Converse is introducing a collection of premium footwear for Fall 2008 as part of their 100th anniversary celebration. With deep roots and great influence on sports, music, and pop culture, the collection makes references ranging from secret geometry to electronic music, honoring the genres and movements in music. The collection will include Chuck Taylor All Star, All Star Light, Chuck Taylor All Star, Electronic Music, Grateful Dead, Jack Purcell Specialty, Odessa, Wave Trainer, Extensions, and Converse by John Varvatos Bosey Boots. Definitely a very strong lineup to look forward to.
Converse is introducing a collection of premium footwear for Fall 2008 as part of their 100th anniversary celebration. With deep roots and great influence on sports, music, and pop culture, the collection makes references ranging from secret geometry to electronic music, honoring the genres and movements in music. The collection will include Chuck Taylor All Star, All Star Light, Chuck Taylor All Star, Electronic Music, Grateful Dead, Jack Purcell Specialty, Odessa, Wave Trainer, Extensions, and Converse by John Varvatos Bosey Boots. Definitely a very strong lineup to look forward to.
At some point the evil geniuses over at Apple decided that the best soundtrack for their high tech gadget pornography was happy reassuring folk indie rock. Maybe this was done to balance out the feeling of a cold computer age with visuals of science fiction devices with very human organic music. In any case the plan worked to perfection as I-phones, I-touches, I-books and I-anything else flew off the shelves as soon as they stocked them. The commercials also served as an excellent marketing tool for the musicians on the commercials. Soon the indie darlings featured in the adds where getting goggled and downloaded like crazy and enjoyed by more people than the hipster sipping lattes in the independent coffee shop.
One of said artists is indie folk singer songwriter Orba Squara whose song “Perfect Timing (This Morning)” was heavily featured in the early I-phone commercials making the song practically synonymous with the product and instantly recognizable. Orba’s brand of organic rock replacing tuned down guitars, driving bass and hard snares and kicks with violin, accordion and toy pianos give his music a dramatic baroque pop feel with a whispery lyrical delivery. The sonic landscape of the tracks paint dream induced pictures of fairy tale sequences dressed in pastel. His latest video and single “Gravel” from his album “Sunshyness” is another foray into softly plucked acoustic guitar lucid fantasy rock with a surreal video to match. If Apple ever considered going into the atomic bomb business, as long as they played something this good for the accompanying add, we may consider purchasing it.
Here’s a first look at the highly anticipated and much rumored Crooks & Castles x Vans collaboration shoes. Much inspired by the Gucci colorway, this sneaker is now available for viewing at the Crooks & Castles store in Los Angeles. However, there isn’t any word if these will be releasing but word is that there will also be an alternative colorway that will be released to the public.
Fragment design teamed up with the good people at Bearbrick to produce a 100% Bearbrick Panda that will be auctioned off with Nike Classic Panda Pack. Both the Nike Classic Panda pack and the Bearbrick are efforts to help raise money to help the people in China that was hit by the terrible earthquake. It is good to know that at a time like this, everyone around the world is coming together to show support. More details about the auction to come.
Source: Detz
Converse debuts the second 1HUND(RED) Artists collection for Fall/Winter 2008, a year-long global curation project designed to further Converse’s support for the (RED) campaign. The F/W collection will draw inspirations from cultures all around the globe including Africa, Brazil, Japan, Norway, and US with various artists such as Brooklyn based artist, Michael Schall, to African designer, Warwick Kay. Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists will unveil a total of 100 designs, each with unique styling and a number located inside the shoe that identifies the artist who created that specific shoe.
Converse will also debut the African Canvas collection of Chuck Taylor All Star shoes produced with canvas made in Africa. The iconic Chuck Taylor All Star shoe comes in the usual black and red canvas emblazoned with a tribal “X” pattern on the heel stripe, signifying that they are made of this special canvas. These shoes will be available in June at specialty retailers and Converse online store.
Ed Rec Vol 3, produced by famous French music label Ed Banger, is set to release with an exhibition at Colette, featuring 22 portraits of Busy P. This volume includes many great artists including Uffie, Mr Oizo, Feadz, Sebastian, Krazy Baldhead, Mr Flash, DJ Medhi, Justice, and DSL. Ed Banger also collaborated with Colette on a very limited tote bag that will be released on June 9th. Also available is a collector box that includes 6 vinyls, 1 CD, and various stickers. With only 2000 available, be sure to hurry and check it out at Colette.
Bringing to the table a wealth of experience in numerous fields, Hong Kong’s Know1edge has flourished season to season with a line that has consistently been making its mark. Their minute details rarely go unnoticed and seem to be the basis for many of their designs which ultimately bring everything together to create an extremely pleasing package. Their 2008 summer collection seen here delves deeply into the use of patterns. Among our favorites this season is the denim which includes contrasting denim against the main use of raw denim and multi-colored selvedge. Available now at select retailers and 8five2.
In a sneaker collaboration born out of a lack of sufficient sneaker offerings for core metal heads, The Hooves has teamed up with Gravis on this latest collaboration. Designed by metal producer Nick Raskulinecz, the sneaker aims to capture the metal lifestyle as it features a deathly black leather upper, red pentagram lining and skeletal blood stained insole. Available later this month with pre-orders currently accepted at hoovesarmy.com.
In a fruitful career in the fashion world that spanned 45 years, French designer Yves Saint Laurent has passed away at the age of 71. Exploding onto the scene at the age of 21, Saint Laurent would enjoy great success for many years. Once considered taboo in womens fashion gained wide acceptability with the inception of designs and ideas from the legendary French designer. The passing of YSL represents a huge loss to the fashion world.
Source: NY Times
This past Saturday was the opening of the new HUF store in the Fairfax area in Los Angeles. The store’s decor which includes the plywood blocky furniture is much inspired by Huf’s roots – skateboarding. The store carries only HUF branded products including t-shirts, denim, caps and jackets.
HUF Los Angeles
410 N. Fairfax
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Inspired by famous classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven, Ludwig’s concept and theme involve the same dynamic qualities and refinement which firmly cemented Beethoven within the history of music. With a goal to help usher in a new era in street wear, Ludwig is marked by sparing but bold graphics and high quality cut and sew. Their 2008 spring/summer collection’s marquee pieces include a rip-stop nylon windbreaker, M-65 hoodie and gingham button-up shirt to go alongside graphic tees. Available now at select stockists.
Michael Lau’s upcoming personal exhibition, CSBOOTH15 has been announced. The perennial star of the vinyl world has seen his work recently included in a pair of Nike Blazers designed in conjunction with the Chinese BMX Federation. No word yet on what CSBOOTH 15 will have in store for fans and admirers a-like.
CSBOOTH15
July 5th – July 6th
Michael Gallery
11/F., Lok’s Industrial Building
204 Tsat Tsz Mui Road, Quarry Bay
Hong Kong
p: 852.2811.3111
Source: TOMM
I don’t exactly how I first heard about Jay Electronica but I suspect it might have been some small blog entry with maybe a sentence long description or maybe a recommendation from an achingly avant-garde hip friend of mine. Either way I have a disturbing small confession to make. I was almost immediately nonchalantly dismissive on the basis of name alone. I somehow began to conjure up images of loquacious word drunken nerd rappers who made what would be the hip hop equivalent of pretentious progressive rock. That is until I actually heard the man rhyme. I believe the first track I heard from him was the joint he did over the score to the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Jay dismantled the drum less track with a crystal clear impeccable delivery and a cerebral assault on words mixing and matching abstract non sequiturs with a flow that can only be described as a much more coherent MF Doom.
I obviously wasn’t the only one floored by the 31 year old New Orleans native’s raw talent. Jay eventually caught the eye and ear of industry heavyweights such as Just Blaze, Erykah Badu and Nas amongst others who all have eventually collaborated with the MC all before he has even dropped an album. Although Jay has attracted the attention of several established artists his “do it yourself” ethics are obviously still intact as he pieces together clips from old films or old rock videos to provide a visual for his backing tracks. On “Drugs and Bitches” Jay spits a venomous attack at cliché conventional rap subject matter yet still keeping a self deprecating tone throughout. Needless to say I won’t be making any snap judgments again anytime soon.
