New: Super Luxury Berets from the Czech Republic

Three new custom made berets at South Pacific Berets! 

The Faldina 12" is TONAK-FEZCO's Super Luxury model; a generously sized beret in ultra soft, densely felted wool fitted with the traditional tartan lining. 

These grand berets are made exclusively for South Pacific Berets and available three colours: Vermillion (Red), Marbled Charcoal and Roskam-Ox @ 48.50.

What is "Roskam-Ox"? This beret is an homage to my friend Pieter Roskam (27 April 1950 - 28 October 2014). Pieter was an artist in the true sense of the word, in the work he produced as a graphic artist, photographer, silkscreen printer and painter, as well in his way of living - always with a keen and open eye, but going his own way. 

One of Pieter's most recognizable peculiarities was that he always dressed in Bordeaux - from socks and shoes to his berets. Pieter had a large number of Bordeaux coloured berets in all sizes and qualities and I am sure he would have loved to have seen (and worn) this Super Luxury model in a light, marbled Bordeaux.

The name Roskam-Ox comes from his website RoskamOxTxapeldun.

Dragons

A dragon is a large, serpent-like legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures around world. Beliefs about dragons vary drastically by region, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire.

Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence.

In western cultures, dragons are portrayed as monsters to be tamed or overcome, usually by saints or culture heroes, as in the popular legend of Saint George and the Dragon. They are often said to have ravenous appetites and to live in caves, where they hoard treasure. These dragons appear frequently in western fantasy literature, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.

And of course, one can find dragons embroidered on black Basque berets…

Happy Birthday Jean-Claude!

Jean-Claude Pertuzé is a graphic designer, illustrator and author of French comics, born 11 September, 1949 in Lectoure (Gers).

Of course, Jean-Claude is also the man behind the “Beret Wizard” and various logo’s and artwork featured on The Beret Project and South Pacific Berets.

His work is mainly devoted to his region of origin, Gascony, with a marked interest for the tales and the personality of the folklorist Jean-François Bladé (1827-1900. He is also interested in the Pyrenees; their traditions and history.

On July 19, 1987, he climbed to the top of the Vignemale (3,298 m) to write and draw the portfolio of 32 comic strips, Le jour du Vignemale, in the days and night of 19 to 20 July. A completely new version, in "manga" format (16 × 24 cm ) and in color, Vignemale, the other day, appeared in 2011.

In 2009, he directed the theatrical adaptation of one of his unpublished works, Picoulin le Chafougnesque, assembled and represented by students from a primary school in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier.

Jean-Claude regularly attends seminars and congresses offering live drawing. He produces drawings for newspapers and magazines.

In May 2011, he was the guest of honor at the BD-Comminges (comic book) Festival in Saint-Gaudens and in November 2014, he was invited at the first Salon of the Basque Comic Festival in Bilbao and gave a conference on comics in Occitan.

Needless to say, Jean-Claude is a dedicated boinero.

Henri The Frenchman

In 1973 or thereabouts a cut-out caricature of a Frenchman was found stuck to the side of a waste bin in a newspaper office.  Nobody laid claim to this rejected cartoon and so he was adopted by the advertising department and nicknamed Henri.

Sporting a moustache, dressed in a striped shirt and wearing a beret, he had the appearance of the pre EU concept of a frugal French onion seller.  Shown to and adopted by local Citroën dealers, Graveley Motor Company, he quickly became the choice local candidate to promote the company and the newly arriving Dyane cars.

And so, a low key and successful local advertising campaign was born.

Over a period of about 15 years Henri regularly featured in advertisements published in local newspapers circulating in the North Herts and South Beds catchment areas.  During this time, he also promoted the Citroën GSA range before taking his final bow when Citroen insisted on a unified national image for all their dealerships.

Moving on to 2013, Rob Moss of Chevronics was given the opportunity of adopting Henri. Rob decided to give Henri a new home at Chevronics.  After a freshen up and making him into Henri mark 2 Henri can now be found bringing joy to Chevronics, their customers and found on their advertising too.

“We always love it when our customers talk about Henri,” says Rob, “especially when it turns out some of our current customers were customers of Graveley Motor Company!’  Henri has turned into a true icon.

Old Jewish Men

A delight on Instagram is the (almost daily updated) page of Old Jewish Men; not just for the beautiful shots of... old Jewish men, but just as much for the accompanying texts!

“You will never see me wearing the color blue. I can’t stand the color blue, and anyone who says differently doesn’t know anything about me and can’t be trusted.”

"For those of you asking, no we have not yet found out if this man is Yogi Berra. If you have answers or insider information, please send inquires to the OJM office direct message line. Shabbat Shalom."

"We've been married since 1971. Think of how many meals that is. Wasn't like this when I was working. Every single meal...together. Thank god we can argue to pass the time. I feel bad for couples who just sit there."

The Refuge of Tuquerouye

October, 1992

The refuge of Tuquerouye (or refuge Lourde-Rocheblave) is a mountain refuge of the Pyrenees, located at the breccia of Tuquerouye (2666 m), facing Mount Perdu, in the central area of the Pyrenees National Park. It is the oldest and the highest of the Pyrenean refuges.

The refuge of Tuquerouye was designed by Léonce Lourde-Rocheblave, a Pyreneanist from Bordeaux. It is a massive construction, made of local stones. Other necessary materials were assembled at the foot of the Tuquerouye corridor by mules, then hoisted up to the breach by guides from Gavarnie. The building was inaugurated on August 5, 1890.

A few days later, the guide François Bernat-Salles carried the statue of the Virgin (75 kilo) on his back, to be placed above the refuge.

In 1927, architect Touzin enlarged the refuge, simply building a building identical to the first. The refuge was renovated in 1999, the roof redone in 2005.

Jesús Comín y Sagüés

Jesús Comín y Sagüés was a Spanish Carlist politician and soldier. He has been twice elected deputy to the Republican Cortes. He is also recognized for his role during early days of the Civil War, when he decisively contributed to Nationalist seizure of Zaragoza and large part of Aragón.

During his lifetime Comín gained recognition mostly locally in Zaragoza and Aragón; it was only the Carlist press which hailed him nationwide as a great orator and "catedrático". His very belligerent interventions in the Cortes at times gained him attention beyond the Traditionalist realm.  

His zeal earned him also some ridicule on part of the hostile press, which did not miss the opportunity to quote him declare in excitement that "yo soy Jesús Comín, y les doy mi nombre porque cuando digo una cosa me gusta responder de ella" (I am Jesus Comin, and I give them my name because when I say something I like to answer for it), drawing mocking comparisons to Nero or Napoleon.

Au Pays des Basques

Au Pays des Basques (1930) is the first film with sound shot in the Basque Country, and even the first film in which words in the Basque language are heard. More specifically: Erleak, abejas, are the first words in this language that were recorded on film.

The bee was the animal that connected the world of the living with that of the dead in old Basque mythology. Through its beautiful images, the film travels around the Basque Country, from its mountains to its coast, ensuring to capture images that are heard for the first time on film.  

Au pays des Basques is a documentary of great beauty which reveals the landscapes through song and with a film structure of association. It is a film that is sung and told to verify and celebrate the birth of sound and with a backdrop of metaphysical significance, goodbye and farewell.

Valentín de Zubiaurre Aguirrezábal

Valentín de Zubiaurre Aguirrezábal (1879 - 1963), was a Spanish Basque painter. He was born deaf and dumb, as was his brother Ramón de Zubiaurre , also a painter, three years younger than him. Both were children of the musical composer Valentín de Zubiaurre Urionabarrenechea.

Originally from the Basque town of Garay , the Zubiaurre family lived in the capital of Spain, where the father obtained a position as musical teacher in the chapel of the Royal Palace.

Valentin began his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in 1894, continuing later with the painters Muñoz Degrain and Alejandro Ferrant and Carlos de Haes. In 1898 he made a trip through the Netherlands, France and Italy to complete his training.

For a while he lived in Segovia, attracted by the types and the Castilian landscape, which he profusely used in his painting. During his stay in the town he lived in the Palace of the Count of Cheste.

He cultivated a costumbrista painting style, in which the Basque and Castilian themes proliferated and where the solidity of the figures was interpenetrated with a deep sense of color. It was not easy for him to get official recognition. At a time when naturalism and impressionism were the dominant trends, Zubiaurre made a more intellectual painting, combining on the one hand the mastery of his art with the intellectual elaboration of the idea.

He died in Madrid in 1962.

Corinne Drewery

Corinne Drewery (1959) is an English singer-songwriter and fashion designer, best known for being the lead vocalist of the band Swing Out Sister.

Drewery moved to London after leaving school in 1976 to study fashion at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and eventually became a fashion designer. But she also sang for short periods with bands like Working Week.

She first met Andy Connell and Martin Jackson in 1984 and together they formed Swing Out Sister, who in 1986-87 achieved enormous chart success at both sides of the Atlantic with "Breakout". This became the band's signature song and by far their most successful hit.

Apart from singing the lead vocals in the band, she is the band's lyricist, and participates in the composing of the songs together with her musical partner Connell.

Odd Einarson

Odd Einarson, (1910 - 1991) was a Norwegian cartoonist.

Odd Einarson studied at the Arts Academy of Munich under the cartoonist Olaf Gulbransson (1932) and at the Norwegian Art Academy under Søren Onsager (1940).

He worked in paint and drawings with satirical commentary and was associated with the Brochmann movement of the Alternative Society.

Together with colleague artist Ernst Berentsen, he published the socio-critical comic book You're Delaying Time in 1935, and after the Second World War he started, among other things, the journals The Magic Mirror and Paragraph 100.

However, Odd Einarson was first and foremost known as a bohemian with a beret (alpelue), lush beard and his truck named "Ruslebo". He spent only three to four minutes on a cartoon drawing of interested passers-by and during the period from 1947 to 1985, portrayed over half a million Scandinavians under the signature "Einarson".

Odd Einarson’s works has been purchased by the National Gallery.

Restaurants

Restaurants where no one takes offence when not taking off your beret when dining.

Ann Shoebridge

Ann Shoebridge is a hat designer, collaborator and creative director located in Sydney, Australia, specialising in chic headwear for racing, weddings, parties, catwalk and special occasions. With a background in contemporary art, Ann brings sculpture, colour and definitive style to her collections. Ann created her first collection in 2003 and has since attracted a large fan base for her original and playful headwear.

Ann’s hats are in the Fashion and Textiles collection of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), exhibited at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation and have been in the finals of Fashions on the Field. Worn by a host of celebrities, her hats have graced reception rooms of Danish royalty, dance floors in Paris to Hong Kong. In Paris 2013 Ann was the Australian finalist in The Hat Designer of the Year, awarded by UK milliner Stephen Jones at ‘Who’s Next’, Premiere Classe, and her work was recently exhibited in ‘200 Years of Australian Fashion’ at the NGV.

Her current SS18 collection ‘Salut Marin’ is feminine chic with a twist, inspired by her deep love of ocean, sailing and nauticalia.