AG4DM, Tumi X Troy Reference Shots
Much of the time I have to shoot my own reference images for my illustrations. Sometimes I look like a goof, well most of the time I look like a goof but I do what has to be done to finish the job. These are a few of the images I used in illustrating the Tumi X Troy illustraiton in the Aesthetic Guide for the Dapper Man.
Check it out on Sunflowerman by clicking the button below.
Cadillac Getaway: Topman Store Opening
Topman, the kid brother to the big sister Topshop, recently opened stores in Atlanta and Houston.
I was invited out to the store opening in Atlanta but seeing as I'm in Texas at the moment that wasn't really an option. It just so happened that Houston was opening a store not a month later in the ritzy Galleria mall.
I posted on instagram about the store opening in Atlanta before I left for a week at Baselworld, as was insisted by Topshop.
What I'm most glad about with this Houston store opening, the one I committed to attend, is The Cadillac Getaway. I would not have contacted Cadillac or been connected with @DistrictDrive. My getaway to Galveston and Rice University with Ruth would not have happened.
Seeing Blake Scott and Marcel Floruss wearing Topshop gave me a much higher impression of the brand than I otherwise would have had. In the not so recent past I have been accused of not being contemporary enough, my wife thinks I should probably like more color and pattern and seeing pictures of myself even just two years ago embarrasses me.
This is all to say that you should take any critique I make with a grain of salt, and maybe some cayenne pepper.
This shirt is the only one I liked of the few that I tried on. That's all I have to say about the shirts. They weren't amazing, but they weren't awful either.
The jackets were an interesting story. The first one I tried on was perfect in the arms but wouldn't button up around my thin figure- though I may have put on a few pounds in the last 6 months.
The second was perfect in the arms and buttoned around my waist but was far too broad in the shoulders. I had to try on several sizes and all of them were odd in one way or another.
After attempting three different jacket styles I found one that fit. In a size that I would swear is labeled to big (labeled 38 though in every other brand I'm a 36) but fits great around my chest and waist and might be just sneaking too wide across the shoulders, something I'm not too concerned with.
The highlight of the Topman opening was meeting David (@_fromnytotx). We have a mutual friend in Robert Twitty (@gentsamongmen) from NY. He's working as a stylist at Topman and was a pleasant person to get to know, if only for a few moments.
It seemed appropriate, as a fashion illustrator to take a moment and do some sketching at the store. As an invitee I was given a $100 gift card and two gift bags- one for me and one for my wife who was selflessly snapping shots the whole time.
Selfishly I took even the two $10 gift cards in the gift bags and purchased the $150 jacket as a memento from the opening. I quite like the eclectic green accent to my wardrobe, especially for next years St. Patty's day.
After purchasing the jacket I donned it and began drawing.
It was simple and sweet. Sketching from some of the promotional material hanging around the store. Capturing the aesthetic of the Topman.
I didn't have much time to sketch as we were on our way to Galveston...
More on Galveston in the next Cadillac Getaway post.
Cadillac Getaway
My lovely wife Ruth and I went on a weekend getaway. (more photos of the stops along the way to come)
I had just worked eight days in Switzerland, cool dark nights and bright groggy mornings every day. Wading through crowds of beautiful people and sipping extremely average espresso.
Dallas welcomed me home after 16 hours of travel at 8 in the pm. By 8 the next morning I was on my way down to Belton, TX. Three hours south.
@DistrictDrive dropped off this lovely Cadillac ELR in blazing red at 7 that morning. Convenient, I know. After traveling abroad I was ready to travel nationally. All that I needed to do was pick up my wife.
With the ability to switch between electric and gas the ELR offered us a chance to save on mileage, but with hours of highway driving the 80mpg became more like 35mpg. After driving a Prius for the last 6 months it was nice to have good acceleration. The built in GPS, back up camera and on star service didn't hurt either.
After Belton, Ruth and I were on our way down to Houston for a Topshop/Topman opening. Blue Bell ice cream's factory was on the way so we made a delicious stop there. From Houston we drove down to Galveston to enjoy the beach. After a day of coastal living we drove back up to Houston to visit Rice University.
I'm no petrolhead. I could care less about cars. They are beautiful mechanical creations, but I have no personal interest in their finer points.
What I appreciate is ease of driving, mileage and space for my stuff.
Then there are the extras. The GPS built in. The rear view camera. The controls on the steering wheel. Simple cruise controls. Clear dashboard design. Blind spot warnings on the side view mirrors and vibrating on my butt in the seat.
One complaint. The radio controls were not simple. We figured it out, but they were not simple. Honestly, I want the radio controls to be as easy the cruise control, which was immensely simple and actually quite fun to use.
Thank you @DistrictDrive and Eneuri at Cadillac for loaning us the car.
Here's my disclaimer for you in case you were wondering. We were not payed by @DistrictDrive or Cadillac to share images or kind words. In none of our correspondence did anyone ever ask for compensation in any way.
In the next week or two I will be sharing photos from the Topman opening, Galveston and Rice University. All stops we made along our Cadillac getaway.
Cheers,
Sunflowerman