Designer Download: Shipley & Halmos

Jeff Halmos and Sam Shipley have been creatively linked for over a decade. As founders of the L.A. based deign team known as Trovata they received attention for their laid back prep meets surf fashions, but in 2006, they left the group and decided to head east, reinventing themselves as Shipley & Halmos and debuting their first collection in Spring 2008. That same year they received the inaugural Young Designer Award from the National Arts Club and in quick succession, they were nominated for the prestigious GQ/CFDA Best New Designer Award. Their cool, wearable fashion lines for men and women have quickly become wardrobe staples for much of the downtown set on both coasts, selling out at retail giants like Barneys and Fred Herman. And no wonder: the upcoming Fall season offers luxurious chunky alpaca-knit sweaters and covetable outerwear like their slim-fit shearing coat and leather and wool varsity jacket. But despite the accolades and rapid-fire success, Halmos insists that the two “try not to take ourselves too seriously. We’re having fun making clothes.”

Jeff Halmos, left, and Sam Shipley. Below, images from the fall women's and men's lines.

While fashion remains at the forefront of the business Shipley reflects on the bigger picture, “We met our freshman year at CU Boulder which seems like a long time ago at this point. The two of us have been friends and business partners ever since. When we set out to build Shipley & Halmos we set out to build a brand that encouraged all types of creation.” Those other areas of interest are visibly displayed in the loft that is their studio situated near Soho and Chinatown in downtown New York. From found objects to art to furniture, their design influences span far beyond fashion. Halmos insists, “It’s not to say that we are not appreciative of some of the extremely talented people in fashion. But our personal interests and inspiration stem from everywhere…musicians, artists, friends. It’s rarely about 'this dress' but more about 'that music video was so clever!'” Shipley continues adding that currently he’s inspired by Diego Maradona, the flamboyant, emotional coach and former player for Argentina whose World Cup team was recently ousted from this year’s tournament by Germany. “I cant’ get enough of that guy running around on the sidelines, hugging, laughing, jumping, and acting like a wild man. I love it!”

Most recently they’ve started a blog called Numerous Drawings which is exactly what the title suggests: a collection of almost daily sketches rendered in pencil or an occasional color wash with subjects that range from the cover of a Nirvana album to Kate Moss to crumpled Converse Chucks. When asked if the drawings are “aha moments” Shipley said “Definitely. We think of them as a kind of stream of conscious experiment. Some days the drawings reflect my mood, what I’m thinking about, what we’re surrounding ourselves with in the studio, what we’re working on and so forth.”

My Chucks; Boots; New Order; Kate Moss

Nevermind; A-Real-Good-Chair; Pilot's Nappy Tennis Ball; Ray Ban

Because we love the clothes and the drawings and the fact that a visit to the Shipley & Halmos website features fashion models pogo-jumping, napping and just generally poking fun at the runway “model walk” we had to see what spirited eBay selects these guys had for us.

Here's a look at what the Shipley & Halmos guys selected:

Roll over items for details

Italian Dr. Strangelove Poster

((buy it now price, $4.99))

Martin Margiela Jacket

Signed Robert Longo Print (buy it now price, $1,295)

(winning bid, $85.49)

Signed Robert Longo Print

((buy it now price, $1,295))

Eames Herman Miller Black Chair

((starting bid, $399))

NEW David Bowie Ziggy Stardust DVD

NEW Human Hair Mustache (buy it now price, $10)

(buy it now price, $13.80)

NEW Human Hair Mustache

((buy it now price, $10))

Vintage Cartier Tank Watch

A freelance editor who recently relocated to Austin from New York, Chris Frey previously served as the Fashion Market Director at Cookie and the Accessories Director at Lucky.

(buy it now price, $2,300)