Upper Playground and Chrome chose to feature the work of Sam Flores and Jeremy Fish, both San Francisco based artists whose art speaks to the bicycle subculture. Flores and Fish have created compelling designs that are embroidered on the front flap of the Chrome Bag. Jeremy Fish’s “Fowl Mood” design features an elaborate owl “wall paper” pattern, while Sam Flores’ “Angel of Death” art features one of his signature characters riding a bicycle amongst the clouds. This project has enabled both brands to fuse contemporary art with durable design. The Upper Playground & Chrome artist series messenger bags are available in limited quantities and will be sold exclusively at select lifestyle boutiques and through Upper Playground and Chrome retail stores.

More detailed images of the Upper Playground x Chrome Artist Series Messenger Bags follow after the jump.

After selling out the main colorway in just a few days, Upper Playground has unveiled an exclusive tonal purple colorway of Sam Flore’s Kid Dragon. Unlike most vinyl figures, Kid Dragon is made up of three pieces, creating the illusion of a dragon floating through clouds. The figure measures 10″ and comes packaged in a double-sided window box with scenic insert card. The purple color is more limited than the first release at only 200 pieces.

The Kid Dragon Upper Playground Exclusive Colorway is slated for a late September release, but is now available for pre-sale at Upper Playground.

San Franciso based Upper Playground present the newest in a series of vinyl figures slated for release in 2009 – Dragon Boy designed by Sam Flores.  Known for his signature characters and fusing them with Asian motifs, Flores’ Dragon Boy fuses his influences in this new vinyl figure. 

Unlike most other vinyl figures, the Dragon Boy is made up of 3 pieces creating the illusion of the dragon floating through the clouds.  The figure measures 10″ tall and the head, midsection and tail feature extremely detailed gradient blends. Limited to 500 units, Dragon Boy is slated to release in early September but is now available for pre-sale on the Upper Playground web store.

Have a closer look at the Upper Playground x Sam Flores Dragon Boy Figure after the jump.

Two New Eras fill the January line up from Upper Playground. Artists Sam Flores offers “The Copper” via his 12Grain Line. The second hat is a simple affair from Jeremy Fish called “The Emblem.” Both are available online and at select UP dealers.

Never not working is a pretty apt description of the folks over at Upper Playground. With a seemingly endless array of product, their stable of artists tag everything from t-shirts to home wares. It’s the latter where Upper Playground produces the most interest. With limited options for those looking for smart graphics for more decorative purchases, Upper Playground fills a noticeable void. Pillows are just one example. Artists Sam Flores, David Choe and Morning Breath add their touches to the latest release. Pillows are 20 x 20, with removable, washable cases.

This is the second series of an ongoing collaboration of screenprinted skate decks between Jeremy Fish and various artists. All decks are sold in a set of three and signed by Jeremy Fish himself. Only 300 of each design have been produced, even fewer have been signed.
In this deck series Jeremy Fish worked with some fellow artists on the deck graphics. The line-up includes Sam Flores, Matt Irving of Delphi Collective and Travis Millard.
The deck set is now available in the Upper Playground Online Store for 210 USD.

Upper Playground has released their August 2008 New Era caps. This month’s drop consists of a Sam Flores New Era cap, as well as two caps with an Italian theme – one coming in the Italian flag colors and the other coming with a heavy fresco all-over print.
Have a detailed look at all three caps after the jump.

This Thursday, August 7th, marks the release of the Sam Flores adidas Originals sneaker for Upper Playground. This is the final installment of the four-part series and the first hi-top sneaker in the collection. Other artists involved in the project include Herbert Baglione, David Choe, and Aesop Rock.
Fifteen years after first arriving on the West Coast from New Mexico, Sam Flores, an art school evacuee and self-taught illustrator, has established his place in the modern art movement as a master of fine art and product design. His fine artwork carries a voice and vision that is instantly identifiable. Flores’ artistic quality is unpretentious and provocative, and demands consideration without categorization.
When asked about his vision for his adidas hi-top sneaker, Flores commented: “I simply wanted to make a colorful bright shoe that would go well with the warm weather. I made it blue, grey and pink so it can work for both genders. Plus it’s something you can wear to Miami and stay up for three days and still look fresh!”
Sam Flores has collaborated with Upper Playground on numerous projects. He is currently working on producing two new vinyl figures with the company including one for Upper Playground’s 10-year anniversary.
There are only 500 pairs of the Sam Flores sneaker available worldwide. Each pair retails for $150 and sizes range from men’s size 4 to 13.5. To get your hands on the Sam Flores adidas hi-top, visit www.upperplayground.com or head to a UP retail store. The sneaker will go on sale online at 8 am PT on Thursday, August 7, 2008.
Detailed images of the Sam Flores x Upper Playground x adidas Originals sneakers after the jump.

The latest New Eras from Upper Playground have released. Three caps, each feature the distinctive hand of Denis Kennedy, Sam Flores and Morning Breath respectively. The Morning Breath proves that taking a stab at POLO never fails. All hats are now available direct from Upper Playground. 
Detailed images of each hat after the jump.

Upper Playground has released three new New Era caps this month. This time they worked with artist Skotch, Sam Flores and with the Date Farmers.
Check out the third cap after the jump.