Tim Sukits

Category: Fashion

  • Industry standard: A Ringling photography student is working to realize Sarasota’s fashion potential

    Industry standard: A Ringling photography student is working to realize Sarasota’s fashion potential

    Published October 20, 2010 Industry w/designs from E Marie by Eliza Torres and music by DJ RusDeep 8 p.m.-midnight Sat., Oct. 23, The HuB, 1421 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, 586-0681 or matthewholler.com,matthewholler.blogspot.com, $5. The coveted label of “arts destination” is something that Sarasota has boasted for quite some time. But there are a few artistic avenues our fair coastal city has yet to venture down — at least far enough to merit a reputation. One creative arena that has long lagged behind the more popular visual and performing arts, yet could provide a huge economic boost to the area, is the fashion world, with it’s clique of affluent, young, uber-chic entrepreneurs. Thankfully, there are still a few students in this kinda-quasi-college town that are passionate about seeing the Suncoast truly live up to its “art-infused community” claim, and become a fully developed beacon of creativity. One such student is senior Ringlingphotography major Matthew Holler. To complete his senior year requirements, Holler had the choice of doing an internship or creating a “professional project,” an event where students work with members of the community in an effort to forward the city’s artistic vision. Holler chose the latter, making the fashion industry his primary focus. “There’s not much of an industry here yet,” says Holler, “but I think that there’s a possibility for it. We pride ourselves on being an art community, but how many beach photos and paintings of birds can we have? I think it really needs that other element in order to grow into a larger industry.” (more…)

  • What next? S/ART/Q emerges onto the local art scene

    Published Dec. 29, 2009 A&E The story: A new contemporary artist collective called S/ART/Q presents themselves to the community with alive screen-printing party. What next? Those crazy artists over at S/ART/Q have been busy strengthening their organization by planning new exhibitions and events. Their Inaugural Exhibition went down in early November and was set up in the former DK Vogue space on State Street. They are now nailing down plans for their second full-scale high-end art exhibition and are looking at several interesting locations to hold the event, which is planned for late February or early March. They will still put on the screen-printing party as an annual event in late summer, and are now tossing around the idea of holding a community bike art event in the spring.

  • What next? Austin Kowal and Evan Ekasala launch Clothesline

    Published Dec. 29, 2009 BUSINESS The story: Austin Kowal and Evan Ekasala start Clothesline, a DIY T-shirt shop in Burns Court, with a screen-printing machine they made from scratch. What next? Kowal and Ekasala doubled their retail space after moving from the Herald Square storefront at 537 S. Pineapple to the much roomier 533 next door. They teamed up with local screen-printing company Screen Killers, who temporarily took over the printing in order to teach the Clothesline boys all the professional, top-notch tricks of the trade. Clothesline has now resumed the printing duties, replacing their homemade wooden rig with a brand-new professional six-color press. They have also split retail space with Rude Psycles, a custom bike shop with an eco-friendly philosophy that aims to recycle and refurbish used bikes. Now you can pimp your bike and your shirt in the same store!
  • New arts organization S/ART/Q debuts with its first public event: a live screen-printing party

    New arts organization S/ART/Q debuts with its first public event: a live screen-printing party

     

    Aug. 3, 2009

    S/ART/Q Live Screen-Printing Event
    5:30-10:30 p.m. Fri., Aug. 7, The Hub, 1421 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, $5 per screened item, sartq.com.

    It started with an open call to artists back in December, when Ringling College fine art graduates Tim Jaeger and Joseph Arnegger saw a lack of collaboration and cohesiveness in the arts community. They wanted to create a group of visual artists, from various media, to join together and discuss the current state and role of the arts in Sarasota. Fourteen of Sarasota County’s finest painters, sculptors and photographers responded. S/ART/Q was born.

     

    “These are not emerging artists,” says Jaeger. “These are all mid-career and professional artists. These are people that have shown nationally or internationally, and have decided to live in Sarasota County.” The art credentials of the group are impressive, the scope of their vision even more so. They aim to set the standard for culture in Sarasota.

    “The lowest common denominator in the visual arts is no longer acceptable,” says Jaeger. “S/ART/Q is the definition of the standard and the answer to the contemporary arts scene in Sarasota. The standard now, it’s a very, very low bar. It’s a silhouette of David without the penis. Sarasota shouldn’t be an artist’s destination. It should be a cultural destination. We’re here to formulate a group to provide that standard for the community, because we believe in Sarasota. Period. That’s it.”

    The group has support from The Hub in the Rosemary District and uses the space for their biweekly meetings; the building will also host S/ART/Q’s first community event.

    A suggestion from Sabrina Small led the group to join with Clothesline owner Austin Kowal to put on a live screen-printing party and exhibition this Friday. Each artist has created a special design that people can have screen-printed onto any clothing item or textile they choose for only $5 a print. The artists will all have a piece of work displayed, many corresponding to their T-shirt design, and there will be activities for the kids, music, local food vendors and a cash bar.

    This event and a winter exhibition are S/ART/Q’s short-term goals, but long-term goals include a program to attract talented creative individuals to Sarasota by helping them find affordable housing and health care. The group plans to become an influence in local politics and a vehicle for bringing creative organizations of all types to work in tandem toward a united arts community.

    Member Brandon Maupin, a graduate of the Cincinnati Art Academy, is an abstract painter who sees the group as a tool for artists to make a living off their love. “I’m anxious to connect with a market that’s for my work,” he says. “I was working construction for a while there. I’m a stay-at-home dad now, so I’m able to focus on my art. I’m just looking for a chance to find the market.”

    Dave Piurek, a conservation technication and gilding expert at Ringling Museum, sees the group as a bonding of like minds and purposes. “I think I was one of the last ones to join, but I’m so glad I did,” he says. “Joseph really wanted me in there and I was flattered. At first I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can do this, or I’m not at that level, or I can’t provide the time.’ But then I understood it, and I’m very happy I said, ‘Yes.’ These meetings are pretty great; the energy that’s in there is all positive. You leave there and you’re kind of on fire. I think the whole group is.”

    Ringling graduate Daniel Miller is a painter, printmaker and web developer who believes S/ART/Q will enrich and diversify the community. “It’s going to provide an outlet that people are yearning for in this town,” he says. “The current group is going to open up the community for future prospects to move here and provide inspiration to artists who live here. We need to get away from seashells and dolphins.”

     

  • Moving weight: A recently opened Sarasota thrift shop, The Cubbyhole, is doing serious business

    Cubbyhole co-owner Ron Chawkins (Tom Sukits)

    May 18, 2009

    At a time when expansion is the last thing most retail stores are consdering (heck, most places are just trying to saty afloat), one mid-Sarasota shop is growing. By 1,200 square feet, no less.

    The Cubbyhole opened a little over four months ago, and just last week expanded its store at 2031 Bahia Vista by those very dimensions. Why is this “vintage thrift” shop thriving in such a terrible economy? The Cubbyhole has a feature most others can’t claim: unbelievably inexpensive designer clothing.

    How are they able to supply this? They buy clothing by the pound — nearly a half-million a month, to be exact.

    Brothers Ron and Neil Chawkins started a wholesale company about four years ago that buys used, new and unwanted clothing from individuals, businesses and organizations, and then resells it. They now have a dozen employees on the road every day picking up used clothing from all over the state and bringing it back to a 10,000-square-foot warehouse they have off 75 and Fruitville. A bailing machine compresses the clothes into 1,000-pound blocks, which are then shipped, 48 per freighter container, to retailers in less-developed countries like Chile, Haiti, Guatemala and El Salvador.

    The retail store was always in the plans, but only recently come to fruition. “We go through a very small percentage of what we get in and are very picky about what we put in the store,” says Ron Chawkins. “No rips, no tears, no stains. We kind of keep it to designer, ‘trendy’ clothing.”

    Instead of tags, the store has two menu boards with the prices displayed. “There isn’t a whole lot over $9.99 in the store,” says Chawkins. “Shirts are $3.99, shorts and skirts are $4.99, and slacks are $3.99 whether they’re Tommy Bahama or Express. We don’t differentiate between designers. All our jeans, whether they’re Lucky 7, True Religion, I don’t care what they are, Gloria Vanderbilt, they’re $6.99.” As an added incentive, if you bring in a 20-30-pound. bag of clothes (in good shape) they will give you 10-15 percent off your store purchase. Beat that, Goodwill.

    Some customers show up early to cherry pick the designer stuff and then sell it on eBay. A big customer base are the service industry employees who seek out cheap white shirts and khaki pants for their work attire. “One thing we try to do is to get the people that need the clothing at the prices they need it at,” says Chawkins. “Ralph Lauren polo shirts are $3.99 in my store. Can I get $5.99? Sure. But people need deals now.”

    There are certain organizations, such as the Kiwanis Club and the Boys and Girls Club, which they donate to regularly also. “We are not a nonprofit,” says Chawkins. “We donate to certain organizations that are near and dear to our heart. But we’re a company, we have overhead, we have bills to pay and workman’s comp.” He credits the Saba family, who rents out the space in Saba Plaza, as having been especially helpful while building the business. “We owe a lot of our success to them.”

    Chawkins likes to use the term “eclectic” when talking about the store’s variety. “The beauty about the business is you never know what’s going to come in. We’re the true sense of a thrift store: to find something of value at a highly discounted price. There aren’t too many people that come in and leave without anything.”

     

  • New T-shirt company premieres at Everything but the Girl

    May 7, 2009

    Everything but the Girl will host the premiere ofBlk Sheep, a new Sarasota T-shirt company that targets hipsters of all ages. Blk Sheep was started by Ringling graduate Spencer Wohlrab after he went through a series of unfortunate events in his life and decided to channel his emotions into design. After showing some of his designs to his friend Katrina Costedio, who happens to own a design firm, she decided to help him turn his pain into profit. Wohlrab’s mission is to “celebrate the individual while educating the masses on the importance of design and its impact on culture.” Blk Sheep has teamed up with Everything but the Girl owner Laura Daniel Gale, who will now carry the new clothing line in her store. The premiere will be from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, May 9 at Everything but the Girl located at 430 Central Avenue in the Rosemary District. DJ Permitted will be spinning some beats and local fashion designer David Marmon will introduce his “David Marmon for Blk Sheep” dress. Refreshments will be served and the after party is across the street atSarasota Olive Oil Company for some live music with singer/songwriter Vin Lamar.