Adam katz sinding biography of abraham

Florence, Alabama, is a music town. Take a short drive across the nearby Tennessee River and you’ll find yourself in Muscle Shoals, home of legendary institutions like Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Aretha Franklin recorded in Muscle Shoals. So did Little Richard, Duane Allman, Wilson Pickett, the Rolling Stones, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. That list isn’t even close to complete—and that was just in the old days. Artists and bands from around America and the world still record in the area constantly. So. Yeah. Music town.

But a fashion town? Not for most of its existence. Not until Billy Reid, who decamped from New York City in the early 2000s, decided to settle in his wife’s hometown. Before long, he launched his namesake brand and set up shop on the main drag of Court Street, in a space that used to be a bookstore. And not too long after that, in 2009, he started throwing a pretty damn good party. He invited folks from all over, but especially American fashion centers like New York and Los Angeles. He called it the Shindig.

“There was no real social media at that time,” Reid explains. “We had tried to establish an American fashion house in the Deep South—and of course I was in New York previously and had that connectivity—but the idea was to bring people here and show them what we’re doing. To take them through the collection, obviously, but also just entertain the hell out of them. Take them to the music studios. Really try to explain the history of the community, the music scene, and how that all connects, as well as showing them a great time.”

Folks had fun. So there was another Shindig. And another. Each year, the bands got bigger (Jason Isbell, Alabama Shakes, the Raconteurs, and Kacey Musgraves have all played sets), the food got fancier, the guest

CULT OF DANG ADAM KATZ SINDING JEAN ANDRÉ ROX BROWN STEPHANIE LOPES SIMOES

DANNA GRACE WINDSOR, better known to the online community as Cult of Dang, is a Brooklynbased Israeli illustrator recognized for her anime-inspired, feminine yet provocative drawings, which she describes herself as “surreal, queer and odd”. You can read our full exclusive conversation with her on THEFINEPRINTMAGAZINE.COM

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THE FINE PRINT

“The Fine Print” logo redesign by Israeli illustrator DANNA GRACE WINDSOR

Dear readers, The artists involved and selected features in our first issue were carefully curated to reflect how timeless content can be, pushing the limits of creative innovation. We didn’t follow trends, or “what’s hot”, but what and who we thought were simply groundbreaking and pushing boundaries in their own unique ways, and will continue to significantly impact their respective industries for years to come. As editor-in-chief, I’d like to personally thank you for supporting emerging and established visionary talents by picking up this issue. We truly hope you too will be influenced and inspired by their leadingedge journeys. Estelle Gervais Founder/Editor-in-Chief/Creative Director ESTELLE GERVAIS Graphic Designer GARRETT NACCARATO Fashion Editor/Creative Consultant BIANCA DI BLASIO Copy Editor SLOANE MONTGOMERY Contributing Writer JERA MACPHERSON Feature Photographer ANDREW BOYLE

Special thanks to Nathalie Basil, Francis Bitonti, Laurier Blanchet, Gabrielle Boisvert, Andrew Boyle, Rox Brown, Andrea Carrera, Torchia Communications, Carolyne De Bellefeuille, Bianca Di Blasio, Emy Filteau, Daniel Gervais, Andrew Gethins, Tom Hancocks, Jim Hu, Cedrik James, Danielle Keita-Taguchi, Marianne Kodaira, Jera Macpherson, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Sloane Montgomery, Garrett Naccarato, Jerry Pigeon, Noa Raviv, Karim Rekik, Adam Katz Sinding, Allie Smith, Izabel Soucy, Kimberly Watson, Danna Grace Windsor. Published by THE FINE PRINT MAGAZINE/ESTELLE GERVAIS, in Mo

At least twice a year I have the pleasure of visiting Florence for work to take in the latest menswear offerings from the tailors and brands that convene at Pitti Uomo. The much-lauded trade show has traditionally brought together the best of the industry, from small knitwear operations to esteemed fabric mills (and, of course, there’s the renowned street style scene). However, after my first foray in June, countless Pitti vets were quick to inform me that I was about a decade late, that the best and any sense of discovery was long gone, replaced by a handful of well-known luxury brands and their countless imitators. I feared they were right.

Last month, I found myself Florence again—Alabama, that is, for designer Billy Reid’s Shindig Revival marking the occasion of his namesake brand’s 20th anniversary. Though the parallels were uncanny (influencers in full looks, an event each evening, and a picturesque river running through town), authenticity reigned supreme, down to a riverfront tailgate for a University of Alabama football game. Post-pandemic, there are few greater allures to spent creatives than pulling up stakes in a city and heading somewhere a bit slower paced, quieter. Reid did it first—and damn if it didn’t work.

Reid is nothing if not resilient. His first fashion show took place in New York on September 10, 2001. With the devastating events that soon followed, investor priorities shifted, and Reid eventually made the decision to pack his bags and head south to Florence, Alabama, his wife (and muse) Jeanne’s hometown. For the designer’s unique brand of Americana, Reid could not have made a more fruitful choice. For the uninitiated, the location might seem obscure. But for those in the know (and you should know), Florence and the surrounding area is a ripple in the universe, teeming with creative mojo. As Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff put it in the 2013 documentary Muscle Shoals, “there