As it happens in mid-June, Father’s Day coincides with a surge in outdoor excursions. Whether your dad is into backpacking, fishing, or bathing in the woods, he could probably use a few upgrades to his campfire cooking. Replace its worn-out plastic cooler with one from Oyster, a Norwegian company that launched the shiny aluminum, vacuum-insulated version last year. Japanese gear maker Snow Peak has a titanium bowl and pot set with thoughtful details: The two items nest together to save space in a backpack, and the pot lid has a silicone tab that doesn’t heat up, eliminating the need for a boxing glove oven. (Every ounce counts when you’re lugging your kitchen up a mountain.) To put his mind at ease about meal planning, give him some vegan camping meals from Poe & Co. Folk Foods, founded last year by California-based chef couple Jamie and Jason Poe. (She cooked at New York’s Gramercy Tavern, he at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara.) Their offerings include a bowl of black garlic and coconut chickpea stew—all you have to do is pour in some boiling water.
Western Wares
Music, books and more for the cowboy at heart
Even if your dad isn’t a Beyoncé fan, he might have noticed — and reveled in — the renewed fascination with the American West sweeping the country. Accentuate the excitement with gifts fit for a modern cowboy. For his book Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, photojournalist Ivan McClellan spent a decade traveling to places like the nation’s longest-running black rodeo in Oklahoma and the Compton Cowboys’ ranch in Los Angeles. The resulting body of work, published by Damiani Books, is a subtle look at a classic American archetype. A music lover would enjoy the new album by Ecuadorian Swiss brothers Hermanos Gutiérrez, whose instrumental guitar riffs sound like a psychedelic spaghetti western. “Sonido Cosmico” is available for pre-order and will ship the week of June 14th. For a proper game of Texas hold ’em, check out artist Matt McCormick’s deck illustrated with lassos holding the cards. And whether your dad’s style is city- or country-shattering, a great pair of vintage Levis is always a safe bet. Meg Younger of online retailer Jean Genie Vintage sources jeans that are at least 20 years old and lists detailed measurements for each pair to ensure a perfect fit.
My husband’s dream of taking piano lessons is probably on hold while we raise a toddler. But for now, I bought him a pocket synthesizer to mess around with. First released in 1968, the Stylophone – an electronic instrument played by touching a small metal keyboard with a stylus attached – was the first mass-market synthesizer and was used by musicians and bands including David Bowie, who plays for a bit of one on 1969’s ‘Space Oddity’ and Kraftwerk (1981’s ‘Pocket Calculator’ ends with a Stylophone solo); Like everything in our apartment, the synthesizer now belongs to our son. But it works surprisingly well as a kid’s toy: It’s tough (musicians, like toddlers, aren’t known for handling objects with care), and its sound is strangely soothing — rippling and richer than its compact size suggests.
Browse the decor
Inside the famous seaside cottage of a British filmmaker
British artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman’s garden on the Kent coast in England is the picture of abundance. Cultivated by Jarman from 1986, when he was diagnosed with AIDS, until his death in 1994, its unfenced shrubs and wildflowers have been well documented by professional and amateur photographers. But the interior of Prospect Cottage, the black-tar-painted former fishing shack that served as Jarman’s second home and garden anchor, was shielded from the public by a set of net curtains hung by Keith Collins, Jarman’s live-in partner . after Jarman’s death. Collins maintained the property until his own sudden death in 2018. That year, photographer Gilbert McCarragher, Kent’s longtime neighbor, set out to visually document the property as it was during the couple’s life together. The results are compiled in “Prospect Cottage: Derek Jarman’s House,” a new book that presents more than 160 of McCarragher’s personal photographs along with his ideas and thoughts. Fans of the director have, for the first time, a chance to explore Jarman’s idiosyncratic interior design, much of which reflects the setting of the country house on the English Channel coast: There are sea glass etchings, driftwood sculptures and beach garlands pebbles. Although film buffs will have plenty to be excited about (one image includes a manuscript from Jarman’s 1979 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” another shows a helmet from Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s 1982 film “Querelle”) , your father doesn’t have to be a cinephile to appreciate Jarman’s house on the windswept sea.
Retro Fit
A revitalized watch from Tag Heuer and Kith
Ronnie Fieg, the founder of American fashion brand Kith, is an avid watch collector. The watch that piqued his interest was a 28mm Tag Heuer Formula 1, given to him around 12 by his mother, who was then working as a saleswoman at a Torneau boutique in New York. The watches introduced in 1986 were the first to bear the Tag Heuer name, a year after the Luxembourg holding company Techniques d’Avant Garde bought the Swiss watchmaker Heuer. Both companies sponsored motor racing teams (Ferrari and Williams, respectively), which inspired the name of Formula 1. Its dial featured quartz movements and a fiberglass case, while its plastic strap was rendered in a range of bright colors in contrast, making it an attractive and relatively inexpensive option for young watch enthusiasts. Now, Fieg has come full circle, and Kith is teaming up with Tag Heuer to relaunch the Formula 1 line. Like the originals, the 10 new styles come in a vibrant, Piet Mondrian-esque palette of primary colors (as well as black and white) . To preserve the character of the watches, Tag Heuer used the original case maker of the 1986 edition, who used the same mold. There are, however, some updates for the 2024. The original’s plastic crystal has been upgraded to sapphire and the plastic straps have been swapped for rubber. (Stainless steel bracelets are also offered.) Most notably, Tag Heuer’s pentagonal logo has been treated for the first time: on the striped dial of each watch, it reads “Kith Heuer.”
The pin is back in a way that looks anything but old-fashioned. Actor Simu Liu wore a De Beers diamond brooch to the Oscars, while actor and musician Donald Glover wore a Cartier panther brooch to the Met Gala, showing the accessory’s potential to rock a suit. But these pieces also make a fun addition to a winter coat or even, if it’s small enough, a ball cap. Jil Sander’s Alexander Calder-style enamel pin makes a statement with its size, but its flat shape and neutral color won’t draw too much attention when pinned to a knit. English designer Grace Wales Bonner’s colorful Compass pin uses hand-painted recycled beads from Ghana and looks super cool hanging near a suit pocket. Dolce & Gabbana’s crystal-embellished Daisy would be at home with a tuxedo, while Thom Browne’s gorgeous Lobster Tie Bar could easily be clipped onto a hat or lapel. To find something vintage or in line with your father’s interests, like an Edwardian scissor pin or Victorian tennis pin, try perusing 1stDibs or eBay.
Quick fix
An addictive multi-tool and a Japanese toolbox
For the dad who enjoys a tidy home, the Hoto Compressed Air Capsule falls into the “I didn’t know I needed but now I can’t live without” category. It sweeps, blows, inflates and vacuum seals, making it a useful tool for detailing car interiors, dusting laptop keyboards and saving space with airtight storage. At about 6.5 inches long, it’s easy to fit in a toolbox. But which one? Get him the Toyo Steel Toolbox, made from a single sheet of steel sourced from Osaka, Japan. It comes in a range of shades – from pale coral to deep moss green or classic titanium – and sizes. The petite mountain-shaped Y-350 toolbox doubles as an art supply case or lunchbox for the on-the-go dad, while the heavy-duty Toyo Cantilever Toolbox ST-350 would make a durable token of appreciation for the personal craftsman in your LIFE .
