Archer on FX. He's the man with the plan. Well, maybe not the ENTIRE plan, but he gets the job done. Image from http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/archer/download.php.

Smooth.  Suave.  Debonaire.  Intelligent.  Cunning.  Handsome.  Well-dressed.

Well, at least one of those adjectives describes Archer on FX, our latest ESM Icon.

According to the official Archer on FX website:

Rakish and reckless, suave and sarcastic, Sterling Archer (Codename: Duchess) is the world’s greatest secret agent.

According to Sterling Archer.

Archer’s colleagues at ISIS – including his boss, Malory, who is also his mother; his partner, Lana, who is also his ex-girlfriend; and every other person in the building, to whom he’s just usually a colossal tool – would probably describe him in less flattering terms.

Like colossal tool, for example.

But after meeting Archer’s mother, it’s hard to blame him for not always being the easiest person to get along with. That person would probably be Woodhouse, Archer’s ancient valet (to whom Archer is, constantly and without fail, a colossal tool).

Women just swoon for him, though. But that might just be due to his luxuriously thick head of hair, his steely blue eyes, or abs you could wash your laundry on if only he would let you.

Which he probably wouldn’t: it would seem too much like work to him

So why did we chose Archer as our next icon?  Simply check out these clips on “What would Archer do?” from Archer on FX and you’ll see why:

On office romance:

On fashion advice:

On picking up the ladies:

On budgeting:

On new year’s eve:

Ok, well maybe Archer isn’t exactly the most politically correct super spy in the world, but he’s got a ton of style.

And that’s why we love him.

For more information about Archer on FX, you can check out his official site at http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/archer/.

You can also check out more video clips on Archer on FX’s official YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/FXArcher#p/a.

Carl Reiner as Saul Bloom as Lymon Zerga. Image from http://www.moviewallpaper.net.

For the first time, ESM is not only selecting a fictional character to be our latest ESM Icon – we’re selecting a fictional character played by a fictional character.

We’re going Inception on your ass.

For our latest ESM Icon, we have selected billionaire Lymon Zerga who was played by Saul Bloom who was in turn played by actor Carl Reiner in the movie Ocean’s 11.

In the movie, they used Lymon Zerga’s character as a front to help sneak explosives into the Bellagio vault.  He also faked a heart attack to escape the vault security room, so I guess this honor is now a posthumous one.

So why did we select the doble-fictional character as our next ESM Icon?

For a few reasons:

• If he was legit, he would be a scary individual who would give Keyzer Soze a run for his money
• His suits were fresh to death and all tailor-made
• He wore Oliver Peoples’ Aero 57 sunglasses before anyone really knew about them
• He was a really good gambler
• He always rolled around with an entourage
• He was featured in one of our favorite movies of all time, Ocean’s 11

If you don’t already own a copy of Ocean’s 11, make sure to get yourself a copy from the official WB online store at http://www.wbshop.com/Oceans-Eleven-2001/23197,default,pd.html.

You can also check out a great clip with Carl Reiner from the official WB Movies YouTube page here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2qwU7Zv81g.

Human Nature at Imperial Palace, Las Vegas. Image from http://www.humannaturelasvegas.com/home.html.

When Barry Gordy founded Motown on April 14, 1960, I bet there were 2 things he didn’t anticipate:

• First, the music all the Motown artists created would have such a huge impact on the entire world
• Second, the fact that in 2011 four white guys from Australia would be the “Ultimate Celebration” in Motown sound and vetted by none other than Smokey Robinson himself

For anyone that has seen the show, Human Nature is an intense, high energy, musical orgy of Motown music that is – for the lack of a better word – unfreakingbelievable.

Based on all the reviews that I had seen around town, I came to the show expecting something “pretty good”.  What I saw was something I would watch over and over again, given the opportunity.

What started as a group of four Aussie teenagers singing in their parents’ backyard quickly became one of the most successful bands coming out of Australia:

• Multi-platinum albums
• Opening for acts like Celine Dion and Michael Jackson
• #1 songs on the Australian charts

Only recently have they been getting notoriety in the United States with the Human Nature show at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas.

Why have they received such amazing reviews?

It’s because they are incredible performers and have unbelievable vocal talent.  The range of Motown songs they can sing vary from “My Girl” to “Stop in the name of love”.

Shit, the show was so good I bought their CD and had them sign it after the show.  I have never done that before in my life.

Check out a video of Uptight (Everything’s Alright) here:

You can also check out Get Ready with Smokey Robinson here:

So you’re probably asking why we considered Human Nature to be ESM Icons?  We’ve got a couple of reasons:

• They’re incredible performers – they can sing, dance and do Motown justice
• They’re the most successful band to ever come out of Australia
• They’ve got style

Not just any style.  They’ve got OG, well put together, old-school Vegas style.

Luigi in line to get autographs from Human Nature at the Imperial Palace after the show. It was that good.

I’m not sure if they’ve got a stylist or if they pick their clothes themselves, but all four outfits they wore during the show were winners:

• Black tux with red lining and a ruffled shirt (yeah, ruffled – made me reconsider my opinion on those)
• Black tux pants, black shirt (no tie) and white tux jacket with black piping
• Black tux pants, skinny tie and blue tux jacket with black satin lapels
• Black tux pants, skinny tie, grey tux jacket with black satin lapels and pink lining (an pink pocket square to match)

Loads of talent and well-dressed?  Why wouldn’t they be ESM style icons?

For more information about Human Nature at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas, you can check out their official site at http://www.humannaturelasvegas.com/home.html.

And go see their show the next time you are in Vegas.  Worth. Every. Penny.

Jim Caviezel as John Reese, former CIA super spy on the CBS TV show, Person of Interest. Images from http://www.cbs.com/shows/person_of_interest/

Sometimes being a former CIA Agent has its advantages.

You get to travel the world, get the best covert operation experience and you get to kick ass and take names.  Unfortunately, you’re just not as highbrow as your MI-6 counterparts.

If you watched the most recent episode, you'll know John Reese isn't his real name. Image from http://www.cbs.com/shows/person_of_interest.

For John Reese in the CBS tv show, Person of Interest, being a (presumed dead) former-CIA agent has its advantages because it allowed him to team up with reclusive and (also presumed dead) billionaire Mr. Finch to stop violent crimes before they happen.

According to the official Person of Interest website:

PERSON OF INTEREST stars Jim Caviezel, Emmy Award winner Michael Emerson and Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson in a crime thriller about a presumed dead former-CIA agent, Reese, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire, Finch, to prevent violent crimes by using their own brand of vigilante justice. Reese’s special training in covert operations appeals to Finch, a software genius who invented a program that uses pattern recognition to identify people about to be involved in violent crimes. Using state-of-the-art surveillance technology, the two work outside of the law, using Reese’s adept skills and Finch’s unlimited wealth to unravel the mystery of the “person of interest” and stop the crime before it happens. Reese’s actions draw the attention of the NYPD, including homicide detective Carter, and Fusco, a cop whom Reese uses to his advantage. With infinite crimes to investigate, Reese and Finch find that the right person, with the right information, at the right time, can change everything.

So what makes John Reese a great candidate for this week’s ESM Icon?

He’s a dude in a nice suit that can kill a team of trained assassins with his bare hands.

Need a better reason?

For more information about John Reese and the CBS show Person of Interest, you can check out their official site at http://www.cbs.com/shows/person_of_interest.

Harvey Specter, played by Gabriel Macht on USA's Suits. Image from http://www.usanetwork.com/series/suits/theshow/characterprofiles/specter/gallery/#h01.jpg.

Gabriel Macht plays the cool-as-ice, well-dressed, hotshot lawyer Harvey Specter on USA Network’s show Suits.

I mean, with that sentence alone, it’s very clear why we chose Harvey Specter as our next ESM Icon.

For fans of the show, they know that Harvey Specter is portrayed as the best lawyer in New York who wins all his cases and he makes all the ladies (sans his assistant of course) swoon.

Oh and did we mention he was also a college hoops star?

According the USA Network’s official Suits website:

How do you become New York City’s best closer? You don’t play by the rules.

Harvey Specter has built a career and reputation by breaking the rules. Whether it’s picking up cocktail waitresses, inspiring witnesses or bullying CEOs, Harvey’s shoot-from-the-hip style has made him an effective lawyer and a slick character.

But has Harvey forgotten why he got into law? Hiring Mike Ross as his associate might have been his best decision yet. With Mike taking on the low-profile pro bono cases, Harvey will rediscover what makes justice so sweet.

So who preytell is Mike Ross?  He’s the main character of the show, who has a photographic memory, no law degree and is hired by Harvey Specter (blah-diditty-blah-blah).

He doesn’t dress really well, isn’t very refined and is obviously a newbie associate, so…. you can watch the show to get all the details about Mike Ross.

We’d rather focus on the badassness that is Harvey Specter.  According to Suits’ Wiki page:

Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter: New York’s best closer, a senior partner at Pearson Harden, and former ADA in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. He is revealed to have graduated fifth in his class at Harvard Law, despite Jessica’s statement that “while there, you screwed around”. He dislikes taking on pro bono cases. He is from Chicago.

I think Wikipedia forgot one small detail in Harvey Specter’s character profile – his suit game is tight.

Oh and did we mention Gabriel Macht played Stackhouse in Behind Enemy Lines (the main pilot that got shot in the beginning of the movie)?

Yeah – plus 5 points for this ESM Icon. And plus 10 points for you if you were aware of that little factoid ahead of time.

For more information about Suits, Harvey Specter and Gabriel Macht, you can check out the official USA Network Suits website at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/suits/index.html.

Barney Stinson, from How I Met Your Mother on CBS, lives by the same code of awesome that ESM lives by. Image from http://brocrastinator.com/barney-stinson-bro-code.

For those familiar with the CBS show How I met your mother, you’re probably wondering why it took us so long before we recognized Barney Stinson as an ESM Icon.

For those that aren’t familiar with the show, these three paragraphs from his Wiki entry describe him best:

Barney is very well-connected; the most affluent member of the group. He frequently buys expensive items—such as a last-minute plane ticket to San Francisco, thousands of dollars in postage stamps, or two televisions specifically for smashing in frustration—in the spur of the moment. He is also something of a metrosexual; he waxes his chest, enjoys manicures and has an extensive knowledge of designer labels and gourmet food. However, he is also seen to have a gambling problem that he occasionally gets under control, only to relapse as seen in several episodes such as “Atlantic City”, where he has Chinese Triad gambling friends, and “Monday Night Football”.

As far as talent goes, Barney has exhibited eloquence, wit and creativity numerous times throughout the series. He speaks several languages, using what is said to be Ukrainian (actually Russian) with his tailor, Mandarin, and Korean at least twice in business deals with shady North Koreans. He apparently also has above-average video-editing skills; he created and edited his entire video resume all by himself. He seems to be a talented website designer, as shown in “The Playbook”. As shown on more than one occasion, he is proficient at playing the piano, as are Ted and Marshall. He seems to have a thorough understanding of human behavior and uses this mainly to manipulate situations to his advantage (mostly to pick up women). Several episodes also showcase many of Barney’s crazier abilities, such as his physical ability to complete the New York City marathon without a single day of training (although this seems to be through sheer willpower rather than physical strength, as his legs went numb while he took the subway moments later), being able to punch through walls, stay under water for up to 12 minutes and being knowledgeable enough to guess the exact price of prizes on The Price Is Right. He also juggles knives in “Doppelgangers”. Despite his eclectic and prodigious talents, Barney is lacking in several common skills, such as driving a car or using a screwdriver, although he seems to have learned the former, as he tries to prove that he can get out of a speeding ticket. In “Robin 101″, Barney stated that he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, probably explaining his habit of zoning out when people are talking to him.

Although The Early Show described him as “utterly devoid of morality”, Barney lives by the “Bro Code”, his own code of rules.Despite his overall questionable character, according to creator Craig Thomas, Barney is “a pretty fragile character who’s really afraid of being alone. He just wants people to like him, to be important to people, and to have disciples who follow his word.” He has displayed acts of kindness on multiple occasions, such as reuniting Lily and Marshall and preventing Marshall from sleeping with other women. Although coming across as a very strong character with a penchant for committing daring and wild feats, Barney has an extreme fear of spiders, as shown in the season 2 episode “First Time in New York”. He also has a habit of eating ice cream when he’s upset, although this is common among all the main cast.

Aside from the fact he doesn’t drive (he lives in New York, so that’s okay), he is the ultimate ESM child-spawn, especially since he follows the Bro Code.

Barney Stinson trying to win over Nora in How I met your mother on CBS. Image from http://www.cbs.com/shows/how_i_met_your_mother/photos/66848/season-7-episode-4/66840.

Some of the greatest golden rules from the Bro Code are:

Article 9:
If you go to the bar with your buddies, you must buy a round of drinks at least once. The Bro with the better paying job is required to buy the first round. If the other Bro is temporarily out of money or left his wallet at home drinks can be lended yet in the long run these drinks must be repaid, later that night by wingman services or any other act of entertainment or at the next gathering.

Article 21:
In a 6 person hot tub, there should be a maximum of 3 guys.

Article 23:
A Bro should not watch Oxygen, Womens Entertainment, or Lifetime.

Article 43:
A Bro should not wear crocs.

So true, Mr. Stinson.  So true.

Additionally, not only do we think Barney Stinson is ESM Icon material, we would also invite him to the ultimate ESM Icon Legends Party, along with Jack Donoughy, The Most Interesting Man in the World and Arthur (2011).

Of course, we would have the party in a Las Vegas nightclub. Just because.

Trust us, if that party ever happened, all the attendees may not make it home… ever.

It would, however, be the best 72 hours of our lives.

For more information about Barney Stinson and the CBS Show How I met your mother, you can check out their official site at http://www.cbs.com/shows/how_i_met_your_mother/.

You can also follow Barney Stinson’s blog at http://www.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/community/barney_blog/index.php.

Arthur. So balling he is taking a bubble bath with a $5,000 suit. Image from http://arthurthemovie.warnerbros.com.

Arthur: What was that?
Susan: French kiss.
Arthur: Really? Because the French always surrender, that was decidedly German.

Oh Arthur, such a character.  Spending days spending his millions and acting like a 5 year-old boy with a libido of a 34 year-old.  Who wouldn’t want to have a life like that?

Arthur: Say “wash your winky”
Hobson: [Vader-like voice transform] Wash your winky.
Bitterman: Could you do Chewy?

One of my favorite parts of the 2011 remake of the Arthur movie is when Arthur (played by Russell Brand) is wearing a true-to-Tim Burton Batman costume, driving the Batmobile that Val Kilmer drove and where his butler (played by Luis Guzman) is wearing the Robin costume from the TV show. 

I mean, where else can you get three generations of Batman memorabilia together mixed in with Russel Brand, the New York Stock Exchange bull and a car accident?

The best suit of them all. Arthur 2011 movie image from http://www.moviefanatic.com/gallery/movies/arthur/.

For those with the sartorial eye for detail, you probably noticed the suits he wore in the movie were decidedly bespoke and well made.  He also made Abe Lincoln’s top hat look pretty good with the aforementioned suitage.

Don’t remember?  Check out these images from http://www.moviefanatic.com/gallery/movies/arthur/:

Russel Brand as Arthur in a fantastic riding jacket. Image from http://www.moviefanatic.com/gallery/movies/arthur/.

Check out this baby blue, wide lapel, 2-piece suit with a scarf for detail:

Arthur about to lose his fortune. Image from http://www.moviefanatic.com/gallery/movies/arthur/.

 Check out the formal gear:

For more information about Arthur (2011) the movie, you can check out their official site at http://arthurthemovie.warnerbros.com.

And go grab yourself a copy if you haven’t seen it yet.

This David Gandy dude knows how to dress. Images from http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk.

So my morning started like any typical Friday.

Wake up.  Take a dump.  Catch up on Twitter while taking aforementioned dump (hey, when you have two jobs, you have to multitask).

Most of the discussion topics were fairly mundane – London Fashion Week (yawn), Follow Friday (whatever), Kia hiring 1,000 people for their Slovakia plant (really?!?!).

Then the folks from Hackett London tweeted this:

@GQRecommends’ David Gandy really is a dapper looking chap. We’re loving his style diary: http://ow.ly/6yrDy

So I checked out the link to GQ UK and it read as follows:

It’s one thing dressing to the nines at a red carpet film premiere or an awards ceremony. But a truly stylish man brings it every single day of the week – including weekends.

So naturally the first thing I think is:  Bullshit.  I bet he’s wearing some crazy Lady Gaga crap by page 3.

As I was going from page to page, I realized the dude actually does have some sick style.  He’s even got a killer watch collection.

The true ESM test of style. David Gandy's watch collection is one to be proud of. Image from http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk.

So to make myself feel better about dressing like a schlep every day to work, I started thinking of imaginary scenarios to even the odds, like “I bet he lives at home” or “he probably doesn’t own a car” or “he’s probably got a clothing allowance from GQ.”

But the reality is, he is GQ UK’s car correspondent, a part-time model, probably drives a Ferrari F430 or a vintage Jag, most likely is dating a supermodel and gets into about every club he wants to.

Jerk.

He almost inspired me to start dressing up for work (but screw that, I like wearing jeans and a t-shirt on work days).

He's even got the details down. David Gandy image from http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk.

So Mr. David Gandy, our hats go off to you cause you’ve got a great sense of style.  Hopefully you believe imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, because I am going to cop your steeze one of these weekends.

Now where can I get a brown silk scarf with white polka dots that still makes me look manly?

To check out David Gandy’s personal style diary on GQ UK, you can go to http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/articles/2011-09/01/gq-style-news-david-gandy-dolce-model-blog-fashion-photos/intro.

"You guys look like... What do they look like, Jimmie?" Winston Wolf image from http://lionsgatepublicity.com/epk/pulpfiction/index_hv.php.

That’s thirty minutes away. I’ll be there in ten.

In the cult-pop-Tarentino-all-time-ESM-favorite movie Pulp Fiction, Harvey Keitel plays one of the most memorable characters in movie history as Winston Wolf (or simply “The Wolf”).

His job?  To fix problems.

According to Wikipedia,

The part was written specifically for Keitel, who had starred in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and was instrumental in getting it produced. In the filmmaker’s words, “Harvey had been my favorite actor since I was 16 years old.” Keitel had played a character similarly employed as a “cleaner” in Point of No Return, released a year earlier.

His part in the movie may have been small in comparison to the other characters, but you know it was a good one when you ask someone about The Wolf in Pulp Fiction and they start spouting out his quotes from the movie.

Can’t remember them?  Here are a few memorable quotes from The Wolf on IMDB:

The Wolf: You’re… Jimmie, right? This is your house?
Jimmie: Sure is.
The Wolf: I’m Winston Wolfe. I solve problems.
Jimmie: Good, we got one.
The Wolf: So I heard. May I come in?
Jimmie: Uh, yeah, please do.

The Wolf: You must be Jules, which would make you Vincent. Let’s get down to brass tacks, gentlemen. If I was informed correctly, the clock is ticking, is that right, Jimmie?
Jimmie: Uh, one hundred percent.
The Wolf: Your wife… Bonnie comes home at 9:30 in the AM, is that right?
Jimmie: Uh-huh.
The Wolf: I was led to believe that if she comes home and finds us here, she’d wouldn’t appreciate it none too much?
Jimmie: [laughing] She wouldn’t at that.
The Wolf: That gives us exactly… forty minutes to get the fuck out of Dodge. Which, if you do what I say when I say it, should be plenty. Now, you’ve got a corpse in a car, minus a head, in a garage. Take me to it.

The Wolf: Jimmie, lead the way. Boys, get to work.
Vincent: A please would be nice.
The Wolf: Come again?
Vincent: I said a please would be nice.
The Wolf: Get it straight buster – I’m not here to say please, I’m here to tell you what to do and if self-preservation is an instinct you possess you’d better fucking do it and do it quick. I’m here to help – if my help’s not appreciated then lotsa luck, gentlemen.
Jules: No, Mr. Wolf, it ain’t like that, your help is definitely appreciated.
Vincent: I don’t mean any disrespect, I just don’t like people barking orders at me.
The Wolf: If I’m curt with you it’s because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast and I need you guys to act fast if you wanna get out of this. So, pretty please… with sugar on top. Clean the fucking car.

Jimmie: I can’t believe this is the same car.
The Wolf: Well, let’s not start sucking each other’s dicks quite yet.

The Wolf: Now boys, listen up. We’re going to a place called Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow. I’ll drive the tainted car. Jules, you ride with me. Vincent, you follow in my Acura. We run across the path of any John Q. Laws, nobody does a fucking thing unless I do it first. What did I just say?
Jules: Don’t do shit unless.
The Wolf: Unless what?
Jules: Unless you do it first.
The Wolf: Spoken like a true prodigy. How about you, Lash LaRue? You think you can keep your spurs from jinglin’ and janglin’?
Vincent: Look, Mr. Wolf, my gun went off, I don’t know why, and now you’re helping us out of the situation. I’m cool with it, all right?
The Wolf: Fair enough. Now I drive real fucking fast, so keep up. I get my car back any differently than when I gave it, Monster Joe’s gonna be disposing of two bodies.

The Wolf: You see that, young lady? Respect. Respect for one’s elders gives character.
Raquel: I have character.
The Wolf: Just because you are a character doesn’t mean that you have character.

Not enough to satisfy?  Check out a video clip we found on YouTube below.

If there is any question why Winston Wolf is our next ESM Icon, we have the following answer:

• Harvey Keitel as The Wolf + Acura NSX + Tux at 8 am + Saves John Travolta and Samuel L. Jacksons asses in Pulp Fiction = ESM Icon

If you disagree further, you can take it up with The Wolf himself.

For more information about Pulp Fiction and The Wolf, you can check out the official Pulp Fiction IMDB entry.

And while you’re at it, go cop yourself a copy of Pulp Fiction if you don’t already have one.

Nice tux - check. Awesome hair - check. Superhuman power to create tornadoes - check. Riptide image from X-Men: First Class sourced from http://marvel.com.

Comic book geeks out there – name the bad guy in X-Men: First Class with the killer sense of style, long hair and mutant power to create tornado-type winds?

To be honest, we didn’t know either – so it took a bit of digging through the Marvel Universe to figure out which character it was.

The name of the cool baddie in the movie is “Riptide” and he was played by Alex Gonzalez (according to IMDB Alex Gonzalez’ A’s are supposed to have some weird ass hyphen in it, but we couldn’t find it in the keyboard).  We took notice of this particular character because of (what else?) his sick style in the movie.

Long hair, well tailored suits, chill demeanor and one of the better super powers to have (definitely better than that porcupine dude), we felt “Riptide” easily qualified to meet ESM Icon standards.

I mean seriously, can just anyone pull off a purple suit?

How to pull of a purple suit without looking like Prince or the artist formerly known as or... who knows. Image from http://marvel.com.

To make things even better, we found out Riptide kicks some serious ass.  According to Riptide’s Wiki entry:

After Sinister dispatched the Marauders into the sewers under New York City to kill the subterranean mutant collective known as the Morlocks, Riptide was responsible for severely injuring X-Men members Nightcrawler and Colossus. Having seen the results of Riptide’s actions (Riptide’s mutant power to launch barrages of sharp projectiles had enabled him to kill more Morlocks at any given single moment than any other Marauder), Colossus had been pushed close to his emotional breaking point. Colossus was further enraged and grieved when Riptide badly injured Nightcrawler, and finally snapped when Harpoon maimed his former girlfriend, Shadowcat. Colossus lunged at Harpoon to mete out vengeance, but Riptide got in his way, believing that his power would fell the Russian mutant. He boasted to Colossus that hurricane force winds could punch a piece of straw through a solid oak and that his spinning caused his blades to fly even faster than that. Despite being hit by a deluge of blades which penetrated his armored skin, Colossus managed to reach an incredulous Riptide, seize his throat, and snap his neck.  However, Mr. Sinister was able to clone the Marauders thanks to samples of their DNA, and Riptide returned to die once more during the event known as the Inferno.

Okay so he died.  So what?  I bet he did it in style, which was most important.

For more information about Riptide and the rest of the Marvel Universe, you can check out the official Marvel site at http://marvel.com/. 

Coincidentally, X-Men: First Class has just been released on DVD and more information can be found on the official site at http://www.x-menfirstclassmovie.com/.   You should get yourself a copy if you haven’t already.

Adidas, an ESM Icon which has lasted from generation to generation. Image from adidas.com.

A recent advertising campaign by Adidas (you can see it in the video below) made us realize that our next ESM Icon has been right in front of us this entire time.

We’re big fans of the Adidas Originals products, especially the Stan Smith, Samoa, Superstars, Gazelles, track jackets… uh, we can go on and on  (if you don’t believe us, we can check out the “My Favorites” tab on our Zappos account). 

They’ve been making some of the most iconic shoes and products since their inception in 1948.  Here’s a quick breakdown from Wikipedia:

Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, golf company (including Ashworth), and Rockport. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear, and other sports- and clothing-related goods.The company is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second-biggest sportswear manufacturer in the world, with American rival Nike being the biggest.

Adidas was founded in 1948 by Adolf “Adi” Dassler, following the split of Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik between him and his older brother Rudolf. Rudolf later established Puma, which was the early rival of Adidas. Registered in 1949, Adidas is currently based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, along with Puma.

If you didn’t know Adidas’ history, the blurb above would have given you some interesting insight on the company, especially the 6 degrees of separation between Adidas, Reebok and Puma.

If you think about it, how many pairs of Adidas have you owned in your lifetime?

Our guess is you’ve had a pair or two a year and probably sported a pair over the weekend.  They’re a great brand and if we were to guess, our kids (and their kids) may be sporting the same gear we’ve been loving for the past few generations.

A true ESM Icon indeed.

Adidas. The original. Image from adidas.com.

For more information about Adidas and Adidas products, you can check out their official site at http://www.adidas.com/.

There are guys who build bikes.  And there are guys who build bikes.

For this week’s ESM ICON, we were fortunate enough to feature and interview Roland Sands from Roland Sands Design (RSD).  We love everything Roland does, from the bikes he builds, to the videos he posts, to the entire marketing behind his brand.   Their latest venture – clothing – is sure to be as good as the rest of his product line.

If you know your bikes and your bike designers, you know Roland Sands is a former 1998 AMA 250GP National Champion road racer, an award-winning designer for Performance Machine, founder of Roland Sands Design and he makes some of the illest, most beautiful custom bikes out there.

One of our favorites - the "Race Rod". Image from www.rolandsands.com.

Given a chance, I would seriously trade in a major body organ for a chance to own one of his custom bikes.

But enough about me, let’s get to our interview.  (ESM, Roland Sands)

From your youth, you have been involved in both motorcycle racing and manufacturing.  How does this amalgamation of both disciplines in the motorcycle world affect your design sensibilities? 

Growing up in a machine shop I was aware of what was possible in manufacturing from an early age.

When I started racing it made me aware of a high level of performance and engineering that was possible with every unique piece of a machine. The final piece of the puzzle was a natural need to produce art and improve existing designs. 

All these things combined with a need for cutting edge design at the Performance Machine facility and I had a natural place to funnel my creativity at an early age.

Do you have any other influences that affect the way you do builds, such as art, music and upbringing?

Everything in life is an influence.

Waking up in the morning and opening your eyes to your surroundings and staying open to new ideas, be it music, art, bicycles, architecture, technology or your friends opinions keeps things fresh.

What differentiates Roland Sands Design from other custom bike builders?

I’m sure there are other builders out there that have some of the same influences. But it’s the combination of those influences that makes us all different.

I’m a racer at heart, so that gave me a unique perspective from the start.

Being from Long Beach and growing up in the surf, skate, snow industry in Southern California is a big part of who I am as well as growing up around a machine shop.

My riding ability may be the biggest thing. I don’t know too many bike builders that have National Championships. 

Ahh Roland, always popping those wheelies...

What type of customer does Roland Sands Design target?

The individual who wants to build something functional yet radical.

In the past those two haven’t gone together so well. We make that connection possible.

Can anyone have their bike customized by Roland Sands Design?  Is there a waiting list?

We’re backed up with projects, but we have some openings.

It really has to do with the project and where it can be placed in our schedule. A bolt on build vs. a 100% hand built, frame up build are completely different animals. Roland Sands Design has completed many builds to date. 

One of the builds Roland Sands is famous for. The KRV5 Tracker image from www.rolandsands.com.

If you had to pick one, which would be your favorite build and why?

Shit. That’s a tough question.

I really like the Desmo Tracker we are building right now. I can’t wait to ride it. It’s that childlike anticipation that goes along with a new project that keeps me going.

I love that almost more than the bike itself.

A sneak peek at the Desmo tracker, a bike built from a Ducati Desmosedici. Image from www.rolandsands.com.

In one sentence, how would you describe Roland Sand’s style/design sensibilities?

Hard riding, technically aware, two-wheeled rolling sculptures built to destroy slowly through repeated enjoyment. I think that sums it up.

Do you have any people you look up to in terms of design and style?

I’m more aware of trends in design rather than individuals.

I recently have been pretty excited about future retro as well as ultra clean modern design and some of the ultra-complex modern visions of the future. I think technology can be a big influence on design in so many ways.

Essential Style for Men is all about men’s style.  What is Roland Sands philosophy regarding men’s style?  What is the team at Roland Sands Design’s philosophy on men’s style?

We are coming out with a line of functional, yet stylish riding wear and leather items including leather jackets, wallets, belts and boots.

There is also some casualwear. We are focused on bringing a much more relaxed style, less branding and high quality product to the market.

This reflects what the crew at RSD would wear and what I would wear personally.

We’re not so into looking like storm troopers on the street. Our high end pieces would be at home in a club or bar and not immediately noticeable as riding wear.

In general, clean and classy, aware of trends, but not following them with function built in. I think this gives a timeless style.

Roland Sands, repping his race/LBC/fresh style.

It looks like Roland Sands Design is venturing into clothing.  What is the inspiration for the clothing line? 

We really looked at classic, well-loved pieces and expanded those ideas with great materials and unique cuts.

The end result is something that is classy and has a strong presence. It truly makes you look stylish, in the way a road race jacket never could, yet still provides protection.

What can we look forward to in the future for Roland Sands Design?

Every day leads us to something different, so my answer for that question will change tomorrow I’m sure.

Currently, I’m very excited about the Leather we are producing as well as the new hard parts for Harley Davidsons. There’s some next level stuff going down.

So as you can see, we have learned a few things from this interview:

• Roland Sands is one of the coolest dudes on the planet, has a sick sense of personal style and has amazing design sensibilities
• There is a chance to get your bike customized with RSD (if you’re lucky)
• If you can’t afford an RSD bike, you can wear their gear and claim you own a bike designed by RSD, but “it’s in the shop”

For more information about Roland Sands and Roland Sands Design (RSD), you can check out their official site at http://www.rolandsands.com/, “like” their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RolandSandsD, stalk them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/RolandSands and check out their videos on their YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/RolandSandsDesign.

We also wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Summer Hoover, RSD Brand Manager who helped us get this interview.  She’s awesome.

Please keep checking back for our new article series featuring a Roland Sands Design build every week -  just something to inspire you on a regular basis.