Buckets & Spades - Men's Fashion, Design and Lifestyle Blog: 02.2016

29 Feb 2016

This Week's Kit | A Busy Old Month

I was expecting a pretty quiet start to 2016, but it's been the complete opposite. We're still working with a "beans on toast month" kinda situation, but that's not to say January + February haven't been productive. And this business ain't stopping in March either. First off, myself + Hollie will be celebrating our 10th anniversary with a few days in Edinburgh, then I'm flying to a distillery a few days later. We've also got some shoots to prep for, I've got a some LUMIX duties to keep me busy, and I'll be finishing March off with a few days exploring Newcastle.

When I have found some downtime it's mostly involved reading, car shopping and sharing a few drinks at the weekend. With that being said This Week's Kit is loosely based on those days where things are a little more chill, and doesn't involved five blummin' train journeys...

I'm not saying I'd usually sit around in my best jacket, but its fabric has been developed by, "Nobel Prize-winning scientists" - so I can't imagine it letting me down. This water-resistant Field Jacket will be perfect with these off-white chinos by Club Monaco. The Instrmnt watch is another piece I spotted on my travels, whilst visiting their Glasgow store last week.

Coming straight of the 1983 archive are these previously unreleased suede + mesh Nike sneakers. They dropped a few colourways in these last year, but for SS16 Nike have released this blue + petrol version. This would be my second part of Archive '83, but I can see these working nicely with this canvas tote bag-slash-briefcase by Millican.

I've been using Ajoto's signature pens for about a month now, and as well as coming in some of the most thoughtful packaging I've ever seen, it's been a dream to use. Weighty, this beast is by far one of my favourite products of the last 12 months. Now, just imagine if Ajoto made notepads...Equally intriguing is this Seaweed + Geranium hand balm by skincare brand, Haeckles, which a couple of people have recommended.

Two new drinks of my radar this month; first up, Ancnoc Blas single malt whisky, which has been developed in partnership with British design, Patrick Grant. Sweet, fresh and easy to drink. And, the Beatnik pale ale by Gipsy Hill Brewery, is one that Nik's been recommending for a while, so I'm currently trying to track a few bottles down.

What are your favourite products this month?

26 Feb 2016

Craighill Desk Accessories

Mat has a new desk. It looks pretty ace and has given me a certain amount of desk envy, what with my fairly bog standard Ikea cheapest desk offering. So, it's time to think about tarting up the old workspace and - in particular - find some things to tidy the place up and give it a more professional feel.

With that in mind, these desk accessories from Craighill caught my eye this week. Perhaps a little pricey for something that's just going to hold my keys and spare change, but boy would they help make that mess look good.

You may also like Most Modest Desk Accessories.

You can find Nik at - Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter

23 Feb 2016

Store Visit | Rivet & Hide, Fitzrovia, London

Rivet & Hide, Fitzrovia, London

Whilst myself and Nik were recently out on fieldwork for Huckberry (more on this soon, should be good!) in London we took the opportunity to visit a store we've been keen to profile for a while. Having only visited Rivet & Hide to escape the rain, briefly a few months ago, we headed back to give it the time it deserves. Found in Fitzrovia, a couple of minutes away from Tottenham Court Road, in Central London, is one of the capital's most well-stocked specialist denim stores.

Carrying mostly American, British and Japanese brands, the store owner and staff prides themselves on having personally met the people behind the brands, visited the factories where the garments are made, and building trust and honest friendship with their customers.

Within the store you'll find selvedge denim brands, such as 3sixteen, Dawson Denim, Hiut, Iron Heart, Mister Freedom, and other hard-to-find smaller labels, alongside accessories from CHUP socks, Viberg footwear, Born & Bred leather goods, and some amazing handmade blankets by Indigofera.

Rivet & Hide - 5 Windmill St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2JA. See more of our Store Visits here.

22 Feb 2016

A Moment in Time with Citizen Watches

Citizen Watches eco wave satellite in silver and black

a moment in time with Citizen Watches at the British Museum

a moment in time with Citizen Watches at Piccadilly circus

Assigned to project at the very start of January, in an extremely wet and cold London wasn't your average start to a new year. Only a few days earlier we were all toasting to 2016, and all that jazz, but at the back of our minds was our involvement in Citizen Watches' new campaign, A Moment in Time. Of course, we were up to the job, and we eagerly headed down to the Thames in London (and a few other locations for images) to film our role within the project.

Equipped with waterproof jackets, umbrellas, woolly hats, thermals and a camera, our brief was to capture a split-second moment in time, based around the theme of light within the city's landscape. Citizen asked 11 influencers from around the world to film at specific times within the day, to capture their destination's moment of light. New York at breakfast, Rio at lunch, Toyko at night...London at 3pm wasn't the most glamorous, but regardless, we're really pleased with the results! Blink and you'll miss it.

19 Feb 2016

Brass Metalwork Ruler by Tom Pigeon + Weekend Links

Simple, playful and purposeful design here, by Tom Pigeon. This 15cm solid brass ruler grabs inspiration from school woodwork classes, and traditional tools. Crafted up in the West Coast of Scotland, and designed to age over time. Nothing groundbreaking, but then, a ruler doesn't need to be.

Enjoy the weekend, folks! After a hectic week I'm looking for nothing more than a quiet chill.

Weekend Bucket List

Super Mario Kart with 101 players on one track is as great as it sounds - Sploid

Patrick Grant's new project aims to bring manufacturing back to Lancashire - Kickstarter

An Instagram account dedicated to found geometry in architecture - No Culture Icons

A series of articles about everyday morning routines - The All Night Listening Post

Time to refresh your wall art - Hecticophilia

In case you missed it - Hollie's back on the blog, this time wearing monochrome Dr Martens

18 Feb 2016

Nixon Watches Customisation Workshop in London

Nixon Watches Customisation Workshop in seven dials covent garden London

What makes "a collector"? Most of us would admit to hoarding something a little embarrassing when we were a younger. A strong selection of playground-dominating POGS, vintage toy cars, nostalgic stamps, or something a little more obscure like vintage matchboxes or carrier bags...

I collect many things (my criteria is if it's something I enjoy and have more than a few of); sneakers, Bearbricks, pens, stamps, vintage denim, Tintin comics, and watches. So when the opportunity came up for me to customise my very own Nixon watch a few weeks ago, I really couldn't refuse. A week later I found myself sitting in Nixon's brand new Customisation Workshop in their Seven Dials, all ready to get started.

Nixon Watches Customisation Workshop in seven dials covent garden London store

The idea is simple; start by choosing one of three existing Nixon watch models; the Time Teller, Sentry, and 48-20. I chose the Time Teller for its slimline and minimal features. After you've decided on your style this is where the customisation really starts to begin. A quick chat with the workshop manager about how the actual process works is followed by your next big decision; the outer case, dial and wristband.

We were presented with each option; several colour combinations of dial, numerous styles of band (from American-made Horween leather, coated cotton, rubber and steel linked), and a selection of steel case fittings. It's a similar process to Nike iD, but much more rewarding as you actually get to see it being made in front of you.

There's a few smaller features you can customise, like the crown and fastenings, but for now we worked on getting the overall look of our customised Time Teller spot on.

Dan Marc British-Made Study Desk

Dan Marc Study Desk | Paul Smith x Anglepoise Desk Lamp

It's been a long time coming, but well worth the wait. I finally have a desk! I know, I know...most people find it hard to believe that I haven't ever really had a desk, especially for someone who works from home. But the days of working off my lap are finally behind me, because I now have the most beautiful Study Desk by Lancashire-based furniture designer, Dan Marc. I still haven't got a proper office, but it's a step!

I first met Dan about a year ago, as he works at the same university campus as Hollie. We instantly clicked, as we share a lot of common interests - a love of craft, design, menswear and outdoors - and just a few months later I found myself getting the ball rolling to owning my very own piece of British design.

The fixless Study Desk is designed and made in the UK, with each component (Dove Grey powder-coated folded steel top, and hand-waxed ash legs) being sourced entirely in Lancashire, NW. Expect to see a lot more on here from Dan Marc, as I plan to shadow some of his visits to local suppliers, factories and workshops throughout 2016.

Find out more about Dan Marc here. What's your currently home office set-up like?