Preto Mugs.
We enlisted the help of our good friend Phill Kim of PKK Ceramics to make some custom hand-thrown ceramic mugs for our new LA flagship store. Beyond our own denim and seasonal collections, we wanted to offer a few special items for sale in our shop that were collaborative efforts with our friends - objects that were thoughtfully made and representative of our aesthetic. The Preto Mug fits that ideal perfectly; it's a versatile piece we use in our office every day and we are excited to share it with you.
Process photos: Patrick Gookin
The Preto Mug is the largest cup that PKK Ceramics makes and is hand-thrown, glazed and fired in Phill's Echo Park studio. The black clay is the most volatile material that he uses, and the blue streaks in each mug are achieved by applying a blue stain that becomes embedded into the clay when they are being thrown on the wheel. Once the vessels are in their “leather dry state” (meaning that they've dried enough to handle) he begins to trim them. At this point, the blue surfaces out of the deep dark brown clay that will eventually turn black when fired. But other times, when no blues come out, he'll apply some of the pigment along with a subtle streak of blue underglaze. In short, it's a very intuition-based process that varies greatly from vessel to vessel, which results in a collection of mugs where no two are alike.
Each mug retails for $58 and is available in-store only.
3sixteen LA
941 E. 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
