#21 | First Olé Denim Samples

As I mentioned in one of my first posts, I had been working on a new jean company prior to starting this blog. My partners Dallas, Chris and I have been working on our jean company Olé for about a year and a half now. We've done a lot of work from meeting connects to completing a marketing plan. Well just this last week we received our first set of samples. I think we had dealt with three denim mills prior to selecting Kuroki and been in talks with a few factories before selecting the one we are now working with.

When I received this pair, I was incredibly excited and everyone could tell. I was stoked that we were one step closer to production and have been patiently working with that in mind. When I had the jeans in my hand they were very impressive. The stitching was fantastic, the fabrics were better quality than I imagined and the Ken Diamond patch went well with the rich indigo colour. Sadly, the fit was exactly what I feared. Out pattern that we created didn't quite match what we had in mind, but I'm not yet worried. Chris is really good at what he does as a designer and has managed to come up with an idea of how to perfect the fit from understanding the taper to understanding exactly how we will get there.

With some hard work we will have our second set of samples sooner than later. I've noticed that people have been curious about this process and if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask! Or maybe our Instagram account can answer them for you.

Yours Truly

#20 | Behind the Scenes at Sevenstar Studio

Tonight I chilled at the Sevenstar Studio watching Alan of Insomniak Media and Jeremy of 1 Take Photography do their thing. This was new to me, everything from being in a studio to having a makeup artist and two photographers shooting. I would say that the experience was very enlightening.

Now that I own a camera, people ask me questions like "Are you a photographer?" or "Do you ever do gigs?" The truth is that I'm only a hobbyist and I want nothing more than that, shooting Blogger style with street photography is what interests me but it's nice to experience something new. By being in the spot, I can appreciate and understand this craft more and understand the difficulties and little tricks to being a photographer or even a model. Check out some of my behind the scenes shots.

Yours Truly

#19 | Prairieland Park w/ Callum

I can't say that I go to the exhibition grounds often but when my friend Callum asked if he could shoot some photos of me I couldn't say no. He scouted the area earlier in the day and picked me up during sunset to shoot some ideas that he came up with. We made our way to the horse stables and track to get some photos.

I'm by no means a good model, but I did see Callum get some cool shots. If you want to see what he's up to, give him a follow on Instagram. I need to continue to collaborate and connect with more photographers around the city, I learn something new every time.

Yours Truly

#18 | The Other Guy

Kid Robot and their do it yourself pieces including the Munny (the silhouette above) have easily been accepted into art and culture with the help of creative individuals. Yesterday was my friend Riley's birthday and we've been exchanging gifts for the past 13 years. This year I wanted to change it up and do something different than clothing or liquor. We go back to elementary school having Star Wars marathons and playing Jedi Power Battles for Playstation and he has always had a love for Yoda.

A friend of mine who calls himself The Other Guy has made a name for himself here in Saskatoon by working on Kid Robot pieces and it continues to spread with the help of the internet. I reached out to him at a inconvenient time where he was working on a big project for a customer and asked him to do this Yoda when he was done with his current commitments. Within two days, I was surprised with a completed Yoda. I liked it so much, that I wanted to keep it for myself but don't they say that a good gift is one that you would get for yourself? Regardless, hopefully you like this piece Riley.

Thanks again to The Other Guy! You can view his Instagram account here.

Yours Truly

#17 | Los Angeles

This was the last part of my vacation but the main reason for coming to LA was for business. If you have been reading since the beginning I mentioned that I had started a denim company with two others. We took a bus and a train ride from Palm Springs to Union Station. This was my first time ever riding a train. It was quite neat, we got ourselves seated in a private area and rode it for a short and smooth 35 minutes.

Dallas and I spent two nights in the city, the first full day meeting our connect at our factory and the second roaming Santa Monica. The factory was a really cool experience, we saw new sample products for the following seasons, how production works and meeting some of the employees. I am glad to say that we found the perfect factory for our new company.

The second day was our free day, roaming the Westchester area and later bussing to Santa Monica. Some of the highlights included drinking a 40 of Olde English for $2.18, walking along the beach, visiting the pier and shopping on 3rd Avenue Promenade.

Now that I am posting these pictures, I am upset with the weather we are having. Don't get me wrong, I like being home but I am losing my tan and already forget what it's like to wear shorts. This will be all until next time!

Yours Truly