From the Archives: Skull, Crossbones revive a U.K. footwear legend
Posted on November 8, 2008 - Filed Under The National Post
This is an older bit I wrote for the National Post that was published on November 18, 2006.
Skull, Crossbones revive a U.K. footwear legend
By Jeff Beer
It would be difficult to imagine two men more suited to take an old English shoe and give it a bit of youthful American kick than brothers Derrick and Kirk Miller.
Derrick, 33, previously worked as a designer at prepster label Ralph Lauren; Kirk, 28, a former pro soccer player, was at Paul Stuart, the Madison Avenue temple of all-America. Slightly over a year ago, the brothers were approached by Barker Black, a venerable British shoemaker founded in 1880, badly in need of an update.
“We had been approached by a few people to do our own line of clothing,” says Derrick, now the creative director of Barker Black. “But we’re both huge anglophiles and the opportunity to re-launch an old English factory, particularly shoes, was too good to pass up.”
So the brothers set up shop in a 200-square-foot former law office in Manhattan’s trendy Nolita district and, over the past two years, have expanded the product line to include such accessories as neckwear, braces and pocket squares. But the shoes – which start at US$650 and soar to US$4,800 for custom editions in crocodile and ostrich – remain the centrepiece.
From the Archives: Not Your Dad’s Sports Page
Posted on November 8, 2008 - Filed Under Toronto Star
This is an older bit I wrote for the Toronto Star that was published on October 17, 2006.
Not Your Dad’s Sports Page
By Jeff Beer
Blame Ron Mexico. Not the real Ron Mexico, mind you. No, the real Mr. Mexico is an auto parts supplier in Brighton, Mich. The Ron Mexico we’re talking about is actually Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. The tale behind the quarterback’s adopted porn-star-handle alias inspired Deadspin, a fastest-growing and influential sports blog that is helping change how fans read about sports.
“That’s the story that ultimately convinced them to do the site,” Deadspin.com editor Will Leitch says from his Manhattan office, which doubles as his living room.
“Them” is Gawker Media, one of largest Internet-only publishing companies. In the fall of 2005, company officials added Deadspin to its stable of blogs and sites — including Gawker, a site about New York celebrity and media happenings, the gadget and technology site Gizmodo and the sex-related Fleshbot — after being told the story of Ron Mexico.
Coming Soon…
Posted on November 5, 2008 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Soon this interweb outpost will be stocked with all the random thoughts, links to new work and archived past work you can handle. But until then… there’s this.
