Store Progress

Right after I received the work schedule from the contractor today, I broke out into a wtf?! fit for a while. I then decided to call the guy and ask him again, wtf?! was going on.

As I recited my frustration, he cut me off halfway and then went on on a rant of his own. This then progressed into a full blown argument. So get this, according to the schedule now, work will be completed by the END OF NEXT MONTH. Those were his exact words. I am noting this down so that I can hold him responsible when shit isn't finished by the END OF NEXT MONTH. You all can get my back if he chooses to delay even further. When I reminded him of his promise that the project will be done by the end of March, he quickly denied making those claims. So now it's confirmed, END OF NEXT MONTH.

Remember, when working with a contractor, do not make the same mistakes I have. When you are signing your contract and paying them, make sure they identify the start and end dates. Do not simply ask how many days it will take. They usually speak in "working days". 1 "working month" usually means a lot more than just 1 month. It means 1 and a half months. So there you go. I'm sure you guys have learnt something valuable today.

I went to the store today and received the new sanitary items that need to be put in. Nothing exciting but I took a few more photographs.















Back soon.

More Singpost Art

See what I mean....



I definitely prefer this one to the last one I posted. That one was far too girly.
This one is right outside our office building in the CBD and really captures the feeling of that specific working environment. Something worthy to appreciate while doing the mail. I bet nobody in that neighbourhood gives a shit though.

Customs

Don't know if you guys have noticed this around town but Singpost seems to have caught the customization bug.



Several of the mailboxes I've come across throughout the city have different illustrations and artwork on them. I wonder if any of Singapore's urban artists have been commissioned to throw their work on a few of these mailboxes to add a different flair.

Store Update: Things are looking good in there. The place does really look different from the last photographs I posted on here. I will be getting more photographs of the place tomorrow. The cement screed work and steel work is almost near completion so it's going to be interesting to see the place this week. Like you all I wish I could see it when it's completely done rather than having to go monitor it step by step. It sort of stunts the excitement but I don't really have much of a choice.

See you soon.

Updates

It's good to get back into it and seeing work go on in the store. The renovations are moving along smoothly and apparently we are 1 day ahead of schedule. We should be fine getting done by the end of March.

I visit the store space at least twice a day. It's always good to see new things going on. On occasion, the space looks completely different on the day's second visit and that's a good feeling. This morning I went down and there was no sky light up on the roof. A couple of hours later I made the trip down and saw the sky light almost completely done and the music area cleaned up, cemented and plastered. These guys work quick.

I also got another shipment in today from Call of the Wild. I am waiting for my shipment from Obedient Sons as I write this. It's great fun opening up these boxes and looking through some of the good stuff in there. I'm hoping people don't buy a lot of stuff so I can keep most of this shit. Yes, the stuff is that good!

I also secured Perks and Mini. They used to be represented by Surrender down here but I'm not sure what happened. People have been anxious for P.A.M to get their stuff back into Singapore so I hope it works out for the store. I need to get PAID!

I have thought about the merchandising and layed it all out in my head. I have pictured the clothing sitting in store and it's looking real good. The P.A.M and Call of the Wild is going to look good next to the Obedient Sons merchandise.

I have been real excited about this whole project. The folks were down here this weekend and they went through the space and they were impressed. I've had a lot to think about and sometimes the 'rents catch me daydreaming. My mother just backhands me upside the head and then I wake up almost instantly ...by the way, the Obedient Sons shipment just got in and all of us gathered around the boxes like little girls to look through the stuff. The stuff is real quality!

Yeah so I have had a lot to think about and it's not going to stop so I better just appreciate it and get on with it.

More photographs of updates.











Back soon.

More photographs of the Sole Obsession event right here.

Enjoy the weekend.

Sole Obsession

Last Sunday White Room down on Haji Lane hosted the Sole Obsession sneaker meet. The event was organized by the peeps from White Room, Leftfoot and was sponsored by New Balance and Tiger Beer.

This was the first independent sneaker meet of it's kind. A couple of people chipped in and displayed some of their finest shit but majority of the emphasis was on New Balance. Good to see one of the sneaker brands actually working directly with the consumers and getting involved. This is what makes New Balance one of the best brands out there and I will be pushing it in store. Their non-corporate approach to getting the word out is commendable.

T-shirts were printed out for the event and I'm actually wearing mine as I write this. The booze was also flowing pretty easily which made for a real good day out. There was even a line formed outside White Room which still baffles me till today. I don't think there was anything for sale except for the t-shirts so I don't really understand what the deal was with the line. I guess the hypebeasts were out in full force that day.

I got to meet some fine people at the event and also managed to get the word out about the store as well. I don't think some of the competitors were too happy but that's how it goes.

Enjoy the photographs.

Mailing List

Please sign up to the mailing list at know it nothing for more detailed updates.

Thank You.

I will be back with the Sole Obsession event recap as well as store interior updates.

Singapore Zoo

After a long week of looking at clothing, shoes and bills, a trip to the Zoo to celebrate Ekta's bruddah's birthday was much needed. I needed to be outdoors to appreciate all that's good out there.

So I got up Saturday morning and we headed out to the Zoo at about 10 A.M with the Hathi siblings. This place was unreal. Seeing all those animals relaxing and doing their thing made me envious. Those guys looked like they didn't have a worry in the world and I wish I could live a life like that. They looked like they were having as much fun as we were.

We saw Tigers, Lions and the rest of em. I especially liked watching the Polar Bears swim and do their thing. Those guys looked like they were having the most fun. Watching em glide through the water and doing laps was peaceful. I'm sure we could have watched them all day. We then hit up the reptile section. Those crocs and snakes were far too tame for my liking. Scary animals nonetheless.









A great day and definitely the best way to get your mind off anything. Wouldn't have been as good a day trip without the Hathis. Those people have been kind to me since day one and have included me in everything. For that I am grateful. Oh and, Ekta ain't so bad either.

Today has been a good day.

Not only was it productive getting some shipments in but I have more good news. I recently made an offer to someone to come and work for me. I don't want to get into great detail but this person is someone I deem fit to come and work for the store. Not only does he have good retail experience, he is also part of the Haji Lane family in that he has been around the neighbourhood working for another store for a while. Since he was doing it for fun, I have offered him the chance to come and work for us full time. Today he got back at me and took the job. I am excited because him and I both see eye to eye in many ways in that we have similar ideas, goals and directions. This always makes for a successful partnership and I look forward to working with the dude.

Something to think about people; don't hire someone just because they can sell shit for you. Anyone can do that! Hire them also because of their ideas and long term goals. In a competitive retail environment, it's always good to afford your employees some creative responsibility as well. You can't get all the ideas on your own. Allowing your employee to grow with the business usually makes for a successful hire. Build that family and the business will eventually take off.

On a more fun note. This guy also hooked me up with some sweet shit. Check these bad boys out. Jap exclusives.

Full Swing

As of today, I would like to declare this as an information source for anyone of you that wants to open up their own store. Feel free to reach me via email or phone. I am always available to share my fuck-ups and my experiences. I have a lot of them so I'm always eager to share. Most of you who found your way here will probably know how to reach me already so you can use those methods.

I am completely focused on this project right now and will be updating this blog like I used to on a daily basis. I have been camera shy and have not worked hard on getting pictures up. I will do that though. Don't doubt the committment.

As far as updates go, renovations have started as of Monday and we are in full swing. We will take approximately 1 whole month. We will be done by the end of March and OPENING BY THE MIDDLE OF APRIL.

I went there yesterday and the wall that allows access upstairs has now been broken down so that we can have just the one main door. No seperate access routes for upstairs and downstairs.

Electrical works have started. Plumbing has been completed. Basically the initial stages are fuckin boring and shit starts getting interesting in the second to third week of work. By Monday however, the glass roof will come in so we will be able to see some sort of a difference. I will wait to show that to you guys as that is one of the highlights of the place and will only look good upon completion.

Our website holding page is up. You can visit www.knowitnothing.com

I will be back tomorrow with photographs.

CNY

Heading to Good Vibrations today. Should be a good time. As I write this though, it's pissing down outside and the thought of having to walk through fort canning park in the mud half drunk isn't very appealing. Whatever, I'm sure the whiskey will take over and I won't even give a shit soon after. The good news is that I sold another pair of double identity shoes and I'll be collecting the money from a buyer at the concert. Drinks NOT on me.

I will take a lot of pictures and I'll be sure to review this event as it's the first of it's kind down here.

Out.

Joe Rogan VS Carlos Mencia

I've always disliked Joe Rogan because of his UFC commentary but this really made me open up to the guy. Check it out.



Apparently a lot of Comics have been getting pissed off about how Mencia has been stealing their stand-up material.

I did a bit of research on this and it turns out that Rogan has now been banned from the Comedy Store. He has also been dropped by his Agency. Unreal!

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year has been slowing things down here in Singapore. It's great that everyone's taking a nice break but it's a long delay for me.

The good news is, we start work on store construction on the 27th of February. It will take approximately 1 month to complete. Most important lesson to anyone wanting to open a store; Don't waste any fucking time. It will bite you in the ass later on. I missed out on Chinese New Year spending so that sucks.

To get the ball rolling, I have started selling some of my inventory on the forums. I have gotten a good response and have sold 4 pairs in one week. I am getting a good response from the Double Identity sneakers. Thanks for the support. I will be stocking them more aggressively in the future.

www.knowitnothing.com is now up. It's just the holding page so hold your horses. It's just to show everyone out there we're alive, kickin and working hard to get this shit going. I am working with the people at Massive Communications to get the website done. They are giving me a pro-bono discount just as long as I give them creative credit. They are good people and I know we will be doing good things together. The website will be done by the end of March.

I am looking forward to this project very much. I have a lot of ideas I want to implement. I am very excited. Going to Haji and bumping into creative minds like Mark and the boys from Phunk really keep your feet on the ground and make you want to work as hard as them to achieve what they have.

There will not be very many updates until after this New Year is done.

Until then, Gong Xi Fa Chai. And make sure you give out 2 oranges, Not 1!

Back

Store Progress

I have finally come about to get a lot of shit done.

Ever since the boys left I went in ready to work and to try and get this stuff going. I met with the Interior Designers to sort out the design of the space. I also rendered their services to figure out the Corporate ID after having troubles with another firm. Their stuff just wasn't spot on even after 7 rounds of possible solutions.

I am a firm believer in getting this absolutely right. This is because the store logo and name is the first thing that people lay their eyes on. It's the most important thing to get right and I can say that I have spent a shitload of time on this.

I did consult several people whom I very much trust with shit like this. Those 4 people embody my ideal customer so it would be right to have asked them. Those people know who they are.

I have been having trouble with the contractor though. It is a painful process and has been taking the piss out of me. I set a budget but they have gone over it and they are now trying to reduce the overall costs. I am already neck deep in debt so start-up costs really need to be reduced. I know it sounds boring but it's something to look out for. There's the first lesson for all you people looking to start up a retail store.

Back...

Sorry for the long hiatus. The holiday season has gotten the best out of me in more ways than I can think.

First of I started with a trip to Bali for a great wedding. My dad's business partner decided to tie the knot in Bali in front of his closest friends and family. This was a great example that showed that you don't really need to throw down the cash and make immense efforts to host a beautiful wedding. Props to these kind people. They hosted three simple occasions which was just enough to avoid burnout in physical and financial terms. I look forward to more weddings like these to come. I also met some great people there that made the trip even more enjoyable.

I then spent the next few days in Jakarta. Again a great trip whereby I got to reunite with the boys and shoot the shit. It was great to see them especially Avi and Puts after quite a while. I enjoyed the microwave story from Avi in person. It was told with the same conviction as on his blog. This time we got to ask questions.

I then made my way back to Singapore to find that there was absolutely no activity that week leading up to the Christmas holiday. No complaints although that truly hindered store progress. Not a good thing. However, I did manage to cook up a great logo for the Corporate ID. I also met with the Interior Designer and we discussed more possible solutions. Thanks to her though, I still don't have anything to post up here. However, we are working in stages and we will most likely start more construction work next Wednesday. This is to take care of majority of the gutting of the place. I will most likely have photos by the New Year.

Then to Christmas. This was spent at my buddy Resida's. I brought over a few bottles of vino and we spent the night shooting the shit. This usually starts with them giving me shit about being "Bombay" and then me answering back. This is exactly the sort of "Giving" I expected from her this Christmas. A great night.

The boys then headed down here to Singapore to run an absolute muck. That we did for sure. Seeing them again in a large group reminded me of the Melbourne trip. All that was missing again was Avi and Puts.

Then it was back to work. Because of all the work I was unable to update this darn thing. I will be more regular.

Next post will be store update.

Soundtrack of the day

Special Herbs 1&2 by MF Doom.
Madvillainy by Madvillain.

Further Progress

Good way to end the week....On a high...

I managed to sit down with the good people at Swear and place an order for a few styles.

I then met with the other good people who are taking on the design and styling of the store. The engineer was there so as to approve our ideas. Everything went smoothly except about breaking things down. The issue is that we may have to submit our ideas to the Building Control Authority for them to approve. They don't want us messing around with fire safety structures. We will have to submit the application and just work on other things for the meantime. That work will start next week. Finally...

We will submit the app and it will take two months for them to approve which means that we will have to start on roofing, ceiling and the stairwell. My only issue is that people will have to walk in to the first floor from downstairs, exit the store and then walk through the stairs from the outside entrance to get to the sneaker store on the second floor. Retail psychology says this is a boo-boo, but fuck retail psychology because they ain't neck deep in debt. Fuck em!

We plan to submit the app to sort that out in the near future so that we can make changes 2 years down the road subject to approval. In the meantime you will have to settle with walking into the sneaker boutique from outside. Enjoy bitches...

Post-Hard-Day-At-The-Office Drink Up

Christmas came early this year bitches...

Tough day at the office calls for a tough time at the bar.....Harry's new location just opened up right below our office. It was their grand opening. The weekend's gonna come around much quicker every week.

To be honest, I just saw a Guiness sign from way far. That only means one thing.....It's fresh on Tap!! The initial debate was to step in for 1 pint of Black Velvet (half Guiness, half Cider), but I'd be willing to put a wager on the fact that almost all heterosexual, misguided boys will almost always stay for another,.... and another,..... and another and then finally scraggle off drunk, broke and desperately looking for food. So I don't feel so bad.

Working class man's happy juice

Working class man's type of Women

Argghhhh......

Have a good weekend. Be safe! I will be considering Rishi's not here.

More sneaks

I will be meeting the good people from Swear tomorrow. They have some heat in their collection. Some of you may have seen the starry kicks on me sometime recent.



Some more heat from the crazy minds at Double Identity.

Back tomorrow!

Progress

Thought it would be a good time for an update.

I am working with the interior designer right now and have gotten some good ideas from her. We will be visiting the space with the Engineer on Friday to see if we should go ahead and remove the roofing to expose the beams. Hopefully there's treasure under there so as to add a bit more raw-ness to the store space.

I am currently working with a graphic designer to iron out logos and work on branding and corporate identity. We'll then work on the website after the logo is done so as to show you lot that I'm around and headed in the right direction. I wanted to work with these guys too. Check out who they've done work for. They are on a similar wavelength I think.

I have placed an order at the good people at Still Life NYC. Some good things there.

I have also finished placing orders with the good people at Double Identity. Some of their stuff below. Feedback's always good!!




Another well-thought out interpretation of the trusted all-stars.