
The Primer
What We’ve Been Watching: The Lighthouse
One pure, unadulterated, cinematographic flex meets two gleefully overwrought, powerhouse performances in Robert Eggers’ second major directorial outing. There’s plenty to like here. Not only is The Lighthouse often hilarious (in a dark, murky, seagull-murdering kind of way), it’s shot through with this beautifully Melvillean prose, expertly delivered by consummate thespian, Willem Dafoe. Robert Pattinson plays an equally expert turn as the less-loquacious, though no less captivating Winslow. Don’t get me wrong, the film shits its proverbial draws in the last ten minutes or so – throwing some silly, unnecessarily ambiguous haymakers. But despite these slight insecurities, The Lighthouse stands tall (not a pun) as bold, modern mythmaking at its finest.
Where We’ve Been Sharpening our Skills:
Blackhorse Lane Ateliers X Indigo Works Boro & Sashiko Workshop
On the first Tuesday of every month, London-based jeans makers, Blackhorse Lane Ateliers join forces with denim specialist and historian, Liza Mackenzie (@indigo.works) to teach us the ways of traditional Japanese mending.
Derived from the Japanese boroboro, meaning something tattered or repaired, boro refers to the practice of reworking and repairing textiles through piecing, patching and stitching, in order to extend their use. Worn areas of cloth are patched over or older garments cut up and joined, with running stitches or areas of sashiko (‘little stabs’) used for reinforcement.
The BLA x IW team-up gives craft amateurs and aficionados alike the chance to brush up on their skills in a relaxed and welcoming environment, offering up a meditative and eco-friendly spin on the make-do-and-mend mentality.
Where We’ve Been Staying: Gasholders Apartments, King’s Cross
The only apartments in the world to be built within a conjoined triplet of Victoria Grade II gasholder frames, The Gasholder Apartments stand in awe-inspiring testament to King’s Cross’ ongoing transformation.
The development’s staggering central atriums are reminiscent of New York’s Guggenheim Museum and (more importantly, in my humble opinion) look picture perfect for the protracted pyrotechnics of some sort of cinematic, James Bond-esque fist fight. Each of the 145 apartments benefit from the structure’s breathtaking canalside location, not to mention its communal roof gardens and array of elegant furnishing and by London interior designers, No12 Studio.
Amenities are also myriad and uniformly impressive. A dedicated spa and gym, a residents’ lounge, a co-working space, an entertainment suite (with private dining room and catering kitchen to boot) and a 14-person screening room with adjacent games room all form part of the package. Not a bad way to pass the time if you have a cool £1M lying around.
gasholderslondon.co.uk
What We’ve Been Drinking: Campari Cask Tales
Essentially Campari with a cask-finished twist. This limited edition Cask Takes expression comes hot on the heels of the brand’s celebration of Davide Campari’s 150 year legacy. Created by revered Herbalist & Master Blender, Bruno Malavasi, Campari Cask Tales serves up a contemporary take on the classic crimson aperitif by finishing it in second-fill bourbon barrels. The result is a unique and unprecedented palate experience that spotlights a traditional Campari herbal profile elevated by a subtle spiciness from the wood. On the palate, the bourbon barrel finishing smooths the bitter notes with fruity, sweet, and creamy tones, providing a delicate oaky smokiness to the legendary Campari liquid. We didn’t think it was possible, but the classic negroni just got a little more interesting.
What We’re Wishing We Hadn’t Slept On: 3sixteen x Schott NYC
Powerhouses of classic style in their own right, both Schott NYC and 3sixteen have featured separately in the pages of The Essential Journal over the years, and with good reason. The end of January saw the release of their fourth annual collaboration, and it’s a one-two punch if ever I saw one. The collaboration consists of not one, but two leather jacket options.
While the first option – the 519 Perfecto – is well-trodden ground (in the sense that it is uniformly excellent, stylistically timeless, and endlessly collectable), it’s the Flight Jacket that really caught our eye. A totally new addition to 3sixteen’s lineup of superlative, street ready silhouettes, the Flight Jacket offers a contemporary spin on the vintage A-2 bomber. The 3sixteen x Schott iteration achieves a longer, slimmer, more modern cut. Ditching the traditional epaulets and adding hidden, side-entry pockets offer further refinements, while the removable shearling collar gives the jacket some serious, multi-season, crossover appeal.
But the real star of the show? The tea-core chromexcel horsehide leather hailing from the legendary Horween Tannery. This black-over-brown leather will age and fleck to reveal lighter tones and hidden depths of patina potential. The result is a modern, clean look that will vintage over time.
Most of these have already been snapped up, but word on the street is that Rivet & Hide have one or two left for those ballsy enough to pull the trigger.
@rivetandhide