ACF Shoes (The COAL project). Made in England.


The shoes are brogues of course, the original fusion of refined craft and rugged utility in service of sartorial travel. Built in Great Britain using a traditional Goodyear construction complete with leather soles laid over hand troweled cork-paste footbeds and stitched to the upper via a goodyear welt. But tradition gives way to modern practicality as conventional laces are exchanged for the pull-on-and-go convenience of a contemporary elastic gore assembly.

- Design by Art Comes First.

- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg.

- Words by Liam Maher.



ACF Shirt with detachable collars (The COAL project). Made in Sweden.


A concept balancing a shirtmaker’s craft with modern functionality by means of modularity. Four separate classic collar-types attach or detach allowing a single shirt to rotate seamlessly and meet the challenges of any sartorial challenge.

- Designed / Developed by Art Comes First / Sebastian Dollinger of Eton Shirts.

- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg.

- Words by Liam Maher.



ACF by Lotho Eye-wear (The COAL project). Made in Japan/France.


The heritage of early round-lens spectacle reading glasses transformed by the guitar-pick shape influence of military aviator frames to produce a hybridization of intellect and action worthy of Thelonius Monk.

- Designed / Created by Art Comes First / Aroun Ducroix of Lotho Eyewear.
- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg.
- Words by Liam Maher.



ACF detachable shirts and Ties (The COAL project). Made in Sweden.


A concept balancing a shirtmaker’s craft with modern functionality by means of modularity. Four separate classic collar-types attach or detach allowing a single shirt to rotate seamlessly and meet the challenges of a sartorial challenge.

The shirt also comes with a tie loop in the middle to accommodate the function of a tie clip.

- Designed and developed by Art Comes First & Sebastian Dollinger of Eton Shirts.
- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg.
- Words by Liam Maher



ACF Shoes #2 (The COAL project). Made in England.

The shoes are brogues of course, the original fusion of refined craft and rugged utility in service of sartorial travel. Built in Great Britain using a traditional Goodyear construction complete with leather soles laid over hand troweled cork-paste footbeds and stitched to the upper via a goodyear welt. But tradition gives way to modern practicality as conventional laces are exchanged for the pull-on-and-go convenience of a contemporary elastic gore assembly.

- Design by Art Comes First.
- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg.
- Words by Liam Maher.



ACF by Superduper Hats (The COAL project). Made in Italy.


One universal hat-form given distinct stylistic and sub-cultural nuance by virtue of the shifting size and shape of its brim across four variations.

- Designed and developed by Art Comes First / Matteo Gioli of Superduper Hats.
- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg.
- Words by Liam Maher.

ACF The COAL Project Showing in Lisbon Fashion Week.

ACF by T-Michael (The COAL project). Made in Norway/Portugal.

This arsenal of creative tools needs a bespoke carrying case. A compartment for every concept but space to add more; strips of texture, cuttings of color, totems of tonality, talismans of inspiration all picked up along the way.

To be inspired, to stay inspired, to inspire yourself, to inspire others..

- Designed by Art Comes First & T-Micheal
- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg.
- Words by Liam Maher.

Alternative Set and Pitti Uomo 83: ACF Presents The COAL Overview.

COAL @ Pitti Uomo by ASVOF

http://dianepernet.typepad.com/diane/2013/01/coal-at-pitti-uomo.html

COALizione Design

http://www.marieclaire.it/

ACF Presents The COAL @ Pitti Uomo 83

Art Comes first x Pitti Uomo Presents The COAL

 

 http://www.aandhmag.com/art-comes-first-x-pitti-uomo-present-the-coal/

ACF Presents The COAL: Pack Essential

THE ACF

Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh founded the ACF in order to circulate sartorial nourishment,
oxygenating time-based projects through dynamic collaborations with di erent creatives in their network.
The ACF's network continues to both de ne and rede ne the real ACF with Lambert and Maidoh dedicated to pumping the day-to-day lifeblood through its ever expanding creative corpo partly by provoking their peers with speci c creative concepts.

The particular magnetism that binds together individual contributors to the ACF and its projects comes
directly from their shared admiration of craftsmanship's history and their dedication to its future.

THE ACF PRESENTS COAL
Coal, the ACF's latest undertaking.
The aim of the project is to examine the interplay between modern craftsmanship
and its accommodation of genuine function. The ACF have invited creatives within their network to help them explore this subject by collaborating on bespoke stylistic expressions of craft and function
as they relate to each contributor's individual design genre.

The tangible elements of the Coal program make-up a spartan but stylish quiver of sartorial staples
representing the building blocks of craft and function's natural intersection in menswear.
Together these designs tell a story of the creative man prepared for a life of terminal research and
wanderlust - a name we give both the malady and the cure when it comes to creatives seeking ever deeper
knowledge and to ignite the sparks and bolts of perenial inspiration.

The ACF's new travel staples :
These designs each endeavor to manifest the potential elegance that can be realized when a timeless balance
is negotiated between craftsmanship and function. -And this fundamental subject is one about which each
Coal participant is deeply passionate and ercely opinionated.

Eyewear created together with Lotho's Aroun Ducroix (Paris/Tokyo).
The heritage of early round-lens spectacle reading glasses transformed by the guitar-pick shape in uence
of military aviator frames to produce a hybridization of intellect and action worthy of Thelonius Monk.

Hats developed with Matteo Gioli from Super Duper Handmade Hats (Florence).
One universal hat-form given distinct stylistic and sub-cultural nuance by virtue of the shifting size and
shape of its brim across four variations.

Shirt & Tie produced with Sebastian Dollinger from Eton (Gaanghester).
A concept balancing a shirtmaker's craft with modern functionality by means of modularity.
Four separate classic collar-types attach or detach allowing a single shirt to rotate seamlessly and meet
the challenges of any sartorial challenge.

Shoes & Socks by the A.C.F. (London).
As important as the shoes are - and they are - tradition and logic both dictate that you put your socks on rst.
Knit ne in pure silk or natural cotton and detailed with rule-mark-stripes discreetly con rming where
your trouser hems should end. Our man knows the right break point between pant and shoe.

The shoes are brogues of course, the original fusion of re ned craft and rugged utility in service of sartorial travel. Built in Great Britain using a traditional goodyear construction complete with leather soles
laid over hand troweled cork-paste footbeds and stitched to the upper via a goodyear welt.
But tradition gives way to modern practicality as conventional laces are exchanged for the pull-on-and-go
convenience of a contemporary elastic gore assembly.

Scrapbook Journal crafted with Kalaf Angelo (Lisbon).
The scrapbook's power to inspire - with carefully curated drawings, photographs and fabrics embedded -
magni ed exponentially by the journal's power to harness ideas- within the limitless
potential of thick sheets of virgin white paper.

Travel Bag designed with T. Michael (Bergen).
This arsenal of creative tools needs a bespoke carrying case. A compartment for every concept but space to
add more; strips of texture, cuttings of color, totems of tonality, talismans of inspiration all picked up along the way.

To be inspired, to stay inspired, to inspire yourself, to inspire others.

  

- Written by Liam Maher 

- Picture by Bent René Synnevåg (www.notbent.com)

Weekend Mood board of Inspiration 7

See more of the inspirations on ACF tumblr 

www.artcomesfirst.com 

Weekend Mood board of Inspiration 6

See more of the inspirations on ACF tumblr 

Weekend Mood board of Inspiration 5

See more of the inspirations on ACF tumblr 

Weekend Mood board of Inspiration 4

check out more on ACF tumblr 

ACF Presents The Coal Project

ACF presents

THE COAL

at Pitti Uomo

Someone once said that great minds think alike, and this is all too evident in the

debut project from ACF, combining talented artists, craftsmen and creatives with the

same vision to create an installation exclusively at the iconic Pitti Uomo in Florence.

Combining the elements of artisanal creative skills with classic tools to create unique

products, the coal project is all about showcasing your creativity through the use of

utilitarian techniques. It is about the ultimate balance of creative thinking and

traditional techniques of manufacture, not mass market commercial products. The

entire project was designed around a raw mineral theme and to reflect this all of the

items involved are in a stark black colour in a variation of materials.

The Coal project is the work of 7 innovators that have come together to create ‘Pack

Essential’ the ultimate basics for any creative that finds themselves living out of a

suitcase across different parts of the world for their work. The main element of this

project was to choose essential items that are needed for the sartorial traveler that

don’t weigh a huge amount and can come in handy no matter what scenario you find

yourself in.

The Pack consists of a Handmade Leather Bag, The Ultimate Black Shirt, An Italian

Handmade Hat, Hand Crafted Glasses from Japan, Fine Cotton Socks, Leather Soled

English Made Shoes and a curated photographic poetry book. All the items come

together to fit into the leather bag for anyone to pick up and go.

Having began conceptual ideas at Pitti Uomo in June and 6 months of development,

ACF, whose values are ‘Sartour, Alchemy & Progression’ will present their project in

January within the Alternative Exhibition area over the 4 day period. On location at

the exhibition are ACF founders and business partners Sam Lambert and Shaka

Maidoh who have worked to curate the installation with artisans from across the

world.

The collaboration partners include Super Duper Hats, Lotho Eyewear, Eton Shirts,

T-Michael and Kalaf Angelo who’s work will be displayed at the installation.

---------------------------

Notes to Editors

For further information, Imagery or interview requests please contact ACF by e-mail in the first

instance at info@artcomesfirst.com 

Visit ACF online at www.artcomesfirst.com or follow on tumblr at www.artcomesfirst.tumblr.com  

Weekend Mood board of Inspiration 2

check out more on ACF tumblr