This Is Oakland // Maple Street Denim

First off, imagine me squealing with excitement and doing a massively embarrassing happy dance.

Now that that is out of the way, may I introduce you to my new neighbor: Julie of Maple Street Denim, opened this summer on 9th St a block away from Crown Nine.

GRAND OPENING PARTY

Saturday OCT 4th

 

4-6pm @ 465 9TH ST

You should go.  It's gonna be way fun.

The Maple Street motto: "Quality Clothing for Quality People."

You, dear reader, are said quality people, so get your cute little butt down to her shop and let her work her magic on you.  Julie has helped me pick out jeans over the years (she used to work at Slash Denim) and never failed to get me into the exact right size and fit.  In general, she make me feel like a goddamn boss in some boss-ass jeans.  She is a denim wizard.

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I made Julie gimme the low-down on her and the shop, enjoy!

What is your philosophy for picking out the right pair of jeans with a client?

The goal is to always get somebody into jeans that are going to make them feel really good, so getting the right fit is the most important thing.  So I always ask first what kind of cut they want (skinny, straight, boot cut, etc) and then we go from there. Having a deep knowledge of my inventory and knowing how everything is cut makes it easy.   I usually start by grabbing a few pairs for them and asking them to SHOW me the way they fit when they’re on. Once I see them on, I can really hone in and see what is working or what isn’t.  Interesting fact, about 90% of people think they have “weird bodies” and “jeans never fit” but the fact is, they just haven’t ever bought the right thing, nobody’s body is actually weird. That is like my personal crusade, especially for women…. stop blaming your body!  As far as knowing what size people are, I just have special denim magic that I can’t really explain.  I’ve just been doing it a long time and have gotten good at knowing sizes almost just by looking.


Top things in the shop you are bananas about?

1.  Outerwear from Gerald & Stewart by Fidelity: Amazing outerwear for men and women, made in Boston by a company that started out as a contractor for the US Navy since 1941. Incredible craftsmanship, jackets that you’ll have the rest of your life
2.  Levi’s Made & Crafted - Marker tapered boyfriend cut for women - finally a boyfriend fit that isn’t just men’s jeans with a higher price tag. Tapered and slim through the leg with a looser fitting, comfy top. Perfect every day jeans in a super soft fabric.
3.  Nooworks dresses - Made in the Bay Area! Two styles, lots of prints and fabrics, super flattering easy to wear dresses with an incredible price point. Been selling through these like crazaaaayyyyyy

Top things you are massively pumped for?  

1.  My grand opening party tomorrow!
2.  Plaid Friday!
3.  Trunk show with James Jeans
4.  Starting my very own brand of denim! This could take some time, but I’m really really really excited about getting started


What’s the deal with The Boss?

Are you kidding? What ISN’T the deal with the BOSS? I have been a big fan of Bruce Springsteen since I was a little kid. The first big concert I ever went to was the Boss in 6th grade with my best friend Meaghan Moran and her mom. It was the Tunnel of Love Express Tour, which for Boss fans we know is kinda lame, but I was 11, so give me a break. His songs have always just resonated with me and I think he’s got a really insightful view on our culture.  Most people just think of Born in the USA when they think of the Boss and they think it’s like this rah-rah-rah USA!USA!USA! fight song, but it isn’t. His songs are both a celebration of America and a harsh critique of what is wrong with it. I could always relate to that. Mostly being a Boss Nerd Superfan is really just funny. I mean, it’s Bruce F**king Springsteen. His live shows are legendary and it’s no exaggeration. He’s an incredible performer. Also, I touched him once. So basically we’re best friends.

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Get to Know Solee Darrell

Yay!  So pumped to share with you our newest gal, Solee Darrell.  Solee will be working with me upstairs making jewelry.  Solee studied metalsmithing at Sterling Quest in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Mexico, and is working on her own line of jewelry too.  She is a bright light, a total jewelry aficionado, and a welcoming spirit.  So happy she has joined team Nine!

We asked her a few essential questions so you can get to know her a bit:

1// What inspires you?
What inspires me most is other women! I love meeting women who have they're own distinctive sense of style and getting the chance to see the world through their eyes.

2// What is your favorite jewelry piece?
I have so many amazing pieces of jewelry that I've collected through the years. I have made some amazing rings that I love but of course they are always first to sell. I would have to say that my all time favorite piece of jewelry is a gold coin necklace that my mom got me for Christmas a couple of years ago. I always wear it when I'm going on a plane or when I'm doing something really important because it makes me feel a little safer.








3// Favorite Oakland spots for

Cocktails: Cafe van Kleef. I crave those greyhounds.
Beers:  Beer Revolution 
Burgers: In n Out, forever and always
Pizza:  Hi-life 
Fancy-Shmancy Date Night: MUA. Great ambiance great food.
Music:  The Fox Theater. It's beautiful in there!
Surpise us: Lake Merritt has been so good to me this summer. I love sitting on the cement slabs with some beer and friends.  And I recently discovered Oakland Floats. It's a deprivation tank spa! If you haven't tried it you need to! The coolest way to relax

Follow her @soleedarrell

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Top 100 Shops 2014!

Still catching my breath... so beyond honored to have been chosen as one of the Top 100 Shops 2014 by the SF Chronicle.  The story was featured in the Sunday Style section; we were nominated by taste-maker and author of This is Oakland book Melissa Davis.  I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful it feels to be recognized in this way.

It is also so lovely to see all the traction in Oakland.  I love this city, with all it's complexity and layers and I am so proud to call it my home both personally and professionally.

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us over the years-- my little dream is nothing without the community of people who appreciate and love what we are doing, not to mention our bad-ass team-- Christina and Solee I'm talking to you!

Thank you!  So full!

In celebration, we are offering a 10% discount through October for those on our email list.


High-five everybody!

L O V E + M E T A L

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SHOUT OUT // Bestie By Line

So incredibly proud of my sweet, fiery best friend whose article is the cover feature in this week's East Bay Express.  The story outlines very troubling truths about sex-trafficking in Oakland and beyond, and the people who are trying to change the laws to better serve the underage girls who get trapped in the system.  Congrats on a job well done lady- we need people like you shining the light so we all can see. xoxo

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New Arrivals from Brooklyn to the Bay

It's like Christmas morning every time I get a nice new box of jewels from one of our amazing artists, and this week we are the luckiest kids on the block.  

WELCOMING NEW DESIGNERS

Claire Kinder | Brooklyn NY

R.E. Elle | Brooklyn NY

NEW WORK BY

Amanda Hunt | SF

Kate Ellen Metals | Oakland {Hey, that's me!}

Aiko Designs | Oakland

Corey Egan | SF

Claire Buck | Austin TX

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This is Oakland // Book Release

Tour some of Oakland's best restaurants and retail nestled in 5 distinctive neighborhoods. A nice little sliver of our big, beautiful and complex city.

Flipping through the dense and rich photography of the pages, I was astonished at how many places I had never been to or heard about.  It reads like the best kind of to-do list.   And!  Old Oakland has a beautiful little spread featuring all my pals in the neighborhood, and yours truly!

The book sold out in the shop on it's first day and I am getting more in today.  Come in to the store or get it online.

Also, save the date for a super fun launch party taking place next weekend in Old Oakland to celebrate the launch of the book.

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In The Studio

I finally got around to cleaning up and making pretty my mezzanine studio above the shop.  Common issue for creative types is to spend zero time making the working space conducive to creating.  But having a clean, organized, and aesthetically beautiful space to do my most important work seems pretty basic and important, like a big forehead smacking 'DUH'.

Since the space really is utilized for making, it often gets untidy and dirty (like actual dirt, grime, and dust) so there are limits to how much 'pretty' to put into a space like this.  I found just hanging a few pieces of art, adding a plant or two, and organizing my tools really transformed the space.  Take a peek, and enjoy.

Turquoise Woman by Obi Kaufmann

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LOVE STRUCK // Andrew + Sequoia

Meet Andrew and Sequoia, two of my most beloved clients who recently tied the knot in Oakland.  The duo is aspiring to become restaurateurs, currently satiating their appetite with a beautiful blog CASA PEPE, overflowing with gorgeous photos and recipes that any food lover will drool over.  Keep your eyes on these two, the restaurant they are dreaming up is bound to be exceptional.

I remember when Andrew stopped by the shop back when it was still in the alley, he was so sweet and nervous-- not about the decision to ask Sequoia to be his wife {which he was so certain about}, but about getting the ring part right, and getting up the nerve to actually ask her.  He popped by a few times before deciding exactly what he wanted to get for her, and together we designed a Classic Engagement ring for her.  Later they came back in and got their wedding bands, he picked the Classic Wedding Band and she paired her diamond with a simple mitsuro style Feather Band.  They were so fun and easy to work with-- I knew their wedding day would be a relaxed and joyful day because that is what they embody together.  

Here is their love story in their own words, enjoy.

1// How did you meet, what was your initial impression?

SEQUOIA: We met at a dive bar- The Graduate to be exact. My friend literally dragged me out of the house right after I had returned from a most fucked up trip to Argentina. A cute boy, Andrew, walked up to me and offered to light my cigarette. For the rest of the night we spoke only Spanish to each other, in fact he introduced himself as Andrés. He called me for dinner an appropriate 3 days later and the rest is history. 

ANDREW:  We met at a dive called the Graduate.  I though she was super cute and offered to buy her and her friend a Fernet.  She didn't really seem interested in me, and I was acting pretty sassy, she'll probably say she thought I was gay and latino.  We talked about our favorite public television chef José Andrés.  She invited me over to her place to watch a documentary on Frida.  PS. that's all that went down.  Neither one of us was looking for love but we sure found it.  

2 // A memorable moment from dating prior to getting engaged?

SEQUOIA:  We've had some really great trips- Spain, New York and Portland to name a few… But the best times to me are the times that we had, sitting around the house drinking coffee, listening to NPR and cooking. There's nothing sexier than a man in an apron.

ANDREW:  We had a really long and crazy date about a month in.  We'd gone to the Jeremiah O'Brian, that docked old merchant marine ship in SF, for some kind of an all day beer drinking event.  It was kind of a shit show, she got pretty upset that someone tried to give her watermelon flavored beer.  Then I took her to a bunch of old man bars in North Beach and Chinatown.   We might have broken up and gotten back together that day.  I think that date really tested our compatibility. 

3 // How did you become engaged?

SEQUOIA:  Andrew proposed on our 3 year anniversary in the middle of the street, in from of the same liquor store that he had told me he loved me for the first time- a week after we met.

ANDREW:  It was her birthday three years after we had met.  I took her to the Claremont for a "staycation".  We went down to College to get some dinner and I was trying to work up the courage to pop the question.  There's a parking lot there that's in front of a liquor store, I know it's not glamorous but it was the first place I told her that I loved her, so it has a special significance to us.  She started crying when she saw the ring and then she said, "Yes."

4// Favorite moments from your wedding.  Did you have any special ritual or tradition?

SEQUOIA: We spent the night away from each other, which was very unusual for us. When I arrived and saw him standing at the end of the aisle- it felt like such a homecoming. He looked unbelievably handsome. We held each others hands so tight. Feeling the love and support of our friends and family around us, as we said our vows with the sun shining through the tree branches, was a dream.

Also, our wedding party gave some of the most heartfelt, beautiful and hilarious speeches, ever. Hearing the blessings and memories from some of our dearest friends was super cool.  And I really do need to mention the food. We are so food oriented that it would be wrong not to salute our fantastic kitchen crew that made one of the best meals of my life.

We didn't really have any rituals but we did dance our asses off. Dancing with my mom, twirling and sobbing, will always be one of my greatest memories. 

ANDREW:  Our wedding was magic.  It was a DIY Oakland style affair.  We had the ceremony in Joaquin Miller and the reception a the Starline Social Club.  Having so many family and friends in one place is almost overwhelming.  The actual event went by so fast its like one great moment in time.  It makes me feel lucky to have so many people willing to give us love and support.  We had lost some important people in our lives in the previous couple of years so it was important to keep them in our thoughts.  

photo by Dustin Cantrell

photo by Dustin Cantrell

photo by Dustin Cantrell

5// The magic ingredient is: 

SEQUOIA:  FIRE! I'm Spanish and he's Italian so there's never a dull moment. But we follow the golden rule of never going to sleep mad at each other. OH and SALT! Andrew always says- when you think you've added enough salt- add twice as much!

ANDREW: We are partners in life.  We stick together with unconditional love and affection.   But we don't kill each other because we know how to fight and compromise.  


L O V E + M E T A L

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Oakland's Style // Hella Antinormal

Caught this video on NY Times, a sweet little chat with some of the stylish folks in the Town. It really captures what is so hard to explain to someone who is not from Oakland--they got it so I won't explain it.  We are not the Brooklyn of the West Coast, we have our own flavor.  Hats off Oaklanders, and I hope I run into these folks sometime soon.

Street Style in Oakland, California

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UPCOMING EVENTS // Christy Natsumi Trunk Show

Christy Natsumi is a gem among gems.  She is a rising star among Bay Area jewelry talent, recently featured on Daily Candy.  Her new collection, 'Petite Rebels' has the prettiest little spiky bits in silver and gold, all easy to pile up in layers.  And if you haven't met her yet, you need to-- she will put a smile of your beautiful face.  Promise.

Come on by for a lazy Saturday afternoon of jewelry finds and strong cocktails, she'll be offering some special discounts to our Crown Nine family.  xoxo

This is our sweet gal right here.  Put May 17th on your calendar and come meet this maven xo

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Oakland Rising // Old Oakland Tour

Old Oakland has changed so much since I first opened shop here over two years ago.  We all had a dream that if we built it, they would come.  And they have come.  The street is constantly buzzing with people coming to enjoy the incredible restaurants and retail-- what use to be dead and asleep for years and years is now alive and full of energy.

I was sitting out in front of Caffe 817 this morning with my pal Josh {who manages the Friday Farmers Market}, and each of us enjoying a cup of coffee while waving and saying hey to all our neighbors and fellow business owners.  I turned to him and just said, "God I love this neighborhood!"  It's so true that a place is made up of it's people, and I really love the people here.

This is Oakland is book soon to be release featuring a few Oakland neighborhoods, Old Oakland among them.  Lonny asked the book's author and photographer, Melissa Davis and Kirsten Loken respectively, to take them on a walking tour of one featured neighborhood from the book.  Here is their walking tour of Old Oakland.  Enjoy!

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A NEW LOOK

This winter I collaborated with Oakland designer Brian Enright to build a custom table for the shop and for tradeshows.  Brain was a total dream to work with-- he developed the idea for this modular table that comes apart easily to get packed into the back of my Dad's Scion XD.  He did all the metal and wood work, and I can say from experience now that it is incredibly easy to assemble. And goddamn, it is a piece of art.

We debuted it at Coeur LA, and upon returning I made room for it on the main floor.  It looks so at home with the rustic wood, bamboo floors, and layers and layers of beautiful jewelry and art.  The shop looks a little different, just a small tweak but one that feel so warm and refined.  Come by and see it xoxo

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LOVE/MAKE

I love this time of year.  The weather is warming, the light is drawing out the day, and lovebirds are abound for the beginnings of wedding season.  The shop has been busy with all manner of lovers coming in to get prepared for nuptials, celebrate anniversaries, and pop by with new babies.  The energy is fueling, alive, and so fun to be around.  

This April 27th, Kate Ellen Metals will be at LOVE/MAKE, The Bold Italic's first ever wedding expo. I'm especially stoked about it because I love the content The Bold Italic rocks on their blog, and can only assume that their wedding guide/expo will not let you down-- especially for those who are looking for a combo of DIY and local talent to make the day super unique. I'll be there with a roster of Bay Area heavy hitting vendors like Western Editions, Ritual Coffee, Taylor Stitch, Magbooth, and Hunt and Gather.  

Get your tickets here

Check out the Wedding Guide here

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Harena Launch Party

I am beyond excited to share the news: I am finally launching a new collection.

We are having a private launch party for viewing and pre-ordering--as well as a whole *ishload of champagne to celebrate this massive creative process coming to fruition.

I have been designing and thinking about this new work for two years, actually mostly I was just daydreaming, as my hands were so full of the daily tasks of getting Crown Nine up and running. Opening a retail shop is equally harrowing as exhilarating, requiring all of your creative and brain power and spiritual tenacity. Not much was left over for making new things.

But the new shop location has been so warmly embraced that it finally gave me more time to create--and having my studio in the shop has been a literal dream come true.  I am making things everyday, living my aspiration everyday.

The new collection, Harena, means 'sand' in latin.  Sand because all the original models for the series were hand sandcasted right here at Crown Nine.  Sandcasting is the crudest, most ancient form of casting, used by ancient cultures the world over.  The process starts with making an impression in an oily sand mixture, heating the metal until it's molten, then pouring it directly into the sand mold.  The result is a gritty, sandy texture that looks dug out of the earth.  Perfect.

The shapes of the Harena collection come from my travels in the last two years {Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Zion, Yosemite}.  It has characters who have taught me things, like the Crow and the Horse, and lots of silver and gold.  Like a lot of gold.  And sparkly diamonds, offset by pitch black spinel.

Please join us in celebrating, it won't be the same without you.  RSVP

L O V E + M E T A L

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Loren Crosier // Reception

Thanks to all who came out last night to support the beautiful work of Loren Crosier.  Her work looks so at home in the shop, and I think it will feel good at home too (I'm definitely snagging one).  Her source material collecting began when she was just 14 years old-- each composition is like a little story of who she has become in the ten years of building her archive.  Imagine where you were at 14, and what you were visually draw to.  I find it fascinating that her eye was developing at such an early age.  More incredible things to come from this young artist.

You can see her work now through the end of April.  We are going to sell this show out so I would recommend getting your behind down here to pick out your favorite, the show runs $150-$350 for original editions and we also have some prints on hand.  

L O V E + M E T A L

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