Hodis in a ’34 driving through the mountains

Julian in his Engineer Jacket, Outdoor Vest, and Duck Worker pants. Bobby Green in his Ranch Hand jacket

Frank Barone in his trusty Yukons

The venerable flathead

Matt Winter in his Engineer Jacket

The beautiful lines of a ’32 roadster

Julian boots

There are a few things you may find interesting about Rising Sun’s shop besides the products. Our haberdashery’s building, 107 S. Fair Oaks, is a historic building in Pasadena. It was constructed in the late 1880′s and served as a showroom for stage coaches or horse carriages. By the early 1900′s it became the Hotel Mikado a Japanese hotel that mostly catered to Japanese Americans. By about World War II the hotel was sold to the family of Mr. Percy Carter who converted the hotel to The Hotel Carver (after George Washington Carver), Pasadena’s first hotel owned by African-Americans. Its primary clientele consisted of visitors turned away by the Hotel Green, which serviced mostly well-to-do, white clients.

During The Hotel Carver years the then well-known nightclub, The Onyx Club, which eventually became The Club Cobra, featured jazz talents of the time in the basement. Below is a picture of the wall in the basement today.

By the 70′s the building was converted to artists studios and the Pasadena Repertory Theatre, which won the LA Drama Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Director and best Screenplay for its staging of “In Celebration.” Other acclaimed creatives associated with the space include Paul McCarthy (contemporary artist), Steve Gerber (Marvel Comics creator, The Defenders, Howard the Duck), Gill Dennis (writer, Walk the Line), Betty Dore (painter), Herbie Lewis (jazz musician), and more.

Today Rising Sun does not forget the important history of Old Town Pasadena and the stories these walls would tell if could speak. With time we will perhaps weave some tales of our own for the history books.

When we worked on the space our belief was the only way to build ourselves a haberdashery was from the sweat from our own brows. The leather floors were install by Mike, friends, and family. The carved wood found in the haberdashery were done by his family. So were the tin ceilings. We pride ourselves in upholding the fighting spirit that is still very much alive in the building.

Please visit our shop at 107 S. Fair Oaks, Pasadena CA and enjoy the local history.

If you are going to the Rose Bowl Flea Market next month be sure to look up Matsu, a master leather craftsman. He is a highly skilled leather carving artist. Our good friend shows off his wallets, studed belts, and bags at the Rose Bowl so be sure to check it out.

The Rose Bowl Flea Market is held every second Sunday of the month at the Rose Bowl stadium here in Pasadena.

Rose Magazine Features Rising Sun & Co.

The Rose Magazine is the features and lifestyle magazine of Pasadena Star-News, a local Pasadena paper.

Best of Denim

Rising Sun & Co. is in Pasadena Magazine (the July 2009 Best Of issue). We are super excited and honored to be part of the Pasadena community and happy that you all love us enough to vote us Best Use of Denim.