Art&Sole

SERIOUS BUSINESS AND SERIOUS FUN

Robb Reichard (executive director of AIDS Fund), Jane Gershon Weitzman, Kevin O'Brien (photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Jane Gershon Weitzman, the inimitable woman behind much of the success of Stuart Weitzman Shoes,  has been a fan of Kevin O'Brien Studio, and a friend of Kevin's for many years.  Building their company since the '80s she and Stuart have sold their business and now Jane has even better things to do, she raises money for any number of good causes through a book about shoes she has created.  Now that we at Kevin O'Brien Studio are finally on our feet in our new headquarters (a totally rebuilt movie theater from the thirties), we are able to invite people to our manufacturing and design facility.  So it became clear that Jane and Kevin had to do something together, that something was an event to support the work of the AIDS Fund.

(photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Some sample photos from Art&Sole

For more information on the AIDS Fund, please visit their website (here) (photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

For many years, Kevin O'Brien Studio lived up to the description "scrappy upstart" and did our business from a historic, but creaky and ancient loft in Philadelphia's Old City district, but all things, even companies, must grow up.  After an unseemly long adolescence, we have burst upon the scene (in our own minds at least) and opened our beautiful new space to our guests. On a recent May evening, Jane gave her funny and heartwarming address about her new book, Art&Sole. The book would seem to just be about shoes, but the stories that Jane told were about a lifetime of using her company to create opportunities for all sorts of New Yorkers who needed a bit of a helping hand, be it in the LGBT community, inner city schools, or breast and ovarian cancer.  There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd as Jane recited stories about how she was able to help so many people simply by thinking differently about how to use her position at a very successful company.

(photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Jane giving her presentation (photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Afterwards, Jane answered lots of questions and signed books while the Aids Fund volunteers served up food and drinks. Meanwhile, Kevin and Angela (the KOBS manager) gave tours of our facilities. Then the raffle winners were read out and people went home with goodies from El Dorado Rum, Bernie Robbins, Bitars Restaurant, Starbucks, Trinity Framing, Merritt Gallery, Philadelphia Theatre Company, In Liquid, A Girl Named Katie, Shane's Candies, Candy Coated, Blush Salon, South Philly Accupunture, Farm & Fisherman Tavern & Market, Nickolette Phillips Design & Tailoring, Eat-a-Pita, More Then Just Ice Cream and artists such as Nikolay Milushev (YOMI t.g.m.b.) and Tim McFarlane.

(photo by Urszula Pruchniewska)

Catherine, Lee, and Sarah modeling some of our raffle items

We clearly take fun very seriously

Serious money was raised and serious fun was had. 

WE'RE BACK!

Too busy to write? Well, in fact, we were! Since our last post in 2012, we've built a new building (sort of- more on that later), nearly doubled our staff,  started making even better products (they really should come with a new and improved sticker), and have developed an upholstery fabric line that we expect to show you soon.

Here's a taste of some of our most recent adventures: a book signing for Jane Gershon Weitzman's (one of the two brains behind Stuart Weitzman shoes) new book, Art & Sole. The event, benefiting the AIDS Fund, drew 150 people and not only raised awareness, but significantly added to the AIDS Fund's ability to reach out to those in need.  

Later that same week, Kevin and his wife, Myoshin, were in attendance at the exciting and long awaited reopening of Tavern on the Green in NYC. Make sure to check back for the story and photos from producing the fabrics that are now installed at the fabled eatery.

The crew enjoying the Art & Sole event

We’ve got a lot in store for all of you, and we are excited to create full posts about these events and give you a peek into what we're up to in the studio!