GEAR CHECK: Interview with Brandon Herrell of Earth\Studies
These are the things the photographer, writer, and brand builder can't live without.
Welcome to GEAR CHECK, an interview series where artists, entrepreneurs, and cool people share the things they can’t live without.
IF YOU THINK you need to be on a specific path to start your own brand, take a page from Brandon Herrell’s story. It was never a straight line, but rather a winding road.
Early in his adult life, he toured full-time in a punk band, “sleeping on people’s floors” as he retells it. After that, a stint working at a psychiatric hospital (keyword working there), followed by a short time in the service industry. It wasn’t until landing a gig as a photo assistant that he discovered a natural talent in photography.
Now, as the co-founder of experimental outdoor brand Earth\Studies alongside Rob Darmour, Brandon operates as an art director, producer, photographer, and beyond. And the man is absolutely crushing it.
Recently, on his Substack, Case by Case, where he unpacks the art of brand building with real world examples, Brandon reflected on his career: “It does feel wrong to say I am anywhere, because I have no experience of arrival in any sense, and that’s not what I care about at all.”
I interpret his words like this: Unworried about chasing someone else’s definition of success. Unbothered by trying to prove to others he’s made it in life. Instead, Brandon’s focused on building great art, sharing his wisdom, and enjoying the life he’s created.
Below are the things the Seattle native can’t live without.
GEAR CHECK
Gnuhr Sling 2 v2.0 DCF ($149)
Teenage Engineering OPZ ($429)
Kinto Travel Tumbler ($36)
D.S. & DURGA - Mississippi Medicine (Purchase Via Sample Set)
SaunaHats.com Sauna Hat (Price Varies)
HIS WORDS ON…
Here’s what Brandon had to say about his favorite picks.
Akila Lo-Fit x Mister Green Sunglasses
“I get comments every time I wear these,” says Brandon. “They are somewhere between classically mens-y and freakily contemporary, which is just right for me.”
Gnuhr Sling 2 v2.0 DCF
“Like all of Gnuhr's designs, this bag is weirdly attractive and singular for how simple it actually is,” he says. “I wear it under my jacket when I fly to cheat a few extra liters of stowage—stuff like headphones, hand sanitizer, and dried mango.”
Earth\Studies MP-103 Field Pant in 'Bark'
“I’m biased, but I actually wear these nearly every day,” he says. “They have a built-in belt, the best pockets, and a gently tapered leg. Unfortunately, this specific pant style is not available anymore. Too bad for everyone who isn't me.”
Teenage Engineering OPZ
From taking the Amtrak from Seattle to Portland, to catching frequent flights, Brandon has a lot of travel time. He uses this portable 16-track sequencer and synthesizer to create music on-the-go.
“The OPZ is pocket-sized—because I wear stuff with big pockets—and is surprisingly capable for such a compact device,” he says. “I once wrote, recorded, and delivered a soundtrack for a short brand film using the OPZ and a Macbook on a flight from Seattle to LA.”
Kinto Travel Tumbler
“I’ve had many tumblers in my life, but this one is the best, easily.”
Mississippi Medicine by DS & Durga
Brandon likes the DS & Durga travel-sized containers. His favorite scent from the brand? That would be Mississippi Medicine. “The fragrance is woody, but not in a bright cedar-y Hermes kind of way. More like a David Lynch smokey-birch-tar-goth-y kind of way.”
SaunaHats.com Sauna Hat
“I always try to get to a sauna when I travel. It helps me stay relaxed and supports my immune system,” he says. “I searched high and low for the best sauna hat, and I'm pretty sure this is it. It’s made from once piece of thick felted wool. Not sewn, but felted into shape by a nice lady named Olga.
Solitude by Robert Kull
Brandon tells me this memoir is based on Robert Kull’s year alone in remote Patagonia. (Kull’s reasoning was to study the effects of extreme isolation on human consciousness.)
“I have no joke been reading this for about eight years,” he says. “Bob Kull's brain and heart are so similar to mine that I can do about fifty pages at a time—sometimes two at a time—before I need to spend a week or two absorbing his insights, which are always clear crystallizations of things I have struggled to articulate myself.”
LIVE A LITTLE
CONNECT WITH BRANDON
Brandon is a co-partner at Earth\Studies. Learn more about the rising outdoor-inspired brand here.
As mentioned earlier, Brandon writes a brand analysis newsletter called Case by Case. He also writes BSH’s Substack, where he talks updates about his personal life.
If you want to connect Brandon professionally, you can find his portfolio site here.
THANKS FOR READING
Have a specific person you want to see a GEAR CHECK of in the near future? Drop your suggestions in the comments or send me a DM.
Wow all those cool objects look so nice laid out together. Thanks for this!
Really cool brand! The little sunglasses holder that they put on their shirts is genius tbh. Really interested to see what Brandon and the team cook up next