In this episode Maestro takes the ferry into the city to visit his friend Anoma, fashion director for Complex magazine and experiences a new and different day in New York City.

As part of Riviera’s Design Series Casa Surf Project, Eve Lowey of Studio Chameleon joined forces with former world champion skateboarder and owner of etnies Pierre Andre Senizergues on a signature Skate Room. Hailing back to its roots in skateboarding and all that encompasses the culture, the movement, curves and shapes in the design of the room reflect the passion of etnies.

Highlights include the Chicken’s bowl sink, shoe scrap headboard, reversed shadow box wheel mirror, skate free mini bar, “Graffiti Malibu” art piece and an original art creation by Mike Manzoori titled “It’s Not Where You’re Going, It’s How You Get There.” The room also offers an eco twist on design, reviving discarded items and ultimately spreading a message of lightening your eco impact, one footprint at a time.

The ocean view hotel room is located in Laguna Beach, California in Casa Del Camino Hotel, and will open to rent starting this weekend. And that’s not all. For the first year of room rentals, La Casa Del Camino Hotel is giving a portion of the room rate to etnies charity of choice: Global Green, USA. Go PAS!

Photographer The Selby pays visit to Nike Global Energy Marketing Director Fraser Cooke’s home in Tokyo. The full photo set can be seen here, while a Q&A is forthcoming.

More images of Fraser Cooke at home in Tokyo after the click.

The latest edition of Walrus TV features an interview with Ryan McGinness from the “The Run Up” DVD. Enjoy.

The notion of authenticity plays a central role in how things are sold and marketed to the niche we cover on Highsnobiety. Without going too in depth, it’s safe to say the “street culture” scene has grown from a grouping on of interrelated pursuits which adapted certain cultural products (e.g., the Timberland boot), to one that corporate entities wish to adopt. This comes as no surprise, I’m sure, but it still raises a lot of provocative questions.

For me, these questions often center on intent. Campaigns directed towards the niche traditionally follow a form involving key “influencers” and well-known products. Collaborations, which we’ve touched upon before, are an example. But there are also campaigns that build more deeply through the “influencer” model, and as such dig more directly into the way we consume information and think about the people who inhabit our space.

We’ve already seen several high-profile Japanese designers tackle the mundane for Isetan’s Art Convenience Store (fragment pens, Mastermind umbrellas), but this one takes the cake for most unusual. Jun Takahashi of Undercover worked with Ginbis on a collaborative box of Animal Crackers. The packaging portrays the different animals in a realistic setting, while each cracker is branded with the animal’s name. Interestingly enough, Ginbis prints their biscuits in English, giving the Japanese a head start on vague animal shape naming. Now available at Cliffedge.

More looks at the Undercover x Ginbis Animal Crackers after the click.

Ricky Powell interviews SSUR (and its sub-brands Rebel Ape and Caviar Cartel) founder Ruslan Karablin. This footage stems from Upper Playground’s “Dithers” DVD. Enjoy.

In the Season 2 Finale, Maestro makes his way back to Tokyo to skate around and take part in Eric Koston’s global launch of “The Life Of Koston” shot by Atiba Jefferson and Keiichi Nitta. Joined by special guests Atiba Jefferson, Ty Evans, Giovanni Reda and Rip Zinger. Levi says it’s the best one he’s ever made. Enjoy.

Last year, 1800 Tequila launched their first Essential Artists Collection, and simultaneously ran a contest where individuals could submit designs to be a part of the second series. The second series has been revealed, and features 12 pieces of original artwork over the unique medium of a bottle of 100% Agave Silver Tequila. 11 winners were chosen, along with one “celebrity artist” who happens to be Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One. Available early November. For more information and where to purchase visit 1800tequila.com.

Also, be sure to check out an animated video of all the bottles below:

Have a look at all the 1800 Tequila Essential Artists Bottles after the jump.

We reported on Yi Zhou’s latest short film The Ear back in August. Today, we are able to present the movie itself. The film was inspired by Gogol’s short story The Nose from the Petersburg tales and is based on the absurd story of the loss of an ear.

“The ear is actually the key element of the film, shot in RED and partly made in 3d animation. Throughout the film, the ear and inner ear as a whole turn themselves into an EarBrige as they get crossed by a bridge. The EarBridge is part of a public project proposal for Baku, Azerbaijan that includes a number of important international contemporary artists.”

As mentioned previously, the film features Pharrell Williams alongside music by Ennio Morricone and costumes by Rick Owens and BBC/Ice Cream. Very strange, but worth a watch.