One is silver and the recon is gold
Intel from the frontlines of contemporaneity
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Here at Blackbird Spyplane we have many modes. Sometimes we like to climb up to the top of Mt. Spynai like “Swag Moses,” take in the vastness of the landscape, ponder the eons, and craft sletters in a state of macro contemplation.
Other times? We cling to that razored precipice where the present slices into the future, blessing our readers with burningly relevant dispatches from the frontlines of contemporaneity. That’s the kind of Concorde I (Erin) have got for you today, in an edition packed with news and new releases — all launched or launching within days of this sletter. I’m talking about:
I found a trove of sick highly vibey midcenturied-out silver jewelry, accessories, cutlery & décor perfect for Concorde Hot Lady Army and The Fellas of Spy Nation. They were designed by a silversmithing titan whose name remains surprisingly little-known despite the fact that his work was worn by two of the greatest artists of the 20th Century — and despite the fact that it looks as good in 2024 as ever. A flotilla of pieces are coming up for auction this week … with opening bids priced tantalizingly low.
“Wet-Putty Footwear” Watch? Intel on a newly dropped crop of slim-soled unlined leather slip-ons in gray-toned colors that I am feeling.
New unisex button-ups cut & sewn in L.A. from deadstock fabrics, by a label who make my current go-to bag.
A killer new shoe, one-of-one slappers, and a book from one of my favorite indie labels
& more!
Let’s get to it —
A couple months back, when I was doing advanced research related to the Concorde shoe of the fall, I stumbled onto some intriguing silver accessories. Why were they instantly recognizable to me? And yet why was their designer’s name unfamiliar?
I realized I’d seen iconic photos of this person’s work as rocked by one of my style North Stars, but I knew nothing about them. Not only did they make sick wearable objects, like belts and pins, they also made beautiful décor and functional objects (cutlery, light fixtures, mirrors). All of it museum quality. And a bunch of it is coming up for auction in just a few days: