The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man » event

Brave GentleMan Pop-Up at ALTER Graham

joshuakatcher — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:21:45 +0000


(click to enlarge)

What could make a better autumn Sunday than spiked cider, local Dun-well Apple Cider Doughnuts, a Matt & Nat bag giveaway, and 10% off the best vegan mens shoes this side of the sun from Novacas for Brave GentleMan? RSVP on Facebook!

Brave GentleMan A/W 2011/12 Shoe, Boot & Tie Pop-Up Shop at ALTER Graham Sunday Nov 20th 12-7pm Dunwell Doughnuts & Spiked Cider! 12-4PM 407 Graham Ave (btwn Jackson and Withers) Brooklyn, NY 11211 Tel 718.609.0203

Join Brave GentleMan founder Joshua Katcher for a one-day pop-up shop at ALTER on Graham Ave in WIlliamsburg, Brooklyn. This one day pop-up sale will feature Novacas for Brave GentleMan Shoes and Boots ($250 - $300) and Brave GentleMan Label Ties and Bow Ties ($100) all selling at 10% off. Be there early for your chance to win a handsome, eco-lux Matt & Nat bag valued at $245!

From 12-4 enjoy spiked cider and Apple Cider Doughnuts from Dunwell Doughnuts, Williamsburg's brand new artisanal, vegan doughnut shop, while supplies last. Ecouterre.com raves about Brave GentleMan, "With its rugged, slicked-back aesthetic and stoic self-assuredness, the Novacas for Brave GentleMan shoe collection underscores one indubitable fact: It’s never been manlier to be vegan. A collaboration between blogger Joshua Katcher of The Discerning Brute and the Portugal-based vegan footwear label... The names of the shoes, ‘Worker,’ ‘Defender,’ and ‘Mastermind,’ call upon traditional roles that men take pride in, and that also inspire men to embrace sustainability and guardianship as very masculine, brave, and necessary work that needs to be done. An of our ties: "Despite their speckled, tweedy texture, each neck- and bow tie is constructed from a blend of organic cotton and recycled hemp, then stiffened with interfacing derived from recycled plastic bottles—a manufacturing first for ties. All eight designs are crafted in New York City’s historic Garment District under fair-labor conditions, with options that include a 2.5-inch tie, a narrow bow tie, and a broad bow tie, depending on what style of “dappery” is most appropriate for the occasion."

Bloomingdale’s Hosts ECOLUX Pop-Up

joshuakatcher — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:38:10 +0000

The NYC-based "Artists & Revolutionaries" is one of several brands that NYC's eco-fashion fans will be able to get their paws on at The Green Shows pop-up shop hosted in Bloomingdale's from Wed April 20th - Fri April 22nd. Click here for the details. Below are some of the menswear images from the line Artists & Revolutionaries. Designer John-Michael Schlotter uses 70% organic cotton and 30% hemp in the styles depicted below. They are hand-dyed with low impact dyes (thus each garment is unique), unisex, and one size. All Artists & Revolutionaries garments are all locally produced in Brooklyn. The flagship store is at 200 Franklin st, Brooklyn NY 11222. (*As a disclaimer, the designer is a vegetarian, and does use recycled leather in other garments and accessories, as well as some cashmere, but these are the awesome vegan options for ya'll)

John Bartlett Plans Vegan Fashion Future

joshuakatcher — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:55:12 +0000

• NBC's Nell Alk was in attendance to cover the Fashion & Animals event last night, ushering in a fashion week that is sure to be drenched in skins, pelts, hairs and other symbols of so-called "luxury". John Bartlett, the award-winning designer and CFDA Board of Directors member, appeared as a special guest, taking questions and making some inspiring comments and announcements:

“Next time I show,” Bartlett told Niteside, “I want to show a fully vegan collection. I want to make sure there’s intention behind it. Over the past year, I have taken leather out of my collections, I will no longer down and, hopefully by next fall, I will no longer wool."

The John Bartlett Spring 2011 collection that will be hitting the racks soon already features some gorgeous, supple vegan ultra-suede jackets made in NYC, as well as some linen-based denims and organic cottons.

Waffle Brunch Returns to Brooklyn, Sundays!

joshuakatcher — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:55:57 +0000

Petit Dejeuner: A Waffle Brunch, every Sunday at The West Cafe in Williamsburg - Ayinde Howell of I Eat Grass prepares a delectable brunch extravaganza that will become your new, Sunday ritual. New and innovative flavors and specials every week, and he has even added a wheat/gluten-free corn waffle to the menu. Everything as always is totally vegan and totally delicious. $11 with a savory side of to-die-for Mac & Yease or $9 for waffles, solo! Brunch is this and every Sunday.

(While there, do not pass up on the velvety espresso from Brooklyn Roasting Company. Amazing soy-lattes prepared by exceptional baristas.)

Jake Shields, Kill It Cook It Eat It & Suing Fur From Magazines

joshuakatcher — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:59:28 +0000

• Jake Shields recently won Peta2’s most veg friendly athlete of the year! I interviewed Jake way-back-when, and it's awesome to see his career is becoming so successful - and that someone who demands so much from his body does it without meat. When he fights GSP in April, he will become the highest profile vegetarian athlete in the world. Go Jake! For a glimpse into the life of Mr. Shields, watch the trailer for an upcoming documentary about him here: • LA Weekly is reporting on a new BBC show that will premiere in the US on January 18th on Current TV, called Kill It Cook It Eat It. This show is certain to get a large viewership - but I wonder just how honest a depiction of the slaughter really is, and whether the viewers get to visit large factory farms and USDA slaughterhouses (where 99% of meat comes from) or just the small, killing-with-kindness farms that maintain the bucolic myth of where our food comes from. In addition, pay careful attention to the "It" in the title. It's not "Kill Them Cook Them Eat Them" - or "him" or "her" for that matter. They are careful to refer to animals as objects as opposed to individuals. Current TV's description is as follows:

" ...a diverse group of participants is challenged to procure their main course the old-fashioned way: by hunting and killing their chosen prey, butchering it in the slaughterhouse, helping to prepare it in the kitchen, and ultimately sampling it at the dinner table. Some may enjoy the process while others recoil, but for each diner it's an intense journey that just may change their perspectives -- and appetites -- forever."

•Writer Jim Edwards, from CBS's BNET website, is calling for Harper's Bazaar to be sued over it's fashion spreads - which could open a legal floodgate to help animals on fur farms. Long-gone are the days when fashion editorials were created for the sake of fashion-as-art. A list that was accidentally left in a hotel lobby revealed (what most fashion industry insiders already know) that paid-advertisers are given priority when it comes to shooting fashion "editorials", which "...appears to be a blatant violation of the FTC’s new guidelines for advertisers." Edwards c0ntinues, "If the FTC sued Harper’s Bazaar magazine for not disclosing that its advertisers influence its editorial features it would do readers of women’s magazines — and the fashion business in general — a huge favor...the legal framework exists to make it a possibility, and the FTC has shown interest in bashing the fashion biz before. Animal rights attorneys, pay attention!

"A fashion editorial is clearly an endorsement, but does Harper’s disclose the “material connections” between its fashion shoots and the advertisers who buy ads and provide the garments? Not online. In Harper’s December shoot with Iman, the items are identified by designer and price but it doesn’t say whether the Michael Kors fur scarf in shot 1 was selected because Kors is No. 2 on Harper’s list of advertisers."

A large portion of the demand for fur originates from paid-advertisers, which explains why so much fur is in every fashion mag. Fur marketing organizations that represent independent farms have millions of dollars to play with, considering the exorbitant mark-up of fur garments. There's a lot of legal jargon in the full article that I'll leave to you lawyers, but when it comes to heavily-funded designers that use fur, their days gracing so many pages of editorials could be numbered. This also gives stylists something to celebrate, since their craft was hi-jacked in the early nineties. "Of course, readers of women’s magazines know that most of the editorial is either made up or bought-and-paid for by advertisers, so it’s tough to argue that consumers are “damaged” by them. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if one area of the fashion world wasn’t complete fiction?"

Keep These Shoes on Sale

JohnHolden — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 01:08:09 +0000

Keep Shoes is cool company that produces items with innovative, fashionable styles - and in even better news, according to their website: "All Keep products are cruelty free". These sweet moccasin, hi-top, buffalo check and fold-down kicks, as well as many other Keep styles are available on sale for a limited time at Jack Threads at around 50% off. Jack Threads is a Member-only site, so get your invitation by clicking here.

Matteo Silverman’s GRACIOUS GOURMAND

joshuakatcher — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:21:34 +0000

Matteo Silverman's food is legendary in Brooklyn. After many successful years of hosting 4CV (Four Course Vegan), he has refined and mastered his technique and style. This was obvious last Friday when he unleashed a six-course Mexican-fusion menu - plus a customized Kanon Organic Vodka martini; Sastuma Tangerine & Thai Basil. The raw cashew-cheese Amuse Bouchce was both a visual delight in the pink root vegetable pocket, and a delicious starter that got everyone in the mood for more. The Cayuga Farms Black Bean Soup with Toasted Cumin and Citrus Sour Cream was rich, hearty, decadent, and perfect for the chilly weather. The Red Kuri Squash Crepinette with Pickled Beets and Oaxacan Mole was outstanding, complex, and thought-provoking - and how can you go wrong with chocolate for dessert combined with cinnamon and vanilla? This was the last GRACIOUS GOURMAND until 2011, so if you missed it, I'm sorry! In the time being, don;t forget to come every Sunday from 11am- 3pm to the Gracious Gourmand Waffle Brunch featuring Chef Ayinde Howell.

Running With Russell, Vegetable Frenzy & Rise of the Power Vegans

joshuakatcher — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:58:44 +0000

Ryan Olbrysh,  www.lasvegassun.com

• Power Vegan. What does this phase connote? According to the Business Week article from Nov. 4th, The Rise of the Power Vegan is an interesting turn of events for a culture of executives and power-players who want to take control of their own health, and thrive for as long as possible.

...a growing number of America's most powerful bosses have become vegan. Steve Wynn, Mort Zuckerman, Russell Simmons, and Bill Clinton are now using tempeh to assert their superiority. As are Ford Executive Chairman of the Board Bill Ford (F), Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, venture capitalist Joi Ito, Whole Foods Market (WFMI) Chief Executive Officer John Mackey, and Mike Tyson. Yes, Mike Tyson, a man who once chewed on human ear, is now vegan

• A new, slightly controversial article in New York Magazine explores why vegetables are the new meat, becoming the focus of entrees at unlikely restaurants throughout cities famous for fervent foodies. Vegetables Are the New Meat, they say - but they make sure to distinguish themselves from vegetarians, still calling on meat, butter, and cheese for flavor. What do you think about the "vegivore" trend? Leave a comment!

“Sales are up 15 to 20 percent,” says Mountain Sweet Berry Farm’s Rick Bishop, whose spigarello broccoli and spring-ushering ramps have cult followings at Union Square. “You see lines at the market now for vegetables. People used to only line up for eggs and fish.”

• If you like football, but hate the stereotype of the meat-maniacs that fill the parking lots, you'll love Peta's list of the Top 5 Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums:

1. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles), where protein-packed mock-steak sandwiches, faux-chicken sandwiches, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers are coming off the grill faster than DeSean Jackson in the open field.
2. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland Raiders)
3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
4. Georgia Dome (Atlanta Falcons)
5. (Tie) Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs) & Ford Field (Detroit Lions)

• I made my debut on Oxygen Network's Running Russell Simmons last night, where I was drenched in fake blood and wrapped up in a meat tray in times square! So may people have been Tweeting that they are considering going veg! Thanks to the amazing Simone for asking me to join her at this event! Watch the full episode (the PETA demo starts at about 36 min. in): • Win a Gardein Stuffed Turk'y Thanksgiving Meal from Mercy For Animals! Gardein has provided MFA with five coupons for free Savory Stuffed Turk'y products to give away to our supporters. All you have to do is enter MFA's Savory Stuffed Turk'y contest for your chance to win a free coupon. So, what are you waiting for? Enter to win today! Five lucky winners will be randomly selected on November 15.