Style by Simon
At a record release party at the Echo nightclub for Harper Simon’s eponymous first album last Wednesday, Liz Goldwyn admitted to being “Harper Simon’s groupie,” while producer-musician Money Mark shook his tail feather nearby.
As the son of folk legend Paul Simon and Peggy Harper, you might assume the 37-year-old -- whose bittersweet folky album was released last week -- would naturally have a built-in base of illustrious fans. But we’re not talking about Mischa Barton or Lauren Conrad hanging out dopily in the stage wings. Simon’s groupies – and musical collaborators, which include Sean Lennon, Eleni Mandell and Petra Hayden – are comprised of aesthetes, people with proven good taste.
It makes perfect sense. Simon’s refined sensibilities are evident in his every endeavor – from the gravel-smoothed-with-honey sound of his music (perfect for watching fireflies on the hood of your boyfriend’s Comet), to his snappy suit-heavy style to his hand-made official tour merchandise, which far surpasses the starchy tour t-shirts of yesteryear in style, fit and feel.
When creating music, he always thinks visually. “I like to think of each song being its own little movie with its own cast,” said the L.A-based musician. And when conceptualizing his tour merch, the singer-guitarist, along with Seven McDonald, his longtime friend, manager and Harper Simon executive producer, took a fashion-forward, D.I.Y. approach.
The mini “collection” features both limited-edition and multiple-run silkscreens of the album’s artwork -- a fragile-looking pencil-sketched airplane by art icon Tracey Emin (another Simon pal) -- emblazoned on perfectly paper-thin baseball tees, gorgeous heather grey v-necks, slouchy hoodies, earth-toned canvas totes and a clutch of vintage pieces hand-picked by McDonald. (And for the slaphappy, there are the requisite Harper Simon stickers).
BIG SOFTY: A small sampling of hand-made merch at Simon's record release party at the Echo last week.
The duo mined L.A.’s garment district for the flawless tops. “I was happy to find a local source who makes really cool slouchy, soft tees that feel like vintage,” said McDonald. “We found another great local source that had sturdy organic bags.” Friend and art school student, Lincoln De Fer, made the Emin screens, and is also “hand-pulling the one-of-a-kind pieces that we just grabbed from Goodwill.”
Usually best when beleaguered, the concert tee has more than street cred currency. It’s a badge of allegiance to a band or a movement, often bought with hard-earned cash -- a fact Simon and McDonald took into account when designing. “Our real dream was just to have perfectly worn vintage pieces. But as any collector knows, those take time to find, and the price-point would have been super high,” explained McDonald.
The producer, who also co-founded Simon’s indie record label, Tulsi Records, with the musician, added that plans are already in the works to expand their backyard operation. “The plan is to…make cool merch for our friends’ bands too, linking the fine art, fashion and music worlds together,” said McDonald. “Everyone deserves a thoughtful, beautiful product.”
Prices range from $25 for totes and $35 for baseball tees to $45 for hooded sweatshirts, with one-of-a-kind vintage pieces priced per item. The looks haven't made it online yet, but a rack of goodies goes up at every one of Simon's gigs.
Sales at the Echo were brisk – a major feat considering Simon’s short time on the scene. Julia Wick, the cutest cotton tech east of Vermont Ave., characterized her merch-girl job as the easiest gig in town, saying, “No hard sell necessary.”
DA PLANE: Tracey Emin's drawing of an airplane, used on Simon's album cover and silk-screened onto the musician's tour t-shirts and merchandise.