Eleven. / Contributor Six: Chris Echevarria, Blackstock & Weber
On Restoring '96 Range Rovers, Coal Bags, and the Evolution of Brand DNA.
Hey, everybody. Got another fun colleague from the DTC startup world sharing some great stuff. I actually met Chris Echevarria of Blackstock & Weber in the Todd Snyder Liquor Store in Tribeca (yes, the same space where the J. Crew Liquor Store used to be), and learned about B&W and how many of my VC colleagues were backing him through. Our business chat turned into a real friendship (and with a few Amaro cocktails from Amor y Amargo Williamsburg), and I somehow convinced him to do an edition of Le Cinq.
If you love great products, the stories behind them, and how they truly touch us, you’ll love this read. (He’s also exponentially more stylish than me.)
Enjoy!
Chris Echevarria is the CEO and Founder of Blackstock & Weber. If you’re into menswear, he’s currently building what could become your favorite brand. B&W was birthed by Chris in his living room as a footwear company focused on bringing quality footwear to the consumer at a fraction of the cost in an effort to encourage smart wardrobe building.
After 4 sold-out seasons, an accelerator program (Techstars LA 2018) and bringing 5 friends along for the ride… the team has widened their scope to collaborate with other brands, people, companies, etc. to make products that touch on several areas of life in a meaningful way while staying true to their DNA and keeping footwear as their flagship product.
Prior to launching B&W, Chris had the good fortune of working for several companies at times where innovation was needed. Chris worked for J.Crew where he worked with Mickey Drexler on their men’s initiative beginning in 2008. Namely, The J. Crew Liquor Store and their 3rd party partnership program all while completing his Menswear Design degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After the glory days at J. Crew were over, he tested his chops as a Men’s Trend Forecaster with Cotton Inc. before moving into wholesale where he worked with a team of friends breathing new life into European brands (i.e. Stone Island, Filling Pieces, Timex Archive and Nigel Cabourn) and re-introducing them to the US market.
A fun fact: You can catch me dropping in for improv performances on any given night at the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC.
What are you currently working on?
The most important project I’m working on at the moment is myself. I’m concentrated on becoming the best CEO that I possibly can for my team. I’m diving deep with my executive coach and have created a pretty strict ‘self-care’ regimen that keeps me grounded and happy. I knock out the gym early (6a), I (try to) stay away from social media until 9a and the first thing I do when I wake up is meditate for a short amount of time and think about the things I’m grateful for.
Other than that, just building cool products with some friends and trying to get this ‘96 Range Rover running again. Thanks, Uncle Tony. (Editor’s Note: We need pics of this Range Rover, bud.)
What are you currently excited about?
The future. Retail is super interesting right now. There’s a changing of the guard happening that hasn’t taken place in over 50 years. Ideas are being challenged. New leaders are being crowned and I’m curious to see how we’ll all change the consumer experience for the better in a time where the consumer expects more from a brand than just product.
I’m also very excited to see where we land as an industry and decide to collectively work toward and what was just a result of clever marketing at the time. I don’t think that fashion can save the world, but I wholeheartedly believe that we’re in a unique time in history where a brand can build vehicles of change into their DNA and foster communities of like minded people that want to band together and do the groundwork.
What’s a story or article that you're currently thinking about?
This Business of Fashion story (“The Direct-to-Consumer Reckoning”) talks about a concept that I think about quite a lot and that is the gloom and doom currently surrounding the retail space. The key takeaway here, IMO, is that brands in the fashion space just can’t realistically scale in the same ways as tech companies.
However, this is our first cycle of learning how the market is responding to new ideas. So far, the companies that have been able to pivot and adapt to change like tech startups have been clear outliers in several categories. There will be new brands that pop up with the learnings and missteps of the ones before them in their back pocket and that within itself will make the next 5 years very interesting.
What’s a product you’re currently obsessed with?
I’m currently obsessed with (and have a recurring obsession with) tote bags. As a designer, I’m always looking at new materials, traveling, etc. and tend to collect things along the way. So, whenever you see me I usually have one filled with all sorts of random stuff from my daily roam.
My two recent purchases are a mustard large tote from Tembea Torso Design and an olive medium tote from Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu. Both of the Japanese newcomers are pictured above next to my old American favorite, the Dandux Coal Bag.
Tembea is interesting because every bag is designed with a purpose. Whether that be to hold baguettes, gather newspapers or grocery shop… Tembea has you covered. They also make their own canvas on 50 year old looms where each individual thread is coated with a waxing treatment that wicks moisture.
Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu reigns from Kyoto and have been making bags for students, craftspeople and railroad workers since 1905. Ichizawa stands by their bags for life and will repair them in what they call a ‘natural’ way as to not throw off the aesthetics of the bag as it breaks in and becomes all your own.
Both brands sell exclusively in Japan in their own shops in Tokyo and Kyoto, which means if you want one… you’ll either need a proxy (I’m dating myself) or you’ll have to drop by one of their shops on a trip east. Highly recommended.
Wild Card: What’s an item you can’t shake your mind off of?
I’ve had the Supreme x Knoll Wassily Chair on my mind for a bit. Since they announced this collab I knew I had to squeeze one into my tiny apartment. It brings me back to spending holidays at my Aunt Linda’s house. She had one in a walnut-colored leather that I wish she still had because I’d buy it in a heartbeat. In lieu of eating with the family or at the ‘Kid’s Table’, I’d opt to sit in that chair. It’s design wasn’t built with kids in mind, so I’d slunk back in it… my feet waving in the air and I’d often need help getting out of it if I had my hands full… but when it was just me and my plate of what most likely consisted of mac and cheese and those sweet potatoes she made with marshmallows on top, I was happy as a pig in sh*t.
~ C O L O P H O N ~
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