SwipeLife is always inspired by an entrepreneurial spirit. It’s more astounding when this drive is coupled with an obligation to give back through charity. The 46NYC company has combined their talents and passions to achieve just that.

Being able to affect positive change on a person’s life is a quality that many of us possess and have the means to. We’re all familiar with the merits of charity, and some of us are fortunate to participate or receive in these selfless acts. The images of depressed areas that flood our news media outlets are a stark reality for the people in these areas. It’s these harsh realities – abuse, poverty, hunger, education, water – that add to a growing epidemic.

It’s a privilege to have a direct involvement in improving a community that’s in need of basic resources and education. Having someone design a platform that enables the public to provide these necessities are the measures that make this change a reality. The 46NYC group is committed to bringing awareness to these areas of need, and their stout efforts have already made substantial contributions to these causes through their partnerships with several International non-profit organizations.

The first idea that spawned the 46NYC concept was to sell a t-shirt and have a portion of proceeds go to a proven relief organization. The idea was simple, but it required steadfastness to bridge these networks and market their idea – an ongoing process that presents itself as a rewarding challenge. Their latest campaign with the Wine to Water organization helps to raise funds for communities that are in dire need of potable water.

SwipeLife touched base with Operations Director, Hal Kivette, to understand the spirit that helped build the 46NYC company and all of their charitable endeavors.

Continue reading for the rest of the feature.

Please tell our audience what 46NYC’s mission is all about. What were the founding members’ motivations to begin a project such as this?

Our mission is dually motivated. We, as partners, set out to do something more to help others as well as exercise our individual creativity. As founding members, we wanted to create an opportunity to make a difference and change the lives of those in need.

What are the prescribed roles of 46NYC’s founding members, and what responsibilities do each of you hold?

As we started to gain momentum and the business aspect continued to grow, we separated 46nyc into three main areas. Graham is in charge of marketing, PR and events. John focuses on the internet, design and technology, and Hal concentrates on operations and production. All three of us are involved in the vision and scope as well as the planning for future projects.

Who were people or groups that inspired you to pursue these types of ventures?

We attribute much of our inspiration to family. We are each blessed with an amazing support system in our respective family members and are equally as grateful for our upbringing. We gained most of our business sense and work ethic from our college experience and the faculty at Appalachian State University. ASU continues to support us as alumni and we are very grateful for both our education and their continued involvement in our lives. Though we feel much of our willingness to do more came from our shared passion to help others, all three of us were definitely inspired by Product Red and its execution of social entrepreneurship. It opened our eyes to the fact that most people want to be involved in making positive change in the world we live in. As a company, we wanted to create an avenue for people to do just that – even if it’s something as simple as contributing and raising awareness by wearing a tee shirt.

Your website currently displays future campaigns for “remark46le,” “cur46le” and “valu46le.” Would you briefly touch on the progress in these areas?

46NYC hopes to launch the next campaign in mid December 2009. As far as progress goes, we are very close to production for remark46le, while the cur46le and valu46le campaigns are still in the developmental process.

We’re pleased to see your partnership with reputable organizations such as the International Justice Mission, Sunflower Children and most recently, Wine to Water. Are there any other charitable organizations that you hope to work with in the future to further your efforts?

We are currently researching numerous different organizations involved in childhood education, birth defects and various childhood diseases. We are currently halfway through our 6 main causes and hope to have each campaign completed by summer of 2010. Once we have the 6 completed, we have some very cool ideas to continue and grow the “tee shirts for charity” concept.

With regards to your latest campaign, describe the process of how your product helps the Wine to Water project. How does the Wine to Water organization help those in need?

46 has partnered with Wine to Water to create the achiev46le tee. Through every purchase, a portion of the proceeds will help Wine to Water in their efforts to provide clean water around the world.

Wine to Water is a non-profit aid organization focused on providing clean water to needy people around the world. Over 1 billion people in the world today lack access to adequate water and sanitation.

The concept originally was to put on benefit wine events, such as tastings, then use all of the money raised to support water projects around the world. The funding raised is then used to contract the help of material and equipment vendors that are local to that region to help build wells for clean drinking water and proper sanitation systems.

As a result, wine tastings became just one of many ways that they raise awareness and support for the global water crisis. Wine to Water has worked to provide clean water and sanitation in many countries including Sudan, India, Cambodia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Haiti.

It would appear that 46NYC looks to affect change on a global level by partnering with several international organizations. Are there plans to support domestic US programs, or is there already?

As we plan our next three campaigns, we are researching a number of different domestic organizations that concentrate on US programs. Before we move forward with a new campaign, we take a period of time to evaluate what’s going on our lives as well as in the world around us. We research numerous outlets and really let the partnership present itself. It’s a very unique process that we take very seriously. After detailed research, we allow the different organizations to draw us in. Then as a team, we decide on the strongest connection and begin to reach out. We make sure not to force anything and try not to limit our decisions based on location, time or any other factor. Though it may be a broad qualifier, as long as the organization is involved in improving the lives of children and is genuine in doing so, they are a candidate. It’s truly a unique process.

From a creative and marketing aspect, are there any design companies, whether web or fashion, that 46NYC is interested in collaborating with?

We have the utmost respect for Product Red and would love to collaborate in the future if the opportunity presents itself. In the past we have discussed potential projects with Victoria’s Secret and Sak’s among a few other department stores/boutiques and we are exploring some really cool ideas to produce a personalized, custom tee for an outlet such as these. We’ve even talked about creating something similar for an influential individual to benefit a children’s cause of their choice. In such a project, the partnering agent would be involved in the design of the 46 Tee as well as choosing the beneficiary.

Tell us of 46NYC’s latest events that helped in spreading the word of your movement. What future promotional events or tools can the public expect from you?

We have really maximized the power of the internet as well as personal appearances consisting of business conferences and various events ranging from fashion to charity-driven. We are also very grateful to have received press in US Weekly, The Appalachian Today (a university alumni publication) among others. We have hosted or been involved in numerous events to benefit a number of different causes. We rely heavily on grass-roots internet marketing and word-of-mouth tactics. We are very excited about hosting an event with our good friends at SwipeLife Novembers 7th and have recently launched our achiev46le campaign which aids in the fight to provide clean water around the world. We are currently busy planning an amazing new campaign we hope to begin before Christmas.

Have the media outlets caught on to your vision yet? Where can we see press coverage of your works and/or events

As we mentioned 46NYC has appeared in US Weekly several times, ABC Soaps in Depth as a part of their Christmas gift guide, cover story of the The Appalachian Today, featured on the Channel 11 News and have been very successful in the world of Twitter.

What advice do you give to those out there who want to begin their own campaigns that help those in need?

If you are passionate about it and willing to put in the hours as well as the blood, sweat and tears, go for it. The hardest part about building something is getting started. After the foundation is built, things start to fall in place, and though the workload seems to grow, the satisfaction of the mission makes it more than worthwhile. For us, it has changed our lives and given us a way to find personal fulfillment as well as the ability to create. We feel very fortunate to spend the majority of our time cultivating and growing our shared passion to make a difference. What more could a person ask for?

There are certain elements for establishing a business model that remain typical for every company: What service can we offer? How can it improve the lives of others? 46NYC demonstrates on how to be a successful model. By executing their simple idea, they’ve reaped the benefits of improving the circumstances for people of regions covering the entire globe. Your ability to affect change is not required to touch the global stage. However, you will need to affirm the idea that you are capable of doing it at any time.

SwipeLife thanks the team at 46NYC – Hal, John and Graham – for their inspired story. We’re extremely proud to be associated with them, and we’re encouraged of what is to develop from this very dynamic group.

Interview by Jason Rodriguez
Image Credits: 46NYC

This coming Saturday, November 7th, 46NYC and SwipeLife will be hosting an event for a good cause. As a co-sponsor of this event, we enthusiastically invite all of our readers and supporters to come and join us celebrate this partnership. Portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit 46 NYC and their campaign with the Wine to Water Organization.

EVENT INFO

When: Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 10:00pm to 4:00am
Location: Aspen
Street: 30 West 22nd Street between 5th and 6th Ave.
City/Town: New York, NY
Admission: $20

Must mention “SwipeLife” at the door for reduced admission of $20.
Please join us for a great cause!

For more information on 46NYC or Wine to Water, please visit:

www.46nyc.com and www.winetowater.org

For more information about our event please view the flyer below or visit our events page.

We at Swipelife were lucky enough to be the guests of Mercedes Benz at the Frankfurt Auto Show this year. We have attended many shows over the years, and this year’s IAA was undoubtedly the most exceptional any of us have ever been a part of. We were one of the few publications fortunate enough to sit down with Gorden Wagener, the head of design for Mercedes-Benz and the creator of the SLS AMG supercar. Special thanks to the Lifestyle Presse at Daimler AG and everyone who made the event unforgettable.

Continue reading for the rest of the feature.

*Note*
In the interview, you will see the term ‘SL’ frequently. This refers specifically to the SLR McLaren; I have found that Mercedes employees use SL in reference to almost any vehicle in that class, which is extremely broad and encompasses many generations and configurations of these vehicles.

Gordon Welsh: First off, please let me congratulate you on the success of the SLS AMG. It was easily the most talked about vehicle at the show, and it is a tremendous accomplishment for your company. Doctor Zetsche stated earlier that the 300SL was the greatest sports car of the last century. Obviously you agreed! What else made the 300SL your choice, instead of the other great iconic cars that Mercedes has produced over the years?

Gorden Wagener: Actually, it wasn’t the 300SL specifically, actually it was the Panamerica, which was similar but not identical to the 300SL. The Panamerica was the racing version and was developed with the SL. We used the SL as a reference point because the public is familiar with it, but it was a production car, not a race car. The SLS is closer to a race car, and the overall design of the Panamerica was our true inspiration.

The SLS, at least chronologically, was preceded by the SLR McLaren. How did you want to depart from that vehicle as you were designing the SLS?

They are different cars in many ways. The SLR costs what, $500,000? The SLS is half that. It is different from both an engineering and design point also and it has a different target audience. The SLS is a pure sports car and will be marketed that way. It it has a totally different character than an SL so that allows us to reposition it in a more sporty way so that it appeals to a different group of people.

What is the first car that moved and inspired you?

Well, it was definitely Mercedes (laughs). It was a 230CE coupe. I was a little boy, I have that in mind, and plus my father was always driving a Mercedes sedan and so somehow I have a special relationship with it.

What cars that the American public would be familiar with did you design personally? I saw the S700 downstairs but that was more of a concept car.

Yes, the S700 was done awhile back. I didn’t design that all on my own, that was done in the US Studio, while I was in charge of global events design. I designed a lot of other cars, though, like the first SLR, current S-Class, C-Class, SLK, the SL, many production cars.

You took over for Peter Pfeiffer, who was with the company for some time. What did you learn from him? Are there any of his design traditions that you would like to carry on?

We worked very closely together obviously for the last 10 years. It was a great collaboration. I learned a lot from him from a design perspective and I think he learned some things from me as well, I hope (laughs). But many other things too! We got along really well and when I took over complete responsibility of course I wanted to do things my own way, as everyone would, and I am a completely different person from Peter; there are 25 years between us, and I became the youngest chief designer ever at 39 years of age. This was quite a signal to the industry..you know? Mercedes is the most traditional car maker and they have a 39-year old head of design! And of course I have a completely different background and of course I have very strong opinions and ideas about how I see the brand, what i want to do with the brand, strengthen the brand, how I want to bring it into the future.

From a design perspective, where do you see the future of Mercedes-Benz?

Um, one key is definitely about our brand identity. We have to strengthen that even more, even though we have the strongest one already and our brand is the most famous worldwide. I think this is actually quite a benefit, and I think we carry this responsibility and it is our job to continue it with the trends of tomorrow. There are many trends that will shape the future-a green trend, a luxury trend, and many others. Of course at the end of the day a car has to be about emotion, it has to be about perfection because thats a perfectly engineered German car, and it provokes excitement.

When Dieter introduced the SLS, he stated that in a few years it will be sustainable-as Mercedes seeks to work with more sustainable fuels, how do you see the design corresponding to the method of fuel? I know a lot of other manufacturers have been changing the look of their non-gas powered vehicles compared to the original.

We will have to make subtle changes, of course, to the car as a result of the electric drive. For instance, it does not need that much air in the front so you don’t need to have big openings to allow the car to breathe. I wouldn’t do that on the SLS, to be honest, and the electric drive has quite an acceleration and it really fits to the character of the SLS and how it was intended-it was designed perfectly. There is no reason to change it. That’s the big question of the moment-always people ask-When you start to invent environmentally friendly vehicles: electric, hybrid, fuel-cell, whatever-you have to think about what these cars will look like. Will the be entirely different? Will they look like new cars? How will they be? I think in the moment we see some forced attempts to be different but I think at the end of the day the customer does not want a totally different car. He wants a beautiful car, a nice car, and a good brand. But why does it have to be totally different? Maybe some people want to make a difference but the more and more that technologies get through, everyone will have them, so why stand out to make a difference? Whether you drive electric, gas, or whatever, simply you want to have a great car.

In the SLS you no longer use McLaren to make the engine, you looked to your own people-AMG. What was the decision behind that?

It’s no longer the engine, but the entire car was engineering by AMG. Not designed in terms of styling of course, but engineering. So, that was actually a project that AMG was really pushing for and I have to say, they really pushed through the organization because of course it is not easy to get something like that through but these guys made a very efficient effort for a small team and they gave us the opportunity to come up with this great design. They wanted to create the best sports car possible for Mercedes and of course we worked very closely, hand in hand, and that gave us the opportunity to come up with the design. There was a change in proportions, you know, with the long bonnet and they put the glass windshield upright, all that which makes this the legendary successor of the Gullwing. It was a very small team, together with AMG, and of course they did also deliver that engine, the 6.3 liter AMG engine. But also the rest of the car!

So what else did AMG have a hand in designing?

First of all the whole layout of the car. I was referring to the long bonnet before; the engineers had to change the whole track. We had a lot of freedom on that platform: we made it wider, more narrow, longer or shorter. They basically created the platform of that weight balance with the engine back and the transaxle. It’s pretty close to perfect. I think you have to look at that as one big piece of course of design and engineering, many things coming together: the brakes, the engine, the whole weight balance, the aluminum concept or the car to reduce weight, and all that leads to a really perfect driving machine. Really, this car is totally different from the SL, it’s a race car that will beat every competitor.

I’ve read some stories of the SLS keeping up with cars that are much more powerful at the track that boast higher horsepower. How well rounded would you say the SLS is?

Yes, there was a lot of test driving, I guess. Bascially here you are talking to the wrong person, you have to ask the AMG guys. They were intensely testing the car mainly on the Nurburing Nordschlieffe, where they set the track record. Have you ever driven it?

No, unfortunately not…it’s been a dream of mine to do it, and I understand that the course is open to the public. Next time I am back in Germany I will do it, but with the right car.

Like the SLS! It’s a difficult track really, you can actually train it on Gran Tourismo, it’s in there. You need to know where things are! Sometimes you can’t see, you know, because the track is always going up and down, left and right. It is a winding track. AMG is testing there all the time and I think it’s really the ultimate.

As far as the completion of the SLS…I’m sure you knew it was going to be a great reaction. Obviously everyone loves it! What will be your next step?

This is definitely a very big statement and very big event for us, launching the car here. From a design as well as from a performance point of view. Plus our brand has a lot of icons and that is a special thing, to work for and to design a Mercedes. Bascially every car we make and work on is an iconic car. And we are working on a few more, and we are very hopeful and comfrotable that we will set the pace higher and higher. But of course we have a very special car here, now.

You definitely do. Herr Wagener, thanks for taking the time to meet with me during this event, and for having me here. It has been a terrific experience!

Interview by: Gordon Welsh
Images: Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

After the out-of-step-with-the-rest-of-the-world luxury smorgasbord (or should that be cheese fondue?) that was this year’s Geneva motor show; Frankfurt showed us an automobile industry that has at least noticed the current economic downturn, even if it would rather pretend it wasn’t there. So, in between the Porsche Panameras, Lamborghini Reventons and Rolls-Royce Ghosts there were a multitude of electric and small car concepts, emerging like green shoots pushing through the crumbling blacktop. But we didn’t let that spoil our fun. Here then, are Swipelife’s pick of the show, the coolest, the craziest and the bandwagons that everybody and their dog are jumping on right now:

Continue to read to check out SwipeLife’s Top Five Picks from the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Top five picks made by our resident auto writers Gordon Welsh and Tom Masefield:

TOP FIVE COOLEST CARS OF THE SHOW:

1. BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept. Old-school show car glamour and the first chapter in BMW’s post-Bangle era. (Image courtesy of UnitedPictures)

2. Aston Martin Rapide. Are you looking Porsche? This is how you make a good-looking four-seater. (Image from Automobilemag)

3. Rolls Royce Ghost. (Relatively) small but perfectly formed. (Image from Luxist)

4. Mercedes Benz SLS AMG. Having cornered half the billionaire supercar market the SLR, Merc goes after the customers with taste.

5. Lamborghini Reventon roadster. Soft on top, hard edged everywhere else. (Image from UnitedPictures)

TOP FIVE WILDEST CARS OF THE SHOW

1. Citroen Revolte. Rene was surprised when he saw the all the left-over design ideas he’d swept up from the studio floor being presented to management…. (Image from UnitedPictures)

2. Mansory Vitesse Rose. Someone, Somewhere, WILL buy this car. Frightening huh? (Image from Autoblog)

3. Brabus E V12 Black Baron. For the executive fetishist. (Image from Autoblog)

4. Mirror Finish Audi R8 5.2 V10. So you can see envy written all over your face. (Image from UnitedPictures)

5. Marussia B2. In Russia, supercar drives YOU! (Image from Jalopnik)

TOP FIVE BIG IDEAS:

1. Electric cars – they’re this year’s must-have car manufacturer accessory, and everybody has got one. Even if it isn’t actually real, hasn’t got a motor and can’t be driven… (Image from Cnet)

2. Matte paint. When it’s made it from SEMA to Frankfurt, you can safely say it’s gone mainstream (Image from Autoguide)

3. LED lights, you’re not a big, powerful German saloon car if you don’t have some. Or even better, a lot. (Image from Autoblog)

4. Unusually small/quirky concept car. Preferably masquerading as your company’s answer to global warming but really just because your engineers can’t make the batteries last longer than 15min if the cars were any bigger. Peugeot, Renault, we’re looking at you… (Image from Cnet)

5. Glamour girls. Nice to see car companies going back to their roots. Or at least the seventies. All suggestions that the number of new cars being unveiled by a manufacturer is in inverse proportion to the attractiveness of their stands hostesses is of course, quite untrue. Isn’t it Fiat? (Image from Autoblog)

Picks by: Gordon Welsh and Tom Masefield

SwipeLife was invited by the good folks at Mercedes Benz to come check out what they had in store for the Frankfurt Auto Show last week. Needless to say, the presentations of the various autos for the event was nothing short of spectacular. We were also lucky enough to come up close and personal with their show stoppers such as the BlueZero Concept, S-500 HYBRID, and the breathtaking SLS AMG. We spent quite a bit of time at Daimler AG’s “halle” during the Frankfurt Auto Show, and the meticulous planning and amount of effort put in by the company to promote their brand was overwhelming. Overall, Mercedes-Benz did more than just wow the crowd. They also were on hand to educate and inform the audience on what the future holds for the company in terms of technological advances and what it means to be a top auto manufacturer.

Continue reading for the rest of the story and more images.

The IAA really began when, with a captive audience, Dr. Dieter Zetsche drove out onto the main stage in the brand-new S500 Plug-in HYBRID. Citing Carl Benz’s century-old philosophy to offer the “best of the best,” Dr. Zetsche set what would be the tone for the rest of the day: The best of the green. With its flagship S-Class, Mercedes is very often the first to debut new technology, always focusing on the areas of safety, comfort, and performance. Often times, other manufacturers wait with baited breath to see the revolutionary and industry-leading mechanics that have long defined the heralded German company. This time around, fuel economy and sustainability were at the core of their interests, in keeping with worldwide demand for more efficient vehicles.

Benz did not disappoint; the S-500 HYBRID boasts a high-output V6, coupled with capable hybrid technology and an easily chargeable lithium-ion battery. My favorite feature? The S500’s ability to drive locally as a full-electric, resulting in an emissions-free luxo-sedan. Riding the coattails of the S400 HYBRID’s wild success, the S500 is already undergoing rigorous testing and is expected to debut with the next generation S-Class. So, for now, it is just a thought, and certainly a positive one…and for those who doubt that Mercedes will be able to get such a terrific vehicle to the marketplace, look no further than the words of the good Doctor himself: “Back then (in 2007), we heralded a ‘green product offensive.’ And, since that time, we have indeed delivered the vehicles we unveiled. That is why, today, they are no longer on the stage but beside it.”

For those of you who have been following our website, I wrote about the Mercedes BlueZero Concept in July (reference previous article here http://swipelife.com/2009/07/17/mercedes-benz-bluezero-concept/). Like most, I take concept vehicles, especially multiplatform hydrogen-and-electric luxury compact cars, with a grain of salt. After all, who wouldn’t want to own such a vehicle? Even at the time, however, I had put a lot of my faith in M-Bs ability to produce such a vehicle: “A lot of electric cars make a lot of bold claims, but this new Benz is relying on existing architecture, practical ideas, and strong support from confident clientele; we hope to see this in production soon.” Well, according to Dr. Thomas Weber, who works with the research and development department of Daimler AG, the BlueZero may be closer to being realized than we thought.

With several models on display, and with a captive audience, Weber detailed Mercedes’ plan to take the company into the future with the BlueZERO. The 5-seater promises a total range of 600 kilometers, of which, around 100 kilometers are electric only and promise to be emissions-free. By utilizing familiar sandwich floor technology, Mercedes can create three distinct vehicles that share the same goal: practical sustainability and versatility in a rapidly changing environment. Why do I think this is possible? Because Mercedes has once again taken the reigns and, a little more than a week ago, launched the “H2 Mobility” initiative, which would lead to the creation of twice the amount of available hydrogen fill stations. So, by not only creating the vehicles but the infrastructure to support them, Benz has proven themselves once again to be leaders in this segment.

As a general rule of thumb, Americans never will understand the purpose of the station wagon (see: estate). Thankfully, the European market continues to carry the segment and is always looking to improve it. Lest anyone forget, Mercedes does make some so-called normal vehicles that are neither supercar nor hydrogen-powered; the E-Class Estate fits their “normal” niche nicely, and looks great doing so. Introduced by Dr. Klaus Maier, who is responsible for Sales and Marketing at M-B, the E-Wagon has grown quite a bit and comes with a bevy of engine choices, at least for its preferred market (three diesels, and two petrol burners). Whereas most companies try to market crossovers as downsized SUVs with the heart of an offroader, Mercedes’ wagon is merely a luxury sedan with more trunk space. One great upside from the added space is that Benz has made available a third row of seating, which can also be stowed to make room for extra cases of apfelwein. Also cool? The revised suspension with auto-leveling, which makes sure that ride quality is not compromised if the boot is full or you are taking a group of friends out on the Autobahn. Early thoughts of the new W212 E-Class are very positive; it looks like Merc is one again looking to stand alone rather than fit in, if you judge it by its angular styling. The face of the car is terrific and I really like the new take on the dual-headlight look, which is a huge improvement over the outgoing generation of E-Class. The more purposeful grille and now-familiar LED lights also fit well with the angular design, and build quality throughout the vehicle has unquestionably improved. Slotted in between the BlueZero and the SLS AMG, the E-Class estate was not engineered to be the center of attention at the show, but it is a totally practical car that reinforces Mercedes’ ongoing theme at the IAA: a functional, comfortable car that is both powerful and environmentally friendly.

Mercedes then brought the room to a standstill by finally introducing the SLS AMG. Once again Dr. Dieter Zetsche emerged, this time with a gleam in his eye. As the SLS slowly emerged, then rotated, its smoke-shadowed outline immediately evoked thoughts of its spiritual predecessor, the 300SL Gullwing. The long, swooping bonnet was unmistakable, and when the lights came on it was impossible to ignore the massive three-pointed star that was must have been proportionally identical to the original. Dr. Zetsche then recalled an earlier message: “Our promise is to offer ‘the best of the best.’ And the SLS AMG keeps that promise. In 1955 Mercedes-Benz first presented a gullwing – and this car was even voted ‘Sports Car of the Century.’ Now we have a new century – and also a new contender for the title.” The SLS is indeed beautiful. While the shape of most contemporary Mercedes vehicles is angular, modern, and practical, the stylish cues given to their AMG conterparts can occasionally make them seem brutish and one-dimensional (and don’t get me wrong, I love AMG cars). Such is not the case here. By updating a classic look with distinctive design cues, Benz has made believers again out of a whole new generation of drivers and enthusiasts.

To view the supercoupe from any angle is a treat, and with the doors open, the experience is complete. Aestethics aside, the SLS boasts a bespoke AMG engine, aluminum spaceframe, and transaxle gearbox that makes it more of a true driver’s car than any of its brethren in recent memory. In fact, the SLS bested the SL65 Black Series around Sachsenring recently, despite a horsepower and torque deficiently of 98 and 259, respectively. The doctor continued on, undoubtedly making some very salient points, but the collective focus of the crowd was dead set on the Gullwing. The confidence that the Germans had exuded throughout the show was palpable, and once I saw the Gullwing I could see why. It is indeed a car for the future, and I think it will be the measuring point for many great vehicles to come.

Feature by: Gordon Welsh
Photos: Dan Ubinski

More Mercedez Benz images from the Frankfurt Auto Show:

“Fuck cancer, I’m Ezra,” are the words emblazoned on the masthead of Ezra Caldwell’s blog found on the website of his custom bike building company, Fast Boy Cycles. Caldwell is the man behind the New York-based operation that works under one simple premise: building custom frames to fit the client’s personal likeness. Fast Boy has already caused a sensation among bicycle enthusiasts with their custom racks, fenders and handlebars.

Like most entrepreneurs, Caldwell’s faced his fair share of disappointments, notably being diagnosed with rectal cancer in July of 2008. But just as Albert Einstein once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle – in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”, these words couldn’t be more true in the story behind Fast Boy Cycles. For Ezra, a former art student, dance teacher and now a highly sought after custom bike builder, the road to doing what he enjoys is one that came full circle.

We recently got to sit with Ezra at his workshop based in Harlem and discussed his philosophy on bike customizing, entrepreneurship and teaching cancer to cry. In this interview, Ezra shares the details on how he got started in the industry and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.

Read the rest of the story after the jump.

So how did Fast Boy Cycles come about?

I started out teaching dance in New York for about 8 or 9 years and bikes were essentially how I got around in the city. Initially students of mine wanted to ride bikes around the city and I was sort of the person they knew that [had some knowledge] about it. So they’d ask me to put them on a bike and that became more and more of a regular thing. I started assembling bikes for people, styling them and more or less finding a frame that was appropriate for people who wanted something a little different and more than just the off the shelf offering. That eventually led into making these wooden fenders that I sold for a while. So when I decided to stop teaching, I had no idea what was going to come next but I felt it was going to be something bike related, whether it was to open a shop or who knows what.

What got you into bicycles?

The short answer is I come from sort of a bike advocacy background, I’ve been trying to get more people riding on bikes. The people who come to me the most are bike commuters, they’re people who use bikes to get around, not exercise. When I used to go to college in Philadelphia I realized that just about the best way to get around the city was by bicycle, and when I moved to New York a few years later, that continued. It’s just about the best mode of transport in the city.

I also think that bikes are THE elegant machine. I think that they’re remarkably beautiful objects. Mechanically beautiful, in terms of engineering they’re sort of the most efficient thing out there. Those things appeal to me [about bicycles] as well, the aesthetics and pure objective.

How long have you been around them?

Mostly all my life. When I was a kid, a bike was like freedom. You learn to ride a bike as a kid and suddenly, it’s independence. Whether you’re in the country, the suburbs or wherever bikes [usually] mean freedom. You can cover distances that you can’t cover walking. It’s a funny thing that happens when these kids grow up and have cars, they suddenly rediscover the idea of exercising on a bike but instead of using it to get places they put it on the roof of their car a drive somewhere to ride it and to me it’s a totally backwards way to use a bike. And I think what’s happening in today’s climate is that people are starting to come back to realize that a bike is ultimately about freedom.

What got you into the industry of building customs?

Well I originally went to an art school thinking I’d study industrial design. I went there thinking that I was actually going to get to design and make stuff, but when I got there I realized that the design department was more about what things look like rather than how they functioned. I came to find that it wasn’t exactly what I thought that industrial design was. I think that bikes have both the components of “how does it look” and “how does it work”, which makes them great place to explore because frankly, they’re so simple. I mean anyone can maintain a bike and anyone can see how it works. Particularly with single speed bikes.

Tell us about some of the custom bikes you’ve built.

I have built some fix geared bikes, but mostly single speed. As a type of bike, it is quite elegant. You don’t have to have brakes because it’s in the drive train. So you can have these completely spare and simple bikes. But as there’s a pendulum swing in anything, there’s a reaction to that minimalism and I feel like the next cool bike that everyone’s starting to crop into are these bikes with full fenders and front and rear racks and kickstands, you know? The more shit you can bolt to it the better. (laughs) There’s always that swing and I’ve been involved in building both. I just finished building a bike for Glen Hansard (from the movie Once). I just built his second bike, it’s like a Swiss Army, Postal bike type of thing. It’s really this big solid thing with super relaxed angles and built in rear rack and a bolted-on front rack and a chain guard. So the aesthetics [of the bikes I build] really do jump around. That was actually a real fun project to work on. I also just built a bike polo specific bike. I designed it for a friend and it had a few interesting quirks. The first being that he’s six foot five and weighs like 225 pounds or something, so a really big guy. That presented certain design challenges in terms of the geometry and all that. The type of steering you need when playing polo is quite different from the type of steering you want riding down the street. It’s a very fast sport but the top speed you’re reaching when playing bike polo is never all that fast, they’re getting up to maybe a 20-mph sprint at some point. It’s a lot of stop and go, so you’ll have to do a of slow-speed turning. The bike also had to be able to take mallet strikes without denting the tubing, so in strategic places the tubing is particularly thick. It was an interesting project.

What was the most fun you’ve had ever working on a project?

I’m ashamed to admit, but the most fun I have is working on a bike for myself. (laughs) That’s a real coy answer to the question, the truth is whatever bike I’m building is almost always the most interesting bike I’ve worked on. Whatever I’m working on at the moment always feels the most fascinating. One of the things I don’t like, is working with clients who feel like they already know a lot about bikes and want to micro-manage the project. That’s not a whole lot of fun. What’s more fun are the people who give you a lot of rope and just let you play. I feel like the people who say,”this is what I need it to be able to do, and just surprise me with the rest” usually come out with the most interesting bikes.

How did being diagnosed with cancer affect your outlook on life and business?

Well.. it certainly came as a surprise. It arrived with very little warning, I was symptomatic for a little over a month or so before I was diagnosed. Basically from one day to the next, it changed the practical details of my life. I went from being able to work 40 hour weeks to being laid low by chemotherapy and have daily radiation for the first six months of treatment. In some ways the most symbolic thing was that it was rectal cancer, so the doctor said I couldn’t ride a bike. I’ve been so used to riding a bike, I couldn’t even figure out a way to get anywhere in the city without one. So that was a big thing because here’s something I just recently decided I wanted to do for a living and be my livelihood, and I couldn’t even ride a bike. So I kind of pressed the doctor a little bit about what it was about riding a bike that was a problem. The doctor wanted me to be as active as I could be but he didn’t want me to put pressure on that particular location and be massaging the tumor and have it spread.

So I told him, “what if the bike didn’t have a seat?” He looked at me and said, “so you’re gonna stand all the time?” After I said yeah, the doctor sort of rolled his eyes at me and said,”that’s fine, do whatever you want to do,” So I built this assless bike, this bike is specifically designed to not have a seat. I didn’t feel like just taking the seat off of a bicycle that I already had because it just looked so wrong and it just looked like I had my seat stolen or something. So this bike was how I got to appointments, chemotherapy treatments and radiation anytime I felt well enough to ride. Happily, I’m able to ride a normal bike again.

Did having cancer change how you design or build bikes?

Not so much. It was just another specific solution to a specific problem. Naturally the vast majority of people riding bikes aren’t dealing with ass cancer. It reinforced to me that I could do things that were pretty out of normal and out of the ordinary and it still would work. It sort of gave me permission to do things pretty outside the realms of bike normalcy and be brave enough to do it. Designing a bike is sort of like designing a font, the alphabet already exists and in the same way, the way people build bikes, a double triangle frame construction, what maybe 98 percent of bikes out there are.

What are your biggest hopes?

My greatest hope is that this continues to be really interesting to me. I love bikes and I love building things. I think the opportunity to make really beautiful objects is alive and well in bike building. I just hope the process of building bikes and the process of dealing with customers and all of that remains interesting to me. I like the idea of getting people riding bikes. I like raising people’s awareness, getting them to want a bike but it’s hard to do that when not everyone can afford a $4,000 custom bike. I can see down the road getting more into a commercial road of bike building, working on designs for bikes that I think are practical, beautiful and can be mass produced just so they’re more affordable. But for now I just want to put my years in and be a really accomplished builder.

More info about Fast Boy Cycles and Ezra Caldwell can be found on www.fastboycyles.com and Teaching Cancer to Cry.

Interview by: Gerald Flores
Images provided by: Ezra Caldwell

Sean Anderson of Progressive Design Concept and Kelly Deck of Kelly Deck Design and host of HGTV’s “Take it Outside,” collaborated on the creation of The Compass Pointe House, a stunning modern abode in Whistler, Canada. The home combines modern and rustic elements to complement and capture the fluidity of the house’s natural environment. Anderson, of Progressive Concept Design, created the home’s layout and overall design, while Deck selected the interior and exterior finishes.

We recently caught up with Kelly Deck to ask her a few questions about herself and her involvement in the recently completed Compass Pointe House project.

Continue on to read the rest of the interview and to view more images of the stunning Compass Pointe home after the jump.

(photo via hgtv)

What spurred your initial interest in design? How did you first enter the design field academically and professionally?

Every Sunday growing up my mother and father would drive us out to the finest neighbourhoods and attend open houses or new developments. Building and beautiful interiors was something we constantly talked about as a family and continue to do so today. It’s not surprising that I always took a keen interest in anything to do with creating interior spaces – renovations, crafts and decorating.

Rather than interior design, my training is in Fine Arts, I graduated from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design where I studied painting, sculpture and ceramics.

Following graduation I opened a small interior decorating boutique, which evolved into a design studio and then a television series and now a design firm, which employs seven. It’s been an unexpected and exciting journey.

How did you become involved in the Compass Pointe project? Describe your experience working alongside Sean Anderson of Progressive Concept Design.

Brian and Jay Young approached our team to work on this project. They were looking for a design team that could bring a fresh and modern approach to the Whistler Market.

Working with Sean Anderson has been great, we share many common values when it comes to designing a beautiful home: simplicity, flow and efficiency. His floor plan was beautiful and we made very few changes to the original drawings. His design gave our team a crisp and beautiful canvas to work with. The collaboration seems a good one.

Did you look to any particular source of inspiration when designing Compass Pointe?

Our inspiration always comes from the landscape around the homes we design. At Compass Pointe, we drew our textures and colours from the snow coloured landscape of the mountainside. We also avoided all clichés: green slate, heavy raw logs and leather sofas

How important was fluidity between indoor and outdoor spaces?

Very important. Every finish we selected was chosen to relate to a colour or texture in the world around the home. And, we employed simple techniques to really enhance the view and the connection between inside and out. In the great room we painted all the walls a dark brown/black – they frame the view exquisitely. To create a material connection between the interior and exterior of the home we wrapped the steel fireplace surround in the great room into the fireplace in the exterior living room that it backs on to. The exposed beams also run from interior to exterior and all the flooring finishes transition softly from inside to out.

Prior to hosting “Take It Outside,” had you worked extensively in landscape design? If not, how did you make the transition from interior design, and what challenges did you face?

I’m not a landscape designer, my team designs homes inside and out. Our approach is the same in both places – the materials are different because of the weather conditions and building restrictions. The greatest challenge then in designing outdoor spaces is creating a space that can endure the elements and offer the homeowner the greatest amount of usability.

Compass Pointe uses locally sourced fir and stone from nearby Haddington Island. How important has it become in your practice to use local materials and to generally incorporate ecologically responsible design methods?

Working within our community to source products and build lasting relationships with suppliers, trades and craftsmen is part of my company’s core values and it always has been. We are very vocal advocates of west coast materials, design and craftsmen.

According to your website, you approach a project aiming to “design a space that reflects its inhabitants.” How do you approach a client and glean the appropriate information from them to do so?

This home was a little tough because it’s going to market rather than a specific home owner. We worked closely with the developer to determine what we wanted people’s experience of this home to be. Here the intent was to create a space that is modern and sensuous. We want people to feel enveloped and warm in this home despite its simplicity. The key was using lots of natural materials to create a layered and textured interior.

In our custom homes we spend hours meeting with the client and interviewing them about their lifestyle and needs. We visit their existing repeatedly, photographing their belongings, opening their cupboards and seeking out all the ways that we can design a home that really serves their daily needs. It’s very intimate. Once we’ve completed this survey we write a long report about our observations of their needs; we submit for their review and feedback and then begin the initial design process. From there we have many meetings to review the design as it evolves. Our clients usually become friends in the process – our team really takes their needs and anxieties to heart and they know that.

The bulk of your work is focused on residential design, but one of your first endeavors was the storefront for Simple Boutique in Vancouver. Do you predict that you’ll expand into other areas of design (commercial, retail, landscape, etc.) with your business in the future?

Simple was where it all started – it was my store.

As for venturing out in the future, we’d love to, eventually. My team is dying to do a boutique hotel and I’d like to do a little restaurant. But truthfully, my love is for beautiful homes and if this is all I ever designed I’d never be disappointed. I love it.

The Compass Pointe House is an amazing home situated in an almost too perfect location in Whistler, Canada. It’s structures incorporate locally sourced stone and wood in its construction, visually and literally linking it to its surroundings. Floor to ceiling windows afford residents views of the nearby village and Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, while two rooftop terraces and an expansive patio take further advantage of the impressive view. Open beam ceilings and walls clad in rough-cut stone and sandblasted fir recall traditional cabin architecture, while an open plan and modern furnishings root the home firmly in modern territory. An outdoor fireplace, hot tub, and wine cellar add to the list of amenities incorporated into The Compass Pointe House.

For more information, please visit the home’s official website at Compass Pointe Whistler.

Interview by Daniel J. Carr

These days, so many clothing companies claim that their products are the ‘real thing’, ‘100% authentic’ or ‘the genuine article’ that the phrases have become practically meaningless. When the advertising – and the label – promise a world of French or Italian glamour and sophistication it can be a bit galling to discover that a suit or shirt was actually made in a large, faceless factory and not in the atelier of a master craftsman.

It is then, a refreshing change to see the relaunch earlier this year, of historic British men’s sportswear label, E. Tautz. If the name promises a world of classic style, inspired by the likes of the Duke of Windsor. Then the collections so far, have delivered; High-quality cloths from around the British Isles have been used and the pieces are cut and tailored in Savile Row at the home of Tautz parent, the bespoke tailors, Norton & Sons. Indeed, Patrick Grant, the suave head of the 187 year-old company described the ready-to-wear collection as being ‘.. as close to a bespoke product as we can make a suit without actually making it for one person’.

Continue reading after the jump.

Swipelife caught up with Grant in London recently where he told us about the Autumn/Winter 09 collection, why he chose to create it entirely in Britain, where the inspiration for its rugged, long-lasting style came from and his opinion on the state of British menswear.

How did you become involved with E. Tautz and the world of Savile Row?

It was an accident really, well, not an accident. A fabulous coincidence. I stumbled upon it completely by chance. I was at Oxford finishing off an MBA and a friend of mine was supposed to meet me for lunch. He called to say he couldn’t come, so I grabbed a copy of the Financial Times and sat and read it because there was nothing else to read. I got as far as the ‘Businesses for sale’ section and there happened to be an advert on that one day for Norton & Sons. There was just a little advert that said ‘Bespoke tailor for sale, 16 Savile Row. Contact Mr. Granger by letter’. That’s as much as it was planned. There was no planning whatsoever. It was just completely fortuitous.

I came and met the owner and came to the shop and looked around and having never worked in clothing before I just fell in love with the place. I’d always been very interested in craft and making things, I’d always worked in manufacturing companies and I’d always been very interested in clothes but I’d never thought ever, to work in the clothing and tailoring industry.

Looking at how you make things currently, how important is it that all of the Tautz range is made in the UK?

There are two things that are really important to Tautz; one of them is its history, where it has come from as a firm, what it has done and how that colours what it is doing now but also, very directly, the provenance of the pieces we make. How we make things, where we make them, what they are made from and everything that is associated with the way we put them together and the way we deliver them is very, very important to us.

Tautz’ history is certainly fascinating, it started as a maker of Sporting and Military clothing didn’t it?

That’s right they started as a sporting tailors. It’s very interesting to see the evolution of that firm from the 1860s through to the 1950s. They started very much as a sporting tailoring house – they actually started as britches makers, sporting britches makers.

We were military and sporting tailor to Churchill. We made his uniforms for the Hussars but we also made his sports clothes. He was a racing and polo fanatic and we made things like white, cashmere racing britches and chocolate and pink satin racing jackets and matching hats and things like that for him. We were sportswear when gentlemen did sports in the kind of clothes that Americans now call sportswear. That is wear Tautz came from.

In the current incarnation of Tautz it is very central to the way that we put everything together. The way we think about our clothes is very much coloured by that sporting and military heritage.

What is the difference between Tautz and its parent, Norton & Sons?

Norton & Sons is a bespoke tailors on Savile Row. It has one shop. There is one sole address on our letterhead. That is the only place you can buy Norton & Sons clothing. Everything that you buy from us is made by us there. That is the way it will always be. We are completely unapologetic about the fact that if you want to come and have a suit from us you are going to have to come and see us at least four, possibly five times. You are going to have to wait three, possibly four months at the moment for your first suit. This is something that is very special and we want to keep it exactly the way that it is.

Will we be able to buy the Tautz range at 16 Savile Row?

The plan with Tautz in the immediate future is that it will be sold through existing high-end stores. We are in Harrods this season and the plan is that we will sell Tautz in the best retailers in the best cities around the world. Longer term, it is perfectly conceivable that we would consider having a Tautz store in London. Tautz is never going to be Paul Smith though, it’s a very different product. It’s as close to a bespoke product as we can make a suit without actually making it for a person.

Is that traditional understanding of sportswear where the inspiration for the knitwear, with its bright colours and distinctive badges comes from?

Ah! That comes from a very particular piece of English public school history! Back in the early part of the twentieth century, schoolboys all had white rugby jumpers. They would hand-sew badges onto their jumpers to distinguish one house from the other. We’ve got a couple of old emblems from Rugby school from the twenties, one of them has a skull and crossbones and of them has a knights helmet with a giant plume. There’s a photograph of the Winchester school rugby team in our archive, they are all wearing badges on their shirts. It’s an amazing image. We all really liked it. They are done in a sort of naïve way. They are cut out by hand and sewn on by hand. So that’s how we do ours. It was a fun link back to our, slightly aristocratic, sporting heritage. We like to have little details like that.

The badges on the jumpers all come from either the royal warrants or the family crests of old customers. One of them is a castle that comes from the King of Spain’s royal warrant, one of them is a club, from the Emperor of Austria’s royal warrant, one is a Martlet and one of them is a fox. The fox comes from our sign and the Martlet comes from another customers coat of arms. They are all heraldic symbols.

Is that wear the symbols on the knitwear come from? Was that a conscious decision not to brand the clothes heavily?

Tautz has a logo that was created in, well, we don’t know exactly when, but it first appears in Tautz adverts in the middle of the 1880s. We have an advert from 1886 but there may be earlier ones. They advertised all the time and at some point when we have the chance it would be nice to put together a complete archive. However, in 1886 the monogram is there and in use. It’s ‘E T & S’ but the ‘E’ is a pair of spurs and the ‘T’ is a riding whip, the tail of the whip forms the ampersand and the leather straps on the spurs form the ‘S’. It’s just such a beautifully created piece. If at any point we do decide to do something that is logo’d in that way I think we would always fall back to the Tautz monogram.

I don’t wear logo’d clothing and haven’t done since I was in my late teens. We use those emblems (on the knitwear) as embellishment, as part of the design rather than as a recognition of who has made them. I think that is appropriate. Emblazoning things with logos is not what we are about. We are about simple, elegant clothes and not excessive showiness.

You have relaunched Tautz with a ready-to-wear range, do you intend it to be an entry for people into the world of bespoke clothing?

I don’t think of it as an entry to Savile Row. I think of it more as an entry into a world of well cut, beautifully made, suits and clothing. It’s not like we’re consciously trying to draw people into Savile Row. I hope what it might do though, is make people think differently about suits, jackets and that type of clothing as part of their normal wardrobe.

When would I wear a Tautz suit? The pieces seem less formal, is it intended as casualwear?

Oh all the time, when you are not doing actual athletic activities. You can wear the suits to work. We do have beautiful, simple charcoal flannel, charcoal worsted or navy blue suits that are absolutely, perfectly correct for wearing to work, wherever it is you might work. Also, we are cutting beautiful trousers and jackets. I am wearing a pair of trousers and a jacket today and I would be perfectly happy wearing this out in the evening or away at the weekend. I wear shoes, trousers and jackets, when it’s very hot I wear unstructured, lightweight jackets and when it’s very cold I wear thicker, heavier ones. I dress, much as I am dressed today, pretty much all the time. I think men have lost sight of how much fun it is to be well dressed. It’s actually really fun to spend a little bit of time every morning putting your clothes on, picking tie, picking a handkerchief, choosing a shirt from your wardrobe, picking a jacket and a pair of trousers and putting it all together and feeling great in your wardrobe. It’s really a lovely thing to do each day. A lot of people don’t ever have that pleasure, they’ll put on a pair of jeans and a white shirt and will look perfectly good but won’t feel special about what they’re wearing. It’s actually really, really fun and people look at you and people appreciate that you’ve done that. I think it shows greater respect for people as well. When someone goes out for dinner in the evening and doesn’t dress up, I think it’s really sad. Girls love to get dressed up and really enjoy the process of making themselves look beautiful in their clothes. It seems like men are almost embarrassed to be well-dressed. It feels like it’s too much, or you’ve tried too hard.

We are very fortunate on Savile Row to have the most incredibly dressed men coming into our shop. They are very inspiring to me, I have changed the way I dress a lot in the last four years. I used to wear a dark suit, a light shirt and a dark tie and that was pretty much it. It always looked quite smart but you could never say I was well-dressed, just reasonably smartly dressed.

We have so many clients that are just beautifully dressed. The combination of the colour and pattern of their shirts, the colour and pattern of their suit and their tie and cufflinks and their handkerchief, a little speck of colour in the sock that is also in the tie. Little things like that that are such a joy to do. We get so little time to do nice things for ourselves most of the time. It’s almost like a little, quiet personal moment. I think when people are so busy, they ought to take a little time just to… I mean, I am frantically busy but I really love taking the time to do that.

Many other menswear companies place great emphasis on accessorising the male wardrobe. The Tautz collection includes a small range of leather goods, is that something you think you will expand upon?

Essentially, at the moment, it is a clothing range. If we are successful in selling the clothing and the stores that we are selling to like what we’re doing, then of course, we will consider doing cufflinks or small leather goods but we are a sporting and military tailors and that’s what we are going to base our business on. There’s lots of things that ultimately we could do but for the time being we are going to stick to this. We are a small house, we’ve got limited resources and I think we’ll stick to doing what we’re best at.

Lastly: Why did you decide to relaunch Tautz now?

Why now? Until we restarted Tautz, there wasn’t a really good English, menswear house. Italy has a few, Brioni, Kiton and Isaia. There’s Hermes and Louis Vuitton in France, or Tom Ford in America. But there was nothing in the UK. It’s almost as if people were afraid to do anything too close to Savile Row because of a fear of unfavourable comparisons. We’ve got Savile Row which is a beautiful institution and creates undoubtedly the best menswear anywhere, but beneath that you’ve got this enormous leap, all the way down to Burberry and Dunhill and the ready-to-wear lines from the other Savile Row houses who all decided, for whatever reason, to throw away everything that they hold dear in their own bespoke business and mass-make their suits off-shore, using lesser quality materials .

I just didn’t understand it. We know all about beautiful cloths and how to manufacture and how to cut fabulous clothes, so it seemed obvious that if we ever did something ready-to-wear we would do that. It just seemed to me there was a great big hole there. I think there is a market for it, I think British and European and American men like British style, and there is a certain population within that total group that have the money to pay for the very best of that and of those, some will come to Savile Row and have their suits made, but many, either because of reasons of geography or time, or both, can’t come to Savile Row four or five times a year to have their clothes made and they want something immediately. That’s what we aim to provide.

Patrick Grant, thank you very much. The E. Tautz Autumn/Winter 09 collection will be available in store at Matches and Harrods in August.

Also, please visit: www.etautz.com for more information on the line.

There is no denying that watches of the highest caliber, precision, and craftsmanship come from Swiss watchmaking. However, in a sea of watch brands hailing from such a region, only a few can pride themselves in actually combining both superior production and genuine customer satisfaction. This is where Maurice de Mauriac excels at. Its founder, Daniel Dreifuss knows what it takes to make the best timepieces for the most demanding clients.

Read the rest of the interview after the jump.

Being the first watch company branded with the “Zurich” name yields a lot of expectations. Each Maurice de Mauriac piece is handmade by Daniel himself with the help of his team, who have mastered their craft at such watch houses like International Watch Company (IWC). Furthermore, Maurice de Mauriac pieces are fitted with some of the best movements, Valjoux 7750s and ETA automatics are used in his extensive selections of chronos, non-chronos, classics, vintage and aviation inspired pieces. Materials such as cowskin, nappa, or crocodile leather are used for bands. While gold, steel, titanium, carbon, black and white diamonds are featured in the overall construction of some of the watches. There are timepieces for everyone for any occasion in his catalog, and if its not in the inventory, a request for a custom order can be made. Whether it’s the dial, the watchband, the casing, or the glass, certain parts can be individually chosen and exchanged to suit any client’s preference, making the piece unique, special, and truly one of a kind.

As for understanding other customer demands, especially fickle consumers and die-hard watch enthusiasts, Daniel has also developed watches in which its owner can change the bezel. So instead of just buying a whole new watch, a piece can simply be modified and personalized just by switching the bezel with any color or style.

In this interview, Daniel sheds some light on his beginnings and how he made it into the industry. He also gives us a brief lesson in the art of watchmaking and the different terms one should know in becoming a well educated customer. Maurice de Mauriac is neither a new or old company, but rather a rising brand that’s trying to distinguish itself as a place where customers can get quality timepieces along with valuable customer attention, all without having to break the bank.

Daniel’s passion is unparalleled, and it is evident in the way he handles both the design and the business side of producing watches. His pieces are beautiful and are made for a wide range of customers. In more than ten years of existence, Maurice de Mauriac has consistently produced high-grade Swiss watches. With a better position in the industry today, the next ten years can only yield better things, all while keeping the same mentality and work ethic Daniel has had in the first ten.

How did you get into this line of work? When was the moment that made you decide you were going to be a watchmaker?

I was a banker until 1987. Leading up to the Big Crisis of 1987, the best part of the day for me was being able to outfit myself nicely in the morning. The rest of the day at the office was scheduled with endless “team-building” sessions and the likes. I’m a colorful thinker. I felt that I needed a change, and I wanted to fulfill some of my inner wishes.

By total coincidence, I met a guy in Geneva, Switzerland who was big into promotional and corporate watches. It wasn’t really my thing doing corporate watches, but I saw this as a chance to enter the watch industry. I was brought on and so began my new career. We had some success but that gentleman went bankrupt quickly.

Still, at that time, I had several important orders that were to be sent to Zurich, Switzerland. It was clear that I had to go into production of my own to complete these orders. This was my big start nearly 22 years ago.

What is your biggest work accomplishment to date?

The biggest accomplishment is still having the business. The watch industry is like Formula One Racing; one mistake and you’re out of the race! Many companies in this industry are of two types: the family run “father-son” company or the big established marketing machine like Louis Vuitton. I’m neither of these, and my company has been able to survive and flourish amidst the competition.

You have specialized in chronometers throughout your career. What exactly are chronometers? And what should you tell customers about them?

Chronometers are watches working on highly defined time precision. These watches exhibit a maximum of 0-10 seconds loss throughout the day. Patek Philippe, Rolex, Breitlings, and our watches have this same precision of timing.

Automatic watches are popular in the United States. U.S. imports of Swiss luxury automatics have jumped significantly. Just what are automatics? How do they work?

An automatic is a mechanical watch, whose metal spring is wound automatically by the natural motion of the wearer’s arm, to make it unnecessary to manually wind the watch. Most mechanical watches sold today are self-winding. The fully-wound mainspring in a typical watch can store enough energy reserve for roughly 42 hours, allowing automatics to keep running while off the wrist. Usually automatic watches can also be wound manually by turning the crown, so the watch can be kept running when not worn, and in case the wearer’s wrist motions are not sufficient to keep it wound automatically.

Because of their unique infrastructure and the know-how and spirit of innovation, Swiss watchmakers have succeeded in maintaining their leading position in the industry. What else would you say differentiates you on an international scale?

The Swiss watch industry has endured both good and bad times. The U.S. had its movement in producing great watches such as Elgin among others, and this helped to revolutionize the Swiss watch industry. However, the American watch industry has since then seen a decline in having a global impact on the watch industry as a whole. We must be careful so as to preserve our craftsmanship and improve on it.

Nowadays, the Swiss population is very proud of the many watch designs in the market. Suddenly, up-and-coming companies are developing highly-advanced modes of micro-technology for their watches – some of the same technology used in modern medicine. This is a very important aspect for the evolution of our watch industry.

I’m sure it varies from piece to piece, but approximately how long does it take to produce one of your timepieces – more specifically your Chronograph Modern model?

In our Chronograph Model, there are more than 300 pieces for 1 movement, without counting the case itself! If you start at zero, this can take up to 1 1/2 days. A further example, a *tourbillon with repetition can take up to 1 month because there are 700 small pieces inside!

*From Wikipedia:

A tourbillon is an addition to the mechanics of a watch escapement. A tourbillon counters the effects of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage, ostensibly in order to negate the effect of gravity when the timepiece (and thus the escapement) is rotated. Originally an attempt to improve accuracy, tourbillons are still included in some expensive modern watches as a novelty and demonstration of watch-making virtuosity. The mechanism is usually exposed on the watch’s face to show it off.

Your collections have been well-received from the industry. Define your experience at Baselworld these past years. Is there a specific approach you take to the months leading up to the event?

We are always ahead. We were one of the first brands to have black watches in our collection. Nowadays, everybody has incorporated black models! As a principle, we never look at other brands.

At our shop in Zurich, we learn a great deal about the tastes and ideas from our valued clients. We incorporate these great ideas whereas other sales personnel at other stores would not even listen to these suggestions. This allows us to be very aware of the market’s wants and needs. This is all a part of our preparation.

How much influence do trends play in the design process of your timepieces?

Our office has a huge window, so we can see all the new cars and new fashions on passers-by. The daily energy from outside helps stimulate the creativity for our new designs. We create new ideas everyday; whether it is a new dial, strap, or hands. We will still continue to use our classic cases despite evolving trends. We want to establish the reputation of a Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier or Eames. Their contributions to architecture are very inspiring.

You’ve mentioned fashion, cars, and architecture. Besides watches, what else interests or inspires you?

I am a lover of handbags, banker shirts with big heavy stripes, leather and crocodile straps, miniature racing toys from the 70’s and 80’s and racing (cycling, bike, car).

As for inspiration, I really love Paul Smith’s story, which I feel is similar to mine. He was also a guy from outside the industry who worked hard to break in. The fact that he is also into bike racing like myself is inspirational also.

Who else is involved with you in the process of making your watches? Who is part of your team?

My wife, Claudia, is an artist (see www.claudia-ginnocchio.ch) who studied at the famed Accademie del Arte in Florence, Italy.

It was Claudia who helped me to work empirically. You make many errors by that method, but having that deep passion for the work helps to develop your patience.

We have four watchmakers, who all came from the International Watch Company (IWC), assemble our watches. They are presently at university getting a higher degree. They are all astonished by the huge impacts that little changes make on watches. This is my art.

I say to my children, “If you are bored with your room, paint a wall. You won’t remember the old room. Everything has changed dramatically; only by painting one wall.”

What kind of watches can we expect from Maurice de Mauriac in the future?

We will be starting with tourbillon watches now. Unfortunately, I’m not entirely sure of how to go about this or when they will be ready.

The process for me is as such: head, stomach and heart. These three parts are involved in any of my developments.

Who would you say is the type of clientele your watches are made for?

Our clients include celebrants for birthdays, wedding anniversaries and retirees among others. There are also the aficionados who are giving gifts to themselves.

My clients range in age from 18 to 75 years old.

What message would you like to leave our readers about Maurice De Mauriac?

I want my creations to give off positive energy. I hope that each piece can achieve the ability to reward, calm and uplift every one of my clients who work hard daily.

SwipeLife would like to thank Daniel for taking the time to do this interview with us. In an industry where brands like Omega, Patek Phillipe, Breitling, Rolex, Tag Heuer, etc. have secured their place in the world of watches, it’s good to know that a name like Maurice de Mauriac can offer something different that is just as good, if not better, than some of the models the big name labels are offering. Some of us here at SwipeLife are huge watch fans, and we are more than proud to co-sign Maurice de Mauriac as a premier watch brand. We definitely look forward to what Daniel and his company will be coming out with in the years to come.

For more information please visit these sites.

Official Maurice de Mauriac Site
Daniel Dreifuss on Twitter
Maurice de Mauriac ‘s YouTube Channel
Maurice de Mauriac on Flickr

Introduction and conclusion by Felson Sajonas
Interview by Dresden Baluyot
Edits by Jason Rodriguez
Images courtesy of Maurice de Mauriac

The creative process for Spencer Nikosey is a collaborative one that takes place with a team that’s very close to home.

Spencer is the creator of men’s bag line, KILLSPENCER, and his first collections have garnered a lot of attention recently with an immediately recognizable military-inspired design. His practices are innovative for intercepting what would be discarded used military equipment and re-uses the fabrics and materials for the manufacturing of his bags. The result is a product that is chic, masculine, and durable by military specifications.

These concepts all require a screening process from a personal team that he values: his family. Mom and Dad are integral parts of the process, and that involvement started in the years of his youth. His family since those skateboard and drumstick-toting days has extended to a talented bunch of close friends.

Spencer is a very inspired newcomer, and his path to developing the brand is set to a very steady and assured beat.

Thank you for allowing us to conduct this interview Spencer. Our readers will appreciate what you have to share with us. To start off, tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the northern part of the San Fernando Valley, about 45 minutes outside of Los Angeles, in an equestrian community called Bell Canyon. I spent a lot of time outdoors.

So how would did your family, teachers and/or mentors foster your artistic creativity during your youth? Did your surroundings play a role?

Both of my parents are graphic designers, and my grandfather was television’s Mr. Wizard. I had a lot of support when it came to art, music, and sports. Whatever I wanted to learn or try, they were more than encouraging. When I started skateboarding in 5th grade, I remember my friend David and me taking our decks out to my dad’s studio, sanding them down, and repainting them with our own designs. Another time during high school, my band was ready to make t-shirts, so I designed the logo, and my dad and I set up a screen printing operation in our garage and hand printed 100 shirts front and back.

When did you realize this creative potential and did it automatically make sense for you to pursue a formal training ground i.e. university to take it to the next step?

I did my first logo for a sushi restaurant when I was fourteen, making $200. It was my first paying job. The restaurant failed, but my passion for creating was at its height. Not long after that I took it to the next step. I did all the artwork for my band and my friends’ bands – all the CD art, t-shirts, stickers, etc. Those experiences led to a genuine interest in graphic design. At the same time, I also realized that I had a natural ability to invent. I invented things all the time related to my hobbies: skateboarding, dirt jumping, BMX racing, golf, transportation design and drumming. So college was next. After a year of Graphic Design at California College of the Arts, I became interested in Product Design, where I then decided to transfer to Art Center College of Design. Just 4 months ago, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Product Design.

Was there any hesitation or perhaps other callings for another profession before committing to bag design? This is the set-up to the ever-popular question: What would you be doing if not a men’s bag designer?

Oh yeah. I have been playing the drums seriously since I was eleven. I studied the Gruber Method, a drum theory dedicated to complete limb independence, which gives you the technical freedom to play just about anything. This was my deepest passion, and still is. Design is cool because there’s a delayed gratification of spending a lot of time crafting an idea, reworking it, and making a final product. Music is the opposite, especially improvisation. The immediate rush and energy, which only happens once, is what makes music what it is all about.

Take us briefly through your professional background. Where have you worked before launching your own company?

I launched my business straight out of school. While in school, I had the opportunity to intern for some great people. Scott Robertson (Design Studio Press) is where I got my first work experience. I spent so much time observing and picking his mind on the business of design and watched him build his business from the start. It was a great time. After that, I worked at an ad agency in Hollywood called BLT as a sketch artist designing movie posters. After that, I worked for the largest independent animation studio in the Valley called Mike Young Productions. I designed a bunch of stuff for them, including their new TV network logo, Kabillion, which is its own channel on Comcast. I also learned a lot when I worked for Brady Caverly at Alchemy Worldwide LLC, understanding mass production and infomercials. I also had a chance to freelance product development at IdeaLab in Pasadena, and furniture design at BlueLounge in Pasadena.

As for KILLSPENCER bags, how did the military-inspired design come into the collections? Is it a goal for you to refine this aesthetic or can we expect to see collections that take a different style direction?

I wanted to develop a completely durable waterproof backpack, but wanted something that was completely unique and had a story behind it. When I found out that there were more sustainable and creative materials out there that most designers don’t typically go to for material choice, I knew immediately I was onto something. With the truck tarp, I found a high performance repurposed alternative. There wasn’t a solution available with this kind of nostalgia and history. I researched that in combat, when a military truck tarp is damaged and no longer useful to the military, it gets sent to a landfill. I intercept the material and use it to make products. I am stoked about the durability, concept and aesthetic of the material. It’s authentic, has a life of its own, and it’s an artifact of our time. Right now, I am focusing on this aesthetic and concept, and I will give it time to develop and mature. There’s still a lot I want to accomplish with this direction before I start something different.

We can certainly appreciate that you are incorporating sustainable materials into your bag collections. Describe these practices for our readers. What materials and/or practices are involved in the making of KILLSPENCER bags?

A lot of products get used for a short period of time, and they are essentially designed to be replaced. My goal with KILLSPENCER is to design products that are intended to function forever. To me, there is nothing more sustainable than that. I am using an assortment of military spec components, from 4000 lb. test mil spec 1.75” webbing to patented cobra buckles used for jumping out of airplanes. The goal is to take high concept materials that are sustainable, repurposed and to reuse them. I want to give them a new life, meaning and form. Another thing that a lot of people don’t know is that I design and hand sew every sample in my studio and manufacture everything here in Los Angeles, 9 miles away from my studio. It’s really great to be able to oversee manufacturing. This is a great freedom.

Please explain your favorite sources of inspiration for the creative process whether that’s other designers, travel, sport, media outlets, hobbies, etc.

I am in love with a few things that keep me on the ball. One is Hype Machine. There’s a lot of great music on there that keeps me going musically. Also, Audible.com allows me to download and listen to books while I work. It’s great to be able to get through a book or two a week while you are in the flow of working. Sometimes I get through a book before lunch. The most inspiring authors as of late include Seth Godin, Ovid, and Robert Greene. I’ve read this book, 100 Great Business and the Minds Behind Them, over and over.

As far as designers, I am always inspired by Bobby Chang. He created InCase and has become my good friend and mentor. His way of thinking always challenges me to open my eyes and create. The reason why I bought a sewing machine was because of his advice. Originally, I was under the impression, like most product designers, that I would design the tech packs and send out the design to be made. Well, that doesn’t quite work that effectively. So, thanks to Bobby, I can make just about anything now.

Another friend and designer I’m inspired by is Dustin Arnold. He not only graduate a few years before I did, but he came back and taught a couple of terms. To have a professor the same age as me, drove me to work even harder at my craft. His work is so detailed, powerful, thoughtful and original.

What is your mission statement for KILLSPENCER?

To create premium artifacts, handcrafted in Los Angeles by a master, using the best materials and parts found. The most important aspect is function. The design ideas are innovative, simple and must be executed at high-level standards.

It must be taxing to run a company. That’s why it’s so important to have a reliable team to help in your efforts. Can you introduce us to some of your team?

I am fortunate to have a lot of super talented friends and family, who helped make this brand what it is. First and foremost is my girlfriend, Deepika Chopra, who comes from a business and psychology background. She handles the business side of things. She is the smartest person I know. My parents are always there to help out which I’m finding is a rare and special thing. They are dope. When I need photography done, Kevin Ou is there for me. Film is by Lex Halaby, and music creation and production is done by Tyler Burton (VXTOR). My friend, Shant, came through during some tough times as well.

Blogs and online magazines present so many opportunities for designers to market their brand. There has been a wave of positive feedback from the online community about your collection. Now that there is this momentum, how do you move forward with brand development for KILLSPENCER?

I’m so fortunate for all the positive (and negative) feedback. The best part is getting in touch with customers, which has enabled me to respond to their needs and desires, and then I can take action towards it. One thing that has evolved is KILLSPENCER Bespoke. I work with special clients to design and develop premium custom projects under the KILLSPENCER label. I am continuing to develop and expand the current KILLSPENCER product offering at my own pace.