Hangover Observations: The Generic Man Meets His Sole Mate

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In a retro celebration of "all things generic", The Generic Man co-designers Kevin Carney and Brandon Day unveiled their pop-up shop at Space15Twenty on Saturday night. A massive cardboard structure—part oversized shoe box, part Case Study house—formed the backdrop for the the brand's three ultra-minimalist footwear lines, whose Spring '09 collections will be available in their entirety until July 12.

In addition to the main men's line and lower-priced sneakers by Generic Surplus, the pop-up also boasts the first ever women's collection, which quietly debuted a few months ago in a handful of stores around the world. According to Day, each of these retailers sold out within weeks, and none carried more than two styles (even Carney's own Echo Park shop, Mohawk General Store, only had one). "We took what we'd done in the men's line and feminized it," he explains, adding that the women's shoes will be moving in their own, "flashier" direction in seasons to come.

And, since a room full of shoes and a cardboard box would make for a pretty boring party, Carney and Day enlisted their friends to create props for the tableau. Artist Kelly Lamb crafted a set of geodesic birdhouses and planters, Retrosuperfuture debuted a new style of sunglasses exclusively for the pop-up, while a smattering of mid-century modern furniture was flown in from Amsterdam just for the occasion. Plus, French disco king Michel Vedette made a special appearance, leading the crowd in a mass session of Automatic Body Dancing—totally appropriate, considering the entire shop of dancing shoes at its disposal.
· RackedWire: Space15Twenty Hosts French Dance Sensation [Racked LA]
· The Generic Man [Official Site]
· Space15Twenty [Official Site]