the Otherist

Fledglings leave the nest, puppies are weaned, and children move out of their parents' houses (or should). Realizing that change brings new challenges and rewards, we here at egg mercantile have decided it's time for us to hatch into something different. Happily, not every metamorphosis has to be as brutal or depressing as Kafka's - on the contrary, we're as excited as a fuzzy caterpillar about to break free of the cocoon and spread its wings for the first time. Don't fear, friends and neighbors, we'll still be and have all the great things you've already come to associate with egg mercantile; stunning ceramics, wonderful wool, beautiful bags, wicked wallets and other hard to find treasures that refuse to fall prey to my articulate alliteration. So we continue turning a blind eye to the standard; to the run-of-the-mill; to the mundane and the typical. We want only the exceptional; the memorable; the unconventional; the other.

We're changing our name to reflect this continued focusing of our collection towards merchandise that is anything but ordinary, so effective immediately egg mercantile will be transforming into The Otherist. We also hope that the name change will help clear things up for passersby who just read the sign or those who hear our name in polite conversation. Because in answer to the questions that were on far too many people's lips; no, we do not sell eggs. Nor do we sell everything to do with eggs. Or chickens. No, you can't have yours scrambled sir, and no, ma'am, you cannot have yours poached. And no, 'egg mercantile' is not a special brunch dish or something you can order at the Chinese takeaway. ;-)

Looking forward to seeing you either in the shop, online at www.otherist.com, and at otherist.blogspot.com,
Joshua & Steven
-the Otherist(s)

By the pricking of my thumbs....

"By the pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes."

Okay, technically I don't think one would call it 'wicked', per se. Unless one were speaking in Bostonian slang (and when one opens the floodgates of slang usage, one might even find oneself unexpectedly using words like 'hella' or 'hecksa'), but we figure using slang is at the very least balanced by quoting Shakespeare. Anyway, nothing evinces a feeling of importance and impending change like serious literary quotation, so in the interest of making it sound even more portentous, we're also quoting Andy Warhol, who said; "They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." And that's exactly what we're doing. Change is on the horizon for egg mercantile, so prepare yourselves for something hecksa new!

Alexa Lixfeld - Metamorphose

My parents were true believers in the theory that hard work builds character and integrity. At least that's what they said... but often I wondered if it was just an easy way for them to to say; "We had to work, so you do, too". Childhood grudges aside, every summer I was sent to work with my father laying concrete foundations (I had switched from Captain Caveman to a G.I.Joe thermos for lunch, while he had the incomparable Stanley vacuum bottle), hauling concrete forms and generally 'helping out' - which I later realized meant 'not getting paid'. (Oh, sorry, grudges aside.) While I can't speak as to whether or not 'helping out' assisted my parents with the monumental task of instilling any staunch moral fiber or tireless work ethic in me, there were other things that I took from those dusty, dirty, drawn-out summer days. One of them was an appreciation for the unsung beauty of concrete. Back then concrete was for driveways and basements, to be utilized only as a foundation, not an aesthetic. Nowadays it's all around us, and there are a multitude of designers and architects who have embraced industrial chic. Pottery pioneer Alexa Lixfield is one of these, and has captured the essence of this aesthetic in her Metamorphose collection, a series of colored porcelain vessels that artfully combine the roughness of concrete with the sophistication of modern form and color.


The interesting seam-work and play between the matte exterior and glazed interior highlight this contrast, transforming a simple shape into a textural triumph that is just as satisfying to hold and feel as it is to gaze upon. And unlike my formative years, appreciating this concrete-inspired crockery won't require any back-breaking labor on your part. See available models in the webshop.