Freemans: Food and Drink * Interiors * Grooming * Style

In this lavish full-color volume featuring 225 photographs Taavo Somer the creative mind behind Freemans the iconic New York City restaurant barber menswear shop and bespoke tailor reveals the creative process behind the development and design of the "rustic-luxe" and holistic approach of this cultural phenomenon and pioneering brand. Nestled in a secluded alleyway off Rivington Street on Manhattans Lower East Side Freemans Restaurant is an oasis of calm beauty and exquisite food in a crowded chaotic city. Founded by Somerone of the defining figures in the New York social and design culture for more than a decadethis one-of-a-kind eatery with rustic dcor has redefined New York dining since its opening in 2004. A dozen years later Somers vision has extended to other eateries and bars such as his restaurant ISA in Williamsburg which references 1970s California and the Rusty Knot a nautical-themed dive bar in the West Village as well as a mens clothing line and bespoke tailoring services a barbershop model that has been emulated the world over and an organic approach to interior design that speaks to the soul. Somer was the first to establish the now popular "lumberjack chic" style; the interior of his bars and restaurantswith furnishings handcrafted by the designer in his unique signature styleharken back to the beauty and simplicity of more rustic times. Now in his first book Somer opens the doors to the Freemans world. With an elegant sumptuous design and dozens of color photographs shot specifically for the book Freemans showcases the interiors of his numerous Freemans ventures other restaurant spaces hes conceived and owns as well as the classic superbly tailored American-made mens clothing bespoke suits barbershop and food and drink that comprise Somers iconicand now much-copiedstyle. Somer reveals the inspiration behind Freemansincluding the restaurant down the alley acclaimed menswear store Freemans Sporting Club and the pioneering Freemans Sporting Club Barbershopsharing the story of his evolution as an architect designer and tastemaker from his rural Pennsylvania childhood to his architectural apprenticeship in Minneapolis to his arrival in New York where at first he designed t-shirts and threw parties in a Financial District strip club. Freemans also takes fans into the nineteenth-century farmhouse in upstate New York he renovated and landscaped inside his restaurant ISA and bar the Rusty Knot and across the world to the Freemans Sporting Club store in Tokyo the remarkable four-story townhouse he designed which has rarely been seen by an American audience. A comprehensive exploration of Somers singular vision Freemans will appeal to the many devotees of the Freemans world as well as lovers of fine living through its exploration of design dining architecture gardens and mens fashion.