Griffin X Charge: The Plug

Charge X Griffin : The Plug

This season sees the launch of a brand new collaborative project between Charge bikes and menswear designer Jeff Griffin. Both urban innovators in their own worlds, the two brands have united to create a limited edition fixed gear bike, due for release in early September.

Situated just a few miles apart from each other in the West Country the two companies came together to create a bike with a difference for the fixed gear biking community. Charge’s signature single speed bike, the plug, quickly became the nominated frame of choice. With it’s minimalist design this new age, classic frame, welcomed Griffin’s innovative design approach.

Taking inspiration for his up an coming autumn/winter 09 collection from the cyclist and the path of commuting from the countryside to the city. Griffin is mixing country tweeds with urban city living, as the guys in Brick lane are bringing polo to their bikes in the East End, we are bringing the country to the city. Mixing technical fabrics with traditional wools to produce garments that have all the flexibility and functionality of a modern day cycling jacket but with the look of modern luxury sportswear.

The Griffin X Charge collaboration bike will be launched at the Eurobike exhibition on the 31st August 2009. These 500 limited edition bikes are now available to pre order at the Griffin Online Store and will be available from selected stockists in early October. For your chance to win one, simply subscribe to the Griffin mailing list before the 1st December 2009 and we will enter you into our free prize draw, click here to enter now.

今 シーズンCharge bikeとメンズ・ウェア・デザイナー、ジェフ・グリフィンのコラボ・プロジェクトが乗り出します。　それぞれの業界でアーバン・イノベイターである両者 が創り出した、フィックスド・ギア・バイクのリミティッド・エディションは9月初旬のリリースとなります。

お互いウエスト・カントリーにあり、数マイルしか離れていない両社が現行のフィックスド・ギア・サイクリング界に「違い」をもたらすため、 Chargeシグネチャー・シングル・スピード・バイク、プラグ、を作成、これらはすぐに人気のフレームとなりました。　このミニマル・デザインの、新世 代のクラッシック・フレームはGriffinのイノベイティブ・デザイン・アプローチを快く受け入れました。

来るAW09コレクションへのインスピレイションはサイクリストと、カントリー・サイドからシティーへの通勤の経験から得られました。　 Griffinはカントリーなひねりをアーバン・シティーの生活に加え、ブリック・レーンで活動する人々がポロをバイクに持ち込んだように、我々はカント リーをシティーに持ち込みます。テクニカルな布地をトラディショナルなウールで、柔軟性と機能性を同時に兼ね備えた現代のサイクリング・ジャケットであり ながら見た目はモダンで高級なスポーツ・ウェアです。

Griffin X Chargeコラボレーション・バイクは2009年8月31日に開催されたEurobikeエキシビションに出展されました。　その後、これらの500台 の限定版バイクは厳選された取引先から販売されます。抽選に応募するには2009年12月1日までにGriffinメーリングリストを購読してください。抽選に応募するにはここをクリックして下さい

詳細をご覧になられたい方、ご購入ご希望の方はGriffinオンライン・ストアーまで

Fluorescent Orange Trousers!

Here at Griffin we know we produce great high quality trousers and our customers that have bought from us in the past know this and continue to buy from us season after season, but we realise they are a tricky item to buy over the net when you can't try them on. So to make life a little easier we have extended our returns policy (to 14 days) so you now have longer to make up your mind.

Originally we set out to make a series of simple films that illustrated how the trousers looked on, with the aid of a treadmill and few unnecessary props later they quickly became almost feature length films. Anyway check them out for your self below and on the product page at the Griffin Online Store....



The Kingston Pant in Black

The Kingston Pant in Grey




The Kingston Pant in Fluorescent Orange

Trouser 21 in Wetland Camouflage

Trouser 21 in Brown

Griffin Supports Ephemeral Brazil

Griffin will be exhibiting a series of pieces from the autumn/winter 09 collection at the Silvia Nayla gallery at 109 Westbourne Grove, London from the 6th - 20th October. The exhibition has been arranged by Ephemeral Brazil to promote education and enterprise in some Brazil's most vulnerable communities. The exhibition will feature the work of a number of south west artists who are supporting the cause. Please pop along to the Silvia Nayla gallery before the 20th October to see pieces from the new collection as well as the new Charge X Griffin fixed gear bike.

Source Local - Griffin A/W 09

Check out our new series of eco conscious videos. The purpose of these videos is to encourage everyone to source locally and grow your own. This film features Jeff and his Griffin pigs, chickens and veg. Enjoy!!

From Fashion to Veg

From Fashion to Chicks

From Fashion to Weaners

Griffin X Berghaus: Tried and Tested

Check out images and the short film of our riders putting the new Berghaus X Griffin range to the test. This film features the Fortitude and Innsbruck jackets, now available to purchase at the Griffin Online Store.

Visit www.griffin-studio.com to find out more.

From Portobello to Edington

Hide Uno, Drummer, Japanese food connoisseur and all time Griffin fan and friend comes to Wiltshire. Following the trail of the Griffin legacy from our old shop on Portobello Road to our humble headquarters neatly nestled in the rolling hills of the west country.

Armed with the new Griffin X Charge bike Hide takes the eco friendly option of travel biking through the streets of london then jumping on the train to Bristol, where he hops back on to two wheels to meet the Griffin team for a visit to the Banksy Exhibition at the Bristol City Museum.

View the images below as Hide checks out what's kicking and whose kicking it in the South West.

久しぶりにグリフィンから「あそびにきーひん？」との誘いがあったので、

この間グリフィンが手がけた自転車に乗り、ブラブラと一方通行を逆走し、グリフィンの発祥地であるポートベロ・ロードを出発する。

グリフィンのデザインスタジオは、ロンドンから電車で１時間半ぐらい離れたウイルトシャーにある。美しい自然が広がる、のんびりした所にたっている。

ブリストルでバンクシー展が開催中。もう２ヶ月半もやってるのに、大盛況で、未だに５時間待ちって・・・すばらしいのはこれだけの作品をすべて無料で閲覧できること。さすがイギリスだ。

以前「wrong war」でグリフィンとバンクシーがコラボしたシャツを着てこればよかった!!

グリフィン仕様バイクが、グリフィン所有ランディーに乗っている。

イギリスで１、２を争う古さのパブらしい。庭にあるリンゴの木には圧巻。

やっとこさグリフィン宅に。まさにイギリスのカントリーサイド、牧歌的なイギリスのランドスケープにノスタルジックな感覚を覚えつつ、いろんな新しい試みを目撃するのだ。

以前は、秘密基地といくらか家庭栽培があったぐらいだと思ったが、温室、畑はもちろん、なんと鶏（卵用と食用）、豚（いい品種らしい）も一緒に生活してるじゃないか。野菜もおいしかったっす。グリフィン家の長男エルビス君は実践しながらそれぞれを紹介してくれる。当たり前だけど、みんなジェフとカリーナに似てる。

以前から変わってないのは、動物もスタッフも含めて大きい家族みたいだということ。とてもオープンハートで、構えたところがなく、個性を大切にする感じ？相変わらずのびのびとしているね。

自然の中を犬の散歩。

グリフィン卵は味が濃くて美味しいっす。

うおおおおーひさしぶりーーーーV８のディフェンダー、オフロードバリバリ仕様じゃないか。しかも昔ポパイの表紙を飾った時と色が変わってる。デザートカラーになっている。

友達のファームで藁をゲッチュウしたジェフは、軍仕様車のせいで「タリバンが来た」とちょけられ爆笑。

イギリスの建物に多い天井に走る柱、いわゆるビームが鉄筋で、スタジオはディテ−ルがとにかくかわいい。窓の外にはどこまでも青空、窓から緑の香りが漂うスタジオには、エッジーなグリフィンを作り出すクリエイティブ達が。

クリエイティブなグリフィンも保ちつつ、このような人間的クオリティーの高い生活を確立するなんて、憧れる人多いんと違うかな？

グリフィンはデザインだけじゃなくて、作りもいいし、関わってる人もみんないい人だ。いつもそうですが、大きな愛を感じました。グリフィンハートですね。

party party party. bye bye japan

we've left Japan now...

last night out in Tokyo at the Fuji Rock afterparty


Basement Jaxx took over the stage and did some bona fide ass shaking

this m.c. (of fairly sizable proportions)


tried to crowd surf across this crowd


of mostly fairly petite (under 5'7'') Japanese clubbers

needless to say he didn't get too far despite trying several times

no lives were lost in the process of party party party making

crowd went wild 'till 7am. then we flew home.

many thanks to all that hooked us up and helped us out in Japan...

- Kataro and the Griffin boys

- Jon and all the barflies at Kinfolk

- The amazing Kenji from love bikes and all the kids from Fig Bike

- The maids, the go go girls, the sleeping dudes at Fuji Rock and everyone else that made us feel at home in wonderland. Japan rocks, we salute you.

Love Tokyo! Love Posy...

Shit l miss that place, we were all camping down in Kent England...

Fuji Rock 2009. Japan does Festival.

Just back from Fuji Rock. It rocked.

The cleanest and most well organised Festival I've ever been to...

Lets start with the people. Prepared is the word that springs to mind... people bought more kit and camping gear and picnic tables and seats and mats and waterproofs then I've ever seen in my life. In all fairness is rained pretty hard. My totally SHIT american apparel 'waterproof' was about as much use as a paper towel. Griffin gear next time.

So yeah - they bring loads of stuff, sit around and eat a lot of food (food is way bigger then booze at Fuji - weird) and generally look pretty clean, together and cute.





My half Japanese friend Tiger was trying to pull off a similar look but I don't think she quite had it dialed...


Another thing to remember when festivaling in Japan is that there's only a handful of big ones in the country - and despite the extremely organised manner of the event, the slight chaos that no doubt comes with herding thousands of people around a muddy music and beer fest, is somewhat tiring for some... people sleep all over the shop. I found this lot napping through the Melvins... check the girl in the face mask too... clean clean clean. Japan hearts clean.


So on from the people - the site. Fuji is located in a ski resort which is pretty stunning, nestled in a valley half way up a mountain its got to be one of the most beautiful festival sites I've ever seen. The grounds are about 3 miles long, World of food at one end, main stage in the middle, hippy weirdo wonderland on from there and right at the end a Dog adventure land for all your doggy festival friends. Amazing.

They had massive visuals on the cliffs sides that I could of watched for hours (mmm sparkly - photo doesn't really do it justice) - and eye balls watching you in the trees.

(this big rabbit was my friend)

There was also NO rubbish anywhere. Everyone seperates and recycles everything and carries portable ash trays for smoking. You are also not allowed to smoke and walk, take photos of bands or carry an umbrella and NO one did. Even the toilets were pretty shiny.


Band wise there's a pretty eclectic mix up of a line up... saw some amazingly awful Japanese popstar caterwalling on the mainstage one night which was worth the journey alone... also pretty impressed by wizard men Melvins (best two drummers in the world ever), Dinosaur Jr. - who looked just like the rad dads they are, and finally Weezer who totally woo-ed the crowd by chatting away in pretty good Japanese. I recon he's had a Japanese girlfriend or two along the way and judging by the crowd could of taken home a handful more had he wished.










The last band that deserve a mention are Basement Jaxx who kindly hooked us up with passes for the festival... They put on an awesome set to shut the festival down on the last night... recruiting Fuji's finest dancers to join them on the stage.

It's great organised chaos.. on stage we had two hot go go girls that we met in the bar the night before, a few giant lobsters, some wierd green alien things and finally Tiger and her little sister, dressed up in monkey suits dancing like mongoloids on acid. Very fear and loathing.







This is Felix giving artistic direction to a giant lobster minutes before the show. Dance lobster dance.




Anyway... so that was the official festival. Just outside the main gates was the amazing Palace of Wonder land which opened until 6 am and was mostly where people went to 'go a bit mental' - which Japanese people do do, they just don't do it as often as us noisy drunken Brits.

It was fun in there. We mostly hung out at the Milk Casino bar (where randomly Jon from Kinfolk was working), where I drank Tequila and made friend with weirdos whilst Tiger fought of marriage proposals from keen Japanese suitors, loving the half-fu vibe. Things generally got a bit sideways in there hence the blurry photos. But it was good. I think.








So yep. That was it. We're back in Tokyo for one more night now so off to the Fuji afterparty at some place called the Warehouse... no sleep till Virgin Flight 908 11am tomorrow morning. Ho hum.