iPhone snaps finished in ShakeItphoto from last month’s trip to the West coast.

After landing in San Francisco, we drove north on Highway 1 to Gualala for a friend’s wedding. We spent a couple of days there (we stayed in one of the houses at St Orres) and then drove inland to Anderson Valley and a two-day stay at The Madrones, just outside Philo. This was a lovely interlude. We explored the Hendy Woods State Park, sadly slated for closure next year, and the nearby Apple Farm, which was one of the most quietly beautiful places I’ve visited. If you’re ever in the area, stay there. Both nights we ate at Table 128 at the Boonville Hotel. This was a real treat – charming, unassuming service, excellent local wines and deliciously fresh and mostly locally grown food.

We headed back to San Francisco where we holed up in an old B&B in the Mission district. Highlights for me were visiting Unionmade in Castro and eating a stupendously good meal at Bar Tartine. Unionmade must represent a new pinnacle in retail – great brand mix, loving attention to detail and unobtrusive, friendly staff. I also got to hang out with my old friend Russell Quinn, now digital director of McSweeney’s. Russell took us to Mission Street Food and we also spent a nice afternoon drinking Guinness with Lucky Peach editor Chris Ying – good inspiration for CPH Meal.

And that was that.

#bar tartine #boonville hotel #gualala #hendy woods #lucky peach #madrones #mcsweeneys #mendocino county #mission #san francisco #st orres #unionmade

Nike’s collaborations with underground designers have always left me cold. My cynical brain just perceived a monolithic global corporation that saw a way to ingratiate itself among subcultural movers and shakers and remained aloof. Unfortunately for my wallet, however, the moral high ground was never mine to occupy. It turns out I was never impervious to Nike’s branding efforts – they just hadn’t found my sweet spot.

The company’s collaboration with Jun Takahashi’s Undercover Lab passed me by for the first few seasons but earlier this month I read about the latest Gyakusou line on Inventory and immediately felt a pang of desire for one of the pictured items (the short-sleeve tee in a lovely subdued orange).

Some rapid linkhopping led me to the exquisite ‘Running Monks’ video above. This was the clincher. I fell hook, line and sinker for the execution – three impassive Japanese dudes about my age running through forests and temples to a glacially minimal ambient soundtrack.

The video is a beautiful way to present the products and, when coupled with the launch strategy, you can see how the line ticks a lot of boxes for style-conscious runners who want to separate themselves from the flock:

• Strictly limited edition
• Obscure Japanese credentials
• Not mass marketed (quietly spread on A-list men’s style blogs)
• Only available at select retailers

It’s insidious this. Nike are saying that it doesn’t matter how outside the status quo you consider yourself, they can identify that space, colonise it and get your money. As we speak, they are ‘doing the metrics’ on how to get more ‘share of wallet’ from a group of Belgian nudists whose only form of transport  is pogo sticks.

#gyakusou #nike #undercover lab

I shot a roll of colour film on a lovely trip to the West coast last month. My dad gave me an old Canon FTb earlier this year and this was the first time using it.

For me, the texture of film is ineffably more lovely than digital but I was surprised by how much more pleasure I got from shooting with this camera. Knowing that you have so few exposures gives you pause, slows you down, makes you more decisive. My favourite moment was staring out at the sea in a quiet cove just outside Gualala waiting for the breakers to foam. The result is the first picture above.

Not all the shots were successful but those that were can be found here.

#canon ftb #gualala #kodak #san francisco