Balvenie whiskey has teamed up with men’s fashion wear company Todd Snyder to give homage to handmade crafts. The partnership was created on Balvenie’s behalf, to create a multi-city showcase celebrating artisan crafts and goods from all over the United States. The artistry involved in performing a professional craft is far greater than most will give thought to. With many boutiques opening up in districts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and now Queens, there is definitely a rebirth of handmade garments, furniture, and various other goods. Although hand-crafted work is much pricier than your average consumer purchases, the quality surpasses any national competition, and has the ability to become an heirloom for your future kin. The collection known as the Balvenie Rare Craft Roadshow will visit six cities in the U.S. and the show will be curated by Todd Synder. The collection will include several hand-selected artisans that will represent the many hard-working, wonderfully skilled tradespeople and their honed skills.
- Carmel, California – August 13th – 17th
- Dallas, Texas – September 10th – 11th
- New York City, New York – October 7th – 11th
- Chicago, Illinois – October 15th – 17th
- Washington D.C. – November 11th – 12th
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – November 19th – 20st
Balvenie, known as the world’s best handcrafted single malt Scotch whiskey is the only whiskey distillery that still retains all aspects of the single malt process. With 1,000 acres of their own land dedicated to growing barley the same way it had been over one hundred years previously, there is noteworthy skill in preserving history. Besides their barley field, they also have their own malting floor, coppersmith, barrel coopers, and master malter. I would guess when it comes to originality that would place them higher than a triple-threat. It’s no wonder with their reputation that they would create their very own craft show. Between the antiquity of Balvenie and the ingenious talent of Todd Snyder, the collection will surely be a memorable debut.
Designer Todd Snyder has been working with textiles for years, polishing his skills at Iowa State University, as well as the famous haberdashery Badowers in Des Moines. Synder has been nominated for a Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) award and has won two Swarovski awards. This is the same man who once said, “In the very back of my head, fashion was a dream.” Originally pursuing banking on the job circuit, Snyder decided to pursue his dream of fashion, which ultimately has paid off. With a resume that includes designing outerwear for Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, and being named the 2012 Best New Menswear Designer by GQ, his curating with Balvenie will only add to his seemingly well-built reputation.
The Rare Craft Roadshow will travel to six U.S. cities from August through the end of November. To RSVP to the show closest to your hometown, you must be over 21 and visit TheBalvenie.com/Collection. For those out there that are unable to attend, no need to fuss, Balvenie has teamed up with director Rob Meyer to create a 30-minute documentary. The documentary, Handmade: A Celebration of American Craftsmanship will debut Saturday, October 5th at 9:30am and re-air Friday, October 11th at 10:30am. The film focuses on the artisan and local craftsman industry across America, and introduces some particular players in the handmade renaissance. Visit http://america.discovery.com/ to find what channel viewers can watch.
Below are several of the artisans chosen for the show:
- Graham Thompson of Optimo Hats in Chicago, Illinois along with his team of expert hat makers, create top of the line fedoras, porkpies, homburgs as well as many other styles for hat lovers around the world.
- RH Lee of Offerman Woodshop in Los Angeles, California who along with a team of woodworkers builds handmade furniture, small boats, cabinetry and much more to order.
- Rick Kelly of Kelly Guitars based in Greenwich Village, New York, crafts guitars by hand, using reclaimed lumber, specifically white pine that he rescues from trash heaps and decomposition.
- Schirley Zisman of Golden Bear Sportswear in San Francisco, California is the lead designer for the authentic leather and wool outerwear manufacturer that has produced Varsity, Bomber and Motorcycle jackets since the 1950’s.
Hope to see you there!
