![_Literature - <i>Arab Spring</i> [Album Review]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2012/02/arab spring-thumb-250x250-691591.jpg)
Interview: Progress Coffee Owner Debuts New Handmade Boots Line, HELM
Boots, to be exact: HELM products are handmade by artisans in Istanbul, each style an amalgam of various boot-making ideals that Bingaman, a self-professed "shoe-a-holic," gleaned from his decades-old love affair with fancy footwear.
The following interview was conducted via email while Bingaman was flying back to the states from his trip. In it, he expounds on the origin of his latest "family"-based project, the Asia-meets-Europe charm of Istanbul, and why right now is the perfect time to start a new endeavor.
You went from coffee to boots, which seem totally divergent -- how did this new venture come about? What's the story behind the name "HELM" and the business concept?
Actually, I went from shoes/boots to coffee and now back to boots. My brother and I opened a sweet shoe boutique in the Mission in S.F. almost 10 years ago. It was called the Subterranean Shoe Room. It blew up and was very successful. It was fun.
After that, I opened Progress in Austin, now HELM. When I was running the store in S.F. I always dreamt of starting my own shoe line. We carried so many styles and went to so many shoe shows/markets, and I really enjoyed a lot of them, but there was something missing for certain customers and even for me personally. So now that I've got the coffee gig going via Progress and Owl Tree it made sense that HELM was the next step (no pun intended). And HELM is my son's middle name.
All the styles of the boots are named after what he calls family members and close friends. He's not even two yet, so some of the names are pretty fun (Dunkel, Tante, Emi, Poppy, Ray-Ray...)
What [were] you doing all the way over in Istanbul?
Growing up, my mother's best friend became like an aunt to me, and she has lived in Istanbul for the last 9 years doing primarily medical sales, laced with many other entrepreneurial ventures.
Her name is KZ (short for Kay Zahasky). We are really tight and always have been. She's one of the main people in my life who taught me how to dream and go make things happen--[to] take action. She often comes and stays with us for holidays or breaks in Austin and she was even my best (wo)man at my wedding.
She does a lot of textile business in/out of Istanbul with U.S. retailers, and when I was looking into handmade boot production in Spain and Italy, she told me about the quality of leather in Istanbul and how some of the best untapped handmade shoe companies in the world were in Istanbul.
I was a tad skeptical but decided to check it out, because I had been to Istanbul before and really liked the city and what I could tell it was becoming—a mecca of history with heavy European trends and influence. Not to mention it's so beautiful there, with the ocean and bay and Asian and European coasts within swimming distance. So much culture.
It reminds me of S.F.-meets-Brooklyn-meets-Koln, with the density and pace of a city blended with the tradition and heritage of deep and ancient culture. In culture and fashion, Istanbul is actually rated the "most influential European city" in the world for upcoming 2010. And having the thought of having someone on the ground there where production happens for the company is invaluable. So, long story short, after some research, she did some investigating and visited many factories, whereupon I went out there and now here we are...
I have a ton of boots ;-)
I've worn them for years and years. From classic Red Wing and Caterpillar work boots to Luccesse cowboy boots, Adi Dassler and Israeli paratrooper boots. I also love super comfortable high fashion boots, like NOSE and Prada and Cydwoq, but have never been able to find a meld of the work/military with the high fashion.
So I'll take, say, attributes of six of my favorite pairs of boots—a literal example [would be] a rugged zipper style and placement from an old Triumph motorcycle boot, a white mid sole and heavy stitch and work laces from an original Red Wing white soled work boot, lace clasps and eyelet trims from a classic Vasque Sundowner hiking boot, [and] an angled bybrid of the front body and heel cap and heel base of a vintage Nike hiking boot.
(hilarious side note: that U2 song from their new record about "sexy boots" just came on on the Turkish Air airplane mix as I type and type about boots--awesome)
Then, I bring in one or two of my favorite dress shoes, and make sure the handmade Italian leather [soles] would work on the bottom of the above design; make sure something like this would complement. One I had handmade in Italy for my wedding; the other [was] made by NOSE, a brother brand of Fornarina that we used to carry at the Shoe Room. We look at the toe on it and the round cap that still keeps the narrow point but doesn't make it look like a roach killer. I make notes on these, lay them out, draw what I can ([it] looks like a kindergartner's [work], at best) and photos of my favorite aspects.
From there I meet with my brother-in-law Mauricio Cremer, who is an amazing artist and fellow shoe-a-holic, and describe the concept for the style. He listens, understands, puts pencil to paper and draws like mad, and we tweak and change until the drawing fits (again, no pun intended).
He usually gets it off the bat, which is one of the reasons why it really works for us. He loves this process with me, so his input is valuable to me. His uber-detailed drawings are then scanned and sent to whom are now some my close friends in Istanbul.
Everything is always cc:d and followed up with and by KZ. They review, we all Skype with cameras and discuss and review details, then they start on a sample process. We sample one boot at a time via photos and video, then they ship a sample boot and we keep a boot of each style. Notes are taken, drawings changed, soles manipulated, colors and leathers and fabrics and zippers and laces and elastics are assessed and manipulated until I'm comfortable with it and would be more than proud to wear it.
You'd be amazed by what artisans these shoe makers are. These are passionate people who have been hand-making high end dress shoes for years and years for presidents, generals, movie stars, high society and the likes... and they enjoy their work. Their countenance shows it. So to see them make our designs a reality is brilliant and insanely exciting for us and for them.
[The] process thus far is that once we get enough styles (roughly 7 to 10) to release for a season, I head to Istanbul to participate in and completely wrap the orders with the fabricators and warehouses, and work with customs and taxes and shipping, etc. for deliveries.
The logistics and backend and numbers, etc., are usually the least fun [part] of the gig, but while in Istanbul I also spend time with the business people I am involved with. The people I'm working with are very sincere, humble and trustworthy. They also enjoy wonderful meals and socializing in the grand landscapes of their city as part of their business—it's really wonderful. The relationship and community is important to them—I love this as much as I do making the boots! ;-)
Will there be a separate women's line? Is HELM going to expand to other footwear and/or apparel, or will it be focusing entirely on men's boots?zip.jpg)
I'm glad you asked. My wife is pregnant with our second and girl or boy; his/her middle name will launch our women's handmade boot line next year.
We're finalizing the men's handmade boot line first, and currently sampling out some accessories like belts and satchels, and even unisex handbags.
On that note, for the first shipment of HELM boots, we have some really great duffels of canvas and leather—like the boots—that will come free with the first certain number ordered online from the website (www.helmhandmadeboots.com) and will also be given away with each purchase at the HELM launch party in Austin in October. Date and location TBA.
Not surprisingly, the HELM line is being ordered up by women at the moment as much as men as it does have a unisex appeal—[that's] something else I admire about certain footwear. With these handmade boots, we can only size down to a 38 (women's 7.7/8), so we're working on smaller handmade Italian leather insoles/foot beds and outer soles for the "women's" line next year. Until then, gals of 38 or larger can rock the HELM! I already really appreciate this response from both men and women, because with HELM and the future women's line our main goal is to create boots that are ageless and classic and can be worn for years to come.
With Progress and Owl Tree, there's been a strong push to promote green/eco-friendly business practices, such as delivering beans around town via bike. Will you be applying this philosophy to HELM?
Another fabulous question. An additional reason I chose Istanbul is because my mother and KZ are both fringe feminists. That is to say, they're not dude haters, they just want women to have the same respect and benefits as men. And I agree.
(It's funny, growing up in middle America, the story of Adam and Eve was prevalent, and my mother's mantra was, "I am not a rib," because the story goes that Eve was created from Adam's rib. So I can always hear that phrase in my head -- hah!)
[And] HELM has a different but similar agenda. First and foremost, not unlike the direct-trade [that] Owl Tree and Progress do with farmers for fair and above market coffee prices, I want all HELM production to be done right. The company we work with in Istanbul employs Anatolian women who have experienced years of not being able to be part of the working society at fair wages. We are not there to say Westernization or our customs are any better, but I am there to [align] with their company in promoting women and their right to work and provide for themselves and their families. And to give them the option to reveal their beautiful faces and personalities. A sign there reads:
"Social responsibility project. This company has big goals and is very happy to have the support of Anatolian women. We are of the belief that the labor of women should not be unrequited. We are proud to distribute the handiwork of these women throughout the world."
HELM [makes sure these women are] paid [a] suitable salary, fed wonderful meals at work, and [are] taken care of like family.
To answer the green/eco question, much of our scrap leather and what would be discarded canvas goes into our bag designs. We're also in the process of acquiring much salvaged, discarded, vintage canvas and leather for our bags—materials that would otherwise go to waste and/or be discarded.
Also, like Progress and Owl Tree, HELM is as much about community and lifestyle. One small example is that we will be having online contests for people to send in pictures of what they wear their HELMs with and/or where or who they see them on. The monthly winner will get their choice of a free pair of HELMs, or they can pick a charity that HELM can donate the shoes to (for an auction, [for example]), or HELM will donate the retail value of the shoes to that person's charity of choice.
When and where can we expect to see HELM in stores? How much will they retail for?
The first 7 HELM styles will be released this October. Only 2 to 4 select boutiques per major metropolis. They will retail between roughly $385 and $600 per pair.
Why launch a new business project smack in the middle of an economic crisis? What tips would you give to others also trying to start a new venture right now?
Interesting that you ask. I was just reading George Bernard Shaw on the airplane, and to quote him, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
To me, this means that the planets were aligned and this was the right time to do this, whether the economy supports it or not. A HELM is the part of a ship you steer from, where you see the horizon and where you are going. From the HELM, you cannot look back; you look forward and make decisions based on where you are headed.
It might seem unreasonable to go head-first into a storm, but times like this is when the best of everything is produced—music, songs, poetry, art, fashion, business...it all comes from pain and battles and manning your ship through the storm.
I also feel that footwear, like a fine wine or an amazing cup of coffee, is a comforting experience. Some people, like me, in times tough times will not buy a big new house, or a fancy watch, or a nice set of wheels, but they will splurge on a pair of nice shoes because they deserve it, and because it makes them feel good. The smell, the comfort, the texture, the style...the ability to form your whole wardrobe around a pair of shoes is supreme. That makes me happy.
What I mean by this is that in financially "shaky and insecure" times, the best thing we can do is treat ourselves and others around us to some comfort and love. Stop and be present: a nice meal, a massage, a whole work day off with the family, a pair of HELM boots ;-) ... whatever suits your fancy.
Tips for someone starting a venture right now:
A. Follow your heart. Listen to yourself and be true to yourself. As long as you are not hurting others, keep on rocking in the free world. If it's in your heart to do, then it was put there from outside of you so don't ignore it. Just as important, if you're not sure what you feel about it, then hold off. You have to have a solid vision and be 101% set on making it happen, or it's not going to float.
B. Surround yourself with good, hardworking people who can share your vision. And don't be afraid to ask them for help. Without others' help, you will never succeed.
C. Only do what you need. Don't overdo it. Keep it simple. Don't try to build the whole house yet, and focus on the foundation. Don't make 10 if you only need 5. Don't get 30 chairs if you can do the same (if not better) numbers with 15.
D. Get rid of what you don't need. Small excess adds up. And ask for lower rates. You can get them. Banks and mortgage companies and credit card companies are feeling it too, and they also need to budge.
E. Get ready to work hard and do what you have to do in the beginning to get it started. This means sacrifice and sweat and lack of sleep and maybe some pain—but the pain causes us to change, and change brings the progress.
F. Don't quit.
