The movement of Stussy from Laguna Beach to the style centers of New York, London and Tokyo spread the brands vibe, but also expanded its outlook. It grew from local to global, the catalyst (in many ways) for the streetwear segment of the garment industry. With that, each successive year has seen a larger Stussy Tribe, the lines more diverse and the appeal of the aesthetic broader.
This year, the Stussy tribe has increased its retail presence, hooking up with noted local retailers in each of the new cities. These Chapter Stores continue the unique aspect of Stussy culture that merges the local with the global. They also represent cities that have grown in stature within the “streetwear” community in recent years. This growth is due, in large part, to the efforts of a few people who’ve worked to change the retail landscape of those places.
1) Interview with Omar Quiambao on Stussy Chapter Store Washington
For the majority of folk out there, footwear choices amount to two brand conglomerates. You’ve got your Nike (and Converse) choice or the Adidas/RBK option. Retros, new models, cheapos for Target, Sears and Wal-mart. The big three (now really just two) cover all price points and retail outlets.
For the “adventurous,” footwear choices often amount to the same two brand conglomerates. Plus, a small collection of VANS. Traveling the boutique rout, it is easy to forget the breadth and scope of the big two and focus on the bells and whistles packaging devised to attract “early adaptors” and “cool guys.” Nothing wrong with these affinities (I have a closet full of nikes, adidas and vans), but there is more to life than a swoosh, three stripes and a vector.
One brand offering respite from the big boys is Pointer. Founded in 2004, Pointer offers simple, clean and well-conceived footwear. They are inspired by basic life activities. Childhood memory. Skating. Breakfast. Ian Rush. And, unfortunately, trips to White Heart Lane.
Gareth Skewis is one of the minds behind Pointer (and the one who, regretfully, takes trips to White Heart Lane). He graciously allowed me to pick his brain about the brand, footwear and the need for ancillary product. We exchanged emails for roughly a week, learned of some personal commonalities and ended up producing what I believe is an interesting read. Gareth, presumably, was at his office in London, while I was at mine, in Philadelphia. --Nick Schonberger
Hats, no doubt, are one of the most prominent fixtures in the streetwear universe. Like the t-shirt, caps find their way to most every line sheet and offer simple canvas for brand identity formation. While several types garner respect (from the mesh backed trucker to the 5-panel) the fitted is king. For style and comfort, hard to beat. Also, for shear availability of design space, its the most versatile.
With firm connection to baseball, the fitted hat also screams AMERICA. Not literally, obviously, but there is that undeniable connection. And so, the fitted hat serves as a great entry point for discussing a wonderful rising trend in the industry. Locally made product. Against the tide of globalization, some brands take pride in assuring that their goods are hand and American made, a throwback to traditional manufacture.
Being interested in both hats and American made things, I caught up with Brett Wiley from Estate LA. Estate makes fitted caps in Los Angeles, CA and works with some of the bigger names in action sports (as well as a few of your favorite streetwear brands). Brett and I discussed hats (no surprise), brand building and NASCAR. He was nice enough to allow me to fulfill a dream of conducting an interview via instant messenger. Along with the rest of the Estate crew, we began to answer some of my questions.
The combination of classic silhouettes and advanced technologies has proven an interesting sub-trend in contemporary fashion. Most of these focus on adding a tweak here or there, or reinterpreting a garment in a new fabric. The STONE ISLAND SHADOW project takes the step further. In some respects it reverses logical thinking. Garments are reformed from the inside.
A collaborative effort between Stone Island and Acronym the Shadow Project is a merger. A completely new theoretical tack on the preexisting archival resources of Stone Island, through the lens of Acronym. We present you a preview of the '08-'09 line, complete with the intriguing full story behind the aims and goals of this ambitious work.
We show you the complete collection, model shots as well as a video demonstrating the functionality of the collection.
We bring you the first part of the Adidas aZX collection, a massive effort by Adidas in which they invited high profile brands and stores from around the globe to design their very own Adidas ZX model. This first part consists of collaborations with ACU, Bodega, Colette, D-Mop, Limiteditions, Foot Patrol, Goodfoot and Huf.
Almost daily we are shown, or become aware, of a new sneaker collaboration. Stores, celebrities, bands and even YOU (via custom websites) have the opportunity to “design” (more aptly choose) colour schemes for longstanding favourites. The results are mixed. The hype derived from the perceived cool of the collaborator.
All too often, the selected model (or the model chosen for the collaborator) falls too close to the overly popular models. We see Reebok pumps, Nike Dunks, AF1s and Shell toes. Sure, we see a few runners, and the occasional surprise. But, most of the time things are just a touch predictable.
There are exceptions to this rule, in both brand and collaborator. On the brand level, PUMA has used a great number of their back catalogue for special editions. The Roma to celebrate a Johnny Damon All-Star game appearance. The RS-100 for a great collection featuring the art of BJ Betts. And, of course, the Clyde has proved very versatile. Latest in the high profile release mire is Puma’s work with Sneaker Freaker. Purveyor of sneaker history, news and related issues, the Magazine itself has already made waves with shock collaboration, namely meeting Lacoste.
Since 2003 Sneaker Freaker has documented the global phenomenon of sneaker mania. The craze for sneakers certainly captures the staff as well, who dive into all potential collaborations with incredible verve. Most recently, with Puma, the SF team produced two colour-ways of the Blaze of Glory. Once again throwing the sneaker community for a loop, Sneaker Freaker gets its hands on a long hibernating model, gives it some energy, and unleashes it with some secret animal DNA.
I spoke with Woody, founder and editor-in-chief of Sneaker Freaker, about the process of designing the shoe. While I had him, I figured who better to ask about the market as a whole and to clarify some perceptions I have.
Some things have changed since 1999. It's no longer en vogue to talk about the "Y2K bug," and the desire to "declare war on the mayor" has been replaced by a homogeneous chorus of "F Bush" from the hip-hop ranks -- change begins at a local level! As an underground stalwart for over 15 years, New Jersey's Pacewon always knew how to keep it real. As he prepares for the release "The Only Color That Matters Is Green," Pace is proving that he still goes for his like Malik Sealy...really! The first single, "Hip-Hop," has a classic vibe and expresses a love for the art form, rather than the bitterness that we see all too often from over-the-hill MCs. This album is going to be fire! Don't sleep. While Eminem sits around getting fat, Pace is sticking to his roots and doing what he does best.
We present you in collaboration with Fairtilizer an exclusive interview with the artist and also a playlist that he made especially for this feature, including his own songs and some of his favorite at the moment from other artists.
Richard Hobbs’ REAL REAL GENUINE produces limited, collaborative pieces that are true in nature. No marketing ploys, no ‘special holiday’ editions. Just garments and accessories (and even some fragrance) that are special because they ooze quality and personality. Hobbs translates a vast history of getting things made into an ethos of creating the best possible product, and he gives his customers the opportunity to join a rather exclusive club. I say this partly tongue in cheek, because while the numbers of the items are limited, the nature of the appeal is universal. RRG offers streetwear basics (denim, tees, and crews) that speak to an unspoken interest in the story, the quality, and the subtle differences which make “streetwear” appealing to so many people.
Mr. Hobbs and I exchanged emails over the course of (roughly) a fortnight.
We give you an in-depth preview of a new Puma sneaker - the USAN. The Usan by PUMA unifies function and fashion under the same flag, combining the look and feel of classic sport with a trend-setting style never seen before.
Affiliated with Supreme since 1997, Neal has a long history in the streetwear world. He's also worked with Nort and TeamWorks was launched in 2007. Most recently Neal was behind the Supreme resurrection of the Oakley Frogskins along with his friend Greg Lucci from Gourmet and Ends, and he's currently working with G Shock, both as a spokesmodel and a designer. His long history has left him somewhat jaded and weary but its also allowed him to make decisions for his brand that have given it the vantage point of a well established label even though it's only two years old.
As you can see there are many facets to Neal Santos. We tried to touch on as many as we could in this interview. We also present you the graphics of the Teamworks Summer '08 collection.
Recently artist and toy designer Michael Lau was asked by Nike to design the chinese BMX collection. "As long as it has the swoosh on it," was the only requirement Sandy Bodecker, Nike's VP of Global Design, asked of Michael Lau as they began work on the Nike China Federation BMX Racing Team Kit for the coming Olympics this August in Beijing.
A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of sitting down with the artist to talk about this adventure and of course we also show you the outcome, which includes a special Nike Blazer, a matching toy and the BMX Racing Team Kit.
In 2002, I bought an Eagles Starter Parka on eBay for 28$US shipped. I also cut some fancy parts in my hair. My childhood swagger was back. Unfortunately, the jacket was roughly the same size I would have worn when I was eleven, and the haircut was not greeted warmly by women. I’d made a slight mistake, failing to fuse my nostalgic yearning with my contemporary needs.
Last holiday season, when images of Starter jackets started appearing and rumors of a revamp began to buzz, memories of my youth (and my misguided style choices in 2002) were ignited. Recently, we were greeted to official confirmation of the rumors. Starter is back... or more appropriately, the brands profile has been reinvigorated. Helmed by Jeff Staple, Starter Black Label is sporting heritage meets contemporary sportswear.
Over email, Jeff shared some of his thoughts about and inspirations for Black Label.
As the universal language of youth culture, music forms a common ground allowing the movement of fashion across the globe. New York fuses with Paris and London, and together they all travel through Tokyo (or some iteration of that anyway). Without question, music is the binding element in much of today’s “streetwear,” either in direct or indirect influence. Album cover inspired tees and looks ripped, sometimes literally, of the shoulders of megastars are transparent in musical connection. Beyond, a interest in music can inspire an aesthetic awakening. The sights that correspond with each sub-genre forming a visual catalog of style to be explored, mixed and matched. Sometimes this leads to the formation of a brand.
Just how that works is fascinating, so I got on the horn with Nick Jackson of 12 Bar to get a sense of it all. He was on his cell, and thanks to the magic of skype I was on my MacBook.
Taking inspiration from vintage clothing seems basic on the surface. However, rarely do people push beyond the basic rehashing of old themes and looks. Garbstore is about capturing a feeling in manufacturing and detail. Against the rash of retro style and nostalgic graphic pilfering, this approach is certainly refreshing. It proves the benefits of looking closely at material culture and extracting lessons from that exercise.
Having founded One True Saxon, and helmed R. Newbold and Red Ear in the Paul Smith empire, Ian Paley’s reputation speaks for itself. His experiences, no doubt, have provided him with necessary tools to pick apart aspects of the old and re-imagine them so cleanly. Garbstore is a brand hinged directly on the quality of its product and the joys of making new items.
Ian and I connected over the phone. He was in one capital city (London), and I was in another (DC). We did not talk politics.
NIKE’s history of creative collaborations with artists such as Junya Watanabe, Futura and Mr. Cartoon has resulted in building some of the brand’s most innovative shoes that have transcended sport and style, pushing the brand even further forward. For Summer 2008, NIKE will have a new creative partner for the Air Force 1: NIKE itself.
The Nike Air Force 1 comes remixed with some of the most iconic sneakers ever developed by Nike. We give a complete look at the collection and detailed background information.
- 10Deep Vs. Boogie Interview by Scott Sasso
Famed photographer Boogie is about to release his newest book. Once again he presents a set of photos that he collected around the globe, showing special people and situations that he came across.
For the release of his new book he got together with NYC brand 10.Deep. Since they did not want to do only the usual t-shirt, that we got used to see for pretty much anything releasing these days, they went a step further and also created a zine, which consists of powerful images that did not make it into the book. The package thus consists of the new book, the zine and a special t-shirt and it will be released tomorrow night, March 20th, at the release event organized by Powerhouse Books.
10.Deep founder and designer Scott Sasso sat down with Boogie to talk about his work, his life and of course the new book. The outcome is an interesting conversation between two creative minds.
Painter, drawer and installation artist Mark Dean Veca (1963, Los Angeles) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Vecas painting is characterized by either willful psychedelic or nature and rococo wallpaper inspired patterns. Apparently unspectacular compositions in which Veca hides iconic characters from fairy tales, cartoons and the pop world. In this peculiar manner Mark Dean Veca combines conflictive elements from current history and nature.
His work has been shown at the PS1 / MoMA and several of his pieces are in possession of the prestigious Deutsche Bank collection. Many of you have also seen his recent work in collaboration with Kaws and Original Fake.
With his upcoming exhibition at the Milieu Gallerie/Artspace Bern (starting tomorrow, February 22nd), we had the chance to sit down with the artist and had an in-depth conversation about his work, his life and his inspirations.
The intersection and merger of diverse artistic and sub-group aesthetics and influences plays a major roll in the contemporary iteration of what we call street culture. Beyond the music, graphic, and even transportation choices, there is also a balance between the authentic and the watered down. This comes, primarily, from tensions related to work with corporate entities.
Andy Howell, as an artist and a skateboarder (among many other things), has traversed many of the rocky trails that define the mingling of the corporate world and the street arts. Working with companies as diverse as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, DC Shoes and Rossignol (presented to you in the previous post), along with his own New Deal and Element, Howell has created and collaborated on some highly visible art works.
We had an in-depth conversation with the artist about his work, his inspiration and views in general.
In this Video Feature we present you the Freshjive flagship store in Los Angeles, better known as Reserve. The store has a very special concept, because it is also a fully functioning book store. The manager gives us an exact idea of what the store is about and what Freshjive owner Rick Klotz had in mind when creating it!
Most people that have attended the Bread & Butter in the past are already familiar with the "untitled" exhibition that takes place at the tradeshow. Over the past years, the exhibition has showcased and collaborated with well-known artists and companies like Parra, Maiden Noir, Sheone, Jeremy Fish, Haze, Shepard Fairey, The KDU, Stash, Mode2, and hundreds more.
Each exhibition focuses on a specific theme and presents collective works from diverse artists, with special attention to new motifs and unique display techniques.
The "untitled" book is a printed document of the exhibition that gives praise to street culture in all aspects, from graffiti to photography, from toys to clothing and everything in between. In this feature we preview "untitled" No. 8, the exhibition and also the book. Once again the team impresses and presents a range of interesting artists and brands. They go further this year and have a strong line-up of clothing collaborations in the pipes, including t-shirts, as well as hoodies. The clothing, just like the book and the exhibition, underlies the theme and perfectly fits into the "untitled" showcase. Make sure to pass by the exhibition, should you visit Bread & Butter next week!
A Western understanding of the Tokyo street scene has until recently been a story best left told by the individuals who have visited the District; people from the West who return with countless stories of a maze of micro shops littering a small area in Downtown Tokyo -street fashion with no borders. But with every first hand account received, the story becomes ever more complex: the array of people, the variety of small house fashion brands; none of which seem to relate, but often broaden the image of the Harajuku. No one story can explain how the District came to become a fashion focal point of the new era.
Tiffany Godoy's book "Style Deficit Disorder" (released this month from Chronicle Books) may well be the first steps into understanding the history and legend that is known as the Harajuku District (as written and told in English). Used to loosely describe a small shopping district in Tokyo, Harajuku, truth be told, encompasses something superbly more vast than what most Westerners suspect. Harajuku is not a movement, it is a living breathing District in the heart of Tokyo that has roots reaching as far back as WW2. The story of the Harajuku is not a simple one. Luckily for us, "Style Deficit Disorder" offers an excellent introduction.
We had the chance to speak with Tiffany about her book just days before its release.
Continuing on our special coverage of the Burton & Channel Islands Flagship Store Los Angeles opening, we bring you an interview with Greg Dacyshyn, Creative Director of Burton. He took some time out from the festivities to chat with us about Burton and much more. After recently talking with Hiroshi Fujiwara about various topics including iDiom, Global Warming and Burton in general, we picked up the conversation with Greg Dacyshyn, who gave us a lot more insight.
The Burton & Channel Islands Flagship Store in Los Angeles is opening just days from now. The Los Angeles Flagship store brings together under one roof all apsects of the Burton board sports offering: snow, surf, and skate. Last week, Burton and Channel Islands gathered their extended family: rides, surfers, skaters, and friends in Los Angeles, to celebrate the opening of their biggest store to date. The long list of celebrities included none other than Hiroshi Fujiwara, who came in from Japan for the event. We had the opportunity to speak with him about Burton, snow sports, and more...
24 Kilates is one of the most iconic streetwear stores in Barcelona and probably all of Spain. In little time the store has build up a great reputation and solid customer base. During Bread & Butter Barcelona, the store is host to industry parties, gallery shows and get togethers.
24 Kilates recently joined forces with New Balance and with New Era to create a range of products that not only represent the philosophy of the store, but also represent Barcelona as a city. This first part of the project has been inspired by the Spanish artist and architect Gaudi. Both the New Balance 1700 and the New Era cap that resulted in this project show the connection to Gaudi's work at first site.
In order to get a better understanding of the project we sat down with Pol, the owner of 24 Kilates and creative force behind this collaboration. Read the interview to get further insight on the 24 Kilates x New Balance x New Era collaboration project.
"The New Royalty": It is a bold statement from a line as young as 3sixteen. The term is not one of ego but more of an ideal that pushes the idea that royalty, nobility, success... really belongs to those who are creative, innovative, excellent in whatever it is they do.
King Lear once said to his daughter Cordelia "Nothing will come of nothing". The same holds true for anyone out in the world looking to make their space, their time on a playing field filled with a bounty of undecipherable messages. More often than not, these are messages that have a life span as short as the clothing designs they represent.
3sixteen plans to supersede said outcome. Though their cut and sew offering is small today, they’re relying on the power of remaining understated in design and focusing heavily on the longevity of wear to remain relevant. Their apparel over the last season has shown an emphasis in remaining staples in everyday wearability.
Johan Lam from 3sixteen spoke with us on some of these points. Also we present you part of their Fall/Winter 2007 collection.
UNDRCRWN is a contemporary lifestyle brand fueled by its founders’ passion for sports and fashion. You probably know that UNDRCRWN’s designs are inspired by basketball, but it is not a performance brand. Instead, UNDRCRWN products are deeply rooted in the vintage looks, high level of detailing and quality workmanship that represent sports culture from “back in the day.” While many know UNDCRWN for its clever tees with strong graphics , the brand has quietly been making a name for itself with its full collection of tees, footwear and apparel. UNDCRWN’s classic designs with a fashion twist, appeal to the sports junkie, the fashionista and everyone in between.
Undrcrwn’s 2007 Holiday line will drop in stores throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Japan later this month. Undrcrwn has gathered five influential DJ’s to showcase the brand’s new Holiday collection in a 64 page Look-book that will be distributed to all retailers worldwide. Undrcrwn was able to bring together all the DJ’s for a photo-shoot in their Philadelphia offices, throughout the next week or so we will be bringing you exclusive interviews and visuals of the photo-shoot and interviews with all five DJ's.
Here we give you a first look at The Hundreds Holiday 2007 collection. Once known as a t-shirt brand, they have come a long way and the cut & sew has become just as strong in their new seasons. Here below we give you an exclusive first look at the Hundreds Holiday 2007 collection and the Tens (Girls Line by the Hundreds) Holiday 2007 collection. The collections are comprised of basics such as t-shirts and hoodies, but have become very complete over time, now also including outerwear, shirts, caps, beanies and a lot more.
We give you an exclusive first look at new the collection, both t-shirts and cut & sew pieces, that will arrive in stores worldwide this coming week.
Portfolio.com's November issue interview with Nigo, entitled,"Fashion's Next Big Bang" is a fairly revealing look into the world of Bathing Ape's head honcho, Nigo, a Japanese man through and through who is living a scene out of the 1988 Tom Hank's movie "Big". Read the article even if you read the BAPE Bible. For one thing its a nice glimpse into major media coverage of something considered exclusive to a small community.
We took a closer look at the article and analyzed some of the main points, as well as commented on the happenings with Bape, its globalization and current status in the market.
Johnny Cupcakes and Bobby Hundreds may have grown up on different Coasts, but they both share a drive and vision that has made their brands (Johnny Cupcakes and The Hundreds respectfully) some of the most recognizable in modern day street fashion.
Though they tend to serve different consumer sets, both young men are clearly peers in many respects.
The similarities in the rise of the The Hundreds and Johnny Cupcakes are very apparent: from their respective ages and to their drive to keep moving forward without concern for public acceptance.
Their brands are becoming more and more encompassing with each passing season, with focus on design, cuts, and packaging. Without any formal training in the industry both men have grown their brands into full fledged working business. Their flagship stores in Los Angeles (TH) and Boston (JC) are heavily trafficked stops for their fans and the curious alike.
Jeff Carvalho had the opportunity to sit down and talk to them about their relationship.
Kingston`s photographer Peter Dean Rickards aka The Afflicted Yard captures the Jamaican culture in all its roughness since 1999: violence, sex, drugs, music.
His picture world is relentlessly authentic without provoking for provocation`s sake. His palette of themes range from bloody slaughtering scenes at a country meat market to gun waving ganglords and Jamaican celebrities like Lee Scratch Perry, Ninjaman,Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Buju Banton, Monty Alexander and Sean Paul. Magazines like I-D, Lodown, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Complex, Vibe, NEON and XLR8R already published images from Peter Dean Rickards. His photoseries “Drunk in Miami” recently created a great hype on various fashion and photography blogs.
We sat down with Peter Dean Rickards to talk about his life, his views and his upcoming solo show at MILIEU Galerie / Artspace in Bern, Switzerland.
We are introducing a much anticipated project between DC Shoes and JB Classics - the first worldwide sneaker-to-sneaker collaboration - Imminent. We see new collaborations every day and the word collaboration is many times being stretched. In this case two befriended brands that appreciate each other got together to create something special.
Both DC Shoes and JB Classics are known for their strong artist collaborations as well as excellent footwear. The two brands coming together and joining forces to create a sneaker had to be something interesting and to look out for. We digged a little deeper and had a talk with Jason from JB Classics, as well Damon, co-founder of DC Shoes, in order to find out how the project came together, what the outcome is and what the process was.
Read the Interview and see for the first time the sneaker, as well as the New Era cap and crewneck sweater that came out of the DC Shoes x JB Classics collaboration.
Today we introduce a new brand to you by people that have been in this business for a very long time. Reigning Champ is a new label by CYC Design Corporation. Does this name not ring a bell? CYC Design Corporation are the producers of all those heavy weight hoodies and crewneck sweaters of Supreme, Alife, aNYthing and others that we all love so much. Besides their own brand Wings & Horns, they are now also launching for Fall 2007 Reigning Champ, a line of basics.
We had a chat with their CEO to tell us a bit about the new line, who it is targeted at, where it will be available and especially what makes Reigning Champ so special, even though it is so simplistic. Of course we also give you a detailed first look at the Reigning Champ Fall 2007 collection.
This friday Geoff McFetridge will open his first large solo exhibition in the Netherlands, in MU gallery Eindhoven. He's here now for 3 weeks and a few days ago one of our Columnists, Remco from Ontour, met him and they had a nice conversation, while he was in the middle of constructing his show.
They talked about this expo, his studio, the way he works, his thoughts and inspirations and loads of other stuff, while he was busy painting some expo elements. It was inspiring to see and hear how the artist approaches his work, exhibitions and also to hear what his future plans are. Get to know Geoff McFetridge better, one of todays up and coming artists to watch.
Fats Shariff, aka Fatsarazzi, has been very active urban culture as of the very beginning. Coming from a background in production for some of the most though after labels of our culture, he has moved on since a while to document the international urban, style and street culture. With the upcoming of his first Solo Show at Milieu Gallery in Bern, Switzerland, we thought it was the right time to introduce the person behind the name Fatsarazzi properly.
The Interview, as you will see, is a little different from our usual interviews. Of course we talk about streetculture and also "streetwear", but the main aim of the interview was to find out more about the person Fatsarazzi and his opinion on many different things that happen around him and that influence him.
Read a feature about streetculture, art, family and life and listen to a man that really has something to say!
We had a chat with Dennis Calvero, founder of Crooks & Castles. The brand has over the past couple of years set off a strong movement and its bold graphics have quickly become known in the so-called streetwear market and well passed it as well.
Therefore we thought it was a good time to talk to the founder to see where it all started, what the brand is all about and most importantly where he is intending to go with Crooks & Castles. Judging from the Interview we can already tell you now that there is a lot to come from them. Commitment, longevity and a strong set of collaborations will push the brand to the next level, while still staying true to the principles and base that the brand was founded on.
Get to know the brand and Dennis better. In the end its the people that make it happen and that make a brand what it is.
Today we have the pleasure to present you something really special: Dirt Ollies - A Skatboard Trip to Mongolia. The trip has been sponsored by Carhartt Europe and after four years they are now finally releasing the book and movie documenting this very special and unique adventure.
Based on a photo of a giant skatepark in the center of Ulaanbaatar that was taken two years beforehand, a group of eleven skateboarders took the challenge in July 2004 and found themselves face to face with the ruins of the park, that had been torn down just three weeks earlier.
A voyage through the joy and pain of skateboarding, random architecture, endless countryside and the knowledge of how to ollie on dirt.
Soon Colette will hold an exhibition of pictures featured in the book. Make sure not to miss that. But until then please check out our feature on the book and have a look at the many great pictures of this exciting journey.
Rip-off & Duplicate is one of the most exciting new brands launched in the last few months. Created by Omar, the same guy that already brought you the premium streetwear stores Commonwealth, you can be sure that a person with experience and knowledge in the industry is behind the brand.
With Rip-off & Duplicate he takes a bit of a different route and presents a line, entirely cut & sew, that offers a refreshing new style in terms of cuts, styles as well as designs and colors. While the basic pieces such as the tees and hoodies, stay basic in design, the jackets, shorts and other pieces stand out, due to top quality and a lot of attention to detail. With these attributes, Rip-off & Duplicate is already named next to brands such as Nom de Guerre, A.P.C. and Rittenhouse, while still keeping its own identity.
We spoke to Omar about his new line, what the inspiration behind it is, who he wants to reach with it and where it will be available.
This time we had a chat with Keola of Fitted Hawaii. The fitted caps market has gone through huge growth over the years. Still lead by New Era, now we finally see more players entering the market, trying to compete on a fashion level rather than a sports inspired level in this market.
Therefore we thought it was a good time to talk to Keola about this market and of course about Fitted Hawaii, the first limited edition fitted cap store, about how it all started, why they decided to take this route and where they are heading.
We also present the new Spring 2007 collection that will be released tomorrow, April 21rst at Fitted Hawaii. Store opens at 11am and phone orders will be taken as of 2pm. For the first time the caps will also be available at other premium accounts - Huf, St. Alfred, DQM and 5 & A Dime will carry the new ones as of next week. Of course quantities are limited, so you better be quick.
Now go on to read the Interview and listen to what Keola has to say and check out their fantastic new line!
This is already the second time that we interview Benny Gold, designer based out of San Francisco. The first time we just wanted to introduce him to you. This time we got together, because he just launched his signature Benny Gold brand, a sister brand to Huf, for whom he does most of the design work.
Read the interview to find out how it all came together and what you can expect from the Benny Gold collection in the future. We also of course present you the very first collection of the brand, Spring 2007, that is now available at Huf and will soon also arrive at more shops around the globe. The first collection consists of several tees as well as of a Benny Gold x Huf x New Era collaboration cap.
This week we have yet another new feature waiting for you. We sat down with Erik from Kilo Goods and talked about the brand, the Spring 2007 collection and what else there is to come from them in the near future.
Kilo Goods has quickly become a favorite for many out there. Visiting the tradeshows in Vegas recently, whomever you asked, which brands stood out and will have impact in the future, you could in 99% of all cases be sure that people were naming Kilo Goods. Fresh colors and patterns, and their very own distinct style made the brand already by now easily recognizable. Always an eye on the details and high quality standards can be seen in all their pieces. Strong collaborations, with Rocksmith Japan and Complete Technique underline that even more.
Erik is not only involved with Kilo Goods, the brand, but is also one of the founders of the Fosho Foshow tradeshow in Vegas, that goes down twice per year. We also touch base on that in the interview.
Head on to read the Interview with Erik and to see their entire Spring 2007 collection, and we can promise you already that you will not be disappointed.
We sat down with the guys from Leroy Jenkins. Right from the start they have had a big impact and clearly set themselves apart with their style. They got known for their crazy hoodie colorways and patterns, something unseen before in streetwear and have since inspired many others to take the same direction.
In the meanwhile they have taken their time to go beyond the hoodie and are about to take off strong with a full collection. This Spring we see caps, shorts, hoodies, t-shirts and a lot more is to come. We also spoke about upcoming collaborations with Majestic on a Jacket and Royal Elastic on sneakers.
Read the Interview to get to know the people behind the brand, as you will notice pretty quickly that they have interesting backgrounds and that we will hear a lot more about Leroy Jenkins in the future.
With casual footwear becoming more and more popular over the years, we also see new companies arise. Most of the time the new companies do not manage to really set themselves apart from the old rivals and to create something new, that people also accept. Thankfully there are a handful that do manage and Pointer Footwear out of the UK is one of them.
Pointer manages to perfectly balance design and function in their footwear and caters rather to the lifestyle market than the athletic footwear market. Have a look at their Spring/Summer 07 collection and be impressed like so many before have been. Since this might be a new brand to most of you, we took a more in-depth look at the brand and at the line-up that they are offering right now.
With the growth of streetwear you also find more and more niche tradeshows that cater to the market more efficiently than the big players in the market. The latest in a series of new tradeshows to look out for is definitely United.
Taking place at the same time in Las Vegas as all the big shows, such as Magic/Pool, United opens its doors for the first time next week in the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas. The show is more personal, more targeted and concentrates on the people and brands. At the same time they deliver events around the show to complete the experience!
Brands showing at United include Stacks & Bundles, Rogue Status, Keep, Toy Me, Pharmacy and many others. You will for sure not be disappointed. We give you a preview of the brands, products and events that United has to offer.
Since trends go more and more in the direction of high fashion mixing with streetwear and streetwear brands getting more sophisticated over time, we thought it was interesting to have a look at the Runway shows for Fall/Winter 07/08.
We had a look at some brands that we always watch: Number (N)ine, Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, Yamamoto, Viktor & Rolf, Vivienne Westwood and some more. A few months ago we came across a nice quote of Coco Chanel, where she says that fashion comes from the street and inspires high end fashion until it makes its way back down to the street into the mainstream.
That said, we wanted to have a look at the high fashion brands that get inspired by streetwear or that inspire streetwear - sometimes in an obvious way and other times you only realize the connection much later.
These days it's not easy doing your own thing and not getting carried away. Certain styles seem to be the most successful and it's never easy to take your own way and to fight for it - making it happen.
If you look at the skateboarding scene in Hong Kong one of the most influential individuals is definitely Brian from 8Five2. He started off a distribution company, that later on also evolved into a retail concept and he was the first to educate the HK market and to show them what is really out there. It seemed like this was not enough for him, thus he also created his own clothing line, Know1edge. The line is getting better season after season and we are always surprised how consequently Brian grows the line, introducing new styles and creating lots of classics without following too much what is happening around him. Other interesting projects of his involve the watches he created with Haze and Maharishi lately.
As you can see Brian is a very busy person. Thus we are even more happy that we managed to catch up with him to talk about his shop, Hong Kong, Know1edge and what else there is to come.
Hardly ever have we seen a site make its round so fast and gaining so many fans around the globe - Don't Believe the Hypbeast. The essence of their site was to criticize all the ridiculous happenings in our small niche market and to look at many things with a funny and ironic point of view.
In the end the real irony was, that the same people that visit sites like ours, fans and lovers of so-called streetwear and sneakers, were also the people that also visit DBTHb and that took much out of the seriousness away and made the site even more fun. They gave this market some balance one can say.
A while back we get a mysterious email, telling us that we were allowed to interview the creators of DBTHb. Haters have to stay anonymous, and that's exactly what they did. But we took the chance and interviewed them and it seems like it was the only chance ever to get this interview as the site seems dead at the moment.
Enough talking now. Head on over to read the Interview with Satchel and Johnny Tens and see what the real point of view of the DBTHb-Creators is on the market and people in it. We actually managed to get a few real answers out of them.
Nike has in a very interesting and artistic way themed their womens collection for 2007. Not only is there a great mix of innovation and good design, they have also created an entire exhibition to present the collection - The Dance.
To further explore the connection between women, sport, culture, movement, and innovative design, Nike invited three creative talents to give their own unique perspectives and distinctive points of view on these topics. For this project, Nike worked together with creative director Emma Reeves, photographer Ryan McGinley, and fine artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir (aka Shoplifter) to bring forth a vision of women, sport, and innovation through art.
Today we present you the collection and some flics of the artwork and the exhibition created for the new collection.
Today we are very happy to bring you a great new feature. We have announced it before, José Parla has his first solo show this year at the Art Basel Miami, sponsored by Spoonfed. The massive 4 story gallery space has been prepared to host the outstanding artworks of José Parla and around the exhibition a lot more will happen, that we will reveal to you step by step. One first product dropping is a book, featuring this exhibition.
Here we present you now an exclusive Interview with José Parla and Al Moran of Spoonfed, explaining you how the show came about, how the artist and Spoonfed got together, how the book came about and many more stories around this very unique event. The Interview has been conducted by non-other than photographer David Perez Shadi for us. We are very proud to present you this feature. The exhibition of José Parla started today in Miami and thus we thought it was just the perfect time to give you some more background to this event!
Today we are very happy to bring you a nice feature about a great artist that has changed the graffiti world a long time ago already and has now collaborated with Mekanism Skateboards from France, that you all know so well already for outstanding artist collaborations with Invader, Zevs and other known artists. We will present you the new art decks that are available for purchase as of today and we also sat down with Delta for a small Interview to hear what he has to say himself about this particular project.
King Stampede has continuously over the past seasons brought out strong products. They have also become very well known for hot New Era collaborations. Being very attached to NYC, the brand has always brought there various influences of this mythic place into their designs. At this point they have strongly established themselves in the market place and among streetwear afficionados.
We got together with Nick from King Stampede and had a chat with him about the brand, the current status, the future and also talked about their latest Fall 06 collection, which we exclusively present to you here as well. Please head after the JUMP to read the Interview and see their new collection. Once again they present a good mix of strong graphics, nice simple styles and of course a load of hot New Era collaborations. The new collection will start appearing in stores as of next week, so be sure to cop what you want quick!
It’s always great to see a market grow where streetwear has never been that much of an issue. The culture grows and with it new influences also get into it. Exactly that is the case right now from Mexico. When it was always very quite around Mexico concerning streetwear we are now hearing more and more. The big Nike quickstrikes are being launched in Mexico City with big events, people open beautiful stores such as Shelter and Guerreria and so everything evolves.
The movement in Mexico takes a whole new speed with the release of the Dia de los Muertos Dunks. Now, most of you have seen some pics of it already, but we give you now the entire run-down on the project. We had a chat with the designer of the sneaker, Nahual. Mexico gets their very own Dunk designed by a Mexican and not just anybody in the big corporate world. That changes everything and gives more meaning to the sneaker. He explains the sneaker and the mexican market and of course we give you tons of nice pics of the shoe. Don’t get too hungry, because the sneaker will be released only in Mexico and Canada (don’t ask me why). The designer explains his inspiration and give the sneaker a story!
This week we sat down with Andreas, one of the owners of Caliroots in Sweden. We are that you have heard of Caliroots before, one of the best streetwear spots in Europe, carrying all the hot lines. To name a few: 10 Deep, Crooks & Castles, Triumvir, The Hundreds, Cheap Monday, Once Upon a Time and the list just goes on. In the past year they have grown to an instituion in Sweden and in Europe.
It does not stop here. Last week they introduced their own denim line and now we talked about their new venture - Six Feet Down. The name already indicates what it is - a sneaker store. When looking at Caliroots you can be sure that Six Feet Down will be equally good and play an important role in the sneaker game in Europe. The opening party of the new spot is this Friday and thus we talked to them about the new spot.
Read the Feature here...
Today we are glad to bring you once again a special feature. This week we sat down with Benny Gold. Many of you may not have heard of him before, but some might have come across him, mainly due to the outstanding projects and products he has worked on in recent years.
His product portfolio is just stunning. He is the creative mind behind most Huf Projects and with the rise of Huf in the past years, Benny of course gets much more appreciation as well. Any project, it being the Hufquake, the BMX Series, the Adicolor Campaign, all the Huf New Era caps that we saw coming - all that was designed and created by Benny Gold.
Ontour is one of the most exciting new streetwear brands coming out of Europe. The brand is based in the Netherlands and comes out with one strong collection after the other. Here we show you a preview of their Fall 06 BIG MOUTH line and talked to the guys for some insight into the brand, this collection and their thoughts on the current state of fashion.
Nike has been an innovator for a long time now already. This time they take it one step further. The Nike "One Time Only" pack consists of all sorts of exciting Nike sneakers from the past 20 years, but they have one thing in common - they all have the Air Max 360 sole.
Read the Feature here...