Aaah August. The month where London empties out, the city becomes quieter, and most of us head for a much-deserved break. What are you up to this August? As we’re all about to enter the holiday-vibes mood, we thought we’d give you some Folk-inspired ideas – not all strictly FAH-SHON – of stuff we’ll be checking out this month.

Boat-guy in vintage Folk. Living the dream.

In the spirit of summer, Folk wants to high five our friend in the water over here: the supremely talented photographer and all round outdoor dude Mischa Richter, who used to live in these parts but currently spends his time between New York City and P'Town, where he is building a house with his own hands, catching lobster in pots with the old boys and keeping the spirit of the old Provincetown alive with his images. Yesss! While some just talk about living their dream, others go right ahead and do it. Here he is in a vintage Folk vest.

Cass is where it’s at

Sort of like a theme park for adults but filled with art

We’ll definitely be heading to the Cass Sculpture Foundation in West Sussex this month. Here you’ll find the most wonderfuelled outdoor exhibition space, nestled in 26 acres of woodland, this side of Yorkshire. Why should I go there? Because two supremely inspiring individuals – Wilfred and Jeannette Cass (themselves collectors) – have dedicated a major area of stunning woodland to showing sculptural works by emerging and established artists. The foundation, which was established in 1992, has an ever-changing display of 80 monumental sculptures. In case you are feeling flush… all the sculptures are for sale and the proceeds go directly to the artists. To date, over 400 works, by artists such as Marc Quinn, Andy Goldsworthy, Rachel Whiteread, Gavin Turk and Tony Cragg, have been commissioned and exhibited, including a piece by our very own Paul Vanstone – aka Marble Man who created the instantly recognisable marble heads for our Folk shops. Isn’t it miles away? You wear Rapha gear right? So stop whinging and hop on the train to Chichester with your bike and then cycle five miles. And bingo bongo you’re there. What kind of work will I see? In artspeak: some awesome shit, including Mark Handforth’s monumental aluminium sculpture Two Old Bananas and Piotr Lakomy’s Untitled (Every Step is Moving Me Up). Anything else I should know? Best to check the Foundation is open to the public on the day you want to go as they occasionally have private events in the grounds. And it would be a bummer, if it happened to closed the day you went. Also, take a Skye Gyngell-style picnic, as there is no café at Cass. Alternatively, hop back on your bike and head to the Duke of Cumberland Arms, a tiny inn on a hill about 12-miles away, which will serve you a fine ale and food that keeps the critics happy. http://www.sculpture.org.uk

We’ll mostly be dreaming of

An Uncommon Archive – easily the best photography book you’ll get your hands on in 2015

This book will literally have you making strange noises of admiration, lust and appreciation as you look through it. An Uncommon Archive is a poetic journey into every human being’s need for adventure. You will see barefoot skateboarders cruising along in 1960s California, epic climbers in utterly ravaged Chucks, attempting the impossible in the 1950s, a delightful naked women’s bottom covered in sand juxtaposed with an image of a crack in an iceberg. Our pal Ben Ingham’s, stunning black and white photograph will give you a taste of what getting to the end of an epic bike ride in Norway might feel like, and Jeff Devine’s image of a surfer coming off a wave dolphin-like will have you wishing you lived in Oahu, Hawaii. All of these images combined will make you thirst for the great outdoors, you’ll yearn for that feeling of hot sand between your toes, baking sun on your forehead and sweaty salt on your skin. You will not be sad that you are currently not doing exactly that. But you will open your heart to the possibility that it’s not too late. Warning. This book may inspire you to jack in your job. Don’t blame the messenger. An Uncommon Archive is published by T. Adler Books and available at the end of July.

All hail The Hill-Side

Our Brooklyn brosephs who are taking menswear to new heights

Emil Corsillo, the co-founder of the US menswear brand The Hill-Side has always been a hero to us. So much so in fact that little Bobby, a Cathal McAteer offspring, baptised him America Man back in 2010, when we were stocking his accessories. And ever since he took on this superhero name, he has certainly not disappointed, as a superhero he has become. Currently, America Man and his brother Sandy (co-founder of the Hill-Side) are taking their country by fashion storm. Not only did they expand their collection, which started out with neckties and pocket squares – always made from unique, and often Japanese fabrics – to include shirts, hats, sneakers, wallets, bags and sport coats, but… bongo-drum roll please…  they were recently voted one of GQ’s Best New Menswear Designers in America 2015. We say WHOOP WHOOP to that. Now do you want to hear about the time America Man crossed the Bestival site saying, “Madness? What is Madness? Why are all these people singing ‘Our House’?” We forgive you America Man. All superhero’s have an Achilles heel. Thankfully you can wear some snazzy Hill-Side socks on yours. And nobody will ever know.

 And in other news:

Caravan of Love

If you’ve been procreating in the last few years, chances are you’re heading to Camp Bestival at the end of July. Make sure you don’t miss The Caravan of Love – a wicked event hosted by the Real Wild One, the blog that makes it its mission to come up with wild and funkily creative activities for kids. You know like making poop paint, or Martin Creed-style broccoli prints, land art like Richard Long or better still, talking sticks so that you can finally get a word in. At Camp Bestival, the Caravan of Love will start with an epic Urschrei and end with roly-polies into the Dingley Dell. Hopefully, your kids will never whinge on a walk again. Cos they’ll be Real Wild Ones and they’ll have a badge to prove it. The Real Wild One was launched by Anne-Celine Jaeger aka Cathal McAteer’s trouser-wearing “not-wife” (not married cos she won’t say yes).