What Caught Their Eye: Nathaniel "Natty" Adams, Writer, Designer at Natty Adams Custom Clothing
Over the last few months on this newsletter, you have seen me share a variety of things I love, what I’m buying, and more. Well, I’m happy to be handing the reins over to someone else from time to time!
This is “What Caught Their Eye”, a guest edit section of my Substack to introduce my readers to executives, artists, creatives, and everyone in between.
Keep reading to find out more about my next guest, Natty Adams.
Introducing Nathaniel "Natty" Adams, Writer, Designer at Natty Adams Custom Clothing
Greenwich Village-born and raised, Nathaniel "Natty" Adams is a writer and designer. He has authored two books on mens' fashion with the photographer Rose Callahan: "I Am Dandy: The Return of the Elegant Gentleman" and "We Are Dandy: The Elegant Gentleman Around the World." His most recent book is "Tales of the Rails," a book about trains for kids. Natty owns and operates his label Natty Adams, specializing in custom suiting. He lives in an attic in the French Quarter of New Orleans with his wife Sara and a dachshund named Groucho.
Follow Natty: Here
What Caught Natty’s Eye
Bloomsbury
Although I've never been a huge fan of the novels of its most famous member, Virginia Woolf, I've recently become obsessed with all things related to the Bloomsbury group. This loose collective of English writers, artists, philosophers, economists, critics, designers, and performers who famously "lived in squares and loved in triangles," make me wish the creative classes of our own time were a little less siloed in their disciplines. Charleston, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant's divinely-decorated country house in Sussex is Bloomsbury's greatest physical monument, and their online shop is a good place for books about the group and even reproductions of some of the Omega Workshops textiles (which I used for my wedding suits.)
The best introduction to the group's history is "Living in Squares, Loving in Triangles" by Amy Licence "Young Bloomsbury" by Nino Strachey carries the story into the next generation. "Charleston" by Quentin Bell and Virginia Nicholson is the definitive guide to the house and gardens. "The Bloomsbury Look" is a beautifully illustrated survey of the group's aesthetic. "Lydia and Maynard," a selection of the love letters between John Maynard Keynes and Lydia Lopokova is one of the most charming and intimate first-hand accounts of the group's social life. There's also plenty of film and TV about Bloomsbury: a BBC miniseries called "Life in Squares," "Vita and Virginia" about Woolf & Sackville-West's romance, "Carrington" about Dora Carrington's relationship with Lytton Strachey, and of course the adaptation of Woolf's novel "Orlando."
Learn More: Here
YSTUDIO Writing Implements
I love and collect fountain pens, but most of my favorites are too precious and/or delicate for everyday use beyond the bounds of my home. That's where YSTUDIO comes in: when my wife bought me the pocket "Brassing" fountain pen it became my go-to workhorse pen. It's small but nicely weighted, has a hexagonal shaft that keeps it from rolling away, is made of metal so it won't crack, has a loop on the end to attach it to a string or chain if needed, and is coated in a black paint that can be worn away over time to give the brass beneath a gorgeous patina. Since then I've added their excellent brass mechanical pencil and lead box to my on-the-go-case for marking up the margins of books. I'm glad to say I haven't needed to replace the pen in the four years I've owned it, but I'm glad to see that YSTUDIO has continued to expand their offerings with new colors and styles, rollerballs and ballpoints, lower-priced resin models, and lots of gorgeous accessories.
Buy: Here
The Fire Island Pine Walk Mixes
I first read about these in the New York Times. A man had bought a house on Fire Island and discovered hundreds of audio tapes of DJ Mixes from gay parties on the island from 1979-1999. The Times multimedia article did a fantastic job of exploring the history of the scene and how the tapes provided something like a historical soundtrack to the AIDS crisis in New York City, when men would escape to Fire Island on the weekends to dance away the horrors the epidemic for a few hours. But the article did nothing to prepare me for how good the mixes are: brilliant, multi-hour long sets perfectly combining disco, funk, pop, house, Italo, sleaze, new wave, and more - and with plenty of tracks that have stumped even my most nerdy record-collector friends. The mixes of Michael Jorba, who sadly passed away last month, are among the best I've ever heard and whether I'm at the gym or dancing around my apartment I'm instantly transported. The mixes have all been uploaded to Mixcloud and its absolutely worth paying for a subscription to the Pine Walk channel.
Listen: Here
Stories of Italy
I first came across Stories of Italy when I bought a set of their Paul Smith collaboration Murano tumblers. I've always adored Murano glass, and Stories of Italy, with their colorful rock candy-like designs, are supremely original and absolutely breathtaking. Their patterns resemble shattered and reassembled mosaics or - in some cases - the pelts of neon animals from another world. The glass - tumblers, vases, candles, lamps, bowls - are the highlight of their work. Their hand-painted ceramic plates and dishes are also nice, but their textiles - placemats, napkins, and cushions - are mainly printed to resemble the glasswork and not terribly exciting on their own.
Learn More: Here
The Roland Boutique Series
This may be an odd recommendation for Brett's newsletter, but I have fallen completely in love with the legendary Japanese company Roland's miniature reissues of its iconic synthesizers and drum machines. They're faithful reproductions of the originals on a tiny scale at a way more affordable price. They're highly portable (you can even run them on batteries for a few hours,) and very easy to connect to one another or to other devices for sequencing and control. I have spent blissful, entertaining - even relaxing - hours creating new sounds on my Juno synth, sequencing acid house grooves on my 303, and programming beats on my 808 drum machine. The small size, chic retro style, and ease with which one can grasp the basics of using the devices makes them deceptively toy-like, but these machines are advanced enough for professional use for anyone who needs them.
Buy: Here