From the Desk of ...
Chris Echevarria
Founder and Creative Director of Blackstock & Weber
Chris Echevarria is a guy who knows exactly what he wants and more importantly, what's missing. When the Brooklyn-based designer launched Blackstock & Weber in 2017, the idea was deceptively simple: make the coolest loafer in the world. Not the most classically correct one, not the most expensive one, but one that was well-made and easy to wear. The kind of shoe that a guy would reach for in the exact same way he'd rely on his favorite sneakers. “I felt like there was things not being said in footwear,” he tells me when we visited his office. “In our category, footwear is very needs based—work, church, graduation, right? I didn't feel that way about the category, so I just wanted to see how many people felt like me.” Turns out, a lot of people felt the same way because the brand blew up as stylish guys clamored to slip into some B&W shoes.
The path that got him there was anything but a straight line. A New Jersey kid who cared about clothes for as long as he can remember, Echevarria trained at the Fashion Institute of Technology before landing on the shop floor at J.Crew's legendary Liquor Store outpost in Manhattan (OG menswear nerds know the one). It was there that the former iconic CEO Mickey Drexler took notice and pulled him in. From J.Crew he moved into trend forecasting, then brand development, eventually helping to relaunch Stone Island in the Americas. With each chapter, he sharpened his eye and built up more and more of an idea for his own brand.
By the time he started sketching out what would become Blackstock & Weber, he was ready to move fast. These days, the brand has grown well beyond footwear. There's a ready-to-wear line, a flagship store at 242 Mulberry in Nolita, some very cool collaborations, not to mention a creative director role at Sperry. But even with all of it, Echevarria moves like a man who's still got something to prove—which, as it turns out, is exactly the right gear to be in.
What’s currently
on my desk
- Reference material and work in progress
- Apple iMac computer
- Jonas Wagell lamp
- Samples from upcoming collaborations and line plans for future drops
- Sacred Wood palo santo
- Vintage golf club shoe horn
- Tin of classic Altoids to keep things fresh
I keep my workspace pretty streamlined.
I don't really like to keep sentimental things at work, honestly. But my prized possession that sits here is my collection of Japanese magazines and books. I'm constantly pulling from them for inspiration. I also have a living room in my space because I spent the first years building this on my couch, and I wanted to keep that.
I don’t even really have a calendar.
Thankfully, my team keeps me in check and on schedule.
Every day tends to look a little different.
It all depends on what's going on with the business. Some days are focused on product, some are creative, some are meetings all day, and then there's a lot of travel mixed in as well. Like right now, I'm spending most of May in California, so the rhythm shifts depending on where I am and what the brand needs at that moment.
One project created at this desk that I’m most proud of ...
Actually, that's an impossible thing to say. I'm proud of all of them ... I can't pick one. So many moments here that are special to the journey. Working for yourself is the greatest thing in the world.
I’m still a pen and paper
kind of guy.
Nothing can replace that. As far as pens, I like Caran D'Ache for everyday. But I also like Montblanc. I was given a Montblanc pen when I bought a car and discovered how smooth they are and how nice they feel in your hand. But I keep losing it ... Or maybe someone in my office keeps using it and not putting it back.
But I’m always curious about technology.
I've played around with some productivity apps but nothing stuck. Lately, though, I've been using Claude a lot to structure brain dumps into more actionable steps. Super helpful.
I’m involved in pretty much every part of the business.
So there's always a balance between the creative side and the operational side. But I've been lucky to build a really strong team of people around the brand who specialize in different areas, whether that's design, e-commerce, customer service, community or operations. That allows me to stay close to the creative direction while still making sure the business is moving the right way day to day.
We should aim not to eat
at our desk.
Philosophically, I gotta say I'm against it. But, honestly, I'm not above it. I am, however, firmly against Uber Eats surcharges.
Staying focused is important. But so is knowing when to log-off.
My tactic is knowing when I'm cooked and stepping away from work. I wake up pretty early, so I know most days I won't have energy for a loaded end to my day around 6 p.m. When I feel my output is lacking, I cut it off for the day.
My key for “switching off” after work?
A martini and some music. My martini is vodka (Ketel one or maybe something local), extra dirty (filthy, in fact) with a vermouth rinse and four olives. Symbolic to my great grandmother.
Success is often tied to timing, yes, but ...
I tell people all the time that consistency and adaptability are also vital to growth.
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