Hypebeast Road Trips Portland

In our inaugural episode of HYPEBEAST Road Trips Portland, we head up the Pacific Northwest and check into Portland, Oregon. Long known as the home of both footwear and sporting history, Portland’s own hometown product of Danner has been providing the world with rugged and timeless boots extending over fashion, work, and the armed forces. Dating back to 1932 and conceived by Charles Danner, its inception was during a time of uncertainty with the Great Depression. However an acute attention to quality and detail ensured Danner secured a place in history with a lasting impression in multiple contexts. We head down to the Danner factory to gain some understanding in one of the most important and respected pieces of equipment deemed “essential” on the line. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s episode with Shwood’s Crafting Process.

Following up to the first installment of HYPEBEAST Road Trips, where we showed you Danner‘s bootmaking facilities, we now shed light on another Portland, Oregon-based brand. Home to some of the most reputable multinational companies and locally-owned establishments, Portland’s diverse, close-knit landscape continues to attract creatives from around the world, adding to the all-embracing pool of talent. One of such companies is the experimental eyewear brand Shwood. Joined by founder and designer Eric Singer as he narrates the manufacturing process of each handcrafted pieces — from the individual plies of wood (sustainably harvested), to the finished frame fitted with Italian-made Carl Zeiss lenses. Unique characteristics from the wood used can be seen in each pair of sunglasses Shwood produces, intersecting nature with innovation. Check back in the next few days as we release the next installment to HYPEBEAST Road Trips with Tanner Goods.

Following up to Wednesday’s episode of HYPEBEAST Road Trips in Portland, Oregon, where we featured the crafting process of Shwood sunglasses, we now take you to the facilities of Tanner Goods where Taylor Ahlmark shows us his favorite machine of the trade — the clicker press. Taking the same concept as a cookie cutter, this hydraulic press cuts out desired shapes from soft materials — leather being Tanner Good’s specialty — using a sharp metal impression known as a die. Here we see one of Ahlmark’s favorite accessories, the Tanner Goods camera strap taking shape. Be sure to visit Tanner Goods‘s web page for more information. Check back next week as we release the next installment to HYPEBEAST Road Trips with Antonio Brasko.

For the fourth episode of HYPEBEAST Road Trips in Portland, Oregon, we are joined by art director, designer and brand influencer Antonio Brasko for a special Pen & Paper — not so much involving pens, nor paper, but rather an art form that bridges art, fashion and design all into one. Joined at his creative studio, Brasko explains in detail the inspiration being the clever Spray Can Project and his creative approach when undertaking such projects. Having worked with a number of influential brands such as EA, Nike, Dr. Martens and Intel, the streetwear-savvy designer lets us in on why he calls Portland home. Check the video above for a special Brasko reiteration of the HYPEBEAST name.

Having left off with a Pen & Paper from Antonio Brasko in our last episode of HYPEBEAST Road Trips in Portland, we now take you to another Portland — in actuality, global — point of interest, the prolific advertising agency that is Wieden+Kennedy. Founded in the early ’80s by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, the independently-owned agency’s presence can be found all over the world, from cities such as New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Tokyo, London and Delhi to name a few. The magnitude of W+K is only realized after its client list and past works are brought to light, names such as Coca-Cola, Levi’s, Old Spice, Kraft, Procter & Gamble and Nike immediately jump out — just take a wild guess at who created Nike’s iconic “JUST DO IT.” slogan.

Joined by former Global Executive Creative Director and visionary John C Jay, we are taken through the Brad Cloepfil (Allied Works Architecture)-lead design in which we are told how the project became “the blind leading the blind” along with a rundown of the defining features in the structure. Watch the video above for an inside look at Wieden+Kennedy’s culture and to hear the enriching words of John Jay.

Our final episode of HYPEBEAST Road Trips in Portland takes us to the kitchen of Greg Denton of OX Restaurant. Inspired by the wood-fired grills used in traditional Argentinian cuisine, the OX restaurant infuses ingredients and techniques from not only Argentina, but Spain, France and Italy — it was only fitting that the name of the animal used in maintaining the vital fields of these countries was chosen. Walking us through one of the OX’s signature dishes, Smoked Marrow Bone in Clam Chowder, Denton starts off by adding fresh clams to the chowder broth and bringing the contents to a boil. This cooks the clams and in return, allows the juice and flavor of the clams to merge with the broth. Taking the marrow bone out from the low temperature smoker, the bone is topped with fleur de sel (a salt used for garnishing rather than cooking), bread crumbs and finally, five slices of jalapeno pepper.

Continuing our coverage of Rip City‘s myriad craft offerings, here we explore the Danner Factory and Store in Northeast Portland. With both the factory and the store having opened in 2010, the facility represents a uniform housing for Danner’s proud domestic production, as well as its direct connection to Portland’s community. The store portion immerses visitors in 4,000 square feet of the brand’s outdoorsy aesthetic, showcasing Danner’s specialization in outdoor, hunting, military, casual and workwear. The store also brings consumers face-to-face with the Recrafting Department, which reinterprets used boots and other goods into contemporary pieces. Behind the storefront is the factory, which employs a select group of craftsmen to meticulously produce Danner’s select range of pieces. Enjoy a tour of the Danner Factory and Store above, provided courtesy of Brandon Shigeta.