C/D: Volume 12
🚀🦚🌪️🍒🌊🎾🪄💎🔮
Ocean’s 12…certainly not as good as 11 but on we MARCH. Is today the last day of this fabled 31 day month? You tell me! Between White Lotus and catching up on Severance who has the time to write? We’re living in a simulation anyways.
Another banger month in the books. Hit two tennis tournaments because after all, Spence is now live. On the horizon: New pouches with some of my favorite towels to date featuring a fun tech twist. Also a collection of beautiful hand-stitched, one of one caps with Désolé Atelier. Very excited for these!
A return to NYC. Did someone say Coachella? Baseball is back. Dream client is still MLB but in the meantime I’m gonna go to a WNBA game. I hear good things.
With love,
L11
Main Event 🎡
Good Vibes
No main event this month! Taking the time to pause and appreciate the journey. Time is flying by. Tell someone you miss them. Send your old coworker who just had a baby a cute fuzzy NFL onesie. Forget your best friend’s actual birthday but make it up to him by flying to NYC to celebrate. Write a hand written card. Dunk your face in Saratoga water. Don’t forget the thing you always forget to pack. Tip 25%. Catch up with a buddy on top of a hill. Get rid of some old socks. Buy some new ones. Text someone random. Delete a few contacts. Host an event with sneakers, flowers, and a car. It’s your life—do it how you want.
A Restaurant to Consider 🍜
Checker Hall - LA
Whipped Feta is not a dish I thought I would ever consider leading with or even enjoying for that matter. Alas here we are. Go to Checker Hall (fun website btw) in Highland Park (east side of LA) and order the WHIPPED FETA!!
Whip yourself into a bodacious spiral of indulgent heaven. Tumble down the cavernous joy-filled hills that are made of this delicious delight. You get the point!
In all seriousness, what Gabe and team are doing over there is a total vibe and a menu worth prioritizing next time you’re going out or traveling to LA. Very cool room, slightly too loud DJ, open air setup, friendly servers—what could be better? Tell them Leland sent you and they just might say “nice.”
A Store to Check Out 🛍️
SEED - Brooklyn
I’ve been wanting to check out SEED my last few trips to NYC but wasn’t able to fit it in. It isn’t exactly convenient but this most recent trip, I made the trek to meet the one and only Fritz Bacon for a late afternoon matcha. Located just off Atlantic ave in BK, the space has done an excellent job of being more than just a clothing store.
You enter through a coffee shop—at this point not a unique idea but still very smart in the sense that you can stop there, grab your coffee and leave. Never having to be tempted by a Martine Rose Boxy Hawaiian Shirt.
Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, enter through a greened-out plant room into a two floor retail experience with a collection of interesting brands, merchandising and vibrations.
There’s even a place to sit upstairs. Say less!
The future of retail is what SEED brings to the table: a place to hang, unique product assortments and visuals that transport you. Time will tell if the location proves to be its achilles heel but I’ll certainly be rooting for them to win. Fritz liked it too!
A Brand to Know 📡
Craighill
I’ve admired Craighill for quite a while now. Not just because they make awesome stuff but for the way they do it. Full of intention and utility—injecting life into everyday objects.
My favorite thing about Craighill is the way they push your thinking. You thought you knew what a keyring looked like until you saw theirs. Same goes for their scissors, wine key and practically everything else on their site. Simple things, reinvented with an elevated twist. The jury is still out on the puzzles but hey, those are for someone too and they do look very cool.
The perfect gifts for so many kinds of people in your life. This is the type of company (and people—hi Zach!) worth supporting. I might of even just bought something(s) above as a recent thank you present. Who knows!
Something to Buy 💸
SpenceTec Shorts
As many as you know I’ve been working with a new company called Spence, a challenger in the tennis brand universe filled with tired incumbents. Think of the existing brands as this while we are mofuckin’ this!…I digress. You’ll see a lot of Spence in future C/D’s but for now I wanted to highlight a standout staple virtually everyone reading this could use in their action packed lives.
The short you’ve been looking for. Equal parts style and function, a crisp refined update to a classic silhouette. Utilizing our SpenceTec™ Japanese 4-way stretch nylon, these puppies are perfect for travel–play a match in the morning, hop in the pool in the afternoon and they’ll be dry by dinner. With a sleek metal button and inner drawcord, you’ll never need another short, just maybe every color of these.
They feel a little firmer than a standard flimsy tennis short which you’ll quickly realize is a feature, not a bug. I rock both the 7.0 and 5.0 with the 7 being a more standard fit and the 5 a more vintage fit that doubles better as a bathing suit.
An Account Worth Following 📲
Ill Studio
Ill Studio is a deep cut. An account I’ve followed since around 2017 that never fails to disappoint. It’s your favorite photographers favorite account-type shit. The Paris based duo recently came back on my radar with their standout work on the Nike Total 90 global campaign (pictured below) - enjoy.
Unsolicited Feedback 🤷🏻♂️
I’m Opening a Denny’s
I recently got this super fun message on LinkedIn and thought, “wow Leland, you are an innovative hotel operator! you know what…YES I WOULD LIKE TO FRANCHISE A DENNY’s.”
So that’s that. You heard it here first. I will be opening a Denny’s®. Location TBD.
Thank you for coming in advance. There will be pancakes. Who’s with me?
Something to Watch 📺
Severance
Ok ok before you say anything, hear me out. First disclaimer is I just started the second season so it could all go downhill from here but I’m absolutely hooked on Severance. I’m sharing that because I was a late adopter and like many of you just wasn’t that interested in a show about some sci-fi office nonsense. Well for the half of you who already finished season 2, carry on. But for the holdouts, the skeptics, and ones that just couldn’t get into it—try again! This shit is lit!
until next time ✌️
Linkies: 1 (best photos) 2 (sr-a) 3 (kunz spoon) 4 (sigma) 5 (wikitok)
share with someone you think might enjoy ❤️
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