The Retrospective

It was like falling in love.

Correction: it was falling in love with swirling three part harmonies, meditative percussion, dreamy, thoughtful guitar riffs that echo sirens’ calls, and sparkling lyrics recalling a fleeting, enchanted youth that clings to the collective consciousness of 20-somethings everywhere. Just one listen to Local Natives’ “Cards and Quarters” off of their Gorilla Manor debut brought on the infatuation that, weeks later, shows no sign of flagging. I’m hooked, so are thousands of tasteful British citizens, and when the new album drops, you could be, too. Introducing your new favorite band, Local Natives.

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Tags: MusicNo Comments.

Being as it’s a holiday for a vast part of the Western world, we’re taking the day off from prowling for cool. From all of us at The Retrospective, felices fiestas, joyeuses fêtes, Ii holide ezimnandi, buone feste, and happy holidays, yo. We’ll be back with more good stuff soon!

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Photo Credit: Justin Oullette

It was a mysterious email. Seven words, one punctuation mark; a question.

Are you guys based in San Francisco?

While the answer isn’t as simple as yes (The Retrospective team spans the globe from L.A. and San Francisco to New York City and all the way over to Madrid), for Francis Farewell Starlite of Francis and The Lights, we will be.

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Tags: Event · MusicNo Comments.

Sony Pictures Classic ©2009

There are many reasons to feel lucky for calling a city like Madrid home: delightful weather, more (free!) cultural events than you can shake a stick at, alcoholic beverages that cost less than a bottle of water, and good, good coffee in virtually every café. Recently, I was given one more reason to love this city: movies. Though its mother tongue may be English, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus— the latest from director Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame–made its chaotic, splendid debut here in the land of jamón (Iberian ham) and Dalí.

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Until recently I had never heard the term sneakerhead, nor to my knowledge had I met one. Over three hours with Harley Carrara, owner of Mass Appeal Skateboard Shop in Plainville, Connecticut, and three Nike Design Customization Experts at Westfarms Mall’s Nike iD Studio, I learned that though I hadn’t realized it, the mythic sneakerhead is most decidedly among us, walking just a little taller than the tatty-Keds-clad masses. The sneakerhead looks just like you and me with one crucial difference: their footwear is far, far finer.

Nike’s latest retail innovation, the Nike iD Studio, holds the golden ticket required for entry into elite sneaker subculture–a ticket that just so happens to come in the form of swank custom kicks. How do you get your own pair of one-off Nikes? It’s as simple as finding an iD Studio near you, stepping up to a virtual customization station and designing the footwear that inspires you.

A few Fridays ago Nike invited The Retrospective to Westfarms Mall for a night of private customization. Carrara and a team of Nike iD  experts guided us through the customization process, plied us with prime swag, and laid down the sneaker gospel. Read on to see what we learned.

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Tags: Art · Design · Fashion · San Francisco · street wear · Technology · The Retrospective6 Comments

Wexley School For Girls commands a cheeky, quirky, downright gutsy online vibe that falls somewhere between a Monty Python skit and a Yo’ momma joke competition. The Seattle-based marketing, branding, design, and interactive agency holds clients that range from car dealerships to Italian soccer boot purveyor, Diadora. The best part? Despite its varied clientele, everything that leaves Wexley for a client–be it retailer or service–retains a delicious, exotic Wexley flavor. I’m thinking mangosteen. Wait: mangosteen with bacon!

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Tags: Advertising · Art · Design2 Comments