Ian....Tapp's Building

 

I met Ian a few weeks ago, during a show at the Tapp's Building, and once again found myself thinking what a cyclical business fashion can be. No, I am not talking about the return of the Aztec print, though his shirt can make the case for it.  I refer to the accessory he's sporting--used for swatting unwelcome visitors long before the world invented handbags. That's right, the caveman's club.

There are many types of clubs in the world--the Japanese kanabo, the Irish shillelagh, and the Zulu knobkerry to name a few. Ian fashions his clubs from tree parts he collects, turning them on a lathe to give form--but at the same time, striving to retain their rustic knottiness.  Will these, perchance, catch on as the must-have item for Fall 2011?