OK, this is definitely trouble. After a few years of talking about it, Bill Wall and Jeff Decker are now collaborating on a line of unique items available only at Bill Wall Leather, Hippodrome Studio and BEAMS Japan. Just think about it… jewelry and leather items from two minds that, when added together, total at least an 11. These guys peg the needle on any scale one chooses to measure.
Their collaboration, with products running the gamut from rings and chains to wallets, gives one glimpses of the details of both artists' past work. Jeff, a sculptor in bronze, and Bill, a silver and leather craftsman. One commonality is a passion for tuning high-performance hot-rods and motorcycles, which shows through subtly in each product's details.
"My dad was a skilled mechanic," said Decker, "and was a bit of a well-known guy in the hot rod culture. At any rate, he was interested in collecting vintage cars and motorbikes and was even famous as a drag racer. The cultural inspiration I got from him is pretty considerable. Also, my mom, who really knew art and fine arts, influenced me as well."
Bill's heritage springs from a marriage of his "surf punk dad" and a mother whose photography work was acclaimed worldwide. "I'm good with my hands, and jewelry was a hobby I took up as a kid to impress the girls."
It's incredible, the fascinating designs that come from the combination of those two bright minds, brought to their fullest by their respective specialities.
As a group, rock musicians are known for not holding back when it comes to self-expression. For instance, Josh Todd lead singer of the mega-band Buckcherry loves his BWL silver jewelry. After meeting Bill in Sturgis, Josh took notice of the commonality between his tattoos and Bill's jewelry designs. Josh is a frequent customer, above he's wearing a custom made necklace and can often be seen wearing custom rings and bracelets.
The list of musicians representing with BWL is long: guitarist Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tommy Lee of Motley Crue, Dierks Bentley and Keith Nelson of Buckcherry, Axl Rose of Guns 'n Roses, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Billy Gibbons, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZtop… the appeal is quite clear.
Beyond musicians, actors and other social celebrities also recognize the statement-making power of BWL. Bill's work is perfect for many roles, and recently he hand-crafted the jackets and some truly stunning jewelry pieces for the hit TV series "Sons of Anarchy," an American crime drama created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in California’s Central Valley. Above is actor Ron Perlman’s character "Clay Morrow" is sporting a BWL leather jacket, as well as rings and necklace.
Actors, fashion models, athletes… all forms of celebrities dig Bill’s work: Christian Slater, Tyra Banks, Mickey Rourke, Jay Z, Freddie Prinze, Portia de Rossi, Tyrese Gibson, Carmen Electra, Gabrielle Reece, Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood and Laird Hamilton are all customers and noteworthy names worth dropping.
When you distill some of the world’s best tequila (blanco) and distribute it to a limited number of the liquor world’s cognoscenti, it’s important to put a final crowning touch on the packaging to set your product even further apart. That was exactly the idea when the DELEÓN® brand approached Bill to design their bottle’s cap. Fine-line detailing accentuates the signature ornate metal closure, the master for which was meticulously hand-carved by Bill Wall from a one pound solid ball of sterling silver. Displayed in a stunning bespoke-style bottle made from high-quality fragrance-grade glass and boldly tattooed with the distinguishing mark of the DELEÓN® brand. Each expression in the ultra-premium and luxury collections is strikingly defined.
Food & Beverage Magazine tells the story: "It's not often that a new spirit comes along in stunning packaging and the liquid inside comes close to being as appealing as its visual promise on the bar. But DeLeon Diamante tequila is one such product. For decades this elegant Blanco has been enjoyed by those privileged few who were acquainted with the prominent Mexican family that produced this tequila in their own fabrica in the highlands of Purisma de Rincon, Mexico. It's not often you'd think to sip Blanco neat, but twist open the carved silver cap designed by rock and roll jewelry designer Bill Wall and pour it neat to experience a certain and pleasant heat that pops into the throat when experienced this way."