If you haven’t had time to swing by the shop recently, then you probably haven’t seen the new Bush & Leavenworth collection. The Fall 2011 collection includes button ups, tees, and outerwear. Bush & Leavenworth has put together an impressive lookbook for the collection as well, featuring music by Time Chariot. Do you appreciate media aesthetics? I mean, there’s the application of rule of thirds, dramatic lighting, inductive storyboarding, and shallow depth field all over the place here. Check it out, preferably in HD video snobs.

Bush + Leavenworth – Fall 2011 Collection from bush + leavenworth on Vimeo.

DSSF: You are responsible for designing a range of accessories, including jewelry, scarves, and various wraps. Is there a medium you prefer to work with?
RWD: At the moment my favorite medium to focus on is Jewelry. But at the same time I am constantly trying to incorporate my abstract style in painting into the designs as well. Keeping things as organic and unique as possible.

DSSF: How do you begin designing a jewelry piece?
RWD: Different energy I catch on a daily basis. People inspire me, things I dream up inspire me. I have allot of inspiration from the hidden natural world. Then of course world style inspires me. Every on this planet decorating themselves differently is a huge inspiration.

DSSF: What is your process behind designing the wraps?
RWD: The Fur Wraps and Headdresses are all hand made by myself using sewing and stitching techniques that keep them strong enough for your cousin Randy to get down on a couple of mud slides without having them rip off. The fur wraps are all uniquely died and the new feather headdresses all use recycled jean material (thank you joe’s) and vintage fabric I find around the city, usually at estate sales. Then the magic all happens when you piece together the color combinations.

DSSF: Who do you design for?
RWD: You. Who ever you may be. Really. I wanted to make things as gifts for people like you to have for yourself, or give as a gift to someone else. There is nothing like a hand made, NICE gift, and if you can find something that speaks to you then you can feel great about giving it as a gift while simultaneously supporting the artist.

DSSF: How did you first get into designing?
RWD: I watched my mother ‘decorate herself’ when I was a child and it stuck. We as humans love to decorate ourselves in unique ways. Our homes too. It’s our style, and it’s totally normal for it to change constantly, thus giving me the drive to constantly design beautiful things.

DSSF: Which designers inpsire you?
RWD: Many, many designers. I have a great respect and admiration for true, hard working artists that pour their weirdness, dirty sweat and tears into their pieces. Many artists. Many elderly artist inspire me actually too. They seem to have attained the wisdom in which takes years and years of creativity. And they seem pretty happy, or just far out. This inspires me. Past success, present creativity, future contentment.

DSSF: Aside from designing, what are you passionate about?
RWD: Travel. I enjoy traveling. There’s nothing else like it. You can’t take anything that will give you that feeling of “you’re on your own now.” It’s a a doorway to the natural self.

DSSF: Are you responsible for the photography on your blog?
RWD: Yes. I LOVE photography. I love all that goes into it. All those girls (so far) are friends of mine too. I am blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people all the time.

DSSF: You are based out of Northern California currently, is that where you originally are from?
RWD: Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I was born on Nantucket and grew up in Harwich. Small gyspy living where summers are busy and winters are full of secret beaches and sea shells.

DSSF: What inspires your designs?
RWD: Animals, ethnic wardrobe, salt water fish, the bohemian beach lifestyle an Geometry.

DSSF: Are you involved in any other creative outlets?
RWD: Most of what you could think up I can say I have taken part of. Painting has always been a creative outlet. I had a year long project I called 365 days of painting that I was working on for a while but recently took a beak from that. You can google it or just visit my blog. Ceramics holds a big piece of my heart and then Print making is a secret passion I’ve had for years.

DSSF: What materials do you work with?
RWD: Loads of different beads. Most are recycled from buckets of jewelry thrown away. Useful vintage material is always wonderful. Brass is my more used material as it does not tarnish. You can create something beautiful without having to break the bank too.

DSSF: How long does it take to design a new product from conception to finish?
RWD: There are three stages of the process. Figuring out what it is I want to make tangible, working on it, then editing it. It can take months to figure out the perfect way to make something. Plus every day it gets better.

This Friday D-Structure will be partying it up with our buddies from Bush and Leavenworth to celebrate the launch of their new Fall 2011 line, and you can come too! No really, you should totally come. Because beyond our company, there will be awesome deals on button ups, sweaters, jackets, and tees! 30-50%, it’s a recession baby, we know you’re hurting and are here to help. Plus, you’ll get to check out all the new gear we just got in stock.

Limited art prints and other give aways will be offered on a first come first basis, to those who RSVP. In standard D-Structure style, complimentary drinks will be provided, maybe even refilled if we think you’re cute.

RSVP to let us know how nice we need to look.

Featured artist of the month for May, Sara Gerstel, has just finished a very “puny” commercial for Togo’s. If you haven’t already, check out her Artist Interview. We told you her animation was rad!

DSSF: How was Vaughn de Heart formed?
VH: While I was in college in Washington State I made some t shirts for a fraternity that I was president of. About a year after I made the shirts and had graduated college I was walking around a mall in southern California wearing the fraternity shirt I designed. This mall was hundreds of miles away from where the shirts were sold and out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw someone wearing one of the same shirts I made. I asked him where he got the shirt from and he said he bought it from a thrift store. He had no idea what the shirt was for and had no connection to the University, or the fraternity. He just liked the design and said he wears it as much as he can and that people always ask him about it. The rest of that day I didn’t say much, I just reflected on what had happened. The one day in our lifetimes that he and I cross paths both of us were wearing the same shirt I had made. The odds were too much for me. Before all of this I had realized how much I liked making clothing, but I put it on the back burner. I had bought a laptop, design programs, made designs, and had already come up with the brand name Vaughn de Heart. However I did not have the courage to begin. This event gave me the courage.

DSSF: Where did you get the name for your brand?
VH: Vaughn is part of my middle name Le’Vaughan. The, “de Heart” which means, “of Heart” is something that I strive to be. I try to show heart and passion in what I do.

DSSF: Who are your designers?
VH: Currently I am the only designer for Vaughn de Heart.

DSSF: What inspires the designs?
VH: Fear is a big inspiration. Starting a clothing brand was the biggest fear that I had. The first shirt I made reads, “Les gens courageux.” This is French for, “The fearless ones.” I made this because I conquered my fear. A love of languages also inspires me I really like how certain things sound and are spelled in various languages. And sometimes my inspiration comes from the most random of things. Any and everything from a Facebook comment, to an old boat.

DSSF: Who do you design for?
VH: My designs are for the people that understand and believe in the idea and message of courage and heart. It is the message that my clothing exudes right down to the very tag on the shirt. It’s also for those that just the feeling of well made, great fitting independent clothing.

DSSF: Where do you see your company going in the future?
VH: I want to continue to grow my online presence. I want to keep making things that are limited edition so that every item feels special. Also I want to make more non t shirt items. I released a collection where I made hoodies, cardigans, henleys and thermals. I want to make more of those kinds of items in addition to t shirts.

DSSF: Are there any other designers that inspire you personally?
VH: Yes there are a few. Jon Contino of onetwentysix and CXXVI. His style is so unique and American. All of his illustrations and typography are hand drawn. Benny Gold is another he has one of the most successful streetwear labels out right now, but I give him even more credit for his design portfolio outside of his own label. Companies like HUF, Mash, Nike, and Real Skateboards.

DSSF: Outside of apparel design, are you involved in any other creative outlets?
VH: Public speaking is one of my hobbies. I was part of Toastmasters (A public speaking club) and I still enjoy giving speeches and writing. To me, the two are actually pretty similar. I feel that designing and speaking are both about effectively communicating a message. The medium may be different but the goal is the same.

DSSF: If you weren’t a designer, what would you do instead?
VH: I would be a motivational speaker. If you can’t follow your own dream I think the next best thing is to help others find and follow theirs.

Vaughn de Heart
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Supremebeing is continuing their White Canvas Project this month featuring work from SheOne, Will Barras, and Mr. Jago; to name a few. The White Canvas Project aims to explore what people perceive as a canvas, promoting artists to expand beyond traditional blank surfaces and consider their environment as a potential medium. The gallery will open October 13 with the reception running from 6:00-9:00pm and will hang until October 17. More information on the even can be found here.

Check out this clip from PBS’ documentary exploring the history and significance of typography.

In anticipation for the presumed destruction of the East Coast, courtesy Hurricane Irene, our buddies at BreakawayINK apparel are having a sale. Until midnight tonight BreakawayINK is offering 30% off all merchandise with free delivery. Just enter the code “IRENE30″ at check out. If you order today you will have an already dry t-shirt for after the flooding stops!

The story behind Someshine starts in the humble sketches and scribbles of the curious designers, growing into posters on the walls. They are the offspring of the surf, skate, snow, street, punk, ska, and hardcore subculture that fostered and inspired them.

In vein with their “against establishment” beginnings, the brand continues to grow focusing on the creative collective spirit of said subcultures. Their mission is to help foster, create, push, and contribute to the movements that have given them so much.

The Someshine name describes the type of character that boldly walks through the everyday struggles. They don’t give in and we don’t give up.
“In the process we will bleed, we will sweat, and we will shine.”

You can check out men’s and women’s Someshine apparel in store now!

DSSF: Where is Someshine based from?
SS: Ocean Beach / San Francisco, California

DSSF: Does Some Shine have a mission statement or purpose behind the line?
SS: To help foster, create, push, and contribute to the movements that have given us so much.

DSSF: How did you come up with the name Someshine, and is there any significance behind it?
SS: It all started with scribbles on walls. The Someshine name has come to describe the type of character that boldly walks through the everyday struggles. We don’t give in and we don’t give up. In the process we will bleed, we will sweat, and we will shine.

DSSF: Who are your designers?
SS: Deathface, Dannyboy Smith, Mick Monahan, David Mendoza, James Dunn, and more to come.

DSSF: Do you work in any other mediums aside from printing?
SS: Not yet, but would like to get into producing films.

DSSF: How would you describe your brand?
SS: In vein with our “against establishment” beginnings, the brand continues to grow focusing on the creative collective spirit of the surf, skate, snow, street, punk, ska, hardcore subcultures.

DSSF: Who is your brand designed for?
SS: The active and re-active

DSSF: Where would you like to see your brand go in the future?
SS: Hope to see the brand continue to grow with more artists. We’ll see…

DSSF: What is your process behind designing a shirt?
SS: Starts with an idea, followed by a whole bunch of sketches on paper. I prefer pencil and paper, although some are photographs of work from our street work). After cleaning up some of the sketches, it’s then inked, scanned or photographed, then vectorized and printed to film, which is used to burn to screen, then printed.

DSSF: Anything currently in the works at Someshine?
SS: We’ve been working on a whole bunch of new designs as well as collaborations. Keep an eye out for some new shine!

Jewelry designer Verameat (aka Vera Balyura) is opening a flagship store and unveiling a new collection of twisted pieces, inspired by animals. To celebrate the release, Verameat is hosting a party July 2nd offering free smoothies starting at 1 pm. Other tempting hors d’oeuvres include dinosaur cookies, wine, cupcakes, and did I mention 25% off! As much as I would love to attend this event, it’s in New York City. However, if you are on the east coast and craving some fossil-themed baked goods and bad-ass jewelry, check this party out. The address is 315 E. 9th St. NYC.

If you’re feeling depressed that you can’t make the 3,000 mile trip in time, you’re in luck! We carry many of Verameat’s pieces here at D-Structure SF. Shown on my tragically un-manicured hands is the “3-Finger Knot Duster” ring.

Get more information on the event and new store here.