Culture Crafting at 31 Crosby Utilizing Space and Place to Blend Unlikely

Lifestyles at Saturdays’ Flagship Store

Credits: Report Written & Compiled by Anne Chen

Artifact Collection & Analysis by Monique Gauthier Lost Weekend Research by Lifan Deng and Summer Sheng

PROJECT BRIEF

Theories of Space & Place 1

Saturdays Surf NYC

Section I: Business Overview

Business Model and Origins 2

SWOT 3

Products/Services 3

Section II: Culture Crafting

Overview 4

Sub-cultures 4

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The Approach 7

The Methodology 7

Development of Inquiries Through Preliminary Research 8

Artifact Collection 9

Section I: Saturdays Surf NYC

Photos/Videos 10

Interviews 19

Other 22

Section II: Lost Weekend

Photos 24

Interviews 26

Other 27

CONCLUSIONS

On Saturdays’ “Culture Crafting” 29

On The Research Process 30

APPENDIX 31

Appendix A: Ecosystem Map 32

Appendix B: Nodal Map of Sub-Cultures 33

Appendix C: Business Proposal 34

FURTHER READING 36

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Project Brief

THEORIES OF SPACE & PLACE

For those of us who have a favorite place to study, a beloved neighborhood haunt, or a certain spot in a city square at which to simply relax and people watch, we know how places themselves can carry their own unique personalities to which we, as individuals, can derive symbolic meaning. And when asked why we hold such affinity to a particular place, our answers differ: perhaps it’s because of its barista, who knows how to blend that perfect cup of coffee; or because we know it to be frequented by people who share our same cultural attitudes, our same sense of style, our same interests; or maybe it’s simply because we find its architectural design to be especially beautiful.

So do we derive value from a place through the goods and/or services it offers, or through the ambience it evokes - via its decor, its other regular denizens, and its physical location? Or is it through a little bit of both? Certainly, why a place was initially established must be considered - was it established as a business, for instance, or a site for socializing and relationship cultivation? Can a place successfully do both?

Knitted within a city’s spacial fabric are more than just physical place signifiers - those monolithic high-rises, those graffitied spans of dilapidating walls, for instance; there persists as well those intangible qualities of our urban landscape, which, if removed, would undoubtedly extinguish that kindred bond we feel with certain spaces. Here arises the question of “What is ‘place’ and what is ‘space’?”

Much of the human experience is grounded in the symbolic means of being oriented - where we call home, how we nation build, etc. - and how we form attachments to physical locations. In Space and Place, Tuan Yi-Fu discusses how the two terms require each other for definition, with undifferentiated ‘spaces’ becoming ‘places’ as we endow them with significance as we get to know them better. Place, then, is defined in relation to space - a ‘pause’ to locate oneself, to form a sense of territory and identification, a fixity of security. Yet a constant tug of war exists between place and space - one being more temporal than the other - as we become attached to the sense security that comes with the former but long for the freedom and movement that comes with the latter.

Jane Jacobs, in The Death and Life of Great American Cities, foments the importance of injecting “mixed uses” within a city street’s place offering in order to achieve diversity. She notes two kinds of uses - primary and secondary - which must coexist harmoniously in order for a city to endure its vitality and to not dissolve into states of stagnation and foresakenment. A street’s success, Jacobs argues, for instance, hinges upon its ability to attract different kinds of people, at different times of the day, and for different reasons.

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In this research project, we explore the possibility of a single place to “wear many hats” - that is, to capture both the ephemeral nature of ‘space’ and the sense of security of ‘place’ discussed by Tuan Yi-Fu, and the “mixed use” concept of vibrant city streets presented by Jacobs. We extrapolated Jacobs’ idea of mixed uses subsisting side-by-side along the same street and applied it to a single location, inquiring if one place can accomplish multiple value propositions under the same umbrella. Our place of investigative inquiry is the 31 Crosby Street location of Saturdays Surf NYC, a brand which we believe has surprisingly crafted a new culture from preexisting ones.

SATURDAYS SURF NYC

Section I: Business Overview

Business Model and Origins “There was a big gap between surf culture and fashion in New York,” explained Mr. [Morgan] Collett, 29,

who grew up in the California surf scene and moved to New York to work in fashion. “When summer came around, stores would put surfboards in their windows and designers would show ads of models in Hawaii, but it didn’t feel genuine.”1

“If you’re not a hard-core surfer, you don’t necessarily feel comfortable walking into extreme sports shops,” pointed out Mr. [Josh] Rosen, 34, a former pro-snowboarder from Seattle. “We wanted an unpretentious environment where anyone feels welcome.”2

From the mouths of two of Saturdays’ founders themselves, words which encapsulate the Saturdays’ brand image and business model. Collett and Rosen, along with Colin Tunstall, created Saturdays back in 2009 as an answer to what they deemed as a pressing problem: the lack of an authentic place for the surfers of New York to purchase high-quality apparel and to socialize with one another. But the three took their business model one step further: they also introduced well-crafted coffee to their offering, something that the East Coast surfer desperately needs during his early rise to catch a few waves before work. The result: an apparel store slash coffee joint slash hip hang-out spot that has grown its own cultish following.

With four locations to date - in New York, one in Soho and one in the West Village; in Japan, one in Tokyo and one in Kobe - Saturdays incorporates its overall brand persona into each of its individual stores. But as its flagship location, 31 Crosby Street provides a true look into the company’s unique story and exemplifies how the neighborhood in which a business is situated plays into its appeal.

1. Berrie, Nicole. “Waves of New York.” The Wall Street Journal. 12, April. 2013. Web. 25, April. 2013. para. 2. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324050304578412812036314562.html>.

2. Berrie, Nicole. “Waves of New York.” The Wall Street Journal. 12, April. 2013. Web. 25, April. 2013. para. 4<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324050304578412812036314562.html> .

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SWOT

Products/Services 1. Coffee: La Colombe“Seattle circa 1985 – Todd Carmichael and Jean Philippe Iberti, while working in coffee and attending school, gain an excited appreciation for the skills of the European coffee roaster and the ever evolving fine cuisine in America. Together they conceive of coffees dedicated to joining these two loves and call it culinary coffee:

Strengths • unique positioning - a brand that’s brought a ‘genuine’ surf culture to the East

Coast (fulfilling an untapped niche market) and that’s developed a global andlocal following

• location - ‘tucked away’ in artistic Soho• unique offering - coffee and surf apparel (as well as art pieces, grooming

products, music, magazines, etc.)• apparel is also sold in department stores / through other e-tailers (like Mr. Porter)• collaborations w/ artists like Curtis Kulig• store design - allows for Saturdays to become a favorite local ‘haunt’ (i.e. cozy

backyard space, perfect for warm weather coffee-sipping)• community-feel - a place to hold meetings, take a nap, make new friends• apparel - channels modern, chic style of New Yorkers• functions also as a ‘gallery space’ for artists/musicians• interactive Website with videos, Blog, w/ regular Newsfeed and updates on

weather/wave conditions, posts on upcoming surfer ‘meet-ups’ / concerts,magazine, etc. - bringing the ‘community’ feel to the online world

• online presence: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook• aligning the company with companies, like Element, that create sustainable

products• awards: i.e. GQ’s “Best New MensWear Designer 2012”• promotional campaigns: i.e. pop-up store at Lane Crawford in HK

Weaknesses • brand image may be confusing to new

customers as well as foreigners (is it acoffee shop? an apparel shop?)

• untapped female market - only offerswetsuits for women

• price point for apparel may be tooexpensive - cannot cater to a widermarket

Opportunities • Japan - currently opening a new

location there - Japanese people (a)are surfers and (b) are a tea-drinkingculture but have recently taken aninterest in coffee

• other U.S. locations (i.e. LA? Chicago?)• continued international expansion• sell apparel through other retailers• female market

Threats • Lost Weekend• other ‘coffee haunts’ developing their own unique brand images

• gentrifying / changing Soho neighborhood ecosystem• fast fashion - cheaper apparel options

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balanced and round, consistent, deep but not overbearing, mindful of the kitchen and designed for the palate.”3

2. Apparel: (~$40 - $300)Saturdays offers 50s- and 60s-inspired, retro clothes - outerwear, sweaters, woven shirts, bottoms, board

shorts, T-shirts, tank tops - perfect for the East Coast surfer who has a more modern style than his bohemian, West Coast counterpart. The brand also offers shoes and accessories. Apparel runs between ~$40 to $300. Hats, towels, bags, sunglasses, jewelry, and socks are also available. The line can be found in Saturdays’ four freestanding locations as well as in high-end department stores, such as Barneys New York and Colette Paris.

3, Other: Saturdays also carries books, magazines, DVDs, candles, boards, grooming products (hair, skin, sun

protection), art, and wetsuits (~$350 - $600).

Section II: Culture Crafting

Overview Saturdays has built a successful business through “culture crafting”, a term we’ve coined to describe how

the brand has merged several cultures into one. Thorough research of 31 Crosby Street revealed that there are many individual cultures – which we’ve defined as “sub-cultures” – woven into the overall cultural tapestry Saturdays has fabricated, but the three we’ve determined to be of most significance are that of (a) coffee, (b) surf, and (c) the Soho neighborhood. The first two, unsurprisingly, generate the bulk of Saturdays’ yearly revenue, but the last speaks volumes in Tuan Yi-Fu’s politics of space and place. However, each of these elements, intricately entwined and heavily dependent on each other, are essential to the cultural ecosystem on which Saturdays has built its brand. For more on “culture crafting” and “sub-cultures”, refer to Appendix B.

Sub-cultures 1. Coffee

Coffee shops serve more than just places to purchase espresso drinks and lattes - they are also places where people meet to socialize, relax, and come to together. Thus, by including coffee into its offerings, Saturdays has become a hip, go-to hangout spot where people can enjoy a cup of La Colombe while bonding with others - often over a cigarette - over their love for surfing, coffee, and art. Coffee, then, as a product and an experience – the experience of observing a skilled barista crafting one’s drink, of sipping a piping hot espresso while watching others do the same, and so on – relies on more than just quality to entice

3. “La Colombe Founders”. La Colombe. La Colombe Torrefaction, INC. 2013. Web. 29, April. 2013. para. 1. <http://lacolombe.com/founders>.

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customers, Its success also stems significantly from how the customers feel when just being where the coffee’s being served. Here again emerges the importance of place – in this case, people bestowing value on a physical commodity because of its relationship to spacial elements. These elements include physical ones, such as store décor and layout, as well as nonphysical ones – that indescribable “home-away-from-home” sensation one feels when sitting in one’s favorite coffee haunt, for example. In essence, Saturdays serves coffee and conversation in a space that facilitates to both.

2, Surf: East versus West Coast Surfers Lifestyle: The Daily Grind or Living Life? "Our ideas about who we are and how we should feel are shaped in quite dramatic ways by," said study researcher Victoria Plaut, a social and cultural psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley Law School. Broadly speaking, [...] the stereotypes are true: "If you examine the local world, you'll find that the East is more old and established, and the West is more new and free."4

When it comes to surfers, regional differences in surf culture stem mainly from lifestyle choice, with New Yorkers packing more into their typical workday schedules and thus finding it a greater challenge to squeeze in a few hours of wave riding. Perhaps it is their ambitious natures that drive New Yorkers to load more onto their plates than Californians - anyone who’s walked around Wall Street and had to dodge around businessmen transversing sidewalks in aggressive strides and yelling into headsets knows this to be true. But whatever the reason, the disparity exists, and insightful entrepreneurs like Collett, Rosen, and Tunstall are keen to identify such regional variations and utilize them in a business venture.

Fashion: “While the cut and sewn goods align with a laid back Californian aesthetic, Saturdays’ contemporary slim silhouettes and high quality outerwear speak to its New York hometown roots.”5

Surfers, like most of us, often dress to communicate their lifestyles and regional loyalties. Unsurprisingly, the more restrained East Coast surfer favors simple silhouettes composed from muted color palettes - clothes that channel the Manhattan ethos and effortless cool of a native New Yorker. Meanwhile, his free-spirited West Coast counterpart prefers the bright colors, loud logos, and bold graphics of brands such as Quiksilver and Billabong. Saturdays’ apparel line can thus be described as one of high-quality craftsmanship and of modern sophistication – indeed, a look that’s ideal for the urban surfer who is working, playing, living in New York City.

3. Soho4. Pappas, Stephanie. “East vs. West: Stark Coast-to-Coast Culture Clash Revealed.” LiveScience. 18, Sept. 2012. Web. 20, April. 2013.

para. 3. <http://www.livescience.com/23283-east-vs-west-coast-culture-differences.html>. 5. John. “Saturdays Surf NYC – Spring/Summer 2013 Collection.” Freshness. 8, April. 2013. Web. 22, April. 2013.

<http://www.freshnessmag.com/2013/04/08/saturdays-surf-nyc-springsummer-2013-collection-styled-by-end-clothing/>.

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31 Crosby Street’s recipe to success is one part well-crafted coffee, one part high-quality apparel, and one part prime real estate. By “prime”, we are referring to the store’s location in the Soho district, a neighborhood known to be the quintessential example of picturesque charm, energy, and eclecticism – in other words, a section of New York City that Jane Jacobs would probably applaud. Arguably, the presence of multiple juxtapositions – the commercial juxtaposed to the “authentic”; luxury juxtaposed to wholesale living; and the “public” juxtaposed to the “private” – are what today lie at the core of Soho’s distinct personality.

Despite the influx of large commercial enterprises – those giant Citibanks, Duane Reades, and department stores which swallow entire blocks and create considerable eyesores for the native “Soho-ian” – and ever-present gentrification, Soho has managed to retain much of its original bohemian roots. We can thank much of this to the neighborhood’s actual layout: for instance, its quaint little streets – cobblestoned and narrow – put off even the most skilled taxi driver, but are ideal for the pedestrian who’s window shopping on a warm spring day. Indeed, there still persists a zeitgeist spirit and those enigmatic qualities from which artists such as Phillip Glass and Twyla Tharp drew inspiration, though these qualities now exist side-by-side with trendy boutiques, contemporary art galleries, and spacious studio lofts. The iron-wrought Little Singer Building and 112 Prince Street6, sites where famous sculptors such as Viet Nam shaped masterpieces, serve as historic landmarks for those nostalgic for the days of a more “authentic” Soho, a neighborhood untouched by commercialization, profit-seekers, and zoning legislations.

The juxtaposition of upscale and wholesale living – with those in the former category probably enjoying a cocktail at the Mondrian’s Mister H, while those in the latter hock their wares from under tattered awnings that yawn over their little delis – caters to Soho’s diverse store frontage and residential properties. As with many neighborhoods known for their vibrancy, Soho derives its mixed uses from its people – the residents, tourists, business owners, artists, vagabonds, etc. who, whether they are spending money, earning money, or just struggling to make ends meet, are the lifeblood of the Soho ecosystem. And thus, a store, like Saturdays, which can call such a neighborhood its home, sits conveniently at the intersection of all the diverse interactions that blossom from a complex plurality of viewpoints.

We often label spaces as either private or public, with a “private” space being more committed to the individual while a “public” one caters to a community at large. One is personal, the other democratic – but we as human beings desire both, for different reasons, and at different times. There are however spaces which seem to possess characteristics of both – a “semi-private” space, so to speak, which, despite its “public” features, produces an intimacy that varies between its individual inhabitants. One can even argue that there is no such thing as “public” space – that by laying claim to any space, we somehow make it our own, thus categorizing it as “private”. It is this rationale that ties into a coffee shop’s spatial capital – the fact that

6. “Soho Landmarks.” Sohonyc.com. 2013. Web. 1, May. 2013. <http://www.sohonyc.com/landmarks.html>.

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sometimes, good coffee just isn’t enough to entice a caffeine addict to frequent your store; you need to also somehow set a “mood” that allows your store to become almost a second home to your customers.

The Research Process

THE APPROACH

System thinking now required us to wear many hats – to investigate Saturdays as ethnographers, business thinkers, designers, and storytellers. This meant tackling each individual part of the research process while still envisioning our project’s overall mission: to reach conclusions of how successful Saturdays has been in crafting a new niche culture through its business model and utilization of space and place understanding. For more on the Saturdays’ “ecosystem”, please refer to Ecosystem Map in Appendix A.

THE METHODOLOGY

Armed with this mindset – and a few chapters from Roger Martin’s illuminating book, The Opposable Mind – the trajectory of our process is outlined below. Initial inquiries were first developed in order to better decide from which investigative angle we wanted to pursue the project. From there, our list of questions was trimmed and polished such that we had a more succinct and clear guide to our ethnographic journey.

Now that we had our inquiries, the next step was to start finding answers to them – this was done through the collection of “artifacts”, or products of our regular trips to 31 Crosby Street as well as Lost Weekend. These included observational notes, photographs, videos, and interview “scripts” we created after conversing with store employees, customers, and neighborhood locals. Other artifacts include e-mail correspondences, excerpts from online news articles, and visuals – such as maps and charts – we created to summarize our key discoveries.

Finally, we decided that it would be worthwhile to have something to compare Saturdays to – we believed that examining how another brand approached the same business concept would provide further insight into Saturdays’ success – or lack thereof – in culture crafting. The site of this comparative inquiry was Saturdays’ main competitor, Lost Weekend NYC.

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DEVELOPMENT OF INQUIRIES THROUGH PRELIMINARY RESEARCH

We established the following question to summarize our overall investigative inquiry: “Has Saturdays successfully designed its space to facilitate its “crafting” of a genuine surf-coffee culture at its Crosby Street location?” “Success”, of course, is a subjective term, but some of our criteria include:

• customers and staff are happy with the store layout and find value in the location – it ‘works’• the store is profitable – making money off of coffee, surf apparel, other merchandise throughout

the year• there’s a harmonious relationship between the surrounding Soho neighborhood and the store –

the two functions as a healthy ecosystem.

“Failure”, on the other hand, would mean:

• the store communicates a confusing brand image and/or intimidates new customers• the space is not utilized well and/or could be improved• one ‘culture’ overwhelms the other due to design decisions• an unhealthy relationship exists between the store and the Soho neighborhood.

A full list of our initial inquiries is provided below. For further understanding of our investigative inquiries, please refer to our Nodal Map of Sub-cultures in Appendix B.

1. Considering the space: What is this space, and what does it utilize (i.e. floor plan considerations, suchas having the coffee bar at the front of the store) to communicate the business’s vision? Do floor plan considerations provide for an authentic surf/coffee culture ambience? Do design decisions provide for an inviting feel that draws in both new and old customers? How does the space create value for the brand? Does one ‘culture’ (surf vs. coffee) seem to overcome the other? If so, does this work? Is it intentional? What else could be put into this space? 2. Considering Soho: How is the space similar/different from the neighborhood itself? Do the two worktogether, especially when considering Soho’s creative atmosphere? How has Saturdays’ presence in the neighborhood affected other stores (whether retailers or coffee shops)? What about the neighborhood’s residents? 3. Considering the people: What type of people inhabit this space (employee and customer)? Does timeof day / time of year affect this?

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4. Considering the customer : Why do they go there? What is their demographic/psychographic profile?Do they go there out of (a) habit; (b) curiosity; (c) other? Do they see Saturdays more so as a (a) retail store; (b) coffee haunt; (c) hip hangout place; (d) mixture of the above; (e) other? Do the surf and coffee cultures clash or work together harmoniously? 5. Considering the pricing: Are they pricing their apparel and/or drinks too high? Why are At this location,is more coffee or apparel / surf gear being sold? How does this compare to e-store sales, department store sales, West Village / Tokyo location sales, etc.? 6. Considering this specific location versus Saturdays’ overall brand: How do marketing tactics differ? Itseems that this Soho location focuses more so on the coffee – is this because coffee, as a commodity, is one part product, one part service? Saturdays’ site, in contrast, seems to focus more on its surfing products - is this intentional? Are they trying to find a balance, as they’re selling two very different goods, between the two? Do people even go to the Soho location to purchase surfing apparel / gear, or do they opt for Saturdays’ e-store or go to a department store carrying their line (i.e. Barneys)? Is the ‘store’ portion of the Soho location too big then, and the coffee area too small? Should there be more seating area added (i.e. to the front)? Should there be more fitting rooms? 7. Considering the effect of the seasonal transitions: Surf culture usually is strong in warm weather regions,like California. How does cold NYC winters affect clothing sales? Does their coffee business help to combat this? 8. Considering Saturday’s “underground” origins: Are people going to its Soho location because they’resick and tired of giant, corporate coffee retailers like Starbucks? How do such small, tucked away spots develop popularity and build hype? How does being unique and “underground” (vs. being part of a large corporate entity) tie into the store’s success? Has becoming more “mainstream” detracted from Saturday’s initial underground cool and anti-mass culture stance? Do businesses use a “hipster-vibe” as merely a gimmick to profit off of?

ARTIFACT COLLECTION Note: Due to Saturdays’ strict in-store photo policy that restricts anyone from taking photographs unless they

are a media partner, much of our discoveries could be not supported by photographic evidence. In compiling this section of the report, we were limited to the photos we did manage to secretly take and the photos kindly

provided by Saturdays’ media contact, Ms. Dana Droppo.

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Section I: Saturdays Surf NYC

Photos/Videos

A shot of the narrow street leading to the store, then photos of the iconic, billowing white flag, emblazoned with the brand’s logo, hanging over the store’s entrance. The grey and red palette of the store’s exterior is typical of a Soho real estate property.

A glance into the store – a couple (hopefully not on a date, as the boy seems quite absorbed by some text message) sitting in the small seating area in the front. Surfboards can be seen plopped up against the wall

behind them.

Photo Credit: Anne Chen

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To the right, a man pauses to peruse a book with a friend during their wanderings through the store.

Saturdays offers its customers an assortment of reading material: its own

magazine, editions of other publications (such as Last Magazine and The Surfers Journal), and various

books that feature both text and beautiful photographs to provide vivid

portraits of the surfer lifestyle or New York City itself. This image also features

an interesting Japanese art poster – perhaps paying subtle homage to the

brand’s recent international expansion into Kobe.

Photo Credit: Anne Chen

To the left, a shot of the long coffee bar at the front of the store – surprisingly devoid of a menu or pricing – and the long, mini corridor that runs parallel to it, leading to the apparel section of the location. Above, art posters decorate the space’s walls. A woman sits on a bench as she waits for her drink. Milk, sugar, napkins, stirrers, etc. are of course close at hand.

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The last shot of the store’s interior before an employee intercepts our photographer. Sunglasses in glass displays, CDs , and T-shirts arranged neatly on hangers. Notice the simple graphical design of the white tee shirt – a perfect example of Saturdays’ clean and modern design aesthetic.

Photos of the backyard space – complete with garden décor. An ideal spot to hangout, meet new people, and savor a cup

of coffee, when the weather’s nicer, of course. Usually filled with people, the ‘patio’ space is sadly empty on this grey,

February Friday. Notice the ash trays placed thoughtfully at each table – loyal patrons of this store are usually smokers.

Photo Credit: Anne Chen

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Saturdays' floor plan has allowed the brand to combine the coffee and surf cultures into the stores physical features. There is a coffee section ideally in the front – perfect for the busy commuter who just wants to pop in and out for a quick cup of his favorite blend of La Colombe. A narrow corridor then leads into the actual store area of the location – products such as wet suits, apparel, grooming supplies, books, accessories, etc. are all

neatly arranged in glass displays, along clothing racks, or on wall shelves. There are a few fitting rooms as well, and a bathroom. An employee usually flits between the cash register at the back of the store and assisting customers perusing the merchandise. Finally, there is the backyard space – walled off from its surroundings,

equipped with WiFi, and decorated to reflect Saturdays’ surfer roots (i.e. wooden furniture, surf boards, etc.), it provides a secluded space ideal for customers hoping to take a break from the bustling city.

The following photographs encapsulate the above description of 31 Crosby Street and were provided by Saturdays’ press contact, Ms. Dana Droppo.

ARTIFACTS

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ARTIFACTS

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ARTIFACTS Understanding the Soho Neighborhood: After analyzing the store itself, we took a step back to consider the macroenvironmental factors that contribute to its culture: the Soho neighborhood in which it is situated.

The to left: juxtaposition of a high-end fashion brand (Derek Lam) and the blue awning of a local deli.

Above: The photo on the left shows the exterior décor of The Mondrian Soho, an upscale hotel known for its charming forecourt featuring a European-inspired living wall. The two ironies: a luxury establishment hoping to capture some of Soho’s original picturesque charm; then, on the right, the same establishment falling victim to

a graffiti artist…

Photo Credit: Anne Chen 15

A shot from inside The Mondrian Soho’s forecourt – shows the narrow streets of the Soho neighborhood, as well as the typical architecture.

Photo Credit: Anne Chen

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Body Language of Customers: We now investigate the everyday behaviors impacted by the store’s design. Salient elements which contribute to resulting human interactions within the space include physical structures

within the space – such as benches – as well as products being offered – such as coffee. The people within the space bring the space to life through their interactions with each other and with the space itself. Observing

how people respond to the space was thus especially revealing…

Profile I Customer(s): Couple from Washington D.C.

Observations: The couple marveled at the books and artwork on the walls that communicated the store’s surf culture. They also talked about how they loved Saturdays’ authentic surfboards and products. They walked in small steps, interrupted by frequent pauses as they moved from each piece of merchandise and visual display. Their body language was a bit uptight, and they remained close together.

Summary: “Unfamiliar” with the store

Profile II Customer(s): 50-year old who lives close to Crosby Street and comes to the store often.

Observations: He casually relaxes as he peruses a surf book on the counter – a book he calls “stimulating”. He spends a great deal of time here during his free time. He occasionally crosses his legs, readjusting himself to get more comfortable as he reads the book. He seems laid back – and his body language communicates his calm nature.

Summary: “Accustomed” to the store – finds it to be almost a second home.

Profile III Customer(s): Two typical New York City international students, just going with the flow and scoping out the scene.

Observations: These two girls seem to be tourists and are just here to grab some coffee and experience Saturdays for the first time. Not many coffee joints offer a backyard patio – they stop to enjoy their drinks here. You can see in the picture (and the video) that they are people watching and observing what everyone else is up to.

Summary: “Curiosity” is what drew them to the store.

Photo Credit: Monique Gauthier

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Videos: Body Language “Live”: In Video 1, one of the girls from “Profile III” stares at a man who’s crossing by. She seems intrigued by what he is wearing and what he is doing. In Video II, couple can be seen engaging in conversation. Their relaxed body language mirrors the “relaxed” atmosphere Saturdays has sought to capture at 31 Crosby Street.

Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPafdsJ2p40

Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_A76fOGx9w

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Interviews

February 22, 2013 A Conversation with Mitsu Lowe, 31 Crosby Street’s Store Manager

Anne: Was this store’s initial conceptual intent to create a synergy between coffee and surf cultures? Mitsu: No, it was actually just trying to bring the overall West Coast culture to the East Coast. In California, surf shops and coffee shops, distinct from one another, were just often naturally placed side-by-side. This is because the best waves to ride are usually in the morning - surfers would stop into a surf shop and want coffee anyway to start the day, so it was convenient to have the two right next to each other.

“What are the prices here for the coffee?” - $1.50 for a small coffee, $2 for a large. A Cappucino’s $3.50, a latte $4, an iced coffee $3.25, and a mocha drink $4.25. These all come in one size only.

“At this particular location, who’s coming in more - people who want coffee, or people who want surf gear?” - Definitely coffee. There are certainly more coffee drinkers than surfers in NY. Since we opened our Crosby location back in 2009, around ten other little coffee specialty haunts have popped up in the area!

“You have a location in Tokyo, currently Saturdays’ only international location. Why Japan?” - Coffee is gaining popularity in Japan. As a people, the Japanese have always been tea drinkers, but now they are wanting their caffeine fix from coffee - that’s just a worldwide phenomenon. And surfing has always been big in Japan, since it is an island - the country’s coastline gets awesome waves. That’s why we’re also going be opening, this April, another Japan location - in Kobe. We decided to focus our first international expansions in Japan since the culture is surprisingly similar to the West Coast culture, when it comes to the surfers.

“I only see men’s apparel here. Do you sell women’s apparel as well?” - Just women’s wetsuits.

“Your site also sells art. How do you get art pieces?” - Mainly through consignments - we also book artists.

“Do NYC winters affect surf gear sales?” - No way, winter is actually a busy month for us. The East Coast gets the best waves in the winter - people need wetsuits to go out and surf in the cold weather, so we get heavy store traffic.

“What about in the summer - are you getting more coffee customers due to the nice weather?” - Yeah, since it’s nice out, people especially want to take advantage of our outdoor space. People have meetings out back, even take naps. We offer free WiFi as well.

“Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions!” - No problem! Good luck with your project.

ARTIFACTS

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E-mail Correspondence with Ms. Dana Droppo, Media Contact for Saturdays Surf NYC

Hi Anne,

Please find answers below and a press release about the company attached.

Good luck with your project,

Dana Dana Droppo Saturdays Surf NYC 401 Broadway, 26th Floor New York NY, 10013 212.966.7815 ext 107 dana@saturdaysnyc.com saturdaysnyc.com

On Mar 3, 2013, at 8:09 AM, Anne Chen wrote:

Hi Dana:

I would love to get a copy of your press release! Below are my questions – if you could get answers back to me as soon as possible, I’d greatly appreciate it. Any other insights you can provide about the Soho location would be fantastic as well.

1. From my research, it seems that Saturdays has successfully crafted a new ‘lifestyle/culture’ out of many cultures – i.e. the coffee culture, surf culture, West and East Coastcultures, art culture, etc. How important was the sense of ‘place’ in this ‘culture crafting’, especially at the flagship Soho location? Why not open the first NYC store somewhere close to NYC’s best surf spots, like Rockaway Beach? The brand identity is integrally tied to young men who surf while living and working in downtown New York City.

2. The Soho location must draw in customers from various backgrounds, often looking for different things – whether it is coffee or surf gear or art. Do customer ‘groups’ everclash, especially in such a small space? For instance, what if there’s a long line / big crowd waiting for coffee in the front? Would someone stopping in just for a wetsuit be put off by being blocked from the store area? The space is designed to be welcoming for all different types of people who can identify with the lifestyle or just find it fascinating and want to be a part of it. The coffee is the highest quality coffee in the world, and the coming together of different types of people in the space is what makes this city so interesting. That's one of the things people love about the brand, is its accessibility to all. 3. Fast fashion is a major trend right now, but does the ‘surf style’ fluctuate and change as much as general street style? How many lines does Saturdays’ release in a year?Our collections are founded on consistency, minimalism and fit. The designers draw inspiration from surf wear and menswear in the 1950's and 60's, fast-fashion is not something they are interested in. We release four collections per year, Spring, Summer, Fall and Holiday.

4. What changes to the Soho area in general – i.e. artists being pushed out by high real estate prices, the growing presence of bigger corporate entities, etc. – haveaffected Saturdays? We embrace the changing face of Crosby Street and Soho in general, there are many old businesses that we respect and love and are consistently surprised by the new, interesting ones that move in.

5. Your site seems to focus more on the ‘surf culture’ side of the brand, but when it comes to the Soho location, I’ve always associated it more so with quality coffee. Do youthink this is because coffee, as a commodity, is one part product, one part service? What enjoys more business at the Soho location – the coffee or the surf apparel/gear? Coffee is an added pleasure for us, we have our own blend of La Colombe espresso beans. The coffee bar and the shop are both busy, often at the same times.

6. What do you think are the biggest differences between East and West Coast surf cultures? The urban space of New York.

7. Was Saturdays’ first intention to a) bring the West Coast surf culture to the East Coast, or b) craft a completely new surf culture that fit the East Coast surfer, or c) bit ofboth? What would happen if Saturdays was to open a location in California then? B.

8. You sell wetsuits for both men and women, but do you think Saturdays will someday also sell apparel for women? It's something we are definitely thinking about.

9. I only saw one ‘fitting room’ area –is that sufficient, especially on a busy day? What percentage would you stay of the total space area is dedicated to coffee, to surfsales, to ‘hanging-out’? Yes, the space is amorphous and all elements of it blend together.

ARTIFACTS

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Press Release Provided by Ms. Droppo ARTIFACTS

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Other Map of Overall Soho Neighborhood and Its Businesses

ARTIFACTS

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Saturdays’ Nearby Competitors ARTIFACTS

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Section II: Lost Weekend

Photos

Photo Credit: Summer Sheng

Above: Lost Weekend is located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The neighborhood has undergone much gentrification – it

has some traditional Chinese stores with Chinese character signs but stores like Lost Weekend as well – fancier, neater, and art-

related. Such stores are where hipsters love to frequent. Summer’s conversations with nearby shop owners revealed that they appreciated LW’s ability to draw in new customers into the

neighborhood.

Above: Even though Lost Weekend NYC is much smaller than Saturdays, it still manages to organize its store into a cozy and “have-it-all” place. Since Lost Weekend does not have a backyard garden like Saturdays, it put some chairs outside for smokers. Summer actually enjoyed a conversation with someone as she stopped outside for a cigarette.

The apparel section in LW is not big, but the store does have everything a surfer needs, and of course of the best quality. Even though Summer knew nothing about surfing, she did recognize the organic skincare brands the carry. LW also has a section in apothecary shop Space NK as well.

ARTIFACTS

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Summer reflects:

Unlike Saturdays, Lost Weekend provides a menu and product pricing on the counter. The WiFi code – “fallfortheocean” – is printed and framed for customers’ convenience. What I experienced in LW was totally different from Saturdays’ – my first trip to LW was on a Saturday afternoon, during their rush hour. The staff that was working the coffee section was talking to another customer about his work hours. They appeared to have just met but were friends already. The employee then noticed that I was waiting in the line, and he gave a comforting look, as if to say “I am almost done and will service you in a minute.”

Personally, I felt a warmer atmosphere upon first entering LW than I did at Saturdays. During my second trip to LW, I spent almost my entire Monday afternoon there. There were not many people walking into the store – some people merely glanced at LW and kept on going. However, there were two cultured professionals and one Chinese college girl sitting inside and using their laptops, and I joined them for the afternoon. The nicest thing was that an employee (Brista) offered us free cookies and took the time to chat with us. I never experienced such interactions during my visit to Saturdays!

Photo Credit: Summer Sheng

ARTIFACTS

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Interviews A Conversation with a Store Employee

Lifan: How many customers do u have? A: We’re busier on the weekend, when tourists come to see the galleries.

Q: Where’s the LW gallery? A: We don’t have an actual gallery; we just put the street art on the wall.

Q: How many people come per hour? A: Weekends, about 30 to 40 people per hour. Weekdays are slower.

Q: Do people come more so for coffee or apparel? A: Coffee.

Q: What’s the brand’s main goal? A: Coffee. The store originally was a coffee shop, then slowly transitioned into this surf slash coffee shop.

Q: Why surf? A: The owner surfs, and people in this neighborhood surf, customers here also surf. The store just became a surf shop naturally.

Q: What are some barriers to the business? A: The location – this neighborhood has slow foot traffic.

Q: Which season has the heaviest foot traffic? A: Summer, because people like to treat themselves. They feel good if there is sun – they’re in a better mood, and have friends around. People want to spend their money and buy iced coffee.

Q: Who’s your target audience? A: Men – all our clothing is for men.

Q: What type of people usually come to the store? A: Sports people and artists. The neighborhood limits the variety of people who come.

Q: What’s a unique thing you like the store? A: The projector that plays movies on the wall. We can watch movies.

Q: Any connection with Saturdays? A: No. When the owner started this business, he thought he would “lose” his weekend. That’s why he named it Lost Weekend.

Conversations with Customers

ARTIFACTS

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Other

Understanding Lost Weekend’s Surroundings

Scott, late 30s, American businessman.

Summer: Are you a regular customer? Scott: Yes.

Q: How often do you visit here? A: Once or twice a month.

Q: Why do you go to this neighborhood and Lost Weekend? A: I like to work here sometimes. And there are some good furniture stores here.

Q: Do you notice that Lost Weekend is a surf-related store? A: Yes. I used to surf back I was 20.

Stacy, early 20s, Chinese college girl.

Summer: Are you a regular customer? Stacy: Yes.

Q: How often do you visit Lost Weekend? A: Twice a week.

Q: What elements do you like this store? A: The atmosphere here and quality coffee. The staff here is really nice. Also, I live in the neighborhood.

Q: Do you notice that Lost Weekend is a surf-related store? A: Yes. But I know nothing about surfing.

5 Customer Stereotypes:

1. The Hipster20s to late 20s

Typical hipster outfit (Stussy)

2. The Cultured ProfessionalLate 30s to late 40s

Suits

3. The Surfer20s to 40s

Sporty outfit

4. The Chinese Student20s to midp20s

Chic coat

5. The Passerby

ARTIFACTS

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Understanding Lost Weekend’s Surroundings

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Lost Weekend’s Floor Plan

Conclusions

ON SATURDAYS’ “CULTURE CRAFTING”

From our conversations with employees and customers, our photographs and observations, we conclude that Saturdays Surf NYC has successfully crafted a new culture from pre-existing ones. Its 31 Crosby Street location is a system itself – a system composed of its staff, its loyal visitors, its architecture, its product and service offering, its store design and décor, etc. – but is also a system operating within another system – the system of the eclectic Soho neighborhood, a district that has undergone and is still currently undergoing significant change. Further, cultures themselves – whether it is “coffee culture”, “surf culture”, etc. – are systems, systems which are impacted by regional differences, personal beliefs, and so on. In this project, we’ve investigated how cultural systems – or “sub-cultures” – may in fact blend together to form an entirely new organism, and how those who are entrepreneurially spirited can identify such nuances and build sustainable business models upon them.

As researchers, it was important for us to take into account these numerous interconnections working together to cause behaviors, reinforcing themselves as system components while changing the system itself.

What evidence supports 31 Crosby’s success? Firstly, he customers observed and conversed with seemed to fall into one of two broad categories: a frequent Saturdays’ patron, or someone who simply entered the store out of curiosity. Those in the former category include local residents who’ve experimented with the nearby coffee shops and have settled upon Saturdays to be their favorite; those in the latter category include tourists and non-Soho natives who were drawn into the store by either its appearance or the crowd it seemed to attract. Or perhaps they merely were desperate for a caffeine fix – or in dire need of some surf gear – and Saturdays offered the closest option. But this mixture of reasons provides for Saturdays’ year-round success – an application of Jacobs’ same concept of the importance of “mixed uses” – different businesses drawing in different types of people for different reasons at different times of the day – along city streets.

Business-wise, Saturdays has since expanded from its humble Soho origins into international territory: Kobe and Toyko, two cities situated on an island nation that, as Mitsu Lowe illuminated, are populated by people living similar lifestyles as New York surfers.

But report readers themselves can judge the brand’s success at its Soho location, using the photos, visuals, and interviews we’ve presented as a guide. Or, if they really wish to experience Saturdays’ success, they merely have to hop on the R train and step off at Canal Street – a few minute-stroll past Broome or Grand –

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depending on from which direction one is coming – provides a brief overview of the neighborhood’s ambience, and then they are ready for their Saturdays visit itself.

Continuing along the lines of our “sub-culture” postulation, we do offer a recommendation for the continued success of the Saturdays’ brand: the introduction of a female clothing collection. For further reading on this recommendation, please refer to Appendix C.

ON THE RESEARCH PROCESS

This was not a linear process. It involved numerous backtracking and referral to previous project pieces. It required acknowledging the

process to be a flexible, holistic one, in which every one of its parts evolved from previous ones. And of course, along this winding road to investigative conclusions, there were many challenges and serendipitous discoveries along the way…

Many of our initial assumptions about the brand were surprisingly incorrect. First, there was the reality of Saturdays’ origins – the initial goal of its founders was not to combine the cultures of coffee drinkers and surfers, but to introduce a genuine surf culture to the East Coast – that is, to provide New York surfers with the clothes and surf gear that were specific to their distinct lifestyle and tastes. In essence, first came surf, then came coffee – Saturdays’ flagship space simply lent itself to adding coffee to its product offering. Second, we had questioned the sustainability of a surf store in an East Coast city, where colder climates do not seem to provide ideal surf conditions. Interestingly, as Mitsu Lowe explained, New York’s winter months provide the best waves for surfers, and hence are the periods during which 31 Crosby’s apparel section enjoys the most foot traffic.

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Appendix

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Appendix A: Ecosystem Map

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1. Co�ee as more than a product but acultural phenomenon: What is it as a social tool? Artifact to Observe: Saturdays’ coffee bar area in front and backyard space – perhaps other coffee haunts as well (commercial chains like Starbucks as well as niche shops like Grumpy’s)

2. The coastal divide: What factors (climate, social,cultural, geographical, etc.) contribute to differences in the East and West Coast surfer lifestyles? Artifact to Observe: Store area of Saturdays and backyard space – perhaps New York’s beaches (i.e. Rockaway) to see the surfers in action themselves?

3. The importance of space: How hasSaturdays configured and utilized 31 Crosby to capture its brand persona and "craft" a new culture?

Artifact to Observe: entire Saturdays’ Crosby location layout – the décor, the floor plan, the architecture, interior and exterior, etc.

4 The importance of place: How has the surrounding Soho neighborhood affected/been affected by Saturdays? Artifact to Observe: Soho neighborhood

5 Lost Weekend: How has it taken the same concept as Saturdays and made it unique to its business?

Artifact to Observe: Lost Weekend NYC store – especially its store layout

Co�ee and surf – Saturdays has crafted a new culture from a marriage between the two

This new ‘culture’ is communicated through space design and utilization.

Interplay between micro-environment (store) and macro-one (Soho)

VERSUS (insights will be especially revealing for importance of space utilization – Node 3)

Nodal Map Group 5: Anne Chen, Monique Gaulthier, Summer Sheng, Lifan Deng

Appendix B: Nodal Map of Sub-Cultures

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APPENDIX C: BUSINESS PROPOSAL

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APPENDIX C

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Further Reading

Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Vintage, 1992.

Martin, Roger. The Opposable Mind: Winning Through Integrative Thinking. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press, 2009.

Tuan, Yi-Fu. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1977.

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