SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST
AGAINST NATURE ATELIER
Style Ladies Love (SLL)
05/03/2014
Against Nature Atelier is a dandy’s dream. Located on Chrystie street and curated by a collective of highly skilled artisans, it houses some of the most special custom clothing, jewelry, and oddities NYC has to offer. Having been occupied by a menagerie of businesses before being converted to a temporary living space by LES musicians and artists, the just above street level boutique reincarnated itself once again in 2009. Here we sit with Simon Jacobs, the in house denim master, about his escape from New Zealand, and the journey that led him to become one of New York’s better bespoke tailors.
Q & A with Simon Jacobs of Against Nature Atelier
Interview by Niko Liakaris of Style Defined NYC
NL:
You are 1/4 of the creative team behind Against Nature, the boutique. How did you four come to meet?
SJ:
I met Amber Doyle and Jake Mueser through a previous business associate that I rented the Chrystie Street space with (Jake and Amber are business partners who specialize in bespoke suiting.) I was then introduced to Ryan Matthew Cohn, who curates the oddities we sell as well as some of the custom jewelry. We decided to open the shop Against Nature Atelier together, for practical purposes, as we all had pretty specific focuses.
NL:
The space that houses the Chrystie street location has the quite history! Several friends of ANA even lived there at some point. What was the process like readapting the space?
SJ:
We gutted the whole space and found the original wood flooring underneath layers of plywood and pealing linoleum. There were quite a few cigarette butts and beer cans to get through as well. The space was converted from a store front, to an artists studio, and then an apartment with a revolving cast of LES notables, mostly musicians and artists. I do recall at some point if might had been an aquatic fish store? There were also O rings bolted to opposing walls of the space. We can only guess what those were for. It definitely has a history. We did most of the work ourselves with help from friends, most of whom worked for trade.
NL:
What brought you to NYC?
SJ:
Being part of the Commonwealth of Britain, the average Kiwi that chooses to have an overseas experience after university usually picks London, where they compete with, and match, the English louts in unsavoriness. After that, they head back to NZ and follow a path I think would be comparable to what most Mid-Westerners follow… When I was studying Corporate Finance, I had a picture of the Empire State Building in my study area. I’d always gone against the grain, and one day it just clicked. Thats when I knew I was going to NYC. Keep in mind, that was 1996, and no one had heard of Australia let alone New Zealand!
NL:
How has being from New Zealand affected your aesthetic?
SJ:
New Zealand definitely has ‘tall poppy syndrome.’ I guess that inspires me to be flamboyant and expressive in how I dress and make clothes. From there it is just a matter of altering my original designs to accommodate people’s needs in bespoke garments. I think clothing should be fun, not stuffy, and definitely not ‘on trend.’ There is a timelessness about being a man and I try to encapsulate that in my designs.
NL:
What made you stay after you had made it here for your overseas experience?
SJ:
Kiwi’s are stubborn and bloody minded. If you tell us not to do something or it can’t be done, we take that as a challenge (something I have been drawing a lot from in the last few years after the recession!) It really was just an idea I had. I really never heard of anyone from New Zealand or Australia coming to NYC, and so after I finished school and came to NYC, I really wanted to stick it out. I managed to get a job at a financial annuities firm in Connecticut. (I was lucky, because my parents met another couple on holiday near the time I decided to leave, and they basically switched children. I came to the states, and their son went to NZ. It gave me some security knowing I had a back up when I got here. He fortunately arranged for that first interview.)
NL:
You also design a great line of custom shirting, and one of the more prevalent details is that the buttons on the chest don’t close. That gives you a very machismo look! What inspired that, stylistically?
SJ:
Obviously The ’70s and Rock inspire my designs but just ‘cus I have long hair and sideburns doesn’t mean I’m not a Gentleman! I also combine the open front, playboy style shirt with cuffs meant for cufflinks, but without the French fold (or double fold). I love cufflinks, they are a great accoutrement, but the french fold cuff is too powerful of a statement. It just reminds me of high powered business meetings, or meeting with the in-laws. They also make the sleeve too bottom heavy. My style cuffs gives an opportunity to wear cufflinks without looking like you are trying to be stylish… you just are. It’s great because I have some cufflinks that are not fancy enough for the evening and I don’t have a lot of business meetings.
NL:
What do you think about the Fashion Industry’s current obsession with everything Rock and Roll?
SJ:
Fashion is obsessed with Rock? I thought it was Punk? Then again I wouldn’t know. I hope it is. Maybe I’ll sell some more denim.
NL:
You designed several pieces for notable characters from The Great Gatsby! Was this your first foray into costume design?
SJ:
It wasn’t my first, but it was memorable. Being part of the wardrobe department for the Great Gatsby was amazing! You are bound within the time period which is tough, and the continuity of day and night, and if the outfit is worn again, so the Actor doesn’t have much say in what they wear. That’s much more different than what I usually do. It’s all about the design. And working as a team with Catherine Martin is very rewarding. The hard part of being a tailor is the solitariness. The Gatsby gig gave me the opportunity to show my skills but also learn from one of the best in her field.
NL:
Favorite place to shop in NYC?
SJ:
The sock man on Orchard, and random fabric stores outside of Midtown for fabric for personal items.
For more details, visit www.breakroombrewery.com/breakroom-international.
Style Ladies Love (SLL)
05/03/2014
Against Nature Atelier is a dandy’s dream. Located on Chrystie street and curated by a collective of highly skilled artisans, it houses some of the most special custom clothing, jewelry, and oddities NYC has to offer. Having been occupied by a menagerie of businesses before being converted to a temporary living space by LES musicians and artists, the just above street level boutique reincarnated itself once again in 2009. Here we sit with Simon Jacobs, the in house denim master, about his escape from New Zealand, and the journey that led him to become one of New York’s better bespoke tailors.
Q & A with Simon Jacobs of Against Nature Atelier
Interview by Niko Liakaris of Style Defined NYC
NL:
You are 1/4 of the creative team behind Against Nature, the boutique. How did you four come to meet?
SJ:
I met Amber Doyle and Jake Mueser through a previous business associate that I rented the Chrystie Street space with (Jake and Amber are business partners who specialize in bespoke suiting.) I was then introduced to Ryan Matthew Cohn, who curates the oddities we sell as well as some of the custom jewelry. We decided to open the shop Against Nature Atelier together, for practical purposes, as we all had pretty specific focuses.
NL:
The space that houses the Chrystie street location has the quite history! Several friends of ANA even lived there at some point. What was the process like readapting the space?
SJ:
We gutted the whole space and found the original wood flooring underneath layers of plywood and pealing linoleum. There were quite a few cigarette butts and beer cans to get through as well. The space was converted from a store front, to an artists studio, and then an apartment with a revolving cast of LES notables, mostly musicians and artists. I do recall at some point if might had been an aquatic fish store? There were also O rings bolted to opposing walls of the space. We can only guess what those were for. It definitely has a history. We did most of the work ourselves with help from friends, most of whom worked for trade.
NL:
What brought you to NYC?
SJ:
Being part of the Commonwealth of Britain, the average Kiwi that chooses to have an overseas experience after university usually picks London, where they compete with, and match, the English louts in unsavoriness. After that, they head back to NZ and follow a path I think would be comparable to what most Mid-Westerners follow… When I was studying Corporate Finance, I had a picture of the Empire State Building in my study area. I’d always gone against the grain, and one day it just clicked. Thats when I knew I was going to NYC. Keep in mind, that was 1996, and no one had heard of Australia let alone New Zealand!
NL:
How has being from New Zealand affected your aesthetic?
SJ:
New Zealand definitely has ‘tall poppy syndrome.’ I guess that inspires me to be flamboyant and expressive in how I dress and make clothes. From there it is just a matter of altering my original designs to accommodate people’s needs in bespoke garments. I think clothing should be fun, not stuffy, and definitely not ‘on trend.’ There is a timelessness about being a man and I try to encapsulate that in my designs.
NL:
What made you stay after you had made it here for your overseas experience?
SJ:
Kiwi’s are stubborn and bloody minded. If you tell us not to do something or it can’t be done, we take that as a challenge (something I have been drawing a lot from in the last few years after the recession!) It really was just an idea I had. I really never heard of anyone from New Zealand or Australia coming to NYC, and so after I finished school and came to NYC, I really wanted to stick it out. I managed to get a job at a financial annuities firm in Connecticut. (I was lucky, because my parents met another couple on holiday near the time I decided to leave, and they basically switched children. I came to the states, and their son went to NZ. It gave me some security knowing I had a back up when I got here. He fortunately arranged for that first interview.)
NL:
You also design a great line of custom shirting, and one of the more prevalent details is that the buttons on the chest don’t close. That gives you a very machismo look! What inspired that, stylistically?
SJ:
Obviously The ’70s and Rock inspire my designs but just ‘cus I have long hair and sideburns doesn’t mean I’m not a Gentleman! I also combine the open front, playboy style shirt with cuffs meant for cufflinks, but without the French fold (or double fold). I love cufflinks, they are a great accoutrement, but the french fold cuff is too powerful of a statement. It just reminds me of high powered business meetings, or meeting with the in-laws. They also make the sleeve too bottom heavy. My style cuffs gives an opportunity to wear cufflinks without looking like you are trying to be stylish… you just are. It’s great because I have some cufflinks that are not fancy enough for the evening and I don’t have a lot of business meetings.
NL:
What do you think about the Fashion Industry’s current obsession with everything Rock and Roll?
SJ:
Fashion is obsessed with Rock? I thought it was Punk? Then again I wouldn’t know. I hope it is. Maybe I’ll sell some more denim.
NL:
You designed several pieces for notable characters from The Great Gatsby! Was this your first foray into costume design?
SJ:
It wasn’t my first, but it was memorable. Being part of the wardrobe department for the Great Gatsby was amazing! You are bound within the time period which is tough, and the continuity of day and night, and if the outfit is worn again, so the Actor doesn’t have much say in what they wear. That’s much more different than what I usually do. It’s all about the design. And working as a team with Catherine Martin is very rewarding. The hard part of being a tailor is the solitariness. The Gatsby gig gave me the opportunity to show my skills but also learn from one of the best in her field.
NL:
Favorite place to shop in NYC?
SJ:
The sock man on Orchard, and random fabric stores outside of Midtown for fabric for personal items.
For more details, visit www.breakroombrewery.com/breakroom-international.
AFFILIATES:
