WTAPS will be ringing in the new year with a small release of some very nice items. As part of this special drop, the label will be releasing a slim fitting stadium jacket in 3 classic colors including a very eye catching red piece highlighted by cream colored sleeves. A very shimmery down filled vest is also part of the collection, and it comes in a blue and black, both with a buffalo check lining. The last item is a military inspired shoulder bag. Check the Gip store after the new year to purchase.

Source: Honeyee

Phenomenon, along with YOSHiKO CREATiONS PARiS, has created this extensive jewelry collection for this Holiday 2011 season. The theme is centered around the mythological creature, The Griffin, which was a chimera that was part eagle and part lion. To tie into the theme, the two labels created pieces such as rings featuring wings, as well as bangles, rings and pendants with the Griffin perched and ready to strike. Each piece comes in gold and silver and will be sold at the Contemporary Fix, as well as YOSHiKO CREATiONS PARiS.

Check the full collection after the jump.

Last year, Oakley debuted its Gearbox watch and it was quite the success. This time, they will be dropping this new stealth/black/red color version, which will be shipping out mid-January. Check out some specs on the watch below:

Gearbox features five-jewel quartz movement and a uniquely dimensional dial face. Impact forged stainless steel is honed with Computer Numeric Controlled machining and matched with a screw-down crown, placed on the left of the chassis for a distinctive look. A durable strap of Unobtainium® rubber offers all-day comfort. This Oakley original is optimized with the protection of a pure sapphire crystal and the endurance of a 60-month battery.

Take a closer look after the jump.

As part of their on-going partnership, DQM and Vans presents a new series of caps and beanies for Holiday 2011. The cap collection includes three five panel snapbacks in two colors each, and two camp caps in three colors each. As for the beanies they made two styles, in three colors each. All new caps and beanies are now available from the Vans DQM General Store and online.

This collaboration just shows again how valuable the right collaborator for a brand can be. DQM infuses great design and taste into the Vans accessories, unseen for the most part before from Vans in-house releases.

Check out all the caps and beanies in detail after the jump.

Gourmet has unveiled a brief preview of their upcoming Spring 2012 collection. The brand continues to utilize high quality materials for their unique styles, which has become a hallmark of Gourmet. Some highlights include a collaborative effort with Southern California retailer Primitive on Gourmet’s duck boot inspired Quadici, and we also see an interesting leopard print pack with their Cinque 2 and 35 models. But, the strongest pieces are the Sedici L’s in a veggie tanned full grain leather, as well as a camo print Italian cross-hatched suede.

Take a further look after the jump.

Although the Holiday season is winding down, we still have some of the spirit of it thanks to this video from Armoury London. This should give you a recharge in time for the home stretch of the Holidays. Enjoy.

Nike and LeBron James enlisted the help of Miami artist Alvaro Ilizarbe aka Freegums to help with art work on these LeBron 9 basketball shoes. Freegums’ work can be seen in the lining of the sneakers, in addition to the paper inside of the box, which matches the shoe lining. These limited edition shoes will be dropping at a few retailers including Wish ATL, who will be releasing them on December 31st. Let’s just hope that the limited availability does not lead to pandemonium like a recent Jordan Brand release.

Check the shoes out further after the jump.

adidas Originals presents the Rod Laver Vin Lux Pack for Spring 2012. Consisting of three colorways of the iconic low top sneaker, each comes with a tonal upper, made up of a herringbone pattern canvas and hints of suede and accents set in gold. The outcome is a very classy and premium looking version of the sneaker, which is coming to stores in the following weeks.

Check out all three colorways after the jump.

We reports about endless product collaborations here and in some cases the get together of two parties make sense and results in a fantastic new product. In other cases the results are more questionable. Designer Jeff Staple is involved in a lot of them himself and gives us some background on the different types of collaborations and more importantly explains when it is not a collaboration and what makes a good one. He wrote the article for the latest issue of Antenna magazine.

“As soon as man could make things, man was collaborating.

When the first caveman discovered fire, one person found the wood, the other worked the flame. Centuries later, the blacksmith needed to work with the leathersmith in order to make that perfect belt. Long before the word “collaboration” or “colab” was invented, we were collaborating.

The reason is simple. As humans, we are adept at only a certain number of skill sets. Even so called “Renaissance people” are not masters at everything. Eventually we need help. There are two kinds of help: we can simply pay for the help, otherwise known as “work-for-hire,” or we can collaborate. When you collaborate, you’re basically saying, “Hey bro, I’m really good at X, but I suck at Y. You, on the other hand are really good at Y, but you’re miserable at X. If we come together, we might be able to do some amazing things!”

The result is an epiphany. A yin and a yang forming one. Taking the best of the negatives and turning them into positives. Fast forward a few more centuries and we now live in the digital/technological/informational age. Our outputs are no longer only physical objects, but they are experiences now too. People make a living by offering opinions, or by having a certain number of people “follow” and “like” them. It’s a new day where your thoughts are the commodity.

Even with all that, the basic premise of the collaboration is the same.
Nowadays a corporation will seek the services of a cool artist, influencer or designer to work with them on a product. Why?

Read the rest of the article after the jump.

The ongoing partnership between adidas and Ransom has produced some solid footwear offerings. For this Fall/Winter 2011 season, the two have released this Army TR Mid sneaker in two great colors including green and tan. Each pair is made up primarily of suede, with a smooth leather around the heel. A white toe cap and matching white sole adds another nice dimension to the sneakers. These are now available at Wish ATL.

Take a closer look after the jump.