While going through my twitter feeds(@poketo), I saw a tweet from Slate Magazine that said “Surprisingly entertaining animated video about a Scottish sweater company” so I clicked on the link.

It was an animation by the famed Scottish artist, David Shrigley commissioned by a company called Pringle of Scotland. Frankly, I didn’t know anything about this company before seeing the video but I soon found out a lot and I’ll tell you why and how shortly.

The drawing by David Shrigley is so fun and charming, the animation, and music, perfect. The tone of the narration is so funny and light. I laughed out loud multiple times during the animation.

After the watching the video, I needed to find out more about the company, Pringle of Scotland. It wasn’t a simple sweater company as the video hilariously portrayed. It was a really high-end fashion label from Scotland. Their site features a section called ” Ad Film” where you can see Ryan McGinley’s film featuring the artiest of actresses of all, Tilda Swinton. It’s actually a really beautiful film. It brought back memories from 2 years ago when we went to Glasgow to launch the Poketo Glasgow Series.

How smart is their marketing? Commissioning David Shrigley to do a funny and quirky animation in time for the Milan Fashion show is so unexpected. I really admire their vision and confidence in their brand to know that they can produce, on one hand a total avant-garde poetry of a film with Tilda Swinton, and on the other an antithesis to what they’re really about, almost a satirical portrayal of the snootiness of the fashion brand that they are. They are so confident in their brand that they can just have fun with it.

Oh and their clothes… ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!
Next time I’m at Barneys or Neiman Marcus, I’m so dropping major dough on one of those beautiful coats…
uhm…j/k

The readers of the blog will know how much we adore the singer song-writer, Neko Case. The coolest thing is that our love is mutual. Whenever we come out with new shirts, she’s one of the very first people to order them.

Photo by Matt Parish

About 4 years ago, I remember getting repeated orders from someone named Neko Case. I thought…huh, could this be the same Neko Case? So I emailed her back, “Hi Neko, Thanks so much for your continued support. Just wondering, Is Neko Case your name, like the singer? You probably get that a lot…=)”

To my surprise, she emailed right back and said, “Hi Angie, the shirts I received were so great that I ordered the new ones. ( I’m wearing one right now!!! ) And yes, I get that a lot because I am one in the same. In fact the t-shirts are coming in so handy because I’m on tour and they are so soft and comfy ( I get loads of compliments, and pass on your info…..) and I need a bunch cause I never get to do laundry. So thanks to you folks for keeping me comfy AND sanitary on tour. take care and I’ll keep checking for your new designs”

How cool is that?

Last year, we went to her show at the Greek, and we almost fell when we saw her coming on stage in one of our shirts! Ted had to stop me from screaming.

Photo by KCRW

Well, we’ve got a big surprise for you guys coming your way for those who love Neko Case as much as we do. We’re collaborating on something really cool and awesome together. I can’t wait to share with you all!

In my early twenties, I would often be caught reading the Missed Connections section in SF Weekly or the SF Guardian. I was single, living in San Francisco, somewhat directionless and was looking for meaning in life… or just a cute boy. This is time before Craigslist became what is today. Back then, people actually paid good money to put up a classified listing on the local newspaper. The disappearance of classified listings due to sites like Craigslist and other online publications has partially contributed to the near death of newspapers and print media in general, but I digress. Back to the topic of today, the Missed Connections.

One day, I found myself reading the Missed Connections section of the Craigslist while doing some job search, and I found myself in one of the post. It went something like… “I sat next to you on 38 Geary bus from downtown. You, short black hair, cute, wearing a red coat, me, dark hair… we talked about dancing and you had to get off….”

Sophie Blackall, artist living in New York, takes it a step further. She reads the Missed Connections and illustrates her favorites. Most of them beautiful and romantic but some are downright hilarious. She describes her Missed Connections project like this:
- – - – - -
Messages in bottles, smoke signals, letters written in the sand; the modern equivalents are the funny, sad, beautiful, hopeful, hopeless, poetic posts on Missed Connections websites. Every day hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I’m trying to pin a few of them down.
- – - – - – -

Here are a few of my favorites.

Thursday, December 31, 2009
- m4w – 32
You had on a furry hat with ear flaps and you crashed into me at Wollman Rink today. You are a terrible but adorable skater.
Happy New Year!

Monday, November 2nd, 2009
You left your coat here last winter – w4w
… or rather, you let me wear it home.
I found fun dip in one pocket and your NYPL card in the other.
It’s going to keep me deliciously warm this winter as I rack up mountains of overdue fines.

Monday, August 17, 2009
- m4w – (greenpoint)
asked myself why the letter ‘n’ all night long, then you were gone before i got a chance to ask. also, i saved you a piece of cake.
do you always sit in a circle of asian girls? and sit at the top of the stairs so everyone gets a crush on you when they get to the roof?

Love this video of flip book illustrating Parkour. Imagine how long it took for Marcus Troy to put this together. Awesome! Watch it and enjoy!

parkour motion reel from saggyarmpit on Vimeo.