“The product has to be beautiful because the process is beautiful. Each step has to beautifully fit together…”  – Noah Guy of Joshu + Vela

In honor of BreakThru Radio’s Innovator Week, I have a truly innovative designer on today’s show. Noah Guy creates Joshu + Vela, a line of stunning hand-crafted bags, from his studio in San Francisco, employing natural materials and dyes. The majority of his materials are sourced from the U.S., and the results are beautifully durable, stylish bags that are at once reminiscent of the past and perfectly suited for the future. On today’s show, Noah will talk about the path to starting his own line, the ethics and challenges of creating with U.S.-sourced materials, and an oak-tanned leather he uses that makes each bag truly one-of-a-kind.

Plus, great music in the mix today, with new tracks from Plants and Animals, Virgin Forest, Virals, and even a weird-but-wonderful Buddy Holly remix. So turn up the volume, enjoy, and just try to resist the siren song of your own new Joshu + Vela bag…

Joshu + Vela by Noah Guy
(Photos by Jaime Beechum, Justin Divine; courtesy of Joshu + Vela)

XL Boat Tote – Black

Wallet – Natural

Leather Tote – Brown

A-Tote – Leaf Indigo

Zip Backpack – Natural Canvas

Natural canvas backpack after a few months… (straps and bottom are changing color)

*Check out Noah’s blog here, and check out the article from MSNBC on the return of U.S. production here.

Capsula
(Photo by Sinclair Voyant)
Feb 3 – Biribay Jazz Club – Logrono, Spain
Feb 18 – Joy Eslava – Madrid, Spain
Feb 23 – Sidecar – Barcelona, Spain
Feb 24 – Sala Lopez – Zaragoza, Spain
Feb 25 – Four Seasons Club – Castellon De La Plana, Spain
Feb 29 – Siroco – Madrid, Spain
March 1 – Extra Large – Valencia, Spain
March 15 – Iron Bear – Austin, TX
March 30 – Sala La Vaca – Ponferrada, Spain
June 9 – Rockumentalak – Zarautz, Spain

Italian Japanese
(Photo by Simgil)
Feb 3 – Tin Can Alehouse – San Diego, CA
Feb 9 – Silverlake Lounge – Los Angeles, CA
Feb 10 – The Smell – Los Angeles, CA
Feb 14 – Constellation Room at the Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
March 14 – The Thirsty Nickle – Austin, TX
March 15 – The Dizzy Rooster – Austin, TX
March 16 – Kovora – San Antonio, TX
March 19 – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale, AZ

Plants and Animals
(Photo by Laura Totten)
March 8 – Ritual Nightclub – Ottawa, Ontario
March 9 – Le Cercle – Quebec City, Quebec
March 10 – Le Cabaret Du Mile End – Montreal, Quebec
March 20 – Lucky Bar – Victoria, British Columbia
March 21 – Rickshaw Theatre – Vancouver, British Columbia
March 22 – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
March 24 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
March 27 – The Starlite Room – Edmonton, Alberta
March 28 – Republik – Calgary, Alberta
March 29 – Amigo’s Cantina – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
March 30 – West End Cultural Centre – Winnipeg, Manitoba
March 31 – First Ave & 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
April 4 – T.T. the Bear’s Place – Cambridge, MA
April 5 – Kungfu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA
April 6 – The Red Palace – Washington, D.C.
April 7 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
April 8 – 529 – Atlanta, GA
April 11 – The Social – Orlando, FL
April 13 – Bottletree Cafe – Birmingham, AL
April 14 – Hi-Tone – Memphis, TN
April 18 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
April 19 – Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY
April 21 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, Ontario