Book Works is a relatively new company based in NYC and founded by Martin Davis and Oskar Mann in 2017. It’s a brand for graphic design and music nerds: both Davis and Mann, who connected via their shared love for jazz and album art, are musicians themselves, and their affection for all things jazz shows in the brand’s relaxed aesthetic. Colorful, large-scale prints inspired by jazz album covers take turns with minimalist designs, giving the whole operation a sort of DIY vibe that’s both charming and easy-to-wear. It’s not really a skate brand — although Book Works has collaborated with NYC skate company Hardbody — but it does share common tropes with skateboarding: the emphasis on music, graphic design, and, perhaps most importantly, a strong sense of community. The latter part is emphasized by Book Works’s frequent joint-ventures with students from established jazz departments of famous academies (such as The New School University and Manhattan School of Music). On top of that, Book Works not only release clothing, but also EPs: 2018 saw the release of both The Book Works Trio EP and J. Albert’s “No Hay Algeria Sin El Campo.” They’ve also collaborated with Portland-based Cafe Nyleta on the design of a ceramic coffee cup, as well as with legendary NYC concept store C’H’C’M for a whole collection based on the jazz performance loft that occupied the store’s premises in the 1970s. So play your favorite Miles Davis record, grab a moonshine whisky, light up a cigar, and browse through Book Works’s collection. Which you can do at our web shop and at our store in Frankfurt (though we *typically* don’t serve moonshine).
