Oak Street

The gentlemanly crew of Frank & Oak celebrated the launch of their lifestyle magazine Oak Street in their newly renovated atelier space.   This well crafted publication was a labour of love by the Frank and Oak team to bring to us, the dear reader, a worldly view that reflects upon the brand.  Now this ain't no thinly veiled advertorial: an intriguing interview with Terrance Koh, a capsule on Detroit and a travel accessory editorial make up only a slice of this magazine's pie.  So check it out.

Atelier Frank & Oak

Frank & Oak the purveyor of stylish and affordable duds for the hip and young gentlemen crowd threw a party to welcome guests to their street level presence.  Mmmm, I love me an iron pressed grilled cheese sandwich.... The online-only retailer wanted to provide their clientele with a space to interact with the brand, be it trying on the latest shirts on the rack, by getting the barbershop treatment or settling into the couches and leafing through recipes from The Kinfolk Table.  Come and stay a while!

Le 63

Once upon a time I used to perform burlesque.
It was in this world that I met Amélie, we clicked, we performed duos on stage (dual strip!), our most memorable number was a duo of bandaged mummies unraveling to the Bangles' Walk like an Egyptian.  It was through my new friend and her partner Richard that I was introduced to the world of kitsch and motorcycles.  Meticulously groomed in vintage styles, they had a home decor to match and a crew of biker friends. The couple also taught me that showing up for my first bike ride in flip flops and short shorts were a no-no.

Fast forward many years later: I have since hung up my pasties, and Amélie and Richard have opened two vintage shops (Kitsch'n'Swell & Rokokonut) and their latest baby Le 63, which focuses on a lifestyle on two wheels.

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I pulled up a stool and had a coffee at their counter as Amélie introduced me to some of the styling products that they sell at the shop for your (mostly male) grooming needs.  In the above picture it's kind of hard to tell, but that is one giant tub of Layrite pomade of the Hawleywoods barbershop fame. It apparently styles like wax but washes out like it's no big deal.  If you hold the big jar in one hand and give it a light tap you can feel the product jiggle! Yeah, I tried it out myself, and you can too!

This lovely set of products comes from Brooklyn Grooming, they take care of your beard follicles, mustache whiskers and your freshly inked tattoo.  All made with natural and organic ingredients, invoking your favourite BK hoods: Williamsburg, Fort Greene and my personal soft spot Red Hook.  All of their products are available online at BK Grooming's efficient site but Le 63 is the only brick and mortar retailer where you can pick up their wares in Montreal.  So pull up a chair and introduce yourself to Amélie and Richard, allez: beautify!