Ladies Plaza

A few weeks ago, I had a party to go to and no new dress to wear. My friend told me to check out asos.com, which if you don’t know, is a site famous for selling clothes that are ‘in the style of x celebrity’ and also clothes from a few UK high street brands (like Oasis, French Connection and Mina).

So after spending some time on it, I didn’t know what to think about it. Because

a) ASOS has no physical store and you never know how the clothing item is like in real life until you’ve actually felt it.

b) The prices are high-street prices, meaning very affordable. This again, makes me very suspicious of how the clothes would look and fit.

c) I’ve heard mix reviews from friends. A few of my friends said the clothes were decent, and one wasn’t a fan of the quality.

d) If I wanted to return the clothes, I would have to mail them back. Talk about inconvenient and the extra cost involved!

These two black dresses are classy and stylish. The quality looks decent too. I especially like the sequinned one.

The red dress is quite cute, and the silver, sequinned dress is perfect for this party season!

Now these are examples of what I think are poor quality and design. The black dress’s material looks cheap and the gems a bit too plastic-y. OK, I know the dress doesn’t actaully cost a lot (38 pounds), but I have no desire to wear that material. As for the cream-coloured sequined dress, the design is just not very flattering.

This is the dress that has got me seriously thinking to give ASOS a go. I really like this dress. It’s stylish, pretty and very youthful.

And on a closer look, even the beads and sequins look ok in quality. So should I dive in and get this dress?

Another dress I’m liking is this waistcoat dress. It’s cute and cool. It’s made of all polyester though, so I’m not sure how it’ll look in real life.

From the Daiginjyou Sake Glass and internal organ-shaped stuffed animals to “Superbad” and Bacon and Eggs cufflinks, we’ve culled all our favorite stores offline and online for our third annual gift guide. Our picks span a range of prices and a range of recipients that we hope will make your holiday season a little easier.

We’ll be updating daily, so check back often to see what we’ve come up with.

I used to make fun of people who wore denim on the slopes, but Burton recently made it more functional with this first edition Gore-Tex LTD Grail Denim Jacket and Pant.

Denim alone is probably the worst thing you could wear in cold and wet conditions, however an exclusive collaboration with Gore-Tex gives Burton the sole rights for two years to use their technology that makes denim more snow ready.

Lining the denim with Gore-Tex lends water resistance, insulation and flexibility while pit zips provide an out when overheating. Ride off the slopes straight into the bar and you’ll fit right in with the aprés crowd.

The limited edition line is shipping to Burton stores now and should be on racks any day now, but act quick because supplies won’t last. You can also get it online at Burton. The Jacket goes for $600 and the pant $500.

by Christina Panas

Intended as a safeguard for the gizmo du jour—the iPod—this handsome body-conscious holster by newly minted label YMYL slips easily under a jacket, hoodie, or sweater keeping your pockets empty and your silhouette sleek. And with its dapper design, shaped to sit flush against your side for discreet portage, only the most exhaustive frisking will betray its presence. “We wanted to create something sharp and classic that has a wide application,” says designer Hooman Majidi who, along with his partner Yasmin, is developing a line of high-end accessories to complement the top tech wares of today—and tomorrow.

Read more…

De facto Australian fashion embassy, Elizabeth Charles always stocks an impressive roster of Aussie and Kiwi designers.

The West Village boutique also marks merchandise to a reasonable sale price- (which I cannot say for every shop) -like this delicate chocolate and emerald Silkdress from Bulb that is $119 down from the original price of $239.

Put a cardigan over it for lunch with the boss or try it out solo for any last minute holiday parties.

Kitted out like the courtyard of a medieval castle, complete with fake torches, the 69th Regiment Armory was filled to bursting with deeply discounted designer merchandise and eager shoppers in the form of Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Giambattista Valli, Iman, Eve, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Poking fun at the ribs of size zero celebs, Brit/Oz fashion label,
Antipodium launched their size 0 “Size
Matters” skippy tote during the recent London Fashion Week. Maybe it’s
the drought plaguing Australia or just an eagerness to follow the
non-eating trends of late, but somehow the skeletal bush kangaroo has
wowed audiences from London to Leichardt with over 800 of the totes
snapped up during the week alone. Get your own piece of skinny skippy
designed by Rinzen from Alice Euphemia,
Fat4 or by emailing fenella [at] antipodium [dot] com.

A 25-YEAR-OLD Adelaide designer has scored a job with one of the biggest names in world fashion, working for Italian designer Valentino in Milan.

Reuters - Islamic fashion is
broadening its appeal beyond the faithful as women everywhere
are increasingly drawn to its flowing lines, says renowned
Malaysian designer Melinda Looi.

A person’s handwriting says a lot about his or her personality; a strong right slant suggests a fierce emotional side while small size might refer to a penchant for details. This idea wasn’t lost on Italian designer Cleto Munari, who asked famous architects and designers to come up with with a set of five beautiful pens, each inspired by a Nobel Prize-winning writer. The finished writing utensils with 18kt gold details are luxurious and inspiring to those who take the handwritten word seriously.

To start, Munari asked for handwritten letters from writers Nagib Mahfouz, Toni Morrison, Wole Soyinka, José Saramago and Saul Bellow, which he then gave to architects and designers Toyo Ito, Alessandro Mendini, Alvaro Siza Viera and Oscar Tusquetstook. The pens are very much based on the designer’s interpretation of the writer’s style and form.

Designboom has excerpts from the pens’ accompanying The Book of Five Pens that show these letters, essential elements for potential purchasers wanting to first connect with a pen before they buy it.

The pens, available in roller or fountain form, start from $550 from Art Brown. At that price, you won’t be apt to loan it out without forgetting to ask for it back.

At 32, Fahamu Pecou, a Brooklyn born artist who moved to South Carolina at five-years-old, lives close to his studio, but drives his 1997 Nissan pickup truck to work, because “Atlanta is not a walking place,” says Pecou.

Pecou’s NEOPOP project captures the vanity and folly of rap celebrity while provoking questions that Pecou struggles with himself: when people comment on Pecou’s communication skills and oral delivery, as a black man, he says, “Why wouldn’t I be articulate?” (Pecou’s painting So Clean and Articulate comments on Senator Joe Biden’s comments on Barack Obama – clean, articulate and attractive black man – and the one time a curator said, “Oh my God, I can’t believe how articulate you are!”)

In September, Pecou’s first solo New York gallery show was a success; “More than anything, I recognize that if you can do it in New York you can do it anywhere,” says Pecou.

“I think that is irresponsible on the part of society to have children lead us.”

Format: You’re educated and live in Atlanta. How has Atlanta influenced your creative process and final creations?
Fahamu Pecou: The thing that keeps me grounded in Atlanta is that the pace is slow enough that you can really enjoy quality of life and that is an attraction for me. The city is one of those places where it is not difficult for you to make a big name for yourself. There is a lot of fertile ground work and all kinds of ideas and projects to get light compared to a New York or L.A. where there are a million people thinking like you are. Being in Atlanta played a major role in how quickly this body of work has caught on. If I lived in New York doing this, it might not have caught light the way it did in Atlanta.

Format: What was your reaction to T.I.’s recent charges?
Fahamu Pecou: I was disappointed. I’m a fan. I think he’s a really great artist and he exhibits a really positive image through his marketing. This incident that happened was really stupid, for lack of a better word. I expected more.

Format: The majority of artists face humble beginnings. What are some hardships you’ve persevered through, in the early years of your career?
Fahamu Pecou: I think most of my hardships came in my childhood. By the time I got to adulthood I figured out how to stretch a dollar out. One of the biggest hardships at the start of my career was trying to navigate a career. That was something that was not taught to me in school. I learned some hard lessons and got knocked around a bit to figure it out. I won’t say that I’m a starving artist. I’ve always had a hustle, a way to make things work for me. As far as childhood, those hardships were more severe; I lost both my parents when I was four and then I was adopted. I went through finding my voice as an artist and art has been more of a salvation.

Format: In a past interview, you say, “People are really intimidated by my bodyguards and don’t know if it’s OK to talk to me or approach me, so I often catch someone staring.” Why do you need bodyguards?
Fahamu Pecou: It’s just part of the performance. I hire professional bodyguards, because I want everything to be legit. No one has ever tried to hurt me. When you think about celebrity presence, a lot of times a person does not have to act or say anything, but the presence they create moves people in a certain kind of way. The bodyguard, the models, all that is about presence – it’s about shifting people’s perception of me before they have a chance to encounter me.

Format: Before you do your performances, do you have mental preparation to put you in character?
Fahamu Pecou: Yeah, it’s really affirmation. The real me is pretty shy and laid back, so I have to hype myself up to get in the frame of mind to do the character. It’s funny, because my friends are usually the ones trying to get me hyped up. They’re more into the character than I am.

Format: Please explain how your sticker and poster campaign, “Fahamu Pecou is the shit,” materialized.
Fahamu Pecou: When I first came up with the title of the campaign, I was trying to figure out how to get people to recognize my name. I was at the point of sending materials to galleries and applying for shows and never getting feedback. I wanted a way to put my name out there so people would recognize my name and appear larger than what I was. I started by posting posters up that read ‘Fahamu Pecou is the shit’ and it didn’t say why or what it was I did, it was just my name and a graphic of me with my shirt off. People started reacting to it by saying things like, ‘Hey you’re that guy.’ I did grab people’s attentions and started to pick it up a notch with ad campaigns and T-shirts.

Format: Your canvases are six to seven feet in height. What are the challenges of working on such a large scale?
Fahamu Pecou: The challenges were far greater when I had a Honda Civic!

Format: Rap’s responsibly to cultures and communities is larger than any other music genre. Do you think there is too much responsibly placed on rap music?
Fahamu Pecou: I think it’s interesting that rap is used as a scapegoat for the ills of society. It’s reflective of our culture and society. It’s been traditional to place blame on poor black people for crime and drugs. Hip-hop is a thing people love to hate. It makes so much people so much money, but they have nothing vested in it; if it generates money for them, good, if it generates money for them when it’s doing bad, good. I think too much responsibility is placed on hip-hop artists. If you think about there are very few rappers who are over the age of 30 who are still making music and selling records. The majority of the rappers are young kids in their late teens or early 20s. Most of them have not experienced what will shape who they’ll be as men and women, and we’re expecting them to lead the masses of people. I think that is irresponsible on the part of society to have children lead us.

Format: Often, mainstream media sources like CNN project negative coverage on rap music by examining rap music through BET. In your opinion, should BET act as a gatekeeper to what kind of imagery and message rap music projects to the public?
Fahamu Pecou: It’s interesting you ask that. I do a series of hip-hop roundtable discussions and one of the issues that often comes up is that corporations and media are controlling the gates of what people are able to hear or see in hip-hop. I don’t think BET or MTV are equipped enough to be the appropriate keepers of the music or culture, partly, because they have commercial interest in it so they’re not interested in promoting an artist whose content is contradictory to what their agenda is. They’ll put their energy behind whoever is making the most money. I think a lot of times there are a lot of great artists that don’t get any kind of coverage, because of what these corporations’ agendas are. What’s reported as far as hip-hop in the media is also an issue. They don’t talk about David Banner’s community programs, he does positive stuff, but you don’t hear about that. Instead, they talk about T.I. getting busted with guns.

Format: Please explain the message in your painting Die Standing.
Fahamu Pecou: There is a Mexican revolutionary named Emiliano Zapata who is coined by saying, ‘It’s better to die standing than to live on your knees.’ It really illustrates my philosophy about life and my work. Rather than wait or beg or ask permission, just stand up and take it. Not doing what the system expects you to do.

Format: NEOPOP uses real magazine names for your faux magazine covers. Have you experienced legal action against your use of these magazine names for NEOPOP?
Fahamu Pecou: No. As a matter of fact, most magazines contact me and ask me to do a cover. I have not had issues regarding names.

Format: When creating your NEOPOP character, who are the celebrities that you tried to project through your character?
Fahamu Pecou: In the beginning it was a mockery of 50 Cent, but since then it’s all kinds of celebrities rolled into one. The character evolved a life of its own. I don’t know what a lot of what I’m doing with the creation of the character is really conscious.

Format: Please explain the message in your painting So Clean and Articulate.
Fahamu Pecou: That was a crack at Joe Biden commenting on Barack Obama being a clean, articulate and good looking black man. As a black man, it’s one of those weird compliments that people give you from time to time: you can put sentences together without cursing every word, why wouldn’t I be articulate? I did a presentation at a public art project that I did and when I finished speaking, a curator that I knew for a long time was said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe how articulate you are!’ It was kind of a joke back at that, too.

Format: CNN and other news sources are cover whether Barack Obama is black enough. What is your reaction to their coverage on that subject?
Fahamu Pecou: America has a really big problem in the way it deals with black people. Often, the way it deals with black people is to faction them into different groups: dark skinned blacks, light skinned blacks; ghetto blacks, educated blacks; or black men verses black women. It’s pitting people against each other. To me, it’s one of those things where as long as we’re fighting ourselves, we cannot fight the real enemy: oppression, racism, classism and everything else that affects the community. That’s how I feel about the ‘Is Barack Obama black enough?’ To me, it shouldn’t be an issue. He’s running for President of the United States so our question should be, ‘Is he a person that can lead this country?’ not ‘Is he black enough to attract a black vote?’ If you split the black vote between Obama and Clinton, while the GOP is running their one candidate while everyone aligned behind their one candidate, who wins?

Format: In September, you had your first solo New York gallery exhibition. How was the experience and is the pressure of a New York exhibition different than your past exhibitions in smaller cities?
Fahamu Pecou: I won’t front and say I wasn’t intimidated by it, but I realized that it was my audience for what I’m doing. I haven’t had a solo show in New York, but I did a couple groups shows and each time I did really well. More than anything, I recognize that if you can do it in New York you can do it anywhere. I was more nervous by that. Whatever I said, I wanted it to be my A game.

Format: Do you find the reactions to your shows are different based on geographic location?
Fahamu Pecou: No. I think, for the most part, wherever I am the idea is that I still resonate in all those places. The most interesting thing that occurs is the type of crowds that I get at the shows. Not people reacting differently, but the people who come out are different. In Dallas, a lot of people came to the opening reception and they were mostly older white people. In the closing reception it was mostly black people my age. It was kind of odd, because most of those people have not been to an art gallery before. I get that a lot, too. People come out who may not be into the day to day art gallery dealings, but they’re inspired by my work and show up.

Format: Please explain the message in your painting King Kong Ain’t Got Shit On Me.
Fahamu Pecou: That’s just bravado, that’s me talking shit. The line comes from Training Day. Part of my character is about bravado and sticking his chest out.

Format: What impact has NEOPOP’s message had on its audience?
Fahamu Pecou: To meet another one of the greatest things was to meet another young black person that is interested in art after seeing my work. That is a great feeling for me. I didn’t grow up going to galleries or museums. I just didn’t have the resources. I think in America, a lot of black people feel that art is something for white people. Most of my collectors are middle-aged white couples. I can count two or three black people that have bought my work. I think a lot of people can react to my work, because the messages I’m dealing with are universal.

More Info: http://www.fahamupecouart.com

With just two major label releases over the course of five years and one legendary unreleased album from 1997, Clipse’s career spans across a decade and a millennium. They redefined hip-hop and defined coke rap before Jeezy was moving keys, but around the same time T.I. was just starting to get his trap on. They have, up until recently, been a canvas for arguably the biggest production duo in hip-hop and with their new imprint they plan on continuing the masterpiece that is Clipse. Pusha T, one half of Clipse and one fourth of the Re Up Gang, talks deals, movies and his favorite Clipse song.

“When P gets excited about a new song, he will hit me and be like, ‘Come to the studio right now, if you don’t get here within five minutes, I’m calling Jay-Z.’”

Format: So how did this new deal with Columbia come about?
Pusha T: When we put out Hell Hath No Fury, we were already talking to Jive about letting us go. Us being there wasn’t good for both parties. As soon as they let the project go, there was flurry of offers from different labels. Hip-hop from Columbia hollered at our manager, Tony Draper. He took a flight to Houston to see us and was like, ‘Are you guys free? Is it really true?’ Rick Rubin was totally interested. They knew the history. They knew the ups and downs. They started selling us on them trying to win with us, so on and so forth. But truth be told, we were on the phone with Interscope until the last minute on some eleventh hour shit. It was us, Jimmy Iovine and Pharrell. They were trying to get it done, but when we told them what was on the table with Columbia, Jimmy and P were like, ‘Your deal is better.’ P said, ‘You need to sign that deal.’ So we are no longer with Star Trak, but the Neptunes are still going to be involved with the new project. We will always be cool and there were definitely no hard feelings.

Format: Clipse’s first album, Exclusive Audio Footage was supposed to come out in 1998 but never saw the light of day. If you look around, you can find it on the Internet. Will it ever come out? How has Clipse changed since then?
Pusha T: The content of the Clipse hasn’t really changed since 1998. Nothing has really changed. It’s still coke rap, but we didn’t call it that back then. It was just life. Now, I guess, there’s a whole genre of it. But it was Neptunes produced and it was definitely pushing the bar, musically. It was a very theatrical album. It was a little more movie-esque than our other two albums.

Format: The Clipse has always been known for its a-typical sound; from “Grindin’” to “Mr. Me Too,” you guys have never dropped a typical single?
Pusha T: It’s a product of being next to the Neptunes. We’d be in the studio with Pharrell and Chad and – insert big name artist here – and these artists are asking for something that sounded like something else. Then it would often turn into a screaming match between Pharrell and the artist. Then it would calm down a little and Pharrell would get really sarcastic, like telling Chad to ‘Throw me that snare’ or ‘Pull up that one drum kit,’ you know, really sarcastic. But you know, the music business is so like that, everything references something else. At the end of the day, Pharrell and Chad would always throw the juice on it and make it bang. The fact is, though, Pharrell and Chad are weirdos with hits. You know, like mad scientists. They have a rep for making hits, but how can you not let them create? They flooded the market with certain sounds, because artists were asking for those sounds. That’s not innovative. The stuff they will be remembered for is the really innovative stuff. When P gets excited about a new song, he will hit me and be like, ‘Come to the studio right now, if you don’t get here within five minutes, I’m calling Jay-Z.’ When you get that call, you know you got to move fast.

“Nigo has shown us a lot of love and we like to show it back.”

Format: So what are The Clipse up to right now?
Pusha T: Just winding down on the tour. Recording Re Up Gang album shit. Expect a new single in 2008. As far as features, we are going to finish the album ourselves. Personally, I don’t want to put anyone on the album. Re-Up needs to be branded. People need to understand what we do as artists. If you look at the artists outside Re-Up that we’ve shared tracks with in the past, it’s people like Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Jermaine Dupri. These people are legends not our peers.

Format: You guys were on the Bape, BBC, Ice Cream shit very early for obvious reasons, but never made a big deal about it.
Pusha T: We still rock BBC, Ice Cream. It’s really a support thing, first and foremost. Secondarily, as I said in a line a long time ago, ‘When you create the mold, you can break the mold.’ When we want to stop rocking it, we can, because we started it. I don’t care if people think it’s played out. Nigo has shown us a lot of love and we like to show it back.

Format: Can we expect any Clipse clothing collabos?
Pusha T: No collaborations. Those guys got it on smash.

Format: What does the Clipse mean?
Pusha T: Came from full eclipse. We wanted to cast a shadow over the industry.

“…we are talking about a quarter billion dollar black man in the `70s. This movie did not do that justice.”

Format: What’s your favorite record you’ve ever done?
Pusha T: Wow. Nobody has ever asked that before. I’d probably have to say “Momma I’m Sorry” or “Keys Open Doors.” Records like that. They got the demon in them. Certain records are big records. Certain records are reaction records. There’s nothing better than doing that raw ass record. That’s the fun record when the audience understands what you’re getting at.

Format: You saw American Gangster, what’d you think?
Pusha T: It was alright. To me, this movie should have been Scarface. I needed three hours. I needed to know more about Bumpy Johnson. All I got was that he died and that Frank was his enforcer. Also, the progression wasn’t clear. One minute Frank is dealing a half a key of heroin and then next minute he’s overseas. I didn’t see the rise to power. I didn’t get to see his enemies either. Yeah, he shot Tango on the street but I didn’t really know who Tango was. I needed nothing about Richie Robbins marriage. And we needed to expound on heroin coming on US planes and in soldiers’ coffins. I mean, come on. Drug importing on US Army planes? I want know more about that! I think this movie needed to be done like Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. That movie was detailed but also epic at the same time. And how did Nicky Barnes not play a bigger role in the movie? The movie itself, for what they did, was captivating. However, we are talking about a quarter billion dollar black man in the `70s. This movie did not do that justice.

Format: Have you seen the Nicky Barnes documentary?
Pusha T: Amazing.

“And we needed to expound on heroin coming on US planes and in soldiers’ coffins.”

Format: Are you familiar with Black Mafia Family in Atlanta? You think Meech warrants his own movie some day?
Pusha T: Familiar, of course. I mean, I didn’t know him or anything, but I definitely think it should. He’s not guilty yet and hopefully he doesn’t end up being guilty, but I can tell you the accusations alone warrant a movie!

Format: Any movie roles on the horizon?
Pusha T: Haven’t done any acting, but I am definitely interested.

Format: Who chose the first single off Hell Hath No Fury?
Pusha T: “Mr. Me Too” was our choosing. A lot of things went into Hell…so much drama, controversy, bad blood, negative energy. It was like we wanted to let the public have it. We had the outlook that nothing was going to work anyway. By this time I had burned all the bridges. I had said everything wrong, I was not a diplomat. There’s a way to handle everything. I fucked it all up. But I did it. I said it. It happened. At the end of the day, we felt like it was never going to work. Our true fans will get it. They will love it. There’s no way with this hiatus and all the talk that we could come out with a celebratory album. It would have been a lie. Let’s address the industry shit. “Wamp Wamp,” that was a second single, it was more along the lines of ‘Fuck it, we have no support, let’s cater to the fans,’ we had to keep the energy up since we got shows. It was the definition of east coast club feel, to me.

“The fact is, though, Pharrell and Chad are weirdos with hits. You know, like mad scientists.”

Format: What are you feeling right now outside of Clipse?
Pusha T: In general, I really like that show First 48. American Gangster on BET is amazing. Alicia Keys. Kanye’s “Good Morning” is my shit and I think Kanye has record of the year for “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.” To me, that is one of the most inspiring records ever made. Devin the Dude is hot. Jeezy is hot. Z-Ro from Houston. I’m very interested in what Plies’ next album looks like. I think he’s got it.

Format: Why is it so hard for hip hop artist to break out of the DC, Maryland and Virginia? The area has produced R&B acts for years, but you and Missy Elliot are the only rappers to be successful out of Virginia. And Wale is the only dude out of DC and Maryland.
Pusha T: I could be wrong about my philosophy, but here it goes. My area is sort of like a melting pot for so many things. We haven’t been able to define a sound. Every other region has a sound. I think Virginia doesn’t have a defined sound. There’s good music here, but there hasn’t been one sound that made everyone say “YO”…it’s just been individuals. As far as Maryland and DC, there’s a lot of competition with Bmore club and go-go. I go to DC and I want see the go-go shit. A lot of places, hip-hop is that energy. I think it can also be that energy for DC, but it’s competing. Ultimately, we as artists are going do what we do, as long as we are creating, we are doing our job. It’s time for the radio stations to zone in and say, ‘Oh shit, this is from hometown area.’ I go to Atlanta and I’m hearing signed and unsigned artists on the radio. It needs to be like that everywhere. The gap is steadily closing.

Format: Anything else?
Pusha T: Re Up Gang Records is the next movement.

More Info: http://www.clipseonline.com

Percy Carey a.k.a. GM Grimm is a man with a past. Whether it is climbing to the pinnacle of the rap game or waking from a coma to discover he is partially paralyzed, Grimm has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune like no other. Having released rap’s first triple CD, American Hunger, last year, the rap industry waits to see the next move of Grimm, who lives to challenge boundaries with his music.

Sentences: The Life Of MF Grimm is an unflinching account of Carey’s life. From his stint on Sesame Street as a child, on to his work with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and the attempt on his life, Grimm shares it all – a cautionary tale. Sentences is a must read for comic book aficionados and hip-hop heads alike.

“You can be peaceful, but you don’t have to be a motherfucking punk.”

Format: How did Sentences come about?
Grimm: My editor, Casey Seijas thought it would be a great idea to write about
my life, and I took him up on it.

Format: What are your favorite books, comics or otherwise?
Grimm: Right now it’s Simon Dark, he’s a new character in Gotham City. He’s considered ‘Gotham’s Other Hero’ and he’s no joke. I would love to write for the series. Crossing Midnight by Mike Carey, The Re-Grifters by Mike Carey. Sinestro Corps is hot as well. Also Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

Format: What were your best memories from hanging with the Death Row cats? Are you still in touch with any of them?
Grimm: I learned that music is a lucrative business; no I haven’t spoken to anyone in years.

Format: Have you thought about a film of Sentences? If there was one who would you like to play you?
Grimm: No, haven’t thought that far in that realm of reality. I would do animation.

Format: Is there anything you still want to do as a rapper that you haven’t had the chance to do yet?
Grimm: Yes several different things, but what stands out the most is a children’s album I’m working on it right now, American Hunger: Baby Food.

Format: What sort of reactions have you had from the people you wrote about in Sentences?
Grimm: I don’t know, been moving to fast to find out.

Format: You recorded the Downfall Of Iblyis in 24 hours – how important was it to you to get all that out before you were incarcerated?
Grimm: Very important, that could’ve been my first and last album ever. I’m blessed to be here that’s why I keep making albums.

Format: How did you hook up with Ronald Wimberly?
Grimm: Casey Seijas.

Format: How important is it to you to be able to write a gangster record in the vein of “Gingerbread Man” and on the other had write joints like “The Way” and “Teach The Babies?”
Grimm: Very important. I think we must show children that there are other ways than violence and it shouldn’t be your first option, but in the same sense you must defend yourself. If you come across someone placing a noose or a swastika on your door you whip his motherfucking ass, teach him a lesson. You can be peaceful, but you don’t have to be a motherfucking punk.

Format: Do you feel like your rap game has changed since you became a Grand Master?
Grimm: Yes, I have way more to learn now.

Format: What should listeners expect from The Hunt From The Gingerbread Man?
Grimm: I don’t know what they should expect from The Hunt for the Gingerbread
Man, it’s me in a fantasy realm exercising my imagination without any interference from this so called reality. Krummz is an animation that I’m working on with Mr. Preston Holmes and my writing partner Naimah Holmes. It’s going to be great.

Format: While you’ve had your differences, in Sentences, your relationship with Doom seems to be one of the more enduring creative partnerships you’ve had and you speak quite fondly of him. In one panel there’s a milk carton with his picture on it. What was the reasoning behind that?
Grimm: Just asking to see my brother Daniel Dumile again not MF Doom, that’s all. It’s kind of payback for that GM Grimm’s fairy tale thing he did on MM…Food, but that old Doom is my brother. I love him I have no problems with him, I miss him.

Format: How did you come to start up Day By Day Entertainment? What’s the philosophy behind the label?
Grimm: Being unwanted by the majors made me create Day By Day. Everyday is a struggle and you must take it Day By Day. No one is promised tomorrow.

Format: How long did it take you come up with all the material for American Hunger?
Grimm: I can’t remember how long it took to write. A few months. I created 100 songs and I wanted them all on there and the people I was working with wanted to kill me for it, they put their foot down and said 60. Mr. Damon Patterson picked the 60 songs. The only thing I remember is the hard drives crashed and I had to do the entire album over in 11 days recording, mixing everything, no sleep at all. That was a crazy time.

Format: Finish the following sentence: Grimm is…
Grimm: The man.

More Info: http://www.myspace.com/mfgrimm1

Founded in 2004 by Adamu Chan, and Jae Knox, Red Clay is a semi-established brand out of the Bay Area. Fresh off of their respective grinds as a television show host in Tokyo (Adamu), and a t-shirt designer in California (Jae), and disenfranchised with the San Francisco scene at the time, Adamu and Jae set off to develop a line representing experiences and ideas specific to the Bay. Three years, and six collections later, Red Clay is releasing a full collection available across the globe.

“Our overall design aesthetic focuses more on subtle details and quality than catchy colors and graphics.”

Format: Please introduce Red Clay and its respective founders.
Adamu Chan: Red Clay is a two-headed monster made up of myself, Adamu, and my partner, Jae Knox. I take care of design, marketing and sales and Jae handles most of the finance and daily operations.

Format: Before starting Red Clay, Adamu was doing a television show in Japan. What’s the story behind this?
Adamu: There is no real story behind this, it was just my job out there. I was the host of an entertainment type television show. However, living in Japan laid a lot of the framework for starting the company. In 2001 when I started living in Tokyo, for a lot of the kids that I was hanging out with in San Francisco, Japan was something of a “mecca” for streetwear, a place where you could find goods that others wouldn’t be able to get their hands on. Nowadays, everything can be had on the Internet. In the profession I was in, I was able to meet and become friends with many people at the forefront of the industry, which had a large influence on me and fueled my desire to start Red Clay.

Format: At the same time, Jae was running a successful t-shirt line. Why the transition into Red Clay?
Adamu: I think for both of us, we wanted to do something that had more of an international appeal and that was more than just a t-shirt company.

Format: What does Red Clay mean?
Adamu: Red Clay is a Freddie Hubbard Jazz tune that I think captures the feeling of what we are trying to express with the line. My name, Adamu means “the first man born from Red Clay” as well.

Format: 2007 marks the third year for Red Clay. How has the line grown since 2004?
Adamu: We’ve grown in all facets of the company from design to distribution. I think for us, and most of our contemporaries in this so-called “streetwear” industry, the past few years have been a growing process for all of us in terms of learning how to grow a brand, the ins and outs of running a business and how to produce quality garments.

Format: Which markets are most responsive to Red Clay, and why do you think these specific markets take to the brand?
Adamu: New York has always been good to us since the beginning, LA and SF as well. I think our aesthetic appeals to a very urban frame of reference. Living in metropolitan areas, around so many people, makes us want to differentiate ourselves from others. Red Clay caters to that search for individuality and I think people are drawn to that.

Format: Please discuss the development of some of your favorite garments from the Red Clay Fall/Winter 07 collection.
Adamu: I’m a jacket dude, so those by default are my favorites. We will be dropping a shawl collar fleece pullover next month for Holiday that I think is somewhat of a new look for streetwear. A classic look reinterpreted. Keep a lookout for the quilted lambskin leather baseball jacket as well.

Format: Red Clay focuses much more on pattern and texture than the average streetwear brand. Please discuss the influences behind this decision.
Adamu: I don’t think it’s necessarily a formal decision, but more about the brand identity overall. Our overall design aesthetic focuses more on subtle details and quality than catchy colors and graphics.

Format: To what degree does Red Clay identify with the streetwear market?
Adamu: It’s funny because I feel like a lot of discussion lately has been centered around what the streetwear industry is and where it’s going. One of the things I noticed, and I’d include our brand in this observation, is that a lot of the companies that are at the forefront of the industry are in the process of figuring out intelligent ways to differentiate themselves from the rest. While I think this is always a motivation for most companies, it has become a more concerted effort over the last year or so with the explosion of the streetwear market and the proliferation of brands. Streetwear as an industry, as this “industry” has to be redefined and reinterpreted, or it gets stale and dies. Look for a shift back to basic.

Format: Recently, Red Clay teamed up with Empire distribution. How has this partnership helped develop the brand?
Adamu: We are constantly thinking of ways to expand into different and new markets. Our partnership with Empire reflects one of those moves.

Format: Anything else you’d like to discuss?
Adamu: Just like to thank those that have supported us and helped make a great brand.

More Info: http://www.redclaydesigns.com

Linda Zacks packs a mean punch. When I say that, I hardly mean to communicate that the freelance designer, illustrator, and artist would actually hit anyone (she’s terribly nice) but only that, as a female New Yorker with a enough pep to put Red Bull out of business, she sure can pull a room (ad, album cover, poem, etc.) together.

With a resume whose lengthy limbs stretch past the internet pages of VH1 and through lustable clients like Target and eBay, Linda has wisdom to impart and experience to share. Thankfully, she does this in the very way one might suspect from her: With extra-oomph.

“I have run into this time and time again. I call it ‘throwing like a girl’ syndrome.”

Format: Please Tell us about your upbringing…
Linda Zacks: I moved around a lot growing up, living in different states and overseas in England and Holland. It was always hard to be uprooted as a child and as a teenager, but the challenge of settling in different places, meeting new people, being an outsider, and drinking in new sights and sounds really makes a person grow. When people ask me where I’m from, I never know what to say, because I feel like I’m from nowhere in particular. I never had a house that became a grounded character in my life, with a room filled with memories that I could always call home base. Home became wherever my parents were at the time.

Format: Have you always been fairly in touch with your creativity?
Zacks: I think so. I’m a big believer that creativity is a way of seeing, a way of approaching anything, a unique way of solving problems, the way one communicates and approaches life. And it can wiggle its way into anybody’s life regardless of whether they consider themselves an “artist” or not. We are always taught that creativity lives in art class, but I have always believed that it can raise its whimsical head anywhere, bend the rules, inject something sparkly- a stick can be a paintbrush, and a project due for geometry or biology class can become a colorful book instead of a boring old paper.

I have always had my creativity burst out in weird places. I was never the star in art class who could render the most perfect still life scene, but I’ve always learned how to think and have worked on digging deep to find my voice.

Format: It seems like you are many things. Artist, designer, ass-kicking business- woman; is there one area that you identify most strongly with?
Zacks: Well, to do the freelance thing you have to be a jack-of-all-trades. The art side is only part of the equation, you’ve got to embrace the business side of things. As tedious and torturous as it might be, you’ve got to be a marketer, a writer, a messenger, a scheduler, a waterboy, have your shit together as much as possible otherwise you’ll get eaten alive. You’ve got to be aware of contracts, lawyers, negotiations, communication and all that fun stuff.

I’d say, at this point in my career, I identify with all three. I’ve got a design background, so that helps me design my site and market myself; the art thing I’ve always just done, like exercise, always trying to experiment and open new channels that might pop out an idea; mental exercise, thinking until your brain sweats. And for the past couple of years, I’ve been working on the business side of it all, where the reality is that someone is always trying to take advantage of you. It’s the individual vs. the corporation, and that is always intimidating.

Format: The creative side of advertising is notoriously male-dominated. What sort of gender-related challenges have you faced in the creative industry?
Zacks: It seems the world is male-dominated, not just the ad industry! Being human is a challenge, being female is an extra challenge, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and a lot of people have more complicated and bigger challenges than we do. I have run into this time and time again. I call it “throwing like a girl” syndrome. People assume women are not-as-good, not-as-aggressive, not-as-opinionated, not-as-likely-to-negotiate, shouldn’t be paid as much, should look a certain way, should this, should that. I say: Use the strife as ammunition. We are all warriors. You can’t change the world and everyone has their little special piece of shit to deal with.

Format: Your client list is incredible. What has the journey been like while building such a desirable resume?
Zacks: Thanks! It’s been torturous, exhausting, messy, long, bumpy, colorful, uphill, sparkly, unpredictable, juicy, complicated, bright, laborious, like-giving-birth-to-your-brain-through-your-nostril, emotional, rewarding, and there’s a lifetime of journey still left.

Format: What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on to date?
Zacks: I’d say all projects are challenging. Proving yourself, deadlines, pressure, crazy client demand, it’s always damn hard, but when the project is over you can rip off your clothes, take a yummy hot bath, eat a very large chocolate chip cookie, and feel like you’ve accomplished something special.

Format: In general, your artwork feels quite feministic. Do you see this as a sort of rebellion from any other areas in which you (professionally) use your creativity?
Zacks: I always have to look up the word “feminist” when someone mentions it. I am woman, hear me roar! Well, why the hell not!!

Format: Your artwork is also very alive, very thematic. Can you put this theme into words for us?
Zacks: Love, hate, struggle, angst, excitement, war, fear, depression, loss, the gem of conversations, the beauty (and ugliness) and sheer amazement of being human on Planet Earth, living and breathing. What we all share as two-eyed thinking creatures, despite physical or geographical differences. And of course, some of my favorites: America the Strange; New York, New York; that crazy beast called woman, family.

Format: As I study more and more of today’s designers, I’m beginning to notice that the ones who truly make a name for themselves are the ones who maintain their own distinct style. Design is as trendy as fashion, yet it is the designers that primarily stay true to themselves (so, in a sense, the ones that extend their art into design, and not vice versa) that produce the work that has the most shelf life. What do you think about this statement?
Zacks: I think the most important thing is to have a voice, and I see this as different from style. To me it’s deeper, less superficial, more timeless, more conceptual. I feel like voice can transcend style. It can also transcend labels like designer, illustrator, and writer, and can have a long shelf life. A distinct voice resonates and moves people. Some super designy, style-based-things are just that - they don’t really say anything other than “look at me, I’m cool” - there’s no depth, like a trendy person that spends so much time on their outfit but has absolutely nothing to say. Voice also has soul. I see it as the visual counterpart to good songwriting - the kind that makes an impact and lasts through the ages.

Format: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your professional career?
Zacks: Art stores smell great and you can spend your life savings in them. Go after what you want. Never give up.

Format: Is there anything you wish you could change about the creative industry today?
Zacks: Slow things down so everything doesn’t always feel like a rush.
More respect for what an idea is worth.

Format: And last of all… why do you love your job?
Zacks: I’m the boss.

More Info: http://www.extra-oomph.com/

If you’ve ever played a game of Bingo with your grandmother, you know that Bingo dabbers, those messy markers that bleed all over N16 when you’re trying to mark N4, take the clean out of the official game of Good Clean Fun. Taipei based graffiti artist Dabs knows it too. What may have begun as a joke has turned into a very fitting name for the artist who isn’t afraid to get messy. Truly, Dabs dabbles. Dabs has tried his hand in a range of media and occupations, from computer animation to jewelry design, from art dealer to teacher, making him today’s urban Renaissance Man. He travels around Asia “staining the environment and peoples minds,” in his words, like a Bingo dabber on a fresh Bingo board.

Dabs began his career in art at a young age, painting soldiers and models and “nerd[ing] out in [his] basement making war dioramas.” Then he moved onto skateboards, painting under the influence of punk music and California artist and skateboarder Mark Gonzales. Later, Dabs dabbled in video game animation. Before long he was designing clothing, jewelry, tattoos and murals on both a commission and commercial basis. All the while this man has been teaching for his primary income, and for a brief period he owned a gallery as well, exhibiting both local and foreign artists.

“When I’m doing random bombing sometimes I just hit anything and I don’t care at all, and that can also come off nicely.”

The art form closest to his heart, of course, is graffiti. Dabs dabbles in aerosol, marking pens, wheat paste, computers and light tagging to name a few. He travels all over Asia tagging randomly in some cases, premeditatedly in others. Both methods work, according to the artist. Often he’ll scout out spots beforehand and contemplate a composition and color scheme that will compliment the spot nicely. Other times, he says, “when I’m doing random bombing sometimes I just hit anything and I don’t care at all, and that can also come off nicely.” Spontaneity is a challenge for Dabs, but often he finds it will generate better results than something planned out. He notes Asian tattooing, and Asian woodblock prints, as well as Pop art and comic books as artistic inspiration in many of his works. His favorite surface to tag is metal.

Because of his dabbling, Dabs has had the chance to do some major art world networking, and lots of opportunities have arisen as a result. His love for old school graffiti and hip-hop style name chains drove him to collaborate with his jewelry/clothing designer girlfriend on custom jewelry, which he sells on his website. He also contributes to the clothing design for his girlfriend’s label PetShopsGirl. He’s done t-shirt designs for a Hong Kong label called SubCrew, and for a new Taipei label called Skatopia. He also has some friends in advertising, and he was recently asked to do some light tags to be incorporated in a television commercial. Occasionally, Dabs even gets commissioned for murals and other paintings, but he says this is rare. He decided to open a gallery in an effort to further his networking, and, in the spirit of collaboration, Dabs started a graffiti crew in 2003 called Youth In Asia (YIA).

For an artist, Dabs is extremely realistic about his lifestyle. He teaches to keep a steady flow of income, so the art for him is just a source of pure fun. This is why he likes to continue to challenge himself, and to constantly try new things. He’s getting interested in the cross over collaborations of graffiti and other media, including sculpture and digital art. He still believes graffiti is only really graffiti if it’s being done on the street, which is why he respects the sculpture work of artists like Revs and Phase2, who do sculpture street installations and lettering inspired works. These days, he’s focusing a lot of his efforts on the clothing label, but would like to do more group traveling exhibitions in the future. As long as there are interesting opportunities presenting themselves out there, Dabs will continue to dabble.

While hoards of pop-up streetwear lines play follow the leader with their established peers, Lore, a California based clothing company in its infant stages, decides to break ranks by using sometimes esoteric designs. “I guess just look at the designs a little longer and you might take something away that you wouldn’t think possible with a dime a dozen tee design,” says Aaron, one of the three designers that create for Lore. (Aaron lives in San Diego, works a nine-to-five and the other two designers, Mark and Kenny, live in San Francisco.)

Lore’s new line is available at their website and at Karmaloop Kazbah.

“The United Show was good for us, because we meet a lot of cool people and did a lot of gambling.”

Format: Please explain how Lore was created.
Aaron: Lore’s had a few stages, but the clothing aspect all started, because we wanted a canvas that would give us just that, a blank slate to create, no bias, no art direction, just what we wanted to create. Wherever we are in life we can just come to blank white and put down our interpretations of life in general.

Format: What is a Lore?
Aaron: Lore is basically just a concept. It’s really the mystery behind things, and the legends that follow them. It’s our name, we as a brand our recognized by, but the concept has been around since the caveman. Lore has a dictionary definition which fits into what we’re trying to accomplish, but Lore is basically a tale of three designers and their progress and demise in life. It’s always shifting.

Format: A lot of clothing lines are particular in their retailers. What does Lore look for in its retailers?
Aaron: When it comes to looking for retailers, it goes one way or the other. If we would shop there then we wouldn’t mind having our goods in that shop. A lot of places hit us up and we have never heard of them before, but it turns out to be a huge spot where it’s located. So a little Internet research, phone calls, and most of the time it turns out good for everyone.

Format: What unexpected challenges has Lore encountered?
Aaron: Starting a clothing brand not knowing anything about the game was a challenge the whole way, but if you’re not learning you’re not doing something right. Another challenge is we live in different areas. I live in San Diego, Mark lives in San Francisco and Kenny does to. Three different demographics and the irony is we’ve always seen eye to eye in the direction we want to take Lore. It’s difficult trying to conduct business over IM while still at a nine-to-five job or grindin’ at school. That struggle in itself builds a lot of what Lore is. It’s definitely based on passion, but you got to dig deep for it sometimes as other demands take the center stage. Also we started in this game right when everyone thought they wanted to start a clothing brand too, but only time will let us see who will rise and who will fall.

Format: Please explain the message in Lore’s T-shirt, Kill, Kill, Kill.
Aaron: The Kill Kill Kill shirt comes from an old movie from 1971 called, KILL! We found it digging in some old books and we had to use it. Put more of a live feel to it, muzzle fire and pop, a remake banger for the winter line. It’s basically about cutting out the middle man and shooting straight for the big score. It’s what this younger generation is all about.

Format: Lore is from San Diego, a city that is known more for the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy than its street fashion. Please share what San Diego is really like.
Aaron: We are all actually from the Pismo Beach, Central Coast area. The three of us sporadically moved down to San Diego, did the school thing, and started pushing this clothing line. But what is San Diego really like for me, I’m not one to ask, I basically stay within a four block radius from the lab, and I’m seldom away from the MacbookPro.

Format: Does Lore consider itself a streetwear brand?
Aaron: I would say we consider ourselves more so a streetwear brand then anything else, but I don’t really care what category we fall in as long as people are feeling the goods we are producing. We are going to stay creating random madness and apply it to clothing, and whether its streetwear or not, won’t make a difference. It’s hard to distinguish the market anymore. At this point we’re just trying to put out some tees people can enjoy at first glance graphically then really study it and see the deeper meaning, not trying to sound generic at all but we do put a lot of effort into the underlying messages going into the tees.

Format: A lot of Lore’s designs appear ethereal, visually. What is Lore’s attraction to celestial imagery?
Aaron: Well, recent research suggests that much of this prophetic work paraphrases collections of ancient end-of-the-world prophecies – mainly Bible-based –, supplemented with references to historical events and anthologies of omen reports, and then projects those into the future with the aid of comparative horoscopy. Isn’t it sick how Wikipedia can make you come off like you know your shit? Claiming whatever the case, I think humans are born with an innate question towards celestial existence, so you can’t help as a human, but wonder about what’s both up and down.

“It’s basically about cutting out the middle man and shooting straight for the big score. It’s what this younger generation is all about.”

Format: Trade shows are a popular outlet in the fashion industry to network and create buzz. How was Lore’s experience at United Trade Show in Las Vegas?
Aaron: The United Show was good for us, because we meet a lot of cool people and did a lot of gambling. It’s hard when you aren’t a household name and your trying to pull every buyer in convincing of ‘Look we’re Lore, we want to take you on a journey,’ but a lot of the graphics we have attract a wondering eye and that’s worked to our advantage. I’d have to say the trade shows have definitely done us good. The show featured a bunch of dope brands and in the down times we made a bunch of solid contacts.

Format: Please explain the message in Lore’s T-shirt, Ghost Ruth.
Aaron: Babe Ruth is a legend and like they say, legends never die. A ghost is a spirit that once was living but now lives among us in the afterlife. Ghost’s carry such legend amongst the living as does the greatness known to many all over the world as Babe.

Format: What are some cliches that Lore sees in its industry?
Aaron: Right now there’s big all-over prints and hoody madness, and for a minute it was bandana everything and gold foil chains. It seems like a brand will come up with something catchy and you can just watch as the masses follow suit. It’s a trip seeing the cycles that the industry goes through, but luckily there are always a few brands that keep the trends moving. In reality, you have to cater to the wants of the buyers and it’s interesting to see the brands that give them what they want, or force them to want something new.

Format: Being in its infant stages, how does Lore separate itself from its peers?
Aaron: That’s a hard question, `cause you want to say this and that, but it all gets redundant, I guess just look at the designs a little longer and you might take something away that you wouldn’t think possible with a dime a dozen tee design. We are just going to keep doing what we do and explore the freedoms we have in being a new company.

Format: Recently, communist China has attracted a lot of negative press for its exports: poisonous pet food, tainted seafood, lead paint on children’s toys and faulty baby cribs. If relations between America and China were to halt, how would your industry, the street fashion industry, recover from its severed connection to cost-effective manufacturing?
Aaron: It would definitely put a dent in the pockets of a lot brands that rely on the cheap manufacturing done overseas. I’m sure prices would shoot up since the brands using these means would have to resort to buying a pricier product in the states. But you never know the outcome, because if we did shut down the relationship overseas, I’m sure we could build some kind of legit – non-knock off – black market apparel trade and bring streetwear back to the grimy roots in which it began.

Format: Lore does designs for women and men. How is the design approach different for women in comparison to men?
Aaron: Actually we started off plotting on doing both the girl and guy stuff, but it turns out we know nothing about what girls want, or like. We decided to hold off on all the girl gear for now. It seemed that, as a fresh company, we might as well go hard after what we are familiar with, and dive into the goods that need more research later on down the line.

Format: Please explain the meaning of Lore’s Marilyn’s Baby T-shirt.
Aaron: Basically, this design comes from Lore’s love for horror flicks and conspiracies. A Rosemary’s Baby remix with a flip on the rumored twisted past of the beautiful Marilyn Monroe. This is just an excerpt from Lena Pepitone’s book about her and Marilyn’s life: ‘Marilyn Monroe was an orphan and during her infancy the Illuminati, CIA programmed her to be a monarch slave. Before becoming an actress, while she was still a stripper, she spent time with the founder of the Church of Satan Anton LaVey. Victims of LaVey have pointed him out as a mind-control programmer.’ She was said to have been brain washed and the tie that really connects the design is this quote here: ‘Marilyn loses her baby at the same place that some of her programming was done at. One can speculate that they took the baby for some perverted use.’ I didn’t make this shit up, someone might have, but it wasn’t me!

“…Lore is basically a tale of three designers and their progress and demise in life.”

Format: It appears that Lore’s winter 2008 line is taken in a different direction than its previous lines. Why the change?
Aaron: We went for a different feel this line, because we wanted to bring more colors and pop, to the more relaxed and natural feel of the previous lines. We have also been getting obsessed with illustrating things, having little individual battles between ourselves to keep progression moving. When we started, we never sat down and said, ‘This is what we are and we will never change.’ We set in design mode and what collectively comes out of that becomes the current feel of what we are doing.

Format: Why does Lore have an attraction to zombies?
Aaron: Zombies go hand in hand with the Lore mind frame. They should be dead, but the refuse to die and they will make their point by eating the brains of all that are helpless to stop them. They are timeless, lifeless inspirations. I always trip out on the scenario of lying on your death bed with your wife and kids at your side and you get asked the question ‘What did you accomplish in life,’ and most people being dumbfounded with an answer. ‘I got a house, cars, this and that…’ and not really appreciating the whole journey of life, it’s just kind of taken for granted. I know all of us are always tripping on life and how to really appreciate it. I always fall short of my true intention, but I suppose if you’re really looking at ways to improve your quality of life then its all good, but in a genuine sense.

Format: What are Lore’s future plans?
Our future plans are basically just to stay on our undetermined course and keep banging out some original designs. We have our online shop opening up in a week or so and after that we are plotting on releasing a mix-tape with some friends of ours who have been on a steady diet of beats and toxins. We have a lot in the works as of now, so we are just going to keep up the pace and continue to keep the third eye open.

More Info: http://www.lorestudio.com

Street Shots by Photo by TONE. Sway Mondays. October 31, New York.
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Street Shots by Zach Slootsky. Mr. Flash. November 13, Toronto.
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Kid Robot Super Mini Key Chain Series 3
I saw these at the local collector’s shop the other day and couldn’t resist grabbing one. I was really impressed by the level of detail and range of articulation of the arms and head. I was hoping for the high contrast luciadore but ended up with the pirate who is actually a pretty dope score. You can barely tell there’s a robot under the beard, had eye-patch, and hook hand. Actually reminds me a bit of those old playmobile figures. Price wise ($3.95US) and details wise they’re a real steal of a deal.

More Info: http://www.kidrobot.com

Jamungo: Bud of the Month
Jamungo is announcing to release a new customized Bud every month for the next six months. This first edition is being released through Rotofugi and is titled: URFUKT A BOMB. It has a bit of a Kaws/chomper-meets Japanese WWII bomber vibe going on. The toys were limited to 200 and released last week so I’m pretty sure they’re all gone to some lucky bastards. I wonder what would happen if you taped down a wad of strike-anywhere match heads and whipped it at someone…could cause some serious damage, eh?

More Info: http://www.jamungo.com

Bovinyl: Moody Idols Show
In the tradition of DIY vinyl mould kits like the Gwinn comes a newer face on the block called Moody, cleverly named so after his bovine character and range of emotion. According to his creators, Moody is a “unique hybrid cow/demons” standing eight inches high, and with three points of articulation (neck and shoulders). Hailing from Calgary the Bovinyl crew has launched an major vinyl art exhibit featuring some amazing works by top international names like Marka27 (US), PhuEK (Singapore), Bunka (FR) and others. If you happen to be in that area you can check out the show at the University of Lethbridge’s Helen Christou Gallery until January 11, 2008

More Info: http://www.bovinyl.ca/index2.asp

Seamour the Sheep: Illuminative edition
I feel like I’m going soft on y’all now but I might as well keep up with this barnyard theme I’ve got going on and introduce the latest edition to the Wookieweb—the guysl that brought us the multi-award winning Treeson toy last year—roster. Can they do it again? Well, Seamore is definitely innovative for a vinyl toy, doubling as a USB night light so you can count sheep while you’re falling asleep at your desk. Who knew that vinyl was such a great light transmitter?

More Info: http://www.wookieweb.com

Download.

Back in September, I was suddenly very determined to find a casual white coat to have fun with because I was bored of my other coats, which were all black. (Also I’m guessing it was a photo of Ashley Olsen in a white coat from around four years ago that triggered this sudden ‘want’. Kind of strange right?)

When it comes to shopping under time constraint, I do target-shopping. Which meant that I headed straight to Zara, where I know would have somewhat stylish, basic and very affordable coats. Zara didn’t let me down and I ended up buying this:
OK, so I have recently seen a LOT of girls in the streets here in London wearing basic coats from Zara, either exactly this one or similar ones. But since I get cold easily, I have already started wearing this in late September, so almost no one was wearing it yet. Oh, and I know the coat looks really not-pretty like that, but it looks really cool with the collar up and the top part wide open (the lapel part.)

Oops, rambling off my point. So the white coat did prove out to be really fun. It brightened up my casual outfits and I found it especially fun to wear it with dresses. Unfortunately, the white coat got dirty really easily. I stopped wearing it to lectures after only one lecture because my sitting around in random seats was just too much dirt for my coat to take.

My point is, while I wouldn’t spend a huge amount of money on a white coat, I think it’s worth trying out a white coat from affordable shops. Think of it as a youthful, cute thing to cheer you and your outfit up on those grey days!

Available now at Boundless: a fresh shipment of “tee shirt as a medium” flavour from Rogue Status.

Info.Image: Boundless via Hypebeast

With Victoria Beckham and Rachel Zoe’s new style guides hitting the bookstores, we decided to test the authors’ fashion sense against that of designer Anne Fogarty’s 50-year-old gem, Wife Dressing.

AUSTRALIAN beauties Gemma Ward and Catherine McNeil are playing a starring role in one of the world’s most sought-after calendars.

Suffering from jet lag? Check out our list of spas with menus full of speedy services–including manicures, pedicures, massages, eye treatments, and facials.

Every once and a while a young buck comes along and straight up causes a stylistic cataclysm. Hailing from Argentina, Gianluca Fallone has the technical skill and aesthetic originality neccessary to blow minds on multiple levels, be it branding, packaging, illustration or motion graphics. Established designers take heed: The competition out there is voracious and the bar has been raised. Peep more of Gianluca’s work at gianlucafallone.com

Info.Image: Gianluca Fallone

Nike SB and the good people at Goodfoot hooked up for a little gang-bang action of the shoe design variety to produce the Strange Brew pack in celebration of the canuck cult classic’s 24th anniversary. Don’t be a goof, put your goodest foot forward and check them out at your local Goodfoot branch.

Info.Image: Complex

Get your Winter on with a new pack built to devestate: The Nike Dunk Hi Premium Destroyers and the Dunk Hi Subzero Down Jacket. Waterproof zippers and hi-tech insulation features give the jacket a rugged feel of utility that is well fit by the Dunk’s beautiful varsity-inspired flavour.

Info.Image: Atmos

Beautiful Decay got together with Brand New School, The Happy Corp Global and yours truly to put on a video festival, that they’re calling VIS/ED. Showcasing the kind of creative, short-format video that’s making waves in our visual landscape, VIS/ED will take place next Tuesday, 20 November 2007 at 7pm at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City. (Click the flyer at right for a larger size.)

Both Brand New School and the Happy Corp curated a selection of both their own works as well as motion graphics, animation, commercial and video art that inspires them. We’ve got a 30-minute, hand-picked compilation of videos culled from our the archives of our weekly series. A short talk by the individuals behind each brand will precede each program: Jonathan Notaro from Brand New School, Doug Jaeger of the Happy Corp and, of course, Josh Rubin from Cool Hunting.

Only 200 seats are available and the event will most likely sell out so get your tickets in advance for $5 at Ticket Web. Or you can risk it and try to buy tickets at the door for $8.

VIS/ED
Tuesday, 20 November 2007, doors open at 6:30pm, screening starts at 7pm

Anthology Film Archives
32 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003 map
tel. +1 212.505.5181

Throwing elements of traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean dress into their creative woks, designers served up an eclectic Asian mix for Spring that included dragon prints at Yohji Yamamoto.

by Gabriel Bell

Ironically named for a line so bold and bright, Los Angeles’s Cavern is the creation of fashion-school friends Adam Tullie and Angeline Rivas. “When we first conjured Cavern,” says Rivas, “our focus was to make solid, hand-drawn T-shirts.” While the market is glutted with such wears, particularly on the West Coast, the duo was determined to distinguish themselves. “Everybody is making the same shit,” Rivas says of his competitors, “taking clip art, mixing it up, and slapping it on a t-shirt. There was more to be done.” With references to utopianism and mystic symbols, Rivas and Tullie have set themselves apart with the use of metallic appliques, intelligent cuts, arresting abstract designs and a complete rejection of camp.

The duo has followed up their initial successes with some collaborations and more ambitious plans. “We recently completed a collaboration with Devendra Banhart on the merchandise for his world tour,” says Tullie. “And some of the more recent work we are creating is looking more painterly and loose. We’re doing plenty of experimentation for our Fall 2008 collection. All in all,” he says, “we promise to keep it interesting.”

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