MOMO, the artist responsible for one of the newest (and certainly brightest) Y3 shoe collaborations has just released this short film: He did a video of the 5 art shapes, which are included in the shoe box and came up with 3520 different art hanging possibilities. He documented them all in stop motion + also made a poster out of it. the video is pretty amazing.
I have written extensively about green companies – not just because being it’s the current hot trend, but because I feel it is what we must move towards in order to be sustainable. Today, a revolutionary clothing company launches. Formed by industry veterans with experience from Nike, adidas, and Royal Robbins, Looptworks takes the word green and flips it on its head. The company is attempting to produce 100% of it’s line from excess materials and components. In other words, it will create clothing from no new materials, instead re-using excess from factory floors that currently gets dumped into landfills. A typical textile factory produces 60,000 pounds of waste a week so source materials will not be a problem for the Portland, Oregon company but consistency in the supplies may be. As expected the collections are limited and, I expect them to be constantly evolving as Looptworks finds new materials to work with. The initial collection consists of 20 apparel pieces for both men and women and items range from jackets to skirts and graphic tees. The company is targeting an active lifestyle that brings together boards ports and outdoor activities, mixed with an urban aesthetic. I am personally very excited to see this business model catch on.
The Wall Street Journal has a nice little story about How Your Favorite Sneakers Got Their Names. Reebok? Adidas? The Puma Clyde? ASICS? Good trivia stuff. Also, I knew the Chuck Taylor has sold a lot over the years– but 600 million pairs? That’s insane. Go on and get your sneaker-nerd on and check out the article. Thanks Brett!
Interesting things are happening in the sneaker/partnering news department this week. Run-DMC’s abandoned their Adidas loyalty to Nike by releasing a Nike+ running soundtrack. And on the heels of that is Vice Brazil’s launch with partner Converse in tow. Kicking off Tuesday is The Way We Run, a multi-track of events spanning art, music, fashion and skate in Sao Paulo, like a meet and greet with team skaters and DJ sets, all taking place at various high-profile places for six weeks. The event ends with a surprise show. I met Vice Brazil publisher Tony Cebrian a few months ago, who told me he has big plans for the Vice empire’s South American version of the free magazine, including featuring stories that will knock any generalizations of Brazil right out of the water. Look for a translated version of those stories to wind their way to your copy of Vice soon. I’m looking forward, just as you likely are, of seeing some Dos and Dont’s from below the Equator.
The first time I heard of Kendo was when I was actively involved (read: snatching up) Adidas’s legendary AZX collection. For those who don’t know, Kendo is a specialty sneaker store that caters specifically to female clientele. They are located in Los Angeles, and in the past few years have really captured the attention of companies looking to level the field in a game dominated by men. In their latest Double Label collaboration, DC teamed up with Kendo to produce The Spruce Kendo. The hightops sport a unique colorway thanks to the use of reptile skins and animal print. Rounding out the sneaker is the use of gold, tan, and copper colors that compliment each other and gives it a strong Asian vibe. The shoes dropped April 1 and can be purchased at DC retail locations in LA and Soho as well as online direct from Kendo LA and DC Shoes.
We’ve gone gaga over Y-3’s limited edition kicks in the past, and now we have something to look forward to. The video that goes along with the Spring/Summer ‘09 campaign for Y-3 depicts kids hiding from surveillance cameras with the aid of their dynamic sneaks, giving us the sneakiest of previews. However, the entire collection is available for viewing at the adidas site. Navigate through the grid to see every show and clothing item coming out. The Y-3 collection has a classic sensibility, but these definitely aren’t your parents’ Superstars.
You know what we like? When the names of people we love (Jesse Hora) start winding up next to names of artists we worship (Si Scott; Alex Trochut; Hellovon). Not that we would expect any less of the designers, illustrators and artists we brag on so thoroughly. But still, every time it happens we feel like one of our kids just knocked out the class bully (see also: brimming with pride and high-fiving all around).
Jesse Hora (Dot Com), fresh off of the much cooed over Some Type of Wonderful (a project also shaped by the aforementioned Si Scott, etc.), took some time to fill us in on the distance he's traveled since '06.
The creative industry: Yeesh. On one hand, working in it can result in the most un-careery of all careers; an endlessly fulfilling extension of what you love into what you do. On the flipside, that same industry can be the ultimate soul-smoosher; a creativity killing monster leaving utter suckness in its wake.
If you’ve worked in it, chances are you’ve experienced both sides of it. The ideal client, the idol client, the client that shouldn’t even be a client because they should be out of business; they’re everywhere, and we’ve each developed our own way to deal with them. But when times get rough, we need reminding of why we’re in it in the first place– and when we need reminding, we need Joshua Gajownik.
A couple of years ago, we told you about the first fair trade sneaker, a simple affair in the Adidas Samba vein. Three years later, France’s Veja has seven full sized collections, including a line for kids and even little tiny baby sneakers. The kicks have gotten undeniably hotter and branched out into a few different incarnations. Our favorite is the mid-top Grid in Cyprus.
Earlier this year we told you about a high-profile Brazilian skate art exhibit called Expo Skate Obsession at Maze Skate Shop that brought together the most known names in the discipline into one building. The project went so well that a book chronicling the participating artists and groundbreaking show was just released this week. Partnering with Adidas, the it was sold at the big price of free (how’s that for democracy!) at the launch party. I was totally flattered to be asked to participate as translator of the artist biographies, and I’m super impressed with how well the slick, hardcover book came out, especially with the design and well-executed photos (shot by skate legend and Cemporcento Brazilian skate mag editor Alexandre Vianna). If you just gotta have this book, I’m confident if you beg and plead to Maze they might be convinced to send you one of these skate must-haves if you offer up shipping costs.
Streetwear is so hype right now. Thanks to sites like High Snobiety, Honeyee — and jeez, even this one — wild graphics and even wilder collabs have become as venerated as the celebrities that like to be spotted in them.
But what's brand to do when bold prints and bright colors, once considered so daring and original, start weaving their way into the mainstream? If you're Daniel Pierre and Kareem Blair, creators of respected streetwear line Lemar and Dauley, that question has one answer: Stay the hell ahead of everyone else.
While Singapore is not often considered a streetwear capital, subterranean youth culture brews almost anywhere. Through various product partnerships and creative clothing lines, Flesh Imp is giving Singaporean youth an expressive outlet through style, and in many ways driving a fashion revolution. While the brand is still young (they just celebrated their 7th anniversary this past December with a collabo with Adidas), they are making moves, their most recent project being limited edition Coke Zero gear. Founder Vincent Q has some poignant things to say about the burgeoning Singaporean street culture and hopes to expand Flesh Imp’s influence from the unique mix that is his city.
Adidas once again mixes pop culture, art, and product at their brand new No. 74 space in Berlin. The shop is more than a place to get your hands on sneakers — it’s a project curated by the brand in association with No. 6 in London, and offers up an array of product tailored to local pop interests. Adidas and 032c Magazine celebrated the store’s opening with an eye-catching three dimensional display and photography exhibit from architect and designer Juergen Mayer H. entitled “Metropol Paraol” that’s currently on display. They also released a special limited edition Stan Smith shoe tagged with No. 74 and No. 6, only available in London and Berlin.
All summer long adidas has been trumpeting their Celebrate Originality campaign with a series of unique web films, and this week the final chapter made its debut. Sieben & Friends, an adidas Adventure is yet another ode to the individuality of one of the world’s most recognizable sportswear brands. It features artist, writer, and skater Michael Sieben, who recently contributed a collection consisting of two exclusive shoe designs, a hoodie, and a T-shirt.
In the clip by San Francisco creative agency Juice Design and directed by Eric Noren, cartoon characters created by Sieben come to life and accompany him on a treasure hunt through the Bay Area, encountering various cityscapes, countryside scenes, and even tourist hotspots like Lombard Street. It’s an eye-catching event that might inspire your own animated adventure. The tricky part is making your own cartoon creations come to life.
The Wall Street Journal has a nice little story about 
A couple of years ago, we told you about the first 
