12.17.2009

Hey San Francisco! Come see us


I have brought FH with me to SF this weekend. Come visit us at the first ever Renegade Holiday Craft Fair at the Fort Mason Center Herbst Pavilion. Click here for directions.

I brought a TON of stuff, belts, bags, hats, accessories, holsters, key rings, and there is a debut of a new line called Haute Hourse. It's a jewelry line spearheaded by the one and only Emily Glaubinger.

There will be lots of options for great gift giving. Do it.

12.07.2009

The best winter cycling cap.

I cannot say enough about this hat. In my humble opinion, it is the best winter cap out there. Don't get me wrong. I have many many hats, and I love most of them BUT this hat is the warmest hat for cycling I have come across. If you respect Fabric Horse for the functionality of our products, you will not be disappointed with this steal of a deal. This hat was designed by Gerik Forston, master applique artist of Reload Bags about 7 years ago when we all lived in Cincinnati. He made them under the name Gerikmade but has since ceased production. I have personally owned a few of these guys, and like I have already said, I love it. Not only is it a great fit, but with the stretch of the polar fleece and the elastic running across the back from ear to ear, cold air will not reach your ears. In the cold weather this is the only hat I wear.



Gerik and I worked out a deal and now this hat is the newest Fabric Horse product. We have 4 colorways to start with. I am willing to make other colors if people are down. I will also be taking a batch of these jems with me to SF next weekend for the Renegade Holiday Craft Fair.

11.26.2009

Black Friday + Weekend Sale


Now that you all are well fed and in a food coma you can finally start thinking about presents! Let's all agree that receiving presents is not as rewarding as giving them. So if you know that someone you like or love has been eyeing up something but just does not have the money saved up, perhaps you can surprise them this year. Whether it is for you or for someone you like....Fabric Horse will be having our one time annual sale. Starting Friday Nov. 27 and ending Sunday Nov. 29 everything in our store and online will be 15-20% off. (Fabric Horse items only).

Go get 'em!

11.03.2009

New Products!

Hey everyone...
I know, you all have been wondering when Fabric Horse is going to make new stuff. Well we have been, and now some of them are online. Go check them out here!








11.02.2009

Fright of Fancy in PW photo gallery


The Philadelphia Weekly photo gallery has posted photos from Fright of Fancy. Taken by the one and only Inna Spivakova. You can see more of her photos from the night here.

Thanks for coming to Fright of Fancy




It was a great time! Thanks to everyone that came out and helped out. It would not have happened without you all. YOU know who you are.... in the mean time.... go check out some photos taken from Carina Romano. There will be more photos to come... Dont ya worry now child!

10.24.2009

Fright of Fancy: Halloween Extravaganza

Last month I was thinking to myself, and out loud with Alex and Major Snakes here at the FH headquarters. . . I was pondering how every year around this time I get so excited for Halloween, being my favorite holiday, yet there rarely is anything awesome to do. In fact I got a little angry about it. Too often I find myself all dressed up with nowhere to go.... IF you can relate to this, then get ready to be excited. I decided that Fabric Horse needed to throw its first ever promotional event. Since I am strictly doing Fabric Horse full time now that our store opened this summer, I deemed it worthy of a celebration.....



Fright of Fancy: Halloween Dance Party and Costume Fashion Show
Fabric Horse and Philly art stars re-do Halloween this year!

Contact:
Carrie Collins
215-694-9034
carrie@fabrichorse.com

Fabric Horse (www.fabrichorse.com), Philadelphia’s premier creative design outlet for utility belts, bags, lock holsters, and urban costuming; will be throwing, “Fright of Fancy, a huge Halloween inspired fashion show and dance party on Saturday October 31st at the Latvian Society of Philadelphia. Fabric Horse owner, Carrie Collins, whose new retail space recently opened in the Piazza; has assembled the best and brightest of the Philadelphia art scene to make custom made costumes, games, prizes, and performances for an epic Halloween blowout.

“Fright of Fancy” will feature a runway Fashion show of Halloween costumes with designs from many local artists including: Topstitch Boutique, Kristen Phillips (Safari Anomalou), Carrie Collins and Alex Powell (Fabric Horse), Dave Laverdure (Club Lyfestile), Audra Phillips, Sara McCorriston, Tip Flannery (The Vaudevillains), and more. The fashion show will be hosted by Sweatheart front-woman and former Trading Spaces contestant, Rose Luardo.

All attendees who come wearing a costume will be competing for prizes in categories such as: Best Group Costume”, “Best Michael Jackson”, “Best Inanimate Object”, “Scariest Costume”, and “Most Creative Costume.” The winners will receive custom made trophies by NY-based sculptor and master mold maker Sabrina Lessard.

The night will also feature a “head through the hole” photo-booth painted and designed by Space 1026 artists Thom Lessner and Chris “Salty Snax” Kline.

Lots of party games will be on hand as well including a custom made “Zombie Brain Toss” by artist Gerik Forston (Black Floor Gallery and R.E.Load Bags), a “Bloodsucking” Blackjack table by Roland Burns (co-founder of R.E.Load Bags), and there will even be free food in a “Build Your Own Tostada Bar” by 2009 Pew-Fellowship winner Ben Peterson and custom pastries by Rebecca Flax

The dance party will feature multiple DJ’s including KurtLife (AKA Kurt Hunte from Plastic Little), Hoagie Jawns, and AJ Ready Right (AKA Andrew Jeffrey Wright, Space 1026) as well as video projections with a live green screen dance floor provided by local filmmaker Ted Passon.

There will also be a raffle where people can buy tickets to win fun prizes from Fabric Horse, Print Liberation, ReLoad Bags, Space 1026/Free News Projects, Jinxed, Luna Hair Salon, and many others.

The event will be held in the main party room of the historic Philadelphia Latvian Society at 531 N. 7th Street at 8:00pm on Saturday October 31st. Admission is $10.00 and the bar is open to individuals who are over 21. Drink specials include $2 Lionshead and $4 liquor. Presale tickets available at Fabric Horse.

FH on uwishunuc.om


uwishunu gave us a nice little write up this week.

9.18.2009

OBSESSED: Picks from Philly's Style Squad


Donna O'Brien, owner of Beautiful Blooms posted a sweet little tidbit about her new Superhero Utility Belt (she snagged a black/red/polka dot belt) in Philadelphia Magazine. You can read about it here

I am glad more and more people are catching on that these belts can be used for so much more than cycling!

9.10.2009

A photo from Berlin

We love getting emails from customers who love their FH goods. Andrew Ferguson just sent us this photo, riding around Berlin, Germany.

9.04.2009

Momentum Magazine features Philadelphia and Fabric Horse.



You can read the full article written by Steven Rea here.

Bike Polo World Championships in Philly this weekend


There are 48 teams of 3 currently registered for the first World Championship of Hardcourt Bicycle Polo this weekend. If you have never seen bike polo, or even heard of bike polo, I suggest you check it out this Saturday and Sunday.

8.28.2009

Custom Halfbelts




I recently finished these two Halfbelts for a soldier who came in. He donated a pair of his ACUs for the cause, but luckily I saved him a pair of shorts out of the deal. The one with more pink on it is for his wife.

Pretty crazy.

8.19.2009

Epic Birthday @ Amberella




Last Saturday there was a solo show by Kencredible at Amberella Gallery here in the Piazza. It was a huge birthday bash for Ken, included in that were photos he took of our cake headdress. He has been using our headdresses and taking beautiful photos with them. This was the first exhibition Ken has included Fabric Horse.


Of course we had to outfit her for the party too.



Can you tell which one is the headdress and which one is a real cake? Amber Lynn had these cakes make special for the event. They look amazing.

Are you ready to go back to school?




We are about to release our bookbag....."The Classic" ..... these two purple beauts are meant for a couple of best friends.

Did you know?


Both the Halfbelt and the Superhero belt are constructed with an internal belt looping system. This way when the velcro gives out from you wearing the crap out of your utility belt every dang day, you can still wear it forever and ever. It also can totally change the look of the belt. This is the Relaxed Halfbelt in olive waxed canvas. Don't be jealous.

8.03.2009

Fabric Horse in WIRED News


I just had a customer call to inform us we were featured in WIRED News online. Now I just have to go hunt down the printed copy to see if we made the cut.

6.21.2009

Art Rush at CMWC Tokyo



Maybe you've heard that CMWC festivities will be tearing it up in Tokyo this September? A new feature of this year's extended championship, Art Rush, requires some planning. Which is why we're telling you all about it NOW.

Art rush hopes to integrate art and messenger culture. It's a contest for art that messengers will wear while they compete. The messenger riding will become a moving piece of art.

The medium? The ever-friendly, athletic favorite: a t-shirt. Each submission much be an actual t shirt, of course, as the riders themselves will hand select one to wear while they race. The t-shirt should serve as the canvas, but beyond that the possibilities are open to all variety of media, except maybe Etch a Sketch. Stitch it, draw it, print it, paint it! You're creative! You figure it out. It's a great way for people unable to travel to Tokyo to still participate in the event.

Your submission will not be returned to you after the competition wraps, as your work will be transported across the globe, worn by a competitor even after the race is over. A way of connecting people across the world through a love of bikes and art and comraderie. Their website whispers, Your artwork will be running through streets, somewhere in the world.

Organizers plan to display artist profiles and submissions, as well as the recipient of each shirt, on their website.

Yuki has all the details, but you can also head over to Art Rush for more information. The only cost to enter is the price of shipping your shirt to Japan, and the longer you allow for that part, the cheaper it will be! All submissions must be shipped by September 7, 2009.

Do it! This is your time to shine!

6.19.2009

Bicycle Film Fest NYC


Hey New York, we will be slinging some FH goods up in the Lower East Side for the BFF block party tomorrow (if we don't get rained out that is). Come say hi. There will be all kinds of stuff going on throughout the day and weekend, which started on Wednesday I believe. Visit www.bicyclefilmfestival.com for more info and to purchase tickets.

As a side note, I really like the "BFF" costumes in this photograph. They remind me of a job I did for Ley Royal Scam, a former band my friend Teeter of 31 Corn Lane used to be in.

6.10.2009

Can you get any cuter?

I know, cats are cute right? Well, how about cute cats cuddling with your bike? Does it get any better??



6.05.2009



Call for Artists!

The 7th annual Bike Part Art Show benefiting Neighborhood Bike Works is coming August 28-September 18 at Studio 34 in West Philadelphia, with the silent auction and party on September 18. Hooray! We have a great lineup this year: Music by Kiss Kiss Kill and DJ Ross of Love, beer by Victory and Dock Street, snacks by great local caterers and bakeries, and a super audience of biking and art enthusiasts.

The only thing that could make it better is if we have some of your work for the show. Every year we're amazed by the quality and diversity of the work submitted to the show, but it just wouldn't be the same without something you've made. We'll show it off, then use proceeds from the silent auction to run our free earn-a-bike classes for Philadelphia kids. The strong momentum of cycling in Philadelphia, plus the audience and support the show has earned over the years, promises to make this year's show one of the best yet.

Top three reasons (among many) to be a Bike Part Artist
• Bike Art is awesome! We keep used bike parts out of the waste stream by putting them to use as a fun challenge and inspiration to our work. Past work has run the gamut from assemblage to paintings to jewelry to light fixtures to functional furniture to sculpture. It’s not essential that your submission incorporates actual bike parts. We love any art influenced by cycling! You can see examples of past work at www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org
• Exposure! The Bike Part Art Show has been growing every year, with widespread publicity and high attendance. If you get your work in early (see submission details below), we’ll exhibit it at preview shows around town, like the galleries at Moore's spring and summer exhibition Bicycle: people + ideas in motion, celebrating Philadelphia’s passion and commitment to the bicycle.
• Help Philadelphia kids build their own bikes at no cost to their families! Profits from the auction of the works help pay for free after school programs and scholarships for summer camps, where kids earn a bike by building one, and in the process learn practical life skills, environmental awareness, fitness and nutrition. It’s important to keep the classes free because the families of most Bike Works students couldn’t afford them, much less a bike. Though artists may not have expendable income either, the Bike Part Art Show turns your talent into a direct contribution to making the world a better place for Philadelphia kids, and by extension, for you.

How to be a Bike Part Artist
• Tell us you want in (or even that you're mildly interested). Send an e-mail to artshow@neighborhoodbikeworks.org. Please include your name, phone number, website and address.
• Think about the cool piece (or pieces) of art you want to make from bike parts or about bike culture. If you already have something in your collection, feel free to pull it out for the show.
• Get bike parts if you need them for your work. Join us for one of the “Bike Part Raids” at Neighborhood Bike Works to pick out and take home the parts that inspire you. See below for more info.
• Drop off your work to us at the times and places below.

Bike Part Raids
Need parts for your work? Join us at Neighborhood Bike Works in West Philly to root through our scrap pile and take what you like. You’ll find wheels, bearings, brake cables, frames, derailleurs, grips, spoke nipples, chain, and other sweet components. They’re not solid enough to ride, but they make great art! The next raids are:
Saturday June 13, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Thursday June 18, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Sunday June 21, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
All raids are at Neighborhood Bike Works located in the basement of St. Mary’s Church, 3916 Locust Walk on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Our headquarters can be hard to find, so visit our website for directions.

Participation deadlines and submission details

1. Email Kate at artshow@neighborhoodbikeworks.org to let us know when you’re coming, then submit your work at one of the times and places below. To make alternate arrangements, email Kate at artshow@neighborhoodbikeworks.org.

2. There are two participation deadlines. Early submissions have the opportunity to be featured in preview shows like Bicycle: people + ideas in motion, at the Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design.

Dropoff times/locations for preview shows and the Bike Part Art Show:
Tuesday July 7, 5015 Hazel Avenue in West Philly, 5 pm – 9 pm
Wednesday July 8, VOX Building at 319A N 11th Street, 4th floor, 4 pm – 8 pm.

Dropoff times/locations for the Bike Part Art Show:
Wednesday August 19, 5015 Hazel Avenue in West Philly, 5 pm – 9 pm
Thursday August 20, VOX Building at 319A N 11th Street, 4th floor, 4 pm – 8 pm

Spread the word!
Forward this email, tell all your art-loving and bike-loving friends, or join our facebook group!

Want to be more involved?
The Bike Part Art Show only gets better when more people help to plan and put it on. We would love to have you along for the ride! If you’re interested in volunteering in any capacity, before or during the show, please reply to this email and tell us a little about yourself. If you have some specific skills or assets you’d like to lend, we’re all ears!

Questions? Ask away! Email Kate at artshow@neighborhoodbikeworks.org or check our website.

5.30.2009

Fabric Horse at Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn June 6 & 7



Come find us next weekend in Brooklyn at McCarren Park June 6, 7 for the Renegade Craft Fair. There will be a lot of talented people at this place so you wont want to miss out. We here at FH will be holding down a booth with our friend Warsaw.

After opening our new store in Northern Liberties we have been busy trying to make stock and lots of things to bring with us such as these beauties. . .

5.26.2009

Anything can happen these days


Including people who have rats as pets and carry them in their Fabric Horse Halfbelt....
Thanks Matt Thompson from Richmond, VA for the photo!

5.23.2009

Video spot from Planphilly.com

This is a small brief from the opening day at The Piazza at Schmidts where the new FH digs is located. There's a small tid bit from yours truly. . .

5.11.2009

Back from Jamaica and opening a store

Well, I have been back from Jamaica for a week now. It was an unbelievable experience and want to thank everyone again for your support. The women of the Johns Town Craft Coop were more than excited about the 4 types of bags, panties, and reusable panty liners I showed them how to do.

Now FH is embarking on a new endeavor. A RETAIL STORE!


>
We are in the midst of moving, cleaning, painting, building, unpacking and mopping and will be officially open for business on Saturday, May 16.





Now all you Philly people can come by and try on the things you have always been thinking about to make up your mind.

We had a big crew in helping out this weekend. I don't think I would be anywhere without my friends.



Sabrina and Gabriel donated their entire day.



And of course Annette and Snakes were in full effect. Annette is painting a mural that you won't want to miss!





More to come. . . . and I will do a proper post on Jamaica as soon as I can sit down for an hour.