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- [00:00]
Brian Calvero
I still have all the old little toys, the basketball cards, the stamp collection still there, the showman photos. I mean, you're talking hundreds and hundreds of, like, smaller things that maybe people really wouldn't care about. But to me, it's part of my collection, it's part of my archive, and I don't think that'll ever stop for me.
- [00:20]
Cam
What's going on, everybody? And welcome to Collector's Gene Radio. This is all about diving into the nuances of collecting and ultimately finding out whether or not our guests have what we like to call the collector Collector's Gene. If you have the time, please subscribe and leave a review. It truly helps. Thanks a bunch for listening and please enjoy today's guest on Collector's Gene Radio. Today's guest is someone whose eye for design, reverence for history, and devotion to craft that quietly shaped a corner of automotive culture that feels both soulful and sharply considered. My guest today is Brian Calvero, the founder of Period Correct, a brand that merges motorsport heritage with modern design sensibility, speaking as much to car collectors as it does to esthetics. Before launching Period Correct, Brian cut his teeth running case study group distributing streetwear brands across the country. But it's his passion for cars. Real cars, rare cars, meaningful cars and the stories behind them that's defined his journey. His personal collection has ebbed and flowed, including Everything from a 997 GT3RS to a Renault R5 Turbo, a Bentley Continental R, Rolls Royce Phantom, you name it. From John Prouve furniture to the archives of Vasek Polak, his collection spans categories with an effortless sense of cohesion. In this episode, talk about collecting with instinct, collaborating with integrity. And why Period Correct means a heck of a lot more than just being accurate. So without further ado, my friend Brian Calvero, founder of Period Correct for Collector's Gene Radio. Brian, a long time coming, but welcome to Collector's Dream Radio.
- [01:56]
Brian Calvero
What an honor to be here, man. Thank you for having me.
- [01:59]
Cam
It's an honor to have you and you run Period Correct, one of my absolute favorite automotive enthusiast driven brands. Do you remember the moment when you realized your passion for cars and design could kind of become this full fledged brand?
- [02:14]
Brian Calvero
Yeah, I mean, Period Correct for me was more of a lifestyle. So I kept thinking about it in those terms because, you know, I was telling my brother, like, I want to create something, design something for my people who have a passion for cars or architecture or their love for just great things in this lifestyle. And everywhere we traveled to, whether it was Tokyo Or Japan, like anywhere we were. I was literally like with the best people. And I think, like, it kind of encouraged me to like, you know what? I want to design something that represents like what we're into. And what was that common ground. So period correct was kind of born from that.
- [02:54]
Cam
I love that. And before period Correct there was case study group. And that was your first foray into brand distribution and timing and all that. And I'd love to know, you know, did that experience teach you anything about culture and taste and timing?
- [03:09]
Brian Calvero
That was practically like my biggest education in apparel. I was fortunate where my brother had a brand and he had said, you know what, why don't you handle the sales portion of the brand? You've been a natural sales guy in that sector. And I started case study group and was able to get firsthand experience on just working with buyers and kind of selling brands that I actually had a passion for. So a lot of my friends had smaller brands at that time. This is pre Instagram. So helping them kind of like get into stores and get into doors and selling to all these different buyers, learning about all these different kind of personalities in this business was, you know, that was my schooling. That's, that's where I learned to just kind of work with these people and learn, really learn the industry inside out.
- [04:02]
Cam
Something I love about period correct is something that you say often and that's that it's more than a brand, right? It's a name and it's truly a feeling for people who love old things and great design. What does period correct mean to you? Beyond the literal? Right, because. And also maybe explain what period correct is for those who don't understand what that term is in the literal, for sure.
- [04:26]
Brian Calvero
So a lot of people would kind of question me on that and say, yo, what's period correct there? And I said, look, if the home is from 1955 and the furniture is from the 50s, well, that's period correct, right? Same thing for the cars. If it's a 67911 and those wheels are from 67 and it's from the period, hence the same term there. But for me, you know, that was a lifestyle. It's more like, you know, I was buying older watches in the early 2000 and I drove and bought older cars, you know, and I was basically like this, you know, period correct to me is if you love living in these appreciation for these glass mid century modern homes, if you like furniture, if you're into design, whether it was through cars or watches, there was something there. And you know, that. I mean, obviously now, like, it's. It's. It's. It's really recognizable. But in the early days, it was something that I really, like, took a likeness to as a child, you know, wanted to be an architect. That didn't get to happen, but I had a lot of books, you know, with the car stuff. I mean, my earliest memory there, just being four years old, playing with my toy models. And literally, you know, I just. That's what made me happy, you know? And period correct is about, like, that joy about being able to share and just kind of these, like, you know, little subcultures. And I feel like, you know, whether it's in the car world or furniture side or architecture, you got these little. You got these friendships and these connections with people that, you know, it goes. It goes further, and they get to know who you really are, but it starts there, you know? So period correct is just. It's a lifestyle thing for me.
- [06:15]
Cam
I love it. It's funny, you know, before we started recording, you and I were just Talking about this 1960s era Hermes piece I got. And if we're talking about period correct, I guess that means I got to get a 1960s air bottle. Wine. These wine caps I got.
- [06:29]
Brian Calvero
Exactly. We got to find you one. I'll help you with that.
- [06:31]
Cam
I know, I know you're big in the wine game, so I. I might need your help with that. I might need to sell the caps in order to get the wine, but we'll see.
- [06:41]
Brian Calvero
Yeah, it's always fun, man.
- [06:44]
Cam
You know, a lot of collectors grew up with someone who introed them into the world of collecting just via their eyes, right? Not necessarily someone saying, hey, you're five years old. You need to start collecting something. But more so, if you can use your eyes and transfer that into, you know, your heart of something that just attracts you, you more than likely will end up becoming a collector later, later on in life. And you grew up with a mother who loved collecting vintage fashion and ceramics and jewelry, and she was the original curator in your life. Can you share a memory or object of hers that sparked your eye for something exceptional?
- [07:22]
Brian Calvero
Of course. You know, my mother was just on her fashion thing. You know, my grandmother used to sew her dresses, and she would have just, you know, a whole closet full of, like, dresses that she basically would sketch. And my grandmother would literally, they'd go buy material, they'd go make, and I saw her collecting there, but it was, you know, she had a big passion for 24 karat jewelry and saw her Buying and she used to lay it out and then it went into like blue and white, like china and like celadon, like all these like ceramic stuff that she was bringing in from Thailand or from Asia. So that was really like where I saw my mother kind of decorating our home. And you know how she used to line things up. And I think as a child I was doing the same thing. So she helped me build like a stamp collection. And I remember putting these things in a folder, looking at all the graphics. And I take a lot of inspiration from those designs. So I had the stamp collection. I remember cutting out all these old, like, I mean, all over the world. And I would like. It started kind of where I was like my first part of collecting. And then obviously the cars, toy robots, our GI Joes, like whatever the toys were, I couldn't have one. It was always about like, oh, I gotta have the whole set. I need every color I need. So I mean, that always stuck with me and I think even till today. And that's why, I think why I love collecting so much is because it gives me that like, sense of feeling that I'm like, even in my adult life, like, I still feel like a child and that puts a smile on my face. So it doesn't have to be these like very high priced items. Although some things are like the cars. Yes, they can be, of course, furniture, definitely. Those things have really grew in value. But, you know, I collect these English Bulldog porcelain little figures from Japan. And I literally started with two and now it's 30 something now. So I love little things like that. And that just. It still reminds me of those days. I mean, I bought like the old collection from Vasek Polak from his old personal office. I mean, it's since left our, our ownership, but people didn't really care about the photos and the old trophies and his chest X rays and then kind of the caddy corner, that kind of collection. I also got offered a collection from an architect in Claremont, Theodore, Kraly and McDowell. When their office closed, there was all these photos. So photography, sketches, drawings. Well, everyone bought the furniture. I came home with the sign and like all the photos. And I happen to look in back of the. The photos, they're all Julia Showman's. So, like, I feel like this collection belongs to the city of Claremont. So I mean, I am like working pretty closely with them to try to get it back in their hands. But it's kind of those things that excite me. I'm like, oh, you know, there's A collection there. There's a story there that needs to be told. And. And, you know, that's something that I really. I really enjoy.
- [10:45]
Cam
Yeah, I love that. I mean, to me, something like owning the archives of someone's life is what really tells their story. I mean, it's easy to understand what kind of cars were in their collection. But, you know, just when someone tells you, oh, this car belonged to this person's collection, it doesn't always tell you everything about their life. You can understand where their taste level was, but it doesn't tell you the whole story. That's why I love the archives. I mean, and you kind of go for a lot of these more heritage things that do tell a story, right? From the Jean Bouvet furniture next to an older GT3RS and the Vasek Polik archives. I mean, all these things now almost tell your story of who you are and what matters to you. And when you put all those things in a room or on a table, people can kind of learn a lot about you, don't you think?
- [11:33]
Brian Calvero
That's totally true. I mean, talking about the car thing, like, I literally wasn't able to afford the cars that, you know, I was dreaming about as a kid. I think I'm still chasing those kind of dreams now because I always bought or collected within a kind of restraint. It wasn't like, oh, it's an open checkbook. Go buy your dream. This. I know where the Jaguar D type is. I know where the F40 is. Or, you know, but I've always been confined in, like, working with. You know, you have $10,000 to buy a vintage car. So in 2006, imagine how that started. You know, I found an E30 M3 on Hawthorne Boulevard off the 405 for 7 gram. There was three on a lot in 2006. So this. The owner was crazy about them, but he was over it. So he had a E30 M3 with S52 Turbo in it. That was 17 grand. He had a. Another E30 M3 with a S50 in it for 11 grand. And then he had this stock S14, all original, for 7K. I ended up buying that car for five grand. And that was like, my first purchase into, like, vintage. Well, it wasn't. I wouldn't. Kind of a classic car, you know, in those days now, you know, it could maybe qualify for that. But in those days, and I just love the shape as a kid in the 90s, because in my city in Cerritos, there was a. There was another kid who was fortunate to have one. And he was into karting. I remember him seeing that car pass by. Like, I'd be playing tennis at the park and just see this silver E30 M3 Zoom by. I knew exactly what it was because I had the books, I had the models. So being able to buy that at that price point was great, you know, And I ended up buying the other one with the S50 for 11 grand. So I bought two from that dealership, and in 2006, that's where it all started for me. But you're exactly right. When that was parked outside and you would see the car models in my home, and you would see, you know, an old Eames chair or purveyor, whatever, in those days. I mean, I don't treat any of these things kind of like precious. You gotta use them.
- [13:53]
Cam
It's not a museum.
- [13:54]
Brian Calvero
Exactly. And I. And I would. I always get teased because they're always like, oh, you know, my cars are like, never. They'll never win a show. They're always. Yeah, they're good, great from like, 10ft. But I drive them, I beat them. I just. I love different driving experience. And I think for me, that's why my collection in cars was so eclectic. I think I was talking to you about that previous when we saw each other. You know, they always ask me, are you a Porsche? You know, guy, are you a BMW? And I'm like, boy. I mean, I'm just a car guy. I love them all. You know, I have so many favorites, it would be hard to say, oh, I can only collect BMWs or only Porsches. My hat goes off to those who. Who do that because it's so highly focused and I see how, you know, curated it is. But for me, I mean, my brain, I just. Growing up as a kid, I turned a page and, you know, looking at, like, the old, you know, Matsuda collection and seeing, you know, when I discovered him as a kid and seeing those books, I was like, wow. Like, we have kind of. I love, like, kind of the same things that he's collected. Obviously he has the wallet. I don't, but. But I just love how he was able to blend these amazing, like. I mean, how did he pick, like a Stratos, you know, with a Lotus 26R next to a 250mm Ferrari with. I mean, these kind of things excited me, and they still excite me today. I mean, so having the models, having the books is great. And maybe one day, you know, when. When I do have that opportunity to. To build a collection where you know, the finance doesn't matter. That's, that's a big dream. But I'm super content and happy with what I have now. And I'm thinning the hurt out a bit because if cars sit or if a chair is, you know, I kind of am tired of looking at it or not really using it. I, I switch it up. So I'm not, there's no car or anything that I collect that really defines me and is like attached to me. I'm not really emotionally attached to any of these things, which is great.
- [16:12]
Cam
Well, let's talk about it because you have two hangars in Long Beach.
- [16:16]
Brian Calvero
One now. One now. One. One now, one now.
- [16:18]
Cam
Yeah, but the cars have been in and out. I'd love to know what you're keeping and what's going.
- [16:25]
Brian Calvero
That is a good question. You know, some days when I was in there for years, like since I've had that hanger since 2010. So I mean being in there and going back, you know, I've never shared the photo of it in its like entirety with like everything sitting in there. And I don't know, sometimes I feel like, you know, showing that like just growing up and just trying to, it was for me, you know, and I never, I'll take photos and post one of this or one of that, but seeing it as a group and seeing how much it's changed, man, I've sold so many great cars, you know, but think about it. There I had at a time just talking about Porsches, you know, buying this Amazon Green993 Turbo, fighting it for 37,000 in Connecticut, I believe I bought it then. I had a 964 RS America 719001167 short wheelbase, 911 356. The 997 GT3 RS 0.1 in orange like. And I had the Ferrari 458 plus a Testarossa, the Delta Integrale, a plethora of alpenas. I mean this thing was so packed. I lined them up like rows of three and I just felt like that kid, like if I show you my model collection in the garage, it just, that's the kid in me that wanted to like really line them up. I parked them up and I drove them and. But I learned really quick to maintain a fleet of 20 plus cars is like, is like almost a full time job. And it's almost sad because a lot of them sit and they all shift different, they accelerate different, they look different. I mean I enjoy all of it and I think I just came to a point today where, you know, I mean, I've enjoyed those things. I'm really thankful to God for allowing me to like have a full scale, you know, Bentley Continental R1 of 10, which is like one of my favorites, the Mulliner. I, I love that car. But I had, you know, the PO not poster, but I cut out an old Dupont registry with all the info on it and it was on my door for a long time. And then, you know, getting the R5 turbo too. So there are some things that I think I want to hold on to. But you know, when you're, when you're like raising a fam and you got bills and you got to do things and you're also building on your own career. Like, I just, I know cars will always be there and I haven't bought like something that was like one of 18 where I'm like, oh, I can't get rid of this. Maybe the Bentley is as one of ten that, that version. But I really feel like there's more cars to come and I just feel like when business gets better, the car collection gets better and your, your entire lifestyle kind of can improve. But again, just being thankful now of like, hey, I got to drive like in one day being at the hangar. Imagine driving four to six things like in the same day with one of my best friends who was my hangar mate. You know, rest in peace, Richard. I mean this guy had a Lusso launch, a B20 CIATA and we would open up our garages because they were connecting and we, we'd make sure everything was running and driving. He had to maintain four things. And imagine I was looking at like 14 things that I have to maintain and it was difficult. It was, it was tough.
- [20:01]
Cam
It's a full time job for sure.
- [20:03]
Brian Calvero
It's full time job. I'm not quite sure what I will keep. I do know I'm selling a lot of the early finds that I had that used to bring me so much happiness and I'm just letting them go, I don't really try not to think about them. And I just, you know, I know, you know, I'll be building a car collection again and I'll always have a couple fun things to drive, that's for sure.
- [20:26]
Cam
I would absolutely kill for a Bentley Continental scene.
- [20:31]
Brian Calvero
Oh, I love that car. Come on.
- [20:33]
Cam
They made very few of those too, didn't they?
- [20:35]
Brian Calvero
Oh, yeah. I mean, remember I, I drove. My mother took me to Symbolic Motor. Symbolic. There was a dealership I believe was symbolic on Wilshire and La Cienega and I used to go up in there and there's also a shop called Autostrada in the day that had group B stuff where my mom would take me up there. But as a kid, like I like being there my brother and like showing him in like night, you know, being 13 or so and in the early 90s and just saying like, look, this guy, this is my coupe, like we would call it out, I need this. And you know, not really knowing all the iterations, but I just remember it being like a over $250,000 car. And I was like, wow, you know, like this is crazy. But I love the shape of those coupes. To like all the way till now is one of my favorite. You know, you get a feeling when you drive that car. It's crazy.
- [21:31]
Cam
Yeah, for sure. And with the sc you get like the, the semi convertible, you know.
- [21:37]
Brian Calvero
Yeah.
- [21:38]
Cam
Half top there and it's just, just what a, what a thing, what a, what an idea of driving around a Bentley Continental with a, with a semi hard top converter, you know, just a madness thought.
- [21:49]
Brian Calvero
Mike. Mike Tyson vibes, right?
- [21:52]
Cam
Something about motorsport design is so utilitarian and it can be really brutalist in its execution, you know, in a lot of ways, especially today. What is it about that world, be it, you know, livery, machinery, engineering that you think translates so well into a lifestyle brand?
- [22:12]
Brian Calvero
You know, I think being able to translate kind of those, whether it's livery or these short stories like our Sierra brothers and sharing like who they were and where they came from and you know, I have a lot of kids on the block or in the streets that come up to me often and you know, they quite don't know what period correct means because they're pretty young or they weren't really digging in like old automotive books about the old race at Pebble beach, etc. So you know, through the apparel, that's what allowed me to kind of share those moments. And I felt this was the canvas for me. Obviously, you know, with being getting older and my level of taste of ever changing. Of course I would love to like produce, you know, again like being restrained with, with budget or finance. Like I would love to create tons of cut and sew, but I found kind of a way to share with kids and I said, okay, if I make a $1200 Gore Tex jacket? Well, I just eliminated that 16 year old kid who had dreams about Ferraris like myself or Porsches, who comes into my shop, talks to me for five, ten minutes, wants to know more about how I got into this, etc. So, you know, it's. It's been the easiest way for me to kind of make something feel like, period. Correct is for everyone. We always used to say, look, we're in our own lane. Because in 2014, I didn't see many brands, and I'm not saying there weren't any unless you were at, like, a racetrack or something. But this was a brand based around, like, my personal passion for cars and architecture. And I know today it's every commercial, it's every brand. Spring, summer, it's their fall, winter, it's their latest collaboration. And I applaud, like, I really am. So, you know, I feel like I could say, like, we were one of the pioneering brands for that movement. It's like a bittersweet, too, because having those ideas so early and having that customer base and trying to grow that customer, but you know, just not having, like, you know, the capital to kind of, like, take it where you really want to take it. It's frustrating sometimes, you know, but it's super rewarding. When I go to a show or go to car week, and I see all these kids or even adults and collectors wearing our product, I mean, it gives me a feeling. And I just tell them, like, hey, there's more that I have. And I know you're. You can only. You know, you can only have so many hoodies and hats, but I. I will tell you this. Like, I am looking forward to designing more products to share the same ethos, the same passion and lifestyle that I love, because they're always like, what. Where's that jacket from? Or what? You know, and most likely it's a prototype for what I want to build in the future, you know, So I love that. That catalog of, like, what you said, like, car history, like, it's endless. You know, we have some pretty great collaborations coming. One of them is 24 hour Le Mans, and I'm just grateful that they shared these, like, catalogs. I mean, and I'm like, man, I can turn this line into, like, 200 SKUs. But I had to select, you know, a few items because, you know, you got to be precise. But it was just nice that I could share it to a customer that may not know that that race went on in the past. And maybe they only know that the. The recent race that's going on this year. Right. So it's cool to just have this, like, nostalgic feel through the brand and tell these stories.
- [26:01]
Cam
Yeah, I love it. And that's, like, one of my Favorite things that you do at PC and it's that you bring light to important things in the car world that maybe only enthusiasts would know pre whenever you launch the line. Right. I mean, you've done a bunch of collaborations and we'll talk about that in a second. But you also do you know, things that are so inside baseball, car related, like Gamund and you know, that's where the first Porsche cars were made and the Galanda Wagon, which is, you know, what the G and G Wagon stands for. Most people in this world who own G Wagons probably do not know that. And I feel like you bring that to light for anyone who's like, hey, what is this? What does that mean? Like, I see the word wagon and I see a G, but I didn't know what Galante Vag and me's, you know, was. And do you kind of also feel that responsibility to educate those who, who may not know, like what your average customer knows?
- [26:54]
Brian Calvero
Yeah, I feel like in a way I do and in a way I don't, but I feel like I put those keywords on there and those, that graphic language on there to kind of start that conversation, you know, so it's like if I see somebody wearing the Gamon shirt, automatically I know, okay, I hate using that phrase. If you know, you know. But literally it starts and sparks a conversation with somebody who's like minded. If you go in a room, you literally don't know who's driving what, right? You don't know if he's into vintage Cartiers. You don't know if he's. Unless he's wearing one. You don't know if he's in the Porsches. So I felt like when I would produce this line or have these garments and merchandise that we would put out, it's a starting point, point to say, hey, I may not even have one, but I'm a G Wagon lover. I love what the cars, how they're shaped, I love the design. And one day I want to get one or I have two of them and I take them off roading and there's another gal who's like, I just take it to the market. It's my daily driver. But it stands for something and it can, it can be like kind of a segue into like getting to meet someone that you probably didn't know over, you know, over just repping the same brand. And I thought that that's what we really stand for is like, could we share and kind of have this community where it's like, oh, he's one. He's part of our tribe, and that's. That's meaningful to me. Again, I. There's so much more that I want to do. And, you know, my partners at Basic Space and kind of like our new team member there, that kind of helps us broaden our kind of audience with people who love design is like, it just feels good that, you know, everything is aligned. You know, I feel like I'm not having to force myself to, like, go to a furniture show and see Nakashima Furniture in Miami. Like, I think God just works in, like, a real precise way. And in these moments, I'm just. It's nice that I live this. Like, I'm sitting in my living room now, taking this meeting and looking at the things that I've collected and aesthetically living in what I'm actually putting out. That's meaningful to me, you know, And I. I used to not share a ton of stuff on Instagram or even pre Instagram. I don't. I still don't even have a Facebook or any of that stuff. And I thought it was important. Like, when we were doing the brand, they're like, oh, they kind of want to know, like, what your lifestyle is, and they're like, oh, but you're going to be. You know, it's. And I was always kind of protecting that. Like, oh, you know, I don't. You know, this is, like, kind of my thing. Like. And then obviously, it's inevitable. It's. It's all about sharing at the end of the day.
- [29:46]
Cam
Yeah, for sure. I would love to see more Gamund and Galundevag and Testarossa products from period. Correct. I mean, I just love that stuff. They're. They're really words and their parts of history that are so important in the car world. And I love those angles that you take when. When making products.
- [30:03]
Brian Calvero
I think the frustrating part is, like, we've been doing this since 14, a very long time, and, you know, just trying to get those moments with some of these brands that I've looked up to as a child, like, 4 years old, being into Porsches or BMWs or Ferraris, you know, getting that platform to kind of share officially. So it's like, officially unofficially. Right? It's like, I dream about those moments, and I'm. I'm very. I feel very good that, you know, we've made some pretty good partnerships this year. We have something coming with Lancia, which I'm huge fan of, so it's slowly happening for me. But I will tell you, having an idea and building a brand based around something that you've been passionate about and not being able to scale or kind of get. Get the audience and do the things and create the things that you want to do is frustrating. It's pretty hard. But it's cool. We're still here. And it's really nice to just continue to share and give those customers from 14, when they bought that old command piece from us, something like 10 years later, it's pretty cool. Or 11 years later.
- [31:17]
Cam
You know, let's talk about the collaborations for a second, because it's a big part of what you do and arguably one of the most important things in any collection of any kind, because it usually means limited production. Right. And you've collaborated with everyone from legendary automotive names like Roof to tangential but equally soulful names in brands like JF Chen and the man who Captured Sunshine. What draws you to a collaborator? And how do you know when the DNA aligns with your own?
- [31:46]
Brian Calvero
Okay, so this. This is a good question. A lot of people, you know, I got questioned a bunch. Why would you do that with them? Why are you working with them? And the underlining factor for me is about people like, the reason why I did an early collaboration with even Antisocial Club. I mean, that kid in his younger days was a friend of mine, you know, so we naturally did something together. Something like Hot Wheels. You know, I grew up adoring Hot Wheels, but meeting the gentleman who was working there, Ricardo and Jimmy, and the boys there in the team, like, right away there was a connection. And we both, like, we respected each other, we were friends. And that naturally happened, I think, with Ruf. Man, what a family. You know, Aloisa, her father, like, people don't know that. When I first opened PC, the shop and the brand, I had a conversation with Jeff Zwart in the car, and I said, look, I want to show you my space. This is what I want to do. And Jeff Zwart's been my brother. Like, I love him to death. He's just been my soundboard for PC. And, you know, I took him into the shop and I showed him, and he goes, brian, go for it. He always encouraged me, encouraged me, and he goes, I want to bring two people by and I want to show them what you're working on. He brought Freeman Thomas, and the owner of Ruth Alice came in, and literally, they were. I was like, wait, Roof's here, Freeman's here. You know, Zwart's in here. And, dude, all I had was these shelves. I had my little flared Out Alpena tribute in there, had a bunch of books, told them what I was going to do, and they all encouraged me. So that. Imagine that's 2014, October. I still have the photo with them in there. There was. It was just going to launch January of 15. That's how far back that relationship with Roof went because of Zwart. And it was organically us linking up. Now, fast forward how many years? Shoot. I mean, Alisa, his daughter, who I adore so much, she's so talented, beautiful, just inside out, like one of the best people on the planet. And literally, we connected. And she's like, oh, I'm the daughter of Ruth. And she just kind of like, broke it down to me. And it was natural when we did that collaboration, said, look, I'd love to share what you're doing. I want to collaborate. And, you know, it was a moment for me. That's why I think when her family came and we did that, that drop, it was so successful, was so organic, it was so natural. But, man, like, even being with her, her mother and their family, they just treated me like. Like I was one of them. And I just feel like it always starts with the people. I do not. I don't care what brand it is or what. I don't think I've ever worked with anyone. And I was like, oh, this collaboration is going to be dope. But I just hate, like, the people aren't even kind, you know, So I think it starts with personality for me first, even, like, the retail, you know, doing a simple air freshener for the car. I mean, I was so grateful. It's, again, it's, it's. It's people, you know, that really have connected me and, like, hey, you should really work with HF and try to do this. And, you know, my good friends out there, you know, they just, they just show me so much love and I, I love that it's like, people first and then we talk collaboration, if, you know, over a good meal or over a good drink. And I think that's super important to me.
- [35:35]
Cam
I love it. I mean, the collabs are easily, I think everyone's favorite that you do. They usually sell out pretty darn quickly, so I can't wait to see what comes. Do you think PC and you, and just your brand overall is really starting to focus on design more as a whole? Because, you know, when we think about where all this came from, right? Giugiado and Ferdinand Porsche, right? These are some of the ultimate designers of the things that we love today. And sometimes I feel like cars could really be viewed as the ultimate design object, wouldn't you say?
- [36:06]
Brian Calvero
Totally. I mean, especially here in California. For us or for myself, like our, you know, we were in these cars like almost half the day. Yeah. Taking meetings or just driving here or there. We don't have the conveniency of like, I'm just going to take the train from Tokyo and just shoot out to go get a meal and then come back. So I think it's definitely that and it's super important. And yes. Are we focusing more on design? Design is like what my real passion is and you'll see it through and through. And I talk about it often with a lot of friends that I really look up to because I say, you know, I know a lot of collectors and one guy has just great cars and it's amazing. But again, we probably don't. He's not going to wear a jacket that I might not love. Right. He has his own taste, the way he wants to dress or. And then there's another watch collector who's probably. And I'm, I'm not trying to call anyone out. I'm just saying, hypothetically, there's also someone who has an amazing watch collection, but again, doesn't care about cars. And then there's someone who just loves furniture and has one of the best Perian and Nakashima collections in the world. And you're like, he may have one car and it's amazing. Or he might have all three. He might love the home, the architecture, where he puts his stuff. So I feel like there's a couple collectors that I think, and I really respect that have this, well, roundedness and they put it in their every, I mean, every day lifestyle. Like what they drive as a daily. Not like, hey, I'm not. Nothing against popping out in a Prius and taking that to work and having a garage full of, you know, vintage abarths. I mean, I think that's cool. But for me, I like, I would love to like, I don't care if it's the daily, if it's the chair I sit in or it's the plate that we serve our dinners in. Like, design for me is important. And I think I love Mark Newson and that's why I loved his E Pods and his watches and his furniture. I love design and some things I love from them and some things I don't. But I think that's the beauty about design. It gives this personalization of like what you're into. So, you know, I have a good friend that I linked up with and you know, I only seen photos like on Instagram. And we were just Instagram friends and chatting and texting because he'd seen some stuff here and I seen stuff there. And I go, furniture is just too right in your house and in the backyard. And I said, and the floors are right and who restored the house and who helped you with the furniture? And automatically, boom. I knew. I like, look, it's one thing to have the means, but to have the means and the taste, like through and through. I think that's cool. I really like, appreciate collectors that are like, I care about the jacket and the shoes I'm wearing. I also care about what's on my wrist. But I super important where I live and and furniture, like, they appreciate what I always say is like the three or four elements in design. And again, I'm not a design major or nothing like that. I just gravitate towards those kind of humans because I feel like I'm the same way. Like, I never wanted the toy model cars if it didn't have the old gas station next to it or the garage that I could throw them in. That was important to me. And I think that shows like a collector who has this, well, roundedness of like, oh, like design is a big element because nothing against anyone who just does watches. So by far, I don't want to, like, I'm not talking down. I just, I see this rare thread of certain collectors having, you know, this element where I just say, man, like, I don't care if you just have a camera and you shoot at his home or where, like just naturally it's. It just you can't miss is so much taste. There's so much taste in one photo, right? So but my hat's off to those guys that do it right? And we're able to have the coin to do it. And again, it's not always on a high level. Like, I know guys that are really into like Toyotas and they'll have an amazing starlet in this old Supra. And they love Seiko's and like, but see, he's tying this story together of like, oh, I love this JDM Japanese stuff. And I also love like Japanese movement and watches. And then I also have, you know, some furniture from Nakashima like, yo, there's story. There's a way to tie it all together where everything doesn't have to be a Katrin dollars, although it is now on a lot of levels. Right?
- [41:08]
Cam
I always say that you Know, it's easy to have money and it's easy to spend it, but to spend it smartly in the right way for the things that you love that make sense. You know, again, it's about creating that story of the things that matter to you without trying to create that story. It just has to come natural. Right. And I think that that is something that you do so well. I mean, you and I had lunch the other week at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the Polo Lounge. And as we're leaving, your, your Phantom pulls up and I'm like, yo, what are these rims on your Phantom? I've never seen these. And you actually designed them?
- [41:41]
Brian Calvero
Yeah. That's a company my son has called Steel Made. And I was able to design these wheels. And we have a amazing partner in Japan, Yoshi. And you know, we, we don't even have a website right now. Right. Like, literally my first business out of high school, I used to basically run to the CNC machine and I used to make wheels for a lot of customers. And I used to do mesh or spokes. And I learned the wheel business in those days it was called Thoroughbred wheels. So it's funny because people who bought wheels from there, I was like, oh, thoroughbred. Like, we love thoroughbred. Like, so there was a story there, but I learned about wheel making there. I learned about the scarcity of like forgings and how to get them cut and paying a designer to kind of run the CNC machine and then watching these three piece wheels leak. So I had to beat them and put rivets in them and then I would deliver them. So I always imagined like the steel wheel for the G wagon. And when I had it on my 2004, I pictured these wheels. I couldn't find them because on like a 463, they just weren't really available or I didn't really have the knowledge on what older would fit. So I always had this idea to, to develop this wheel. And when I made the wheel, you know, I was a huge fan obviously of Rolls Royce. I mean, the story alone, you know, the engineer and the salesman, that's something I, I covet a lot. And I, I love the craftsmanship of like the handmade quality. And that pinstripe on that car is like done by hand. So. But when I picture that car, I kept saying like, I'm gonna buy one because I know it's got like, I heard it was a 760 block they use. And I go, it's so familiar. It feels so BMW. But not just to another level. And I kept thinking about putting those steel wheels on there. I said, oh, I want to see it with all terrain tires, you know, shout out Toyo tires. My voice stand. But that's how I pictured it. I said, no, I want to treat this thing like a truck. Like, I popped the trunk. I showed you my tennis rackets in there, my bag, my pool stick, tennis balls, like my gym bag, my rope. Like, everything is in there. You know, I'll probably feel it when I have to do something to the motor or the maintenance there or the tram. But I'm enjoying it now. And I think that goes back to my story of. I think I have to lay this out because people are like, man, you really drive a Rolls Royce Phantom every day? And I said, like, yeah, sometimes, Unless I take the GT3 or something else. But that's my daily. And I will share this. And not to be too preachy, but 25 years ago, you know, I had an early prayer in my life, and I had a conversation with God, and I asked God, I said, allow my life to be aesthetically pleasing in my way, where I can actually attract a demographic of kids. I want to help kids, and I want them to know, like, you could drive these things. You could live in a home that you dream about. You could, like, aesthetic things. I said, but, Lord, allow this prayer to be answered so that kids would ask me and I would get some shine. And it was kind of a selfish prayer, in essence, but I asked him to give me that lifestyle so that it would be bait for them to say, brian, like, man, like, how did you know? How do you do this and that at that. And I could give him the shine. And as long as those things weren't in front of God. Because faith is really. It's a big part of my life, so it's slowly coming into fruition. And I've seen that and how that prayer has been honored, and he's continuing to build that in my life. That's important to me, you know, like, and that's why I drive these things, because, I don't know, like, I sold something great a month ago. Do I miss owning it? To be quite honest, not really. But when someone else reminds me maybe a little, right? But just going back to that story, you know, I had an amazing opportunity to speak at USC School of Business, and I said, wait, what? Like, my friend asked me, who's a huge car guy? And he's like, there's, like, you know, 16 kids that want to hear you speak, but if there's like 60 to 80 kids that you're going to speak to. And then they kept inviting me, like they want to hear your story about design and where you came from and how you did this. And they just look up to you, you're inspiring them. And I go, why me? You know, and I thought about the prayer I asked for. So I said, let me think about it. And I asked my mentor who was my hangar me, and I said, should I do it? And he goes, wait, Brian, you told me that prayer. You said that this is. He's like, do you not want to do it because of the zeros in your account? Like. And I was like, kind of. Shouldn't I already be like minted? Shouldn't I just have that, like that money like just sitting there, just doing what it does? And I'm just have my dream car like the 40 and the CGT and the 250 LM is, is here. And he's like, no, Brian, like share now while you're in the struggle, share where you came from and share where you're going. And. And I did it until this day. Those kids from usc, dude, they're still my friends today. So it's. And they, they told me, they're like, I just bought my first Ferrari. I just started this business. So imagine how rewarding that is for me. A little emotional, but I'm doing my work so I feel so good about that.
- [47:38]
Cam
If period correct wore an exhibition in a museum one day, what three items would you want in the opening room?
- [47:47]
Brian Calvero
Well, it would have to tie back to maybe three items. I would have to say would still be. There would be a car obviously it could be a vintage of Barth. There could be an amazing watch. I think for me that I really love and covet is I love that watch that IWC built for Louis, the Monterey 2 designed by Gay Alante, who was one of the greatest furniture designers.
- [48:16]
Cam
In my eyes, one of my favorites.
- [48:18]
Brian Calvero
And I think she's just like people are really in the last five years really paying attention to her work.
- [48:24]
Cam
And yeah, I mean that, that coffee table that, that she's known for in the lake, I mean she does it in a few different kinds of marble, but. But the Roso marble that she does it in.
- [48:34]
Brian Calvero
Oh, there it is.
- [48:35]
Cam
Or did it in rather is just my favorite.
- [48:37]
Brian Calvero
And then probably a Nakashima chair for me. So if you saw those three items, you would say, okay, there's a Simka bar, there's a, you know, a Monterey 2 by designed by Gay Alante and a Nakashima chair. And those were three items that you had put in a small 4x4 or. Sorry, that might be too small, but avarts are pretty tiny on in a 10 by 10 space. And it was well displayed with some imagery, it could tell a story like right then and there.
- [49:07]
Cam
B, let's wrap it up with the collector's dream rundown. You know the drill. You can answer these questions based on any of the things that you collect. So the first one is, what's the one that got away?
- [49:16]
Brian Calvero
Okay, the one that got away. And I actually had the money for it because you got to remember, like, I've been into this stuff for a very long time and I didn't have a penny. So I've seen like 275Ferraris with four cams, like you know, doing 125 or 150K in. In the early days, because I was. I was visiting showrooms. I was writing stuff down in a notebook. I seen Ferrari lusso selling for 100 grand that my neighbor bought for that same price. But the one that got away for me, and it was a big learning lesson for me was I saw 1967911 in Las Vegas out of all places at the Imperial Hotel in their car museum. Okay, Imagine visiting this museum, Imperial Palace. Actually, that place strikes me a ton because I actually wanted jackpot there as a. As a young 21 year old. But I went to the museum and I always played on those slots because I was like, dude, they have everything here. You know, they had, you know, all the group B stuff. They had Jaguar E type lightweights. And the 67911 was probably the only thing. I don't want to say it was affordable, but for me, I thought I could stretch and do it. At that time, I had a couple bigger cars that I could have traded up for. So I asked the salesperson, hey, tell me about this mustard yellow with this burgundy and navy stripe, super racy Trans Am wheels. I knew it was something because, you know, I love all the small displacement stuff in racing. Like, I love the 510s and Cortinas. So I seen photos of this car, like, racing in my books. And I asked him, I said, dude, tell me the story on the car. And he's like, it was. It wasn't a factory rally car, but it was owned by Peter Greg. And I'm like, oh, shoot, Peter Greg's a legend, right? No one like, my. My homies are from the block. They're like, who the hell is Peter, Greg. And I'm like, dude, just, just chill, chill. Just go to the slots. Let me. I'm going to stay here for another hour. So I was up there. Salesperson was at like 175 or 200k, and he goes, hey, Brian, if you want it, we'll give you this car for 150. We think even just the base 911s is about that price. So I said, dude, he goes, this has tons of race history. And he goes, it hasn't ran for a little bit, but, I mean, the thing was beautiful, right? So I called a friend who's well versed in Porsches, and I asked him about it, and maybe he asked someone. And by the time he asked somebody, when I had came back the next day and I really decided to buy it, I. I said, look, I'm coming back, I'm going to buy it. This is what it is. Someone already cashed it out and bought it. And I'm telling you, it wasn't even for sale. It was on display. And I was the only one who knew the display. So I made a big mistake trying to go and ask friends of like, hey, I need your check off on this. Because you're like this. You're Porsche's. Like, please.
- [52:29]
Cam
Do you think that word kind of bounced around and one of those guys bought it?
- [52:32]
Brian Calvero
It did, yeah, 100%. It's what happened. Because you want to know what's crazier is I'm there and my girl's like. She's like, I'm at Monterey. And she says, don't look. And I'm like, what? And she knows this story because she approved it, you know, and she goes, don't look. And I go, what? She goes, and we're over there by the corkscrew, right? And what's. What's coming down the corkscrew was that exact car. And I was pissed. So that's the one that got away. And till this day, I still think about that car because that was something that I actually could have bought.
- [53:13]
Cam
You know who owns it?
- [53:14]
Brian Calvero
I don't know. I went to the pit, I tried to talk to them at the time, and nobody was around. I took 100,000 photos again. And it was just like, oh, I knew it. That one hurt, dude. I was like. Because that was one I could actually. I thought I could afford because that. I go, okay, I already had finance. Somebody, you know, I had finance in place. I had the down. I did it all. I didn't know you could finance a classic car. In those days and I, that's what I did. And I kept telling my wife, I kept telling her like hey we probably sell this thing for a lot more than 150. I promise you that I go, but for now I'd love to have this. And she gave me the approval. I went over there and gone. But again I mean ones that got away and it's. People talk about the ones that got away but you don't have a penny in the bank is different. Like I seen in Tokyo, I seen an F40 for you know, 600k. My old business partner sold his Carrera GT his CGT for 375. So having the money and just having like the timing line up and being able to be ready and that's kind of where today is like okay, I want to work and get to that financial like point in my life where I'm ready for the next deal like that. So nothing like that will slip by me.
- [54:34]
Cam
It's always tough. It's always tough. How about the on deck circles? So what's next for you in collecting? Maybe something that you're hunting after.
- [54:41]
Brian Calvero
I mean I think still for me is still the furniture side. I would still love to collect. You know George Nakashima furniture is, you know I've only been able to read about it in books and I had one early chair so from Mira, the three legged chair that she'd done his daughter and I. So I think I would love to elaborate more on the stuff that I already know. It's just now I don't think it's anything new. It's still the same categories just a little further down the line.
- [55:14]
Cam
Love that. How about the unobtainable? So this is one that's just in a museum. Private collection, just complete Unobtainium Ferrari 330P4.
- [55:23]
Brian Calvero
For me, that car, those lines. I mean I don't understand why they can't just remake that car for, for us now and just let us choose what displacement engine to put in. And I don't care what would be in it. I love the design of that car. Even a Dino 206 SP. Those are two cars that design wise just speak to my heart.
- [55:46]
Cam
What about a PC Zagato collaboration?
- [55:48]
Brian Calvero
Oh love would love. That's a dream. I mean I, I would love to have that conversation And I'll be honest, in my early designing days for the brand I did a full Zagato deal and then I didn't know at the time just the lack of knowledge if it still existed. Or where they were. So I literally, like, I just scrapped it because I go one day I would love to have that combo and really make that official. And that's a big dream of mine because they make the best bodies in all of these. I mean, talk about true art in the way those designs were. I mean, I meant I love the Alpha Zagatos and come on, the TZ1 TZ2, like any of the Zagato stuff is just killer. That's why I haven't. I had an Alpha SZ that I love that people hated. And they're a dream, they're just a dream company to, to work with one day.
- [56:40]
Cam
How about the page One rewrite? So if money was no object and you could collect anything in the world besides, you know, furniture and cars and watches and native American jewelry, what would it be?
- [56:52]
Brian Calvero
Definitely residential architecture. John Lautner, you know, Ray Cappy, Richard Neutra. The list would just go on and on. I mean, obviously also just there's great architects that I truly admire today that are designers like Craig Steely and building stuff new from my brain because that's something that I think the biggest dream of mine to collect or not even collect or to design and build is my home for myself. Like today I live in, I keep telling my friends my dream home, which is it's a 1955 mid century modern home custom built for an old hot rod guy. And I think now like with what I know and having conversations with my friend who's an architect who I just mentioned, you know, I don't want to give away the design elements that I want to put in this, this house, but it would be inspired by all of the things we've been talking about. And each room would be designed to house each collection that, that I'm into. So that's like me and my son nature. That's what we talk about all the time. You know, he actually does music and we talk about building this recording studio in there and a room for ceramics, a preve room, a Nakashima room, etc. Like, you know, something for the, like that's where my brain is on a bigger picture of where I would love to get a chance to design something for myself. And I think if somebody was to give me that opportunity and they would see that maybe they would want me to do the same for them. But again it's, that's another far kind of just putting it into fruition, you know.
- [58:32]
Cam
How about the goat? Who do you look up to in the collecting world? Or who do you think is a great collector.
- [58:37]
Brian Calvero
Oh, sheesh, man. There's. There's two. There's two gentlemen that come into mind for me because it speaks about that kind of, well, roundness that I talk about that I admire. A old friend of mine who till this day is my brother Mark hadawi is just sure he's a genius. And if you see his work. And I've been fortunate to have a relationship with mark and visit his home parel house. Yep, yep. And the big sur house as well. But to see the level of detail that this gentleman does, from what's on his feet, vintage nikes to, you know, old Paul newman on the wrist. The pruve furniture in there is. Was owned by the garage.
- [59:24]
Cam
Doesn't suck either.
- [59:25]
Brian Calvero
The garage, I mean, who 250 short wheelbase. I don't mean to call him out like this, but my guy just effortlessly bought. Does this, the d type. And so I respect him so much. You know, I get to talk to him about architecture. And it's hard to stay focused when I talk to him because, you know, we love so much of the same things. And the big difference is it's like, he's really rounded, he's touching it, he's collecting it. He's working on those projects. And I really appreciate him because he invites me to see these things. He knows that I have a big passion for it. And I love that we have that connection because every time I call him and his kids, you know, his kids are that I'm uncle, you know, that's my nephew. And I just love having that. That, you know, and that did. That started like, literally that started from our stores, were across the street from each other on melrose. And I didn't know if he was in the cars. I didn't know who he was. I just knew there was a perian table in his store. So Mark is definitely like that guy. And, you know, I also like what the vis vim owner hiroki does, who's a friend who's racist and again, collects homes and has great taste in furniture and, you know, and obviously in apparel, man, the guy is just. Just natural with. With what he does. So those are two. I had to put both of them in that category because they're both two guys I really look up to in the collecting world.
- [60:55]
Cam
The hunt or the ownership. Which one do you enjoy more?
- [60:57]
Brian Calvero
I heard this, and I hear a lot of your guests. Like, I'm sure everyone is going to want to say the hunt, but for me, it's the ownership. Like I. I get stressed out when I start to shop these things, man. Like, I. I like to find, but I'm definitely not one to be like, hey, I'm going to Rose bowl, and I'm trying to dig. I don't know. Every time I go to Rose bowl or some kind of flea market, I'm always like, okay, I'm gonna hunt for this. Right? But I never find it. Right. I'm always picturing you. I started collecting those old Isamu Noguchi timers by Hawkeye, and no one knew they were designed by Noguchi. And when I was buying them, they were 45 bucks. It's nice when you find them, so I think the hunt is definitely exciting. But when you take it home and you set it up and you do a little more research, and it's. For me, it's the ownership. I love, definitely loved as a kid going to Toys R Us to go buy, you know, my toys, and. But when you came home with it and you got to, like, enjoy them, I mean, that's. That's where the pure joy is for me.
- [62:06]
Cam
And most importantly, do you feel that you were born with the collector's gene?
- [62:09]
Brian Calvero
Oh, 100%, yeah. No doubt about it. I mean, that's just. If I showed you my little office today, I mean, you would. They would answer it just off of one image. I still have all the old little toys, the basketball cards, the stamp collection still there, the showman photos. I mean, you're talking hundreds and hundreds of, like, smaller things that maybe people really wouldn't care about, but to me, it's part of my collection. It's part of my. My archive, and I don't think that'll ever stop for me, even in my adult life.
- [62:41]
Cam
Amazing. Bea, thank you so much for coming on Collector's Dream Radio. I'm such a fan of. Of yours and periodcorrect and everything that you do, and I can't wait to see everything that comes to fruition for you. So thank you again, and you are welcome on this show and my platform anytime you want.
- [62:56]
Brian Calvero
Oh, man. God bless. And hopefully we do a part two and some of those things I spoke about coming to fruition so we could talk about those things. But, Cam, honestly, really appreciate you. It's really an honor to be here and kind of, like, share my story among some of your other guests. I'm just really honored to even be mentioned around these kind of guys or be on the same podcast as them. And you do an amazing job. So God bless you and the fam. And that beautiful baby man. Let's link soon.
- [63:25]
Cam
Right back at you, my friend. We'll do this again soon. All right, that does it for this episode. Thank you all for listening to Collector's gene radio.