The Umbrella

My friend Brenden Bell has been talking for years about how he wanted to make films. He even moved to Australia to do so. It is therefore super-exciting that his company- Initiative Production Company- just released the trailer for their new feature film! "The Umbrella" will be released this winter! I am so proud of Brenden and how hard he has worked to create this film.

Check out the trailer:

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Collab with Ricky Cohete: Rock and Roll or the French New Wave.

A few weeks ago, The photographer Ricky Cohete convinced me to do a series of shoots with him. We had just completed a shoot for Dexter Magazine and were both keen to collaborate again. This is the first of those shoots. I was tired of the limited wardrobe I had brought to Paris- so Ricky let me pull from his closet. All three of the shoots pushed my boundaries aesthetically... but this is probably the most "my style". My aesthetic is very connected to the French New Wave... which shows in this shoot. Perhaps it is also a bit rock ... the result no doubt of too much Patti Smith and Velvet Underground of late. I love the clothing in this one- blue velvet blazer, grey skinny trousers, plaid vest, oxford shoes... they create a classic look.

Stay tuned for the next two shoots, as well as a collaboration with L'Insolent magazine I am excited to share. They have a new issue out, so do head over and check it out. 

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Lucie and Beatle in London

T H R E E  weeks ago I photographed this shoot with these two beautiful Londoners- Lucy and Beatle. They are the sibling/sibling-in-law of one of my very dear friends, Deborah, who lives in Clapham, London. The afternoon following my arrival from Dublin, Debs and I met up with Lucy and Beatle at their flat for a very tasty, veggie-saturated lunch. It was so delicious! After much conversation of creativity, life, music, traveling, and the significance of friendships, I asked to photograph them. They agreed, obviously. And thanks to Hector Maclean, who both co-styled the shoot and designed the shirt and suit coat that Beatle wears in this series, we were able to partner together to create a spontaneous shoot in a quaint Clapham garden; that is, Debs' magical backyard. 

The time that I spent in London was truly unique. Different from my stay in Dublin, definitely. And distinct from my travels in Paris as well, which, is where I currently sit, lacking even a small thought to step outside, as some serious rain pours down about every three to five minutes. (It is as if the Parisian skies have been holding in their feelings for far too long and have some catching up to do.)

In London, it seemed like everything around me was moving so fast. The people. The tube. The buses. The taxis. Even the birds seemed like they were in a rush the majority of the time. Yet somehow, even with my natural tendency to go with the flow of things and get caught moving in unison with the ritualistic pace of others, I found an ability to separate myself. I sat on benches, on curbs, thought about the simple things in quaint cafes and quiet restaurants, and witnessed schools of people pedal, ride, and drive through the streets, like schools of swimmers, except with stoplights; one, behind the other, behind the other... moving only as fast as the one just in front of themselves. It was clear to me that London is a world of its own. A city in constant motion. Always growing up. Always transitioning. Always adapting. And, although I have never before encountered a place like this, I think I can honestly say that in the ways of change, refinement, evolution, and ambition... I, too, currently find myself in a state much like this city. And, to add another and, I hope that these two parts- the one involving growth, and the one of real rest and evaluation- are always awake and conscious, continuously mixing and balancing each other out for a greater balance of life that is both peaceable and life-giving. I think balance, in all and overall, is worthwhile. So, I have decided I am going to keep looking for it.

Be sure to check out my blog for more work, and more adventures to come.

Michael Newsted

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Culture Keeper

Paris Preview

O V E R  the past few weeks Ricky Cohete- the photographer behind Dexter Magazine was kind enough to do a few shoots for me. The pic above is a preview of one of the shoots- which I will be posting over the next few weeks. It was great fun to work together... and of course we will be collaborating even more in the future. As I am back in the States for a few months, I will be taking this time to catch up on some blogging. as well as some writing work for a few magazines. (stay tuned to L'Insolent Mag) I will also be hosting a few workshops and retreats and painting in the forest. This week I am headed to Saint Louis, Mo... so if you are nearby and want to collaborate or need some style advice feel free to hit me up. In the mean time- I want to know what Style Adventures all of you are having! I want to hear stories!

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Style Adventure: Meeting Garance

A few weeks ago my friend Pajie and I got to meet Garance Dore!! We went to hear her talk/mini fashion show at the Neiman's in Dallas, and got to speak with her after the event was over. She was as kind and warm as she seems in her writing and videos. I got to talk to her briefly in French which she seemed really excited about! I was the first French person she had met in Texas so far. She was very disappointed that we missed her interview at SMU the day before. She said she's fallen in love with Texas and wants to come back.

We felt a little out of place with the oh-so-fashionable crowd we were sitting with. But we both wore grey and black (I had on my new black loafers, which she commented on :)), so we blended right in. It was a lot of fun!

...And here is the picture we took with her.... She is beautiful of course and we both look absolutely horrible next to her. We were both running on very little sleep and had just come from a long day at school. Fake smiles, droopy eyes and terrible lighting! But we got a picture so that's all that matters.

 :

Here is a vintage Culture Keeper post feat. Garance... and here is a link to her blog. 

Also: check out this adorable video she made for Petit Bateau.

Follow Jenna on Pinterest (because she has mad style)

Jenna Barrois

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Culture Keeper

Paris Street Style: Autumn

Not all parisians are chic dressers... many have a very relaxed, simple style. This Autumn I have been noticing a lot of comfortable casual looks around Paris... some times it is nice to not over-think what one wears. 

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Marais Style Adventures

All I packed for 3 months in Paris was black, grey, and olive green. This has made packing and dressing each day very easy. I can pick up any set of clothes off of the floor- and Voila! I have a matching outfit. It has also been an exercise in boredom. I never thought that I would miss my wardrobe as much as I do now. I am so bored! This has been both freeing and frustrating... but I only have a week and a half left in Paris.

On this particular day I headed out to explore the Marais with Mike and Megan Gilger and Michael Newsted. We wandered around, shopped a bit, and headed over to the Kilo Shop for some vintage thrifting. It was a beautiful day.

Today I got to premier one of my favorite new pieces- the piece that helped me stave off boredom and spice up my black/grey uniform. It is a bronze necklace from Burkina Faso, and I absolutely love it. I had gone to the Puce in search of a Grand Maasaii, but fell in love with this instead.

Be sure to check out Megan's style post for today on The Fresh Exchange cause she is definitely wearing leather leggings! ... and she rocks them!

Sweater- Gap

Bronze Necklace- Venuste D'Afrique

Feather Necklace- Erica Weiner

Turtle Necklace- I stole from my brother

Black Banker's Bag- Zara

Jeans- Adriano Goldschmidt

Boots- Paladium

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Together at Candelaria

D U R I N G  fashion week I went out for tacos with a few of my friends... they led me down a few twisting streets before we spied the lights and bustling atmosphere of Candelaria. That night it was crowded with fashion-types. Extremely crowded, in the way that says- this is the hippest place you could possibly be right now. And it was. The allure of Candelaria was its simplicity. only a few items on the menu- all fresh and served to you at the small bar or the one wooden table the tiny restaurant affords. They even had a bouncer to keep things moving. There food was so fantastic we vowed to come back during daylight hours- when we could actually sit down to enjoy the rough atmosphere. 

Having so many fabulous friends in Paris right now it seemed the perfect time to re-visit. Michael Newsted was on hand to capture the ambiance, and together we tried everything they offered. It was fantastic- we had the entire place to ourselves at 2 in the afternoon- and even got to explore the hip-but-modest bar in the back. I highly recommend Candelaria.

 Jonthan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Bastille Style Adventures

F I R S T step: get ready for the day. 

For this style-adventure I wore: Sweater by Ben Sherman, Belt by Joe's Jeans, Vintage Military Trousers, Loafers by Cole Haan, and a silver/leather bracelet designed and given to me by Ursul Paris (more of their work to come!) 

A F E W  days ago Mike, Megan and I headed out from our little apartment at Alexandre Dumas. We walked to Nation, bought a few macaroons, and ate them while sitting by an enormous statue and discussing the history of the French State. Then we wandered over to Bastille- exploring alleys and side streets along the way. When we got to Bastille we sat down in a popular cafe just as it started to rain. While we drank coffee and enjoyed the rain, we commented on the various styles of the people hurrying by. It was a lovely, lovely way to spend a day... and a very stylish adventure. 

 

Mike Gilger is the photographer responsible for all of these wonderful images... his wife Megan is the blogger who dreamed this shoot up. Head over to her blog- The Fresh Exchange to see how she described our day.

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Fashion Week Street Syle

 E V E R Y O N E  knows that the street style spotting around Paris reaches its climax during fashion week. I would have to agree. It was so delightful to see so many wonderful outfits and fantastic combinations. It is of course impossible to capture it all- the movement of beauty- but I did stop a moment to take in at least a bit as I strolled down St. Honore.

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

Inspiration Board: Something For Cat

Coat

 +

Dragon

+

Hat

+

Cardigan

+

Fox

+

Room

+

Catch

+

Bag

+

Face

Currently listening to Henry Mancini's

Something for Cat

Bangles

+

Backpack

+

O'Toole

+

Ball

+

Tree

+

NYC

+

Birkin

+

Tow

+

Wild

I have always loved creating collages. seriously- all my life. I am constantly collecting inspiration- and that is to a great degree what Culture Keeper has been about- sharing things that inspire me. Now that I have Pinterest it has become much easier to organize- so you will be seeing many more inspiration boards like this in the future... You can also follow along with the inspiration on

Pinterest

.

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper

From A Photo:

B E I N G  as avid of a Tumblr nut as I am, I find myself scrolling through thousands of photos a day. I follow many street style blogs and compilation blogs such like my personal Tumblr page. Going through so many photographs, some of them being displayed over and over can become more of a chore than a time for enjoyment sometimes, but I do it because it helps keep me familiar with all that is out there. Occasionally I find pictures that really stand out to me and this is one of them. Source unknown. This photo is so simple and most would keep scrolling past it, but I like looking at details and making up a story of how this photograph came to be. It is obviously a very candid picture. One that was snapped while they were listening to one of the men talking. Perhaps he is recapping a day of work or a story that he thought the others would find interesting. They all seem to be very attentive. Completely unaware of the fact that the moment is being captured. This photo leaves so much to the imagination and I think that is why I like it so much. The more you think about it the more you want to be a part of it. 

Spencer McQueen

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Culture Keeper

My Style: In The Stairwell

M I K E  and Megan Gilger are in Paris, and with that comes a whole lot of style and creativity. Megan discovered this beautifully lit stairwell in our building that was just begging for a photo-shoot. So Mike grabbed his camera and off we went.

The Pieces I am wearing in this shoot are my everyday essentials: simple clothes that I mix- and- match with great regularity. The hat was a gift from my friend Alison, and the boots are courtesy of the folks over at Palladium.

I highly suggest that you can check out Megan's pictures. The light was indeed stunning and Mike is such an easy photographer to work with. They have been a creatively energizing presence in my life. Stay tuned for more shoots and videos from our Paris adventures.

Jonathan Randall Grant

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Culture Keeper