n.d.c (made by hand)

Images from Selectism

n.d.c (nom de code/code name) claim four key factors in every one of their collections: simplicity, quality, originality and constructional know-how and they've delivered season after season for the past 8 years.

With over ten years of experience in the shoe industry, Arnaud Zannier and Enrique Corbi sought to offer luxurious hand made footwear that would be appreciated by a wide range of customers. All the shoes are crafted and designed to be timeless classics that out-live trends and fashions - something we strongly believe in at Ideology - making them one of the undisputed leaders in their respective field.

The AW09 collection continues their signature styles but they've also introduced some new styles, like the suede boot with uncharacteristically chunky sole.

Check the online store for AW09.

A Man's Manual

In an attempt to take men back to their primitive responsibilities in a world where everything is served up to us on a plate and we no longer have the tools to facilitate daily needs and activities, a couple of friends of mine have started a new blog.

Its a manual for men, in an attempt to reconnect us with our knowledge to build, grow and produce stuff: carpentry, growing vegetables, fishing, butchery, making and knowing about beer and whiskey, carving the roast, car maintenance, plumbing and beekeeping as well as general good style and etiquette.

I'll also be offering a few thoughts of my own over there.

Surface2Air

You may have no idea about it but over the past few years, you will have come across Surface To Air. They are responsible for some of the most creative mainstream projects of the past few years. It started out as a lot of good things do, in Paris, amongst friends who just wanted to organise projects they enjoyed and has since then evolved into a multidisciplinary collective (company?) spanning across the entire creative spectrum through fashion, graphics, photography and multimedia.

Surface to Air's studios are now part creative direction agency and part clothing company. Some of their more recognised works include music videos for fellow Parisian's Justice and electrofunk duo Chromeo as well as art directing the Blason shoot for Pharrell's line of jewellery for Louis Vuitton, and commercials for Diesel and Sony. More recently however, they have linked up with Kings of Leon to produce a capsule clothing collection as well as being the main driving force behind UNIQLO's emergence in France.

As well as being famous for milling with some of the biggest names in arts and music, these guys have become widely recognised for their repinterpretations of classic and technical garb: beautiful and delicately tailored shirting, calf leather bags and graphic print tees made from the best cotton and not forgetting their leather jackets are some of the best pieces available from them at the moment.

Check out availability in store.

Limited Hype recently caught up with cofounder and creative director Jérémie Georges Louis Joseph Roza.

What I want people to know about Surface To Air is we do whatever we want and that you [can do that] and do it successfully. You do not need to be specialized to do something.

My day-to-day consists of the same as a firefighter.

I know something is a big idea when everybody talks about it…in our office

My approach to creative direction is let’s do it and we’ll see. It is quite hard to analyze more. But I like: epic, poetic, erotic, destruction, brutalism, nature.

The project I’m most proud of is Surface To Air in general because it is the project of all projects. The whole idea of S2A is to be able to jump from one project to the other with a refreshed mind that you would not have if you’d always worked in the same field. That’s the basis of our originality I guess

What I love about the Surface To Air clothing line is it is made by us and for us. It is a mix of all our geographic and social origins. The S2A team gathers more than 14 nationalities.

You can usually find me wearing boots, jeans and buttoned up shirt.

Our brand has always had part of its roots in the States. It is more than time for us to come there with a proper project we have always found an amazing support there in NY or LA.

The best part about my job is that it changes every minute. The worst part about my job is that it changes every minute

I really admire people who have 3 kids because 2 is quite tough already.

Werner Herzog really inspires me.

Outside of work you can find me working.

The most important thing I’ve learned thus far is listen to everyone but do not take in account what they say.

My hopes for 2010 are for Surface To Air to build 2011 properly.