Sunday, April 13, 2008

ERIC BREWER: A DAPPER DISSIDENT

Eric Brewer's style acts as a business card of sorts. The newest partner of multimedia design studio and gallery Dissident Display, Brewer has a distinctive, '60s-inspired look that often helps him network in the art world.

"This city's very much into dress codes," he says. "There's room for being inventive and not wearing a uniform."

The 39-year-old Silver Spring native once worked as a government contractor, but he abandoned the land of cubicles a few years back to find his voice in the art community. Eventually, he joined forces with Adrian Loving and Ayo Okunseinde of Dissident Display (416 H St. NE, 202-322-3346), whose varied work in the District's underground art scene includes film festivals, exhibitions and events. The trio's video magazine, Scene, launches today at http://www.dissidentdisplay.com.

Brewer inherited his sense of style from his mother. "She'd come driving through the neighborhood looking like a superstar," he says. "She wasn't afraid to stand out." Her fashion fearlessness taught him to create a look all his own by blending funky thrift-store finds (such as skinny leather ties) with clean-lined, modern pieces.

His advice on finding a standout vintage item? "Look at how it can be brought into your current wardrobe and what pieces have legs to be able to flip into different modes," he says. "You don't have to look like Mr. Vintage."

-- Michelle Thomas

At right are a few of Brewer's favorite things.

His signature shades: An avid biker, Brewer picked up a pair of Serfas's Mirador cycling sunglasses in Colorado and started sporting them with clear lenses at parties. They're now one of his signature looks. $49.99 at http://www.ilovemybike.com; similar styles at area City Bikes stores.

His prized possession: Brewer's beloved vintage Spaceman watch, designed in the early 1970s by Andre Le Marquand to mirror an astronaut's helmet, reflects his childhood interest in the space program.

His monthly read: Brewer is a fan of underground art publication Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine. $24.99 for a one-year subscription at http://www.juxtapoz.com.

His local art fave: Artist Billy Colbert recontextualizes vintage mug shots by printing them on aluminum. "I couldn't take my eyes off the first one I saw," Brewer says. "There's a certain mystique about a well-dressed or good-looking criminal. . . . The pieces have a seductive quality to them." Similar prints available at http://www.billycolbert.com.

His retro ride: The film pro took second place in Vespa's Go Green Video Challenge with his hilarious entry about a Vespa-riding gorilla -- played by Brewer, naturally (watch the clip at http://www.dissidentdisplay.com). This Vespa LXV 150 was his prize.

His wardrobe inspiration: Brewer points to London-based designer Ozwald Boateng as a fashion influence.