Red Bull Curates Protégés Recap

Red Bull Curates Protégés Unveiling the next stage in our joint effort with Red Bull

Art
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Red Bull Curates Protégés

Unveiling the next stage in our joint effort with Red Bull Curates Protégés, we proudly present the official recap for the Red Bull Curates Canvas Cooler video series. After first highlighting our five lifestyle artists and designers in our Pens & Paper series, we can have a look at them in action as they communicate their distinct styles from paper to cooler to storefronts in their respective cities.

For more on the project, check out Red Bull’s website.

  • Pen & Paper
    with Prodip

  • Prodip @ Konzepp

  • Konzepp

  • Pen & Paper with
    Karolina Wojcik

  • Karolina Wojcik @ IMPALA

  • IMPALA

  • Pen & Paper with
    Toshikazu Nozaka

  • Toshikazu Nozaka @ Nubian

  • Nubian

  • Pen & Paper
    With MAR

  • MAR @ BLENDS

  • BLENDS

  • Pen & Paper
    with Rugman

  • Rugman @ The Content Store

  • The Content Store

Pen & Paper with Prodip
HONG KONG

Prodip is a Hong Kong-based painter, illustrator and graphic designer, and the bassist for the legendary Cantonese group, LMF. Combining music with experimental art since the 1980s, the multi-talented artist has honed his skills over a wide range of visual mediums, including painting, underground concert posters, flyers and CD covers, as well as graphic design for both local and international brands. His solo exhibitions as a painter, meanwhile, include “Tribe of Many Colors” and last year’s “Abstract Dimension,” both of which explored his ongoing fascination with otherworldly landscapes and creatures. Drawing heavily from daily life, Prodip’s inspirations range from music and street art to cartoons and aliens, and his figurative, fun-loving art continues to probe the mythic and interdimensional qualities of the everyday. For our latest installment of Pen & Paper — presented in conjunction with Red Bull Curates Protege — we sat down with the interdisciplinary artist for a closer look at his beginnings, inspirations and future plans. As always, a selection of Prodip’s exclusive work for HYPEBEAST is also available here for your viewing pleasure.

Inspirations and Hong Kong Art Scene

How did you get into your line of work?
My interest in art began with reading Hong Kong comics and my time working at an ad agency. I’ve also been involved with music as the bassist for the local group, LMF.

Who are some of the people that have had an impact on you when pursuing art?
I would say that my colleagues, Michael Lau and Eric So, have been instrumental to furthering my art, along with the various individuals who have help me exhibit my work over the years. In terms of inspiration, I admire San Francisco-based contemporary artist, Margaret Kilgallen, and alien-focused Pleidian art .

How is the city’s art scene and how has it changed since you started?
It’s better than before. The local art scene has definitely gained more awareness in the community. It’s still a business-oriented world, but the government is slowy pushing the art scene in a more creative direction and more artists have the opportunity to host their own art shows.

How would you explain your style of work? What usually goes through your head when starting a new piece of work?

I would call it unidentified art. Outer space inspires me, as well as the messages I get from listening to music. Then there’s street art, which I feel has a comedic element to it. Usually, I use pencil and watercolor paint to sketch out my ideas and it takes off from there.

Additional Thoughts and the Future

Outside of art, what are your other interests?

I love gardening. As mentioned previously, I’m always influenced by music, design, planting, cats and UFOs.

What are your favorite mediums to work on?

My favorites are watercolor and acrylic paints, but I also work in pencil.

What are your favorite tools to use?

As I work primarily with paint, I use paintbrushes most often but I usually sketch out ideas in pencil as well.

Future plans?

I’ve been learning the art of Chinese ink painting recently. I also have an exhibition planned at Hotel Art Fair in Hong Kong and the Giant Robot Art Show in Los Angeles. As far as music goes, I’ll be going on the Neo Tribes Tour with LMF.

Prodip @ Konzepp
HONG KONG

Red Bull Curates Protégés presents the first video in its Canvas Cooler series of collaborative projects by welcoming Hong Kong’s Prodip. In this episode, Prodip gives a Red Bull cooler his signature pop art-inspired treatment before seeing the completed work off to its new home at the Konzepp retail and gallery space in Sheung Wan.

Stay tuned for the next episode when we welcome Sweden’s Karolina Wojcik, whose work can be seen in our special Pen & Paper feature with Red Bull.

Konzepp
HONG KONG

After getting the Prodip graphic treatment, the first of Red Bull’s Canvas Coolers recently arrived safe and sound at Konzepp. An instrumental symbol of Hong Kong’s art scene and re-emerging creativity, the retail and creative space made a perfect home for fellow local artist Prodip’s latest work.

It was first opened as Hatch33 back in 2011 by co-owner Geoff Tsui — an accomplished multidisciplinary designer in his own right — who wanted to provide a creative space that would ultimately be supported and shaped by the community. To this day, it still aims to be a beacon for emerging design talent and welcomes anyone to come in and look around, work or relax.

For more on Konzepp, visit the store site here.

Konzepp
Lower Ground Floor
50 Tung Street
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Pen & Paper with Karolina Wojcik
IMPALA

After several stints with so-called “real jobs,” Karolina Wojcik successfully made the jump from doing art on the side to making it her full-time passion. As with many artists, the native of Malmö, Sweden started small and worked her way up, gaining momentum as the canvases got bigger and bigger and eventually reaching the wall-sized paintings that make up many of her commissions. She credits fellow Swedish illustrator Hampus Ericstam and her older brother as some of the strong influences on her artistic life and style, which favors bold typography, crisp lines and traditional mediums like plain paper and acrylics. She recently shared a bit about her work and story while working on the Sweden leg of a special Red Bull Curates Protege tour.

Influences and Inspiration

How did you get into your line of work?
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, so for me working artistically has always been equally obvious as it was natural. After trying a number of “9-5” kind-of-regular jobs, doing artistic work on the side on a sort of freelance hobby level, I studied fine art graphics (mainly because I was hooked on-screen printing at that time) a couple of years ago. I realized I really should pursue art professionally, landing more and more murals and wall painting commissions to a point I earned my living solely on those kinds of jobs. At first I wasn’t really into painting; it really did scare the crap out of me, to be honest. But A. I love a good challenge and B. the more commissions I got, the more it grew on me and now I’m super fascinated of by how much better and/or different things look at a larger scale. I also participated in Secret Wars numerous times between 2008-2011, which is probably a significant —  and fun for that matter — reason I’ve ended up with more wall painting jobs than say, illustration, which was my initial go-to.

Who are some of the people who have had an impact on you when pursuing art?
My older brother has probably influenced me more than we both realize, doing graffiti and skateboarding in his early teens. At that age, everything he did, I did. He’s an engineer in computer programming nowadays, but I still can’t seem to get away from all that.

I’m not quite sure exactly why, but Swedish illustrator Hampus Ericstam has had a really huge impact on me. I remember seeing his work for the first time nearly 15 years ago, being instantly super wowed and thinking “this is EXACTLY what I wanna do. If he can do it, so should I…” and basically started sketching a portfolio right away. I always seem to come back to his work at some point. He’s got a pretty bold, playful and clearly influenced by urban subcultures kind of style that is right up my alley. Sometimes, I pretend I know him personally and get super excited when I see his work on huge commercial billboards and stuff…

Several years ago, I did a modeling job at a small, upcoming gallery in Copenhagen. It was Banksy. I don’t use stencils myself (although I tried as soon as I got back home), however that exhibition really got to me, this was 2003, I think. So stencils in that context were fairly new. To me, at least… His pieces were 475 Danish kroner back then at that gallery. That’s about 50 Euros.

Also my good friend and photographer Jan Dahlqvist has always been a bit of a life-in-general mentor for me since my teenage years. We don’t have the same artistic expression or style (given he’s a photographer) but we do share a similar way and approach to working creatively. He’s always been very encouraging and constructive of my work.

My oldest best friend Hanna, who’s a talented tattoo artist residing and working in the States nowadays, and her artistic family have always been very important to me and my work. At times, I stayed and hung out more with her parents than my own; sorry mom and dad. They took us to art exhibitions frequently and introduced us to more grown-up and wider art scenes than the Tank Girl comic books we devoured (all three of them). Pretty sure that has affected me big time.

Graffiti, Typography and Skateboard Graphics

How is the city’s art scene and how has it changed since you started?
There’s a very strong graffiti scene here in Malmö and instead of dismissing graffiti as an art form, the city is getting increasingly better and better at recognizing it, resulting in legal, public walls reserved for graffiti. One of the country’s first graffiti artists and street art pioneers Ruskig has his own school here too, giving a lot of youngsters the opportunity to practice graffiti and art. In general, I would say the city of Malmö is really good at acknowledging the importance of a widespread, prospering cultural life including more subcultures as well.

I’ve never really felt excluded from the art scene here or forced to take on a more “commercial” expression and/or methods because of my style. My only less positive remark would be the inevitable size of the city and the country in general (Sweden is a small country) limiting the market. However, for being a small and quite unknown city in Northern Europe, the liberal approach to art is rather striking.

How would you best explain your style of work? What usually goes through your head when starting a new piece of work?

I’m very super intrigued and borderline obsessed with lettering and typography, so nearly every time I start something, it’s by drawing letters and words. Sometimes I just write a word and sort of illustrate around it, if that makes any sense. I like using typography in a rather decorative way too, like a background shape. Guess I can thank my lifelong inspiration of graffiti for that combined with my unconditional love for cans and spray paint.

I’ve always been very inspired by subcultures and everything that comes with it. The first logo I learned to draw spotless as a kid — and did so overzealously, putting it anywhere and everywhere — was for skateboard brand Rat Bones. I still can’t get enough of skateboard graphics, and am childishly infatuated by the Cali (life)style in general.

So my style’s basically an illustrative mix of clean, bold lines, typography, humor, contrasting colors and mediums, with a certain amount of graffiti complex. That’s the point/beauty of it, to cherry pick from your favorite elements and put it together in your own style.

Favorite Things and Future Plans

Outside of art, what are your other interests?

I’m a DJ as well (featured on a weekly DJ Show on Swedish radio) so music, music and more music. An ol’ drum and beat fiend, I’m a boom-bap, funky hip hop devotee, and as cliché as it sounds, hip hop and urban arts really do go hand in hand (NOT saying any other genre doesn’t, just to be clear. There’s just something about urban subcultures and hip hop). The two really work both ways, music inspiring the art part and vice-versa. Some of my fellow DJ and/or producer friends are a very huge source of inspiration for me as well, like my super talented friend and very awesome person in general DJ Devastate. I really love the DIY mentality/expression of punk albums too.

And literally scoring more cliché points; I used to practice basketball (although I barely knew what any music was when I first started… I was a point guard, for the record. Still love me a good game, watching and/or playing)

What are your favorite mediums to work on?

Regular paper; no fuss. The cheaper the better, quite honestly. For a while, I printed and painted on old news paper, gluing it on canvas for example. Old, used skateboard decks and cotton canvas — preferably in larger formats and sizes. Walls are pretty frequent and much appreciated as well.

What are your favorite tools to use?

Acrylic and spray paint, markers, pencils and lately watercolors. I can’t seem to get a hold of Illustrator whatsoever, although Photoshop comes in handy every now and then as a last polishing tool for illustrations and drawings.

Future plans?

Well, apart from working on some new mixes for the radio show next week and some new paintings in general, I’d really love to keep doing what I’m doing to a much larger extent. That means traveling more, meeting more awesome people and getting more fun jobs and projects on my desk. Sweden is cold, so I could use some work in a warmer climate…

Karolina Wojcik @ IMPALA
IMPALA

After visiting musician and illustrator Prodip in Hong Kong, we head further east to Malmö, Sweden, where Karolina Wójcik puts the finishing touches on her Canvas Cooler destined for Impala Streetwear. Known for her illustrations and massive painted murals, the cooler was the latest medium to carry her distinct blending of artistic styles and a self-described obsession with typography. The completed work eventually made its way to Impala, the first streetwear store to open in Malmö in 1998.

For more on Karolina and her work, check out our Pen & Paper feature on her here.

IMPALA
IMPALA

Considered to be among the first wave of streetwear stores in Malmö, Sweden, Impala has done more than just provide long sought-after offerings curated from brands. Since opening in 1998, the shop has been an active promoter of the creative community, collaborating with musicians, DJs, dancers, breakers and most recently, local artist Karolina Wojcik, who produced a special custom Red Bull cooler for the shop as part of the “Red Bull Curates Protégés” campaign.

This appreciation for the local street culture scene inspires Impala’s  own in-house brand, which produces items in limited qualities using only handmade prints. For more on the shop, check out their blog here or pay them a visit.

IMPALA
Södra Förstadsgatan 96
Malmö
Sweden
p: 040 81026

Pen & Paper with Toshikazu Nozaka
JAPAN

Beginning as a professional skateboarder, Toshikazu Nozaka’s work naturally led him to collaborations with skate brands, laying the foundation on which he would later build a career as a professional artist and tattoo artist. Drawing from a strong connection with his cultural and artistic heritage, Nozaka works primarily with traditional materials such as a simple brush and ink, and his inspirations reach far back to artists from the Edo and Meiji periods who were known for their stylized Ukiyo-e paintings and woodblock prints.

In this edition of Pen & Paper presented by Red Bull Curates Protege & HYPEBEAST, Nozaka comments on the local art scene in Tokyo as well as the life of a professional artist in Japan.

Nozaka’s Start

How did you get into your line of work?
I’ve been having independent art-shows for 10 years and gradually gained a following. Before I started working as an artist, I was skating as a professional and that connection led me to a job working with brands. Thankfully, a lot of people came from the start so things went really well.

Who are some of the people that have had an impact on you when pursuing art?
I am shocked by some of Japanese artists from Edo to Meiji era (approx. 1600 to 1900) such as Kuniyoshi Utagawa, Yoshitoshi Tsukioka and Kyosai Kawanabe. They are all famous for their original Ukiyo-e, a Japanese traditional art style. I am also influenced by skateboarders from the ’80s.

How is the city’s art scene and how has it changed since you started?
Tokyo’s art scene has totally changed since I had my first solo exhibition 10 years ago. There are a lot more galleries now and a lot more people who visit and purchase art. It’s nice that more young artists are holding exhibitions every week, but I still think that it’s only scratched the surface and that art isn’t yet firmly rooted enough in peoples’ lives. It’s still hard to make a living as an artist in this country, so you’ll have to look at more options outside of Japan. You need to have a strong mentality and passion about what you are doing to continue being an artist.

Style, Interests and the Future

How would you explain your style of work? What usually goes through your head when starting a new piece of work?
The root of my work will always rest with Japanese culture and the great painters of the past whom I have a lot of respect for. Not sure whether you can feel that through my work, but it’s always on my mind. I mainly use a brush for most of my work. Even when using acrylics, I use lots of water and draw perpendicular to the ground. That comes from the style of writing or a Japanese painting. When producing a new work, I think carefully to make sure it does not become a copy of a great past painter. While you might think you’re original, there’s a lot of times where you notice the different images you pick up and use in your work along the way. One other thing I really care about is composition that includes blank space.

Outside of art, what are your other interests?
Skateboarding, my family life and the future of the Earth.

What are your favorite mediums to work on?
Water, Japanese sumi ink and acrylics on paper.

What are your favorite tools to use?
Japanese-made colors, a shading brush and an inkstone. I also like using an INDEPENDENT base plate and ink cup together.

Future plans?
I would like to build a housing project for skaters and artists. I’m also planning to attend some art exhibitions and also go on some skate trips this year.

Toshikazu Nozaka @ Nubian
JAPAN

After covering Swedish artist Karolina Wojcik in Malmo, Sweden, Red Bull Curates Protégés hops over to Japan to visit Toshikazu Nozaka as he prepares his custom cooler for Nubian in Harajuku. Wanting to match perfectly the shops’s eclectic mix of East and West, Nozaka combined silver leaf and acrylics to create a standout piece steeped in the artist’s rich traditional Japanese style.

Upon receiving the finished work, Nubian’s manager Hidenori Kataoka also shared a bit about the space and the inspirations that went into the final design.

To see more of Nozaka’s work, check out his Pen & Paper feature here. Stay tuned for our next video when we visit Los Angeles native MAR and his Canvas Cooler.

Nubian
JAPAN

After welcoming Toshikazu Nozaka’s latest art piece to its new home, Nubian offers a glimpse inside its Harajuku location. According to manager Hidenori Kataoka, the exterior was designed to look like a shop in a foreign country, serving as a strong contrast to the simple, minimalistic interior, which is dominated by Japanese wood and white walls. These aesthetic consideration directly inspired Nozaka’s traditionally-styled Canvas Cooler, created for Red Bull Curates Protégés.

As a store that caters to pattern makers and bigger labels alongside the eclectic fashion crowd Harajuku is known for, Nubian has always tried to keep its clientele satisfied with an ever-evolving mix of street, underground and high-end brands.

To find out more about Nubian and its offerings, check out the shop website here.

Pen & Paper with MAR
LOS ANGELES

California native MAR has lived in many cities throughout the Los Angeles region, leaving his hand-drawn marker pieces on buildings, walls, utility boxes and light posts with his trademark style which ranges from abstractionist, realist and expressionist. His name means ‘sea’ in Spanish and it’s no surprise given his lifelong love of surfing, but his success with art came much more recently when he gained serious public attention in 2010. Since then, his work has graced gallery spaces all over LA and his diverse commissions have included Vans, War Brothers, Fiat and the Marley Beverage Company to name a few. MAR recently met with us to share a bit about his life and involvement in pioneering LA’s street art scene.

In this edition of Pen & Paper presented by Red Bull Curates Protege & HYPEBEAST, MAR comments on the local art scene in Los Angeles as well as his abstract works of art.

MAR’s Start

How did you get into your line of work?
That is a difficult question. I’ve tried a couple different things, all art related, before ending up here. I guess this is where I feel the best, so I trusted that feeling. I knew it was what I was supposed to be, and never looked back.

Who are some of the people who have had an impact on you when pursuing art?
My influences are vast and numberless. Usually great friends or beautiful muses. My dad is a photographer. I grew up with cameras, so that’s probably what inspired me to be an artist more than anything.

How is the city’s art scene and how has it changed since you started?
It’s really receptive to art and artists. It hasn’t changed much in my opinion other than they recently got rid of this stupid mural ordinance banning outdoor art.

How would you explain your style of work? What usually goes through your head when starting a new piece of work.
I like to paint emotions instead of images. An image of a person is more recognizable to our eye than a complete abstraction. I want to communicate deeper than surface perceptions. My art takes time to decipher and enjoy, like people. The paintings are somewhat cryptic in that sense. My style is mimicking my personal view of the world. And perhaps I compartmentalize the shapes in a subconscious attempt to do that with life.

Additional Thoughts

Outside of art, what are your other interests?
Other than art, surfing is my favorite thing to do. I’ve been doing it since I was 9. It’s in my blood now.

What are your favorite mediums to work on?
I would say acrylic and oil on canvas.

What are your favorite tools to use?
The stuff I continually graviate towards are Nova color, MTN 94 and Sharpie oil-based paint pens.

Future plans?
Be better.

MAR @ BLENDS
LOS ANGELES

After checking in with Japanese artist Toshikazu Nozaka at retail space Nubian, Red Bull Curates Protégés moves to Los Angeles to catch up with artist Spencer Gilbert, also known as MAR. A native of California, the artist draws from a myriad of experiences and influences in his artwork. With this cooler for BLENDS, the artist created a flower-inspired pattern done up in shades of grey to represent a person’s life experiences and bold splashes of red to represent the the good things in life.

After receiving the cooler, which currently takes pride of place in BLENDS’ newest location, Sergio Martinez, the store manager, and Tak, the owner share some insights into the BLENDS concept and how art forms an important part of the store and for the culture at-large. Check out the video now and stay tuned for an upcoming look at BLENDS’ Los Angeles location and more from Red Bull Curates Proteges.

BLENDS
LOS ANGELES

Following our visit to Nubian in Harajuku, home to Toshikazu Nozaka’s latest piece, we find ourselves across the pond at Los Angeles’s BLENDS, which recently welcomed a new custom cooler from local artist MAR. One of four locations spread across California, this latest one in LA is smack dab in the middle of the city’s Fashion District and shows a visible affinity with its surrounding community. Not only do both owner Tak and manager Sergio Martinez strive to support local artists, the store is is likened to a gallery for shoes and sneakerheads. And that wouldn’t be inaccurate with a spacious minimalist layout of white walls and sleek displays filled with the latest curated releases. To check out more about the store and what’s on offer, head over to the BLENDS website.

And be sure to stick around for our upcoming final chapter of HYPEBEAST x Red Bull Curates Proteges.

Pen & Paper with Rugman
LONDON

Realizing his passion for art at a young age, Rugman eventually made the jump from his hometown of Glasgow to hone his craft in London. Working as a graphic designer for the fashion industry, his trademark style of skate culture-inspired graphics and parodies of familiar cultural icons would accompany him during an extensive tenure in the United States and Europe before he decided to found his own label, Rum Knuckles. In between work on his brand and on freelance projects, the artist, designer and illustrator took some time to share his rise to success with us.

In this edition of Pen & Paper presented by Red Bull Curates Protege & HYPEBEAST, Rugman comments on the local art scene in London and tells of his personal label Rum Knuckles.

Getting Started

How did you get into your line of work?
I came to London from Glasgow around 16 years ago to go to Chelsea Art College. I had earlier studied graphic design at Glasgow but did textile design at Chelsea. From there I went on to work as a graphic designer in the fashion industry, working in the USA and Europe for a short time before settling down in London again. After 12 years in the industry I now run my own label under the name of Rum Knuckles.

Who are some of the people who have had an impact on you when pursuing art?
I have to thank my older brother for getting me into skating and graffiti at a young age, maybe eight or nine years old – I remember poring over a book he bought called Spray Can Art. These two elements laid the foundation for my art. From that point I wanted to be a graphic designer. There have been a number of people along the way including my high school art teacher but really it’s the artists who influenced and inspired me like Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton, Michael Craig Martin, Jeff Koons, Chuck Close, Mel Ramos, Dave Kinsey, Jim Phillips, SEEN and my great pal, the artist Ben Oakley!

Street Art and Personal Style

How is the city’s art scene and how has it changed since you started?
London has an exciting art scene and some incredible artists – it always has I suppose. But I think the influx and growth of street art has helped art become much more accessible not only in London but in pretty much every major city in the world. Thanks to people like Banksy and Ben Eine – they helped to take the stuffiness out of art and kick-started the growth of alternative and smaller art galleries.

How would you explain your style of work? What usually goes through your head when starting a new piece of work?
I suppose my style of work really varies, you can see this from the body of work on my website www.rugmanart.com. This comes from many different influences and an interest in many different mediums. But over all the thread that has always run through my work is precise line, black line, cheeky, bold and fun!

Because I have always had to work to deadlines I work really fast; I suppose you have to work fast on the street also… Starting a new project means lots of sketching and notes and general brain-farting. At the beginning I tend to have a very clear image in my head of what I want to produce; this can be frustrating as I need to get it out. If I wake at 4 in the morning I need to get up and start drawing, this is normally when I do my best work. Also because I freelance I can have three to four projects on the go at any one time, which I love because each one complements and helps the next.

Interests, Favorites and Future Plans

Outside of art, what are your other interests?
At the risk of sounding boring, art and design kind of consume most of my time… I love constantly thinking and creating. My spare time is spent with my wife and two young daughters who keep me busy. After that tattoos, kickboxing and watching Man United play in the pub whilst drinking lots of beer!

What are your favorite mediums to work on?
The main mediums are Indian ink, fine liner, paper, wood stencil, spray paint, acrylic.

What are your favorite tools to use?
Pint glass (and see answer to previous question!).

Future plans?
I have a solo show of my new work, in London at the Ben Oakley Gallery in Greenwich on the 20th of June. I am really happy the way the work is moving on. I also have a few group shows I am involved in later in the year. I’ll be traveling to Europe. My big plan is to get my work shown in Japan and China. I am desperate to travel to Tokyo! And generally working balls off… It seems the harder I work the luckier I get!

Rugman @ The Content Store
LONDON

After dropping by LA to visit local artist MAR, we head over to London where we conclude our Red Bull Curates Protégés series with Anthony McEwan, better known by his alias Rugman. With an unabashed love for old-school porn, his style has evolved over the past few years and explores the female form through a bold cartoon-ish style. For his custom canvas cooler, Rugman emblazoned his cooler with pastel colors, gold leaf and stenciled pinups. Only too happy to receive the piece, Sam Sherwood of The Content Store also shares a bit about how the cooler fits in with its new home on Lambs Conduit Street – a premiere menswear shopping destination located in West London’s Bloomsbury area.

Stay tuned for our accompanying feature on the store. Till then, check out more of Rugman and the rest of the Protégés over here.

The Content Store
LONDON

After checking in at LA’s BLENDS, our latest and last destination takes us to The Content Store in London where Rugman has just installed his canvas cooler. Located on Lambs Conduit Street, the new shop represents one of many menswear stores in the area focusing on quality brands such as Vanishing Elephant, Edwin Japan and Sandqvist in addition to offerings from Nike, adidas Originals, Woolrich and Lacoste L!VE.

The simple wooden floors and painted white walls mesh well with the fashionable and historical Bloomsbury area where the store is located, an intimate connection that owner and menswear veteran Mark Batista hoped to rekindle between the shop and end customer when he opened it in March 2013.

“I started in retail with Paul Smith back in 1993 and have always had a love for it. Dealing with the end consumer gives me a huge amount of satisfaction as well as important feedback which helps to no end in our sales showroom.”

To see more from The Content Store, check out the website here. To start at the beginning of our journey and see more of the artists and venues, check out the rest of the HYPEBEAST x Red Bull Curates Proteges series.

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