Get this: Kyle Ng of the unfussy menswear line Farm Tactics has a taxidermy collection so epic that he can’t even fit it all in his house in Los Angeles, on the border of Fairfax and Melrose. Walk into Hairroin Salon just off Sunset Boulevard, and you’ll meet some of his overflow. “I have probably 30 to 50 pieces now. I have a sloth, a penguin, a baby llama, a baby leopard—it’s some cool stuff, man. I’ve been collecting for about six years from antique stores or trading with friends. They’re all over, at people’s lofts and studios,” he explains. Here, a look at some of his craziest finds. —seth putnam Kyle’s edition is the perfect tote for hauling all sorts of things, with it’s climbing-rope handles. But probably not bottled woodland creatures. Check it now. Sloth: “My favorite piece ever is this sloth in the glass case. Getting it was some Indiana Jones shit. You could say it’s on perma-loan from a private collection. I love sloths, and I don’t really know anyone else who has one.” Bottled sharks: “My friend was going to the mineral and gem show in Arizona, near a pretty famous taxidermy/natural-history spot. I just gave him a bunch of money and told him to buy what he found. He called me and told me about this, and I was just like, ‘Yeah get that, get that, get that!’” Cobra: “I have two cobras that were bought from Necromance in Los Angeles. They’re probably from India. They’re just a more exotic vibe than some of the others.” Hippo foot: “That’s the centerpiece for the dining room table always, and we have a little floral decoration. I traded someone for that. I have a lot of friends in that world who just love to trade each other. There aren’t many people who collect hardcore who aren’t just super-bizarre dudes. So we’ll do big trades like an ostrich head for an alligator and a penguin. I think I traded some birds for the foot.” Bobcat and dik-dik: “It’s a very shittily made Mexican bobcat. And right next to it is a dik-dik. I just really love the curiosity of nature and natural history. Collecting them represents my love for nature. When you’re a kid at Disneyland, you go on the Jungle Cruise ride and see all these artifacts and animals and butterflies. I love the idea that you can really own these things and be a part of that. I like that idea of being a collector of knowledge and culture.”

A look at Kyle’s library. Magic for Dummies! When Kyle Ng of the lighthearted menswear line Farm Tactics talks, it’s with a certain calmness that speaks to his very go-with-the-flow nature. Here, four key tenets of the Kyle Ng ideology—and get ready, ‘cause it’s about to get spiritual up in here. —seth putnam Simplify Everything: “If you think about Japanese design, it’s about less-is-more, and subtracting from things. When you add more, you clutter your mind.” Understand That Nature Is Everywhere: “When I look at moss or rust, I realize that I can only hope to design as beautifully as nature. Don’t fuck with it. You have to respect your place. My whole thing is that we’re part of it. A lot of people think of cities as bad compared to the forests. I’m not a believer in that. When I’m climbing at Stoney Point, I’m in the wilderness. But I could be on the street in Los Angeles and feeling it, too. To me, the city is nature.” Embrace Sport: “I play basketball about four times a week. And I wish I could climb and skate more. I like fishing in the L.A. River, which is some of the worst water, but there are fish there. I’m really interested in the juxtaposition of these things.” Get Outta the Car: “I don’t drive. I failed the test twice, and then moved to L.A. and bought a car because I had cash. It was an $800 Volvo beater. I drove for a year and a half, then got caught; and I thought, ‘There’s probably something in the world telling me to not to drive.’ I wouldn’t say I’m religious, but I believe in the idea of energy. Everything I’ve done has come together and fit the way it should. You shouldn’t fight that.” See how Kyle’s philosophy plays out in the ready-for-nature tote (fit with climbing-rope handles) that he made for us.