Thomas Rees BIO - FLUFFYCO

COMPANY BIOS

Paulina / Founder & Creative Director

Anna / Screen printer & more

illustrations by Justin Gabbard

How would you describe what you do at FluffyCo?

I work with new social as well as more traditional communications to raise the profile of the FluffyCo brand. I also do some more traditional 'office work.'

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, and its environs.

What sort of things do you do outside of work?

I ride my bicycle everywhere— to punk shows, friends' houses, poetry readings, lovely parks near bodies of water, and so on. I also read and write quite a bit.

Hobbies? Interests? Passions?

Right now, I'm gearing up to debut a newer sort of DJ set, mixing classical music from India and Iran with the hard, jittery techno I find myself attached to. I'm relearning how to sew by going through a book about DIY t-shirt modification. Finally, I'm pretty passionate about living exactly the way I like to live— guess that's the Libra in me.

Any formative experiences leading to where you are now in life?

I guess discovering punk and hardcore when I was younger helped shape me and my political beliefs. In terms of my own work, I think that being in a class with Dodie Bellamy in 2009 helped me to realize that nothing is off-limits, and that embracing what is considered messy and taboo is a way to dig towards deeper truths.

Favorite 3 things about living here?

1. The weather— when it isn't beautiful and sunny, it's foggy and mysterious. 2. The ethnic and cultural mixes evident in many neighborhoods. Within ten blocks of my house in Oakland, there are punk show-spaces, upscale art galleries, Halal markets, Korean markets, Ethiopian restaurants, fried chicken stands, and so on. It's exciting to live in such a diverse, tight urban environment.
3. The literary culture here is better than any other place in the United States, as is the punk scene. There are so many friends and events that I sometimes find myself going to four different events in a single night. What more one ask for?

What’s your dream day in San Francisco?

I just had one of these last week! My boyfriend and I made burgers and ate them on his roof-top, then we picked up some beers and drove to Baker Beach. After some naked-in-the-sun time, we drove to the Mission and ate burritos. Then, I bicycled to a friend's house, where we drank beers in her club-house and talked about poetry. The day concluded with a trip to Aunt Charlies, the only gay bar worth going to, especially on High Fantasy Tuesdays.

Favorite Local Food?

breakfast/brunch, I dig the chilaquiles at Mission's Kitchen. For dinner, the early bird special at We Be Sushi can't be beat. And if someone else is paying, a dinner at Bar Crudo or Le Colonial is well worth the expense.

What have you been researching lately?

Lately, I've been doing research on more obscure, European synth-punk bands of the '80s, as well as the highly eroticized photographs of 1950's muscle magazines.

Any special talents?

I can do an eerily spot-on impression of Neil Young's voice.