A $7,600 (!) grail jacket, within reach
Plus sick new sneakers & shoes, VIP culture picks from L.A. chune shaman Loren Kramar & more
Spy Nation — if you’re in the Bay, save the date, because we’re throwing a party at Snail Bar in Oakland on Saturday, May 4. We’re talking cookout vibes, chilling, wine, food, Quentin from Ordinaire a.k.a. Jumpin Toads DJing, friends, sunshine both literal (let’s hope) and metaphorical (guaranteed), limited-edition Spyplane puff-print tees & more.
See you there!
Welcome to Blackbird Spyplane.
Our roundup of the Best Pants Out is here.
Check our list of the world’s 35 slappiest shops, where Spyfriends have added a ton of favorites in the comments.
Mach 3+ city intel for traveling the entire planet is here.
— Jonah & Erin
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In today’s Plane we’ve got —
Sick hardbody under-the-radar sneakers & clogs …
A top-notch repro of one of the all-time illest army-navy jackets (so rare that OGs go for like $7k+, mamma mia)…
One of the most intriguing book recommendations we’ve ever heard, courtesy of a dude who is about to put out one of the year’s liveliest, most singular albums…
Another young chune god who looks like he’s in Salem but sounds like he loves Phil Collins…
And more unbeatable recon!
Kicking things off —
A brand-new edition of “V.I.P. R.A.D.A.R.,” where Vibey Illustrious People come through with Rare And Dope A** Recon.
Today we’ve got intel from a musical prince with an enormous voice & a sly sense of humor:
O yes! Loren Kramar is a singer & songwriter out of L.A. He’s toured with Spyfriend Father John Misty, and he modeled while singing at the last Eckhaus Latta show.
In Loren’s own music, he plays a (seemingly?) amped-up version of himself, driven to distraction by the enormity of his own appetites — for fame, for beauty, for sex with baddies, for LIFE!!
Loren’s debut album, Glovemaker, is out tomorrow & it’s a sumptuous abbondanza delight. We’re grooving especially heavy on the smoky, moody, jazzy, horny title track, and on the tone-setting lead single “Hollywood Blvd” (the video for which features the comedian and fellow egomania-satirist John Early):
Also?? Loren looks great in jawns and has cool weird taste. So we were stoked to ask him to put us on to 3 under-the-radar recommendations:
I’ve Seen the Future and I’m Not Going by Peter McGough
“This is essential reading for anyone interested in the art world in New York City in the ‘80s. It’s an exquisite document of a life devoted to art. With his creative partner, David McDermott, they created “time experiments” — ripping the electricity out of their homes for 18th century realism, getting around by horse-drawn carriage, painting, drawing, and performing all the while. Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Madonna…they’re all here!”
“Caley is an unstoppable creative force — a true world builder — and a beautiful person and friend. At one of my shows, she gave me a prize ribbon she made, which had a cartoon tornado printed on it along with the text: ‘Petit cum? Non! Big loads only!’ It led to a collaboration on a limited run of ribbons for my tour with Father John Misty last year. She makes clothes, drawings, sculptures, and a better life.”
“Artists Calla Henkel and Max Pitegoff opened their jewelbox theater on Santa Monica Blvd earlier this year after having run creative spaces (Times Bar, TV) in Berlin over the past decade. This 50-seater black box has gorgeous little chandeliers and a stage with a mezzanine drowning in tinsel. Their program includes performances by Lily McMenamy, Ruby McCollister, Leilah Weinraub, and Karl Holmqvist. Their t-shirt is also a wardrobe essential.”
Loren Kramar is on Instagram here. His excellent new album, Glovemaker, is out tomorrow, Apr. 26. Find it on Bandcamp here, Spotify here, and Apple Music here.
Let’s talk cool new clothes —
Kicking things off with 3 “unbeatable footwear slappers” for you. (Don’t worry, the inelegant goofball abominations that are the 🥴 viral New Balance loafers 🥴 are not in the mix — we respect you and ourselves too much to pretend those are ill!!)
Check these: