of oneculture) I can assure you this: you will be better off next season than you were this season…pinky swear!

Pleasant Surprise
The production of my last sample yielded a pleasant surprise. What we were shooting for was a good fit. We ended up hitting our mark and with a new thread color reference as well. I’d selected an old school brownish color, something reminiscent of an old pair of Levi’s…nice and neutral. I liked the results so much that I’ve decided to offer it in the spring. I call it “Classic“. In addition to the different cuts, the color references (“1978“, “1970” and “Classic“) add another dimension of choice.

Observation: The Importance of Shoes
Viewing the photos from last night made me realize just how important shoes are. Shoes help to define the leg in that they create an interesting interplay between the knee and the hem that punctuates the calf and promotes “stacking”. You loose this effect however, when you’re barefoot. For instance, notice how the Pulsar models (barefoot and on the left) look less dramatic than those of Hello Again. I regret not having my fit model re-take the photos wearing his shoes. But then again, I hadn’t thought that I’d be sharing these photos either. Anyway…

Mark Presents

By the way, I’ve added fitting session videos of Hello Again and it’s slim, straight leg counterpart: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarkPresents

Agenda
So from here, I’m going to finish my line sheets and make one last round of sales. This will give me a sense of how many pairs I will need to produce. I’ll then send the patterns off for marking and grading. I’ll also begin ordering all my inputs: thread, denim, pocketing, etc. The patterns will also need to be checked once they return from marking/grading. If there are discrepancies, they will return for corrections (just thinking about this is giving me a headache). But if not, then we’re good to go into production. I’m set to deliver anywhere from mid to late February. Will I make it? That’s the proverbial “question“!

Like always, I’ll keep you all posted. Stay tuned!

Cheers,
Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

11/09/08: Spring 09′ Update

Spring 09′ promises more cuts, a better fit, and possibly a new color scheme.  We’re far from done though. I’ll keep you posted…stay tuned!

1970 color scheme, better fit and new, narrower seam widths.

Color schemes and busted out seams

Cheers,
Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

10/25/08: Fade Update

Fade Progress: worn for almost 3 months

Howdy! Just thought I’d drop in to give you all a visual of how the fades are coming along. As you can see (click on the photo), the denim fades quite nicely and takes on a streaky textured character. It’s weird too because in it’s raw form the denim is a very dark, rich indigo; quite unlike what it becomes in, say, 6months of constant wear. Indeed, after 6-7 months you end up with a prize: a totally different (and better) pair of jeans!

For those of you who, as of yet, still don’t yet understand the significance of raw denim, just think of it this way…Think back to when you were little and working diligently, day after day, eating your way through that box of cereal in order to get to the special prize hidden within. Well, such is why I love rigid/raw denim jeans. I’m attracted to the whole “arts & crafts” aspect of rigid denim. The fact that just by simply wearing my jeans I’m creating my own sick wash over time…it’s like a hidden game that comes with your purchase!

Anyway, again, I just dropped in to give you all a fade update. I’ll keep you all posted…stay tuned!

Cheers
Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

9/29/08: The Conversation Card

fade pic--1 1/2 months of constant wear

Good morning, All! Do you ever wish that you could speak directly to your favorite artist? I get this feeling whenever, say, I hear a song that I really like but that I think falls just short of being perfect. I often wish that I either knew the artists or had direct contact with them in order to be able to offer honest feedback about the piece in question.  This way, I could engage him/her and get their thoughts as well.

This is the ideology behind the “Conversation Card“. I place business cards into the little fifth (“Cell Holder“) pocket in order to encourage feedback from consumers. I figured that this would be a great way for people to connect directly with the designer by having the ability to share general reviews, opinions, possible suggestions, etc, etc. With that said, I’d received my first feedback a few days ago; Justin from Canada. I just thought I’d pop in to share his review.

“Hey Mark,

I just got the jeans today. All I can say is WOW!! They fit perfect. They are a tad loose in the waist, which is just the way I wanted it to be. But the overall fit is amazing.

Very few jeans seem to fit me well. Which is why I started to wear Nudies because the fit was always spot on, and now your jeans fall into the same fit category.

I can’t wait to start wearing these! You should be very proud of the jean company you have created. Now that I have had a chance to see them in real life and wear them, I am confident that you will do well. All people have to do is try on your jeans and compare them to others in the same category, and you will win.

Thanks for the t-shirt as well. It is very cool.”

Also, notice that I’ve included a recent “fade pic” (yes, that’s me wearing my size 36×34’s). This is just to give you a sense of how the denim will fade along the stress points over time…nice! They’ll be perfect in another 5-6 months. At that time I’ll share the before-and-after photos of the denim. And for those of you who, as of yet, don’t understand the significance of raw denim, I’ll explain later; I’ll explain why *I* think it’s so neat, rather.

By the way, all out of state orders can be handled by calling any of my venders directly:

The Blues Jean Bar: (415) 346-4280
Drift Denim Essentials: (510) 444-8815
Villains: (415) 621-0766

Anyway, aside from that, we-team oneculture–have a fitting session on Thursday. I’ve made design changes to Pulsar. And once we achieve the desired fit, this altered version should reflect Pulsar at it’s most perfect. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. And as always, I’ll keep you all posted…stay tuned!

Cheers,
Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

9/16/08: Welcome!

oneculture is proud to welcome The Blues Jean Bar into our growing circle of retailers.

The Blues Jean Bar
(San Francisco – Santa Monica – Denver – Dallas – Chicago)

Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

Available @:
Villains
The Blues Jean Bar
Drift Denim Essentials
August (spring 09′)

9/07/08: The Great News

It finally happened…the moment I’d been waiting for: I saw a guy wearing a pair of oneculture jeans today at Union Square!!!

The feeling was incredible. I felt like a parent watching his kid graduate from college…from Harvard, no less; and with a masters degree! I had a *million* questions for this guy. But instead I just stood there watching, all the while with my heart trying to pound it’s way out of my chest cavity–I guess it wanted to see too…

Also…this just in (literally)…I just received a phone call from the *good folks* over at Drift Denim Essentials. They just sold a pair to an Oakland Raider–GO RAIDERS!!!

Anyway, just thought I’d drop in to share the great news.

I’m meeting with my sample maker tomorrow. We’re going to begin drafting the blueprints for what I’m sure will be oneculture’s definitive collection. As always, I’ll keep you posted….stay tuned!

Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

Available @:
Villains
Drift Denim essentials
August (spring 09′)

8/28/08: Looking Ahead

So…we did a photo shoot a couple weeks back. It was very much a last minute thing; not at all reflective of my original concept. But it turned out pretty well nonetheless. I’d decided to shoot each of the two basic silhouettes in “it’s own” San Francisco location. The Palace of Fine Arts provided the backdrop for “Hello”, while the alley adjacent to the Mint Plaza set the scene for “Pulsar”. To me, the cut and style names of each seem characteristic of their respective surroundings. I’m no photographer but the photos do adequately showcase the product. That’s all I’d hoped to achieve.

My pattern maker and I will resume our work shortly and I’m very much looking forward to that. Since shipping my first orders I’ve primarily been busy contacting buyers in order to secure more accounts for next season. So now we’re going to fine tune the spring collection and begin developing the look(s) for fall 09′.

Art is a language. And I really, really enjoy the challenge of communicating without speaking. That, specifically, is what makes me happy; it’s what gets me energized…that and strong coffee. So while “Hello” and “Pulsar” (a classic boot cut and straight leg, respectively) have provided a solid base upon which to enter the market, oneculture fall 09′ will be a tad more experimental and high concept…but still very reflective of my core design aesthetic-stylishly subdued. Hopefully, we’ll be able to execute the vision precisely and effectively. I look forward to seeing what the future holds.

As always, I’ll keep you posted. Stay tuned!
Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

Available @:
Villains
Drift Denim Essentials
August (spring 09′)

6/23/08: Actively RETRO

Drift’s Mimosa Sunday event went really well. The weather was nice, the refreshments were flowing and the DJ tied everything together beautifully by providing a most excellent vibe with his super cool record selection-mostly stuff from the 60’s and 70’s (real music). I got to meet a bunch of new people, including a buyer from Macy’s. I’m nowhere near ready for a Macy’s order but, for whatever it’s worth, the buyer was really pretty:o) Anyway…

I had a great time educating people about my new line and giving away oneculture t-shirts. Ian-my fit model-told me that he’s actually seen people wearing oneculture T’s on a couple of occasions. I have yet to see that. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch my first glimpse after this.

If I had to site one negative about the event however, it would be that there weren’t enough guys there. For my first few seasons I’m doing jeans for men. The reason being is that I don’t have the money to do a collection for both men and women. I had to make a choice and since I wanted the ability to wear my own stuff, I went with bros first. I didn’t let the fact that there weren’t enough fellas stop me though. I simply let the ladies know about the cool new denim line that I know their boy friends, husbands, brothers, etc. will appreciate…and it’s local art that’s manufactured right here in the Bay Area.

I saw a guy examining my jeans so I went over to answer any questions he may have had. He asked me if the denim I used was selvage. I told him no, and explained that I opted instead to continue my color scheme throughout the busted out seam.

The thread colors I chose for my first season-orange, brown, and turquoise–have deep meaning to me. They reflect my profound fondness for the 1970’s, when everything was brown, orange, turquoise, beige or olive. I’m perhaps the most nostalgic person you’ll ever meet. I collect old TV Guides and toys from the 70’s. And I saw an excellent opportunity in the thread colors and style names to incorporate my childhood fun times into my project. It’s as if I’m bringing my younger self along for the ride-Weeeee…I really am having a ball!!

I have several sample swatches of Japanese selvage denim but I chose not to use any of it. That would be too easy and uninspiring…lazy even. I know that some people are really stuck on selvage denim, but as an artist I’m more interested in letting these people know what’s on my mind rather than simply telling them what they want to hear.

I cringe whenever I see jeans that have the selvage line exposed on the little coin pocket–that’s got to be the most douche baggiest move ever!!! These, umm, “designers” have no voice and are only interested in letting their greasy hands slip inside your pockets. “Here are my basic 5 pocket jeans made from selvage denim; that’s right S-E-L-V-A-G-E, so give me 300 bucks!” Pah-lease…

This is not to say that I’ll never use selvage denim. But I’d rather pursue other ideas for the time being.

Anyway, after I explained my rationale the guy really dug my concept. He looked as if he were in his early 40’s so I knew that he truly understood. He said that he’d be back in August to try on a pair. And speaking of August, there’s another thing that I didn’t like: I only had two sample pairs that really weren’t meant to try on. In addition, they were label-less. I wish that my product was already on the floor so that I could’ve witnessed the jeans being tried on. That would’ve really been something.

Anyway, I just received my labels today. I’m going to take them over to the contractors in the morning along with my purchase orders and teck pack. They start cutting tomorrow. It’s finally beginning. I’m excited over the prospect of delivering the merchandise to the boutiques myself. I’m excited too about finally being able to wear my own product!!! The samples are a size 32×32 and I’m 6’2″, 215lbs…you do the math.

I’ve heard that things have a tendency to go wrong during production and I’m so not looking forward to that. But, as usual, I’ll keep you all posted. Stay tuned!

Mark
oneculture
For those who love jeans

6/16/08: Be There Or Be Square!