“Custom, limited and upcycled†wares for men and women are the calling card of clothing upstart apliiq, and the results are punchy shirts, second life Reeboks, and jewelry. The Splesh V-neck tee and Oliver hoody look like something you might create yourself if you had good throwback checkered fabric, decent sewing skills and, oh yes, a solid design aesthetic– check them out.
Ethan Lipsitz started apliiq after stitching hoodies in his UPenn dorm room. “Philly has some great old fabric shops with basements and hidden corners–I felt like a DJ digging for rare records as I would build the fabric collection,†said Lipsitz, an urban development and design student who wanted to encourage customers to be inventive in selecting patterns. The company still uses basic methods and geometric shapes to show off bright materials, and some items can be found online at Cultist and Karmaloop. But the best (and most giftable) option is picking out your own materials and going to town with their team.
Social Revolution. The thought of it has been woven into 2008 like an election campaign narrative. Change, equality, sustainability — all huge ideas in need of huge effort to bring them to life, and even bigger efforts to make them succeed.
Hector Estrada, an established streetwear innovator, head of triko, and the man behind the newly emerging Amivectio, believes in this revolution. According to Hector, it’s a literal revolution, set to change the industry, change the conformity, and most importantly changing the shirt on your back. He might not have the answers yet, but he's trying hard to find it.
The Gift: A $150 gift certificate to our favorite urban style outpost, Karmaloop, for three winners.
The Rules: We recognize that our readers are a pretty spiritually aligned group. In the COMMENTS section, let us know what bit of karmic reciprocity you undertook to earn this hefty gift certificate.And speaking of karma, only one entry per reader. Duplicate entries will be discarded.
The Deadline: Contests starts now and runs through midnight on 12/13.
Karmaloop TV continually points its cameras in the direction some of the most influential design minds in the world. This week is no different as they sit down with Tokidoki’s founder and creative director Simone Legno. In the exclusive one on one interview, Legno offers a glimpse at the brand’s history and explains the influences behind his creations. Viewers will also get a sneak peek at some of the upcoming characters and products slated to make an appearance rather soon. Check out the interview and see what all of the fuss is about.
Yesterday there was a lot of Shepard Fairey news to cover. Today we have an update from his better half. Shepard’s wife Amanda, the curator and co-founder of Subliminal Projects gallery in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles, takes a second to explain in an exclusive interview with Karmaloop TV why this fresh art space focuses on promoting artistic diversity and discussion.
When Russian-American artist Russ Karablin wants to get his collab on, all he really has to do is turn to his four brands, SSUR, The Cut, Natural Born, and Rebel Ape, and smash things together in interesting ways. This time around, the streetwear heavy hitter has gathered all of his brands up in order to produce Iron Umbrella, a small holiday collection that mixes even more of that guerrilla vibe into Russ’s classically high-end construction. I like Iron Umbrella because it’s a little bit sneaky; while most streetwear screams “streetwear,” the pieces in this collection say something a bit more understated than what one normally gathers from today’s loud colors, bold script, and aggressive graphics. Find it at Karmaloop.
With Sean Paul wearing his shirts and his collection on the shelves at Karmaloop, Jib Hunt hardly needs us to join the fray of those exclaiming the merits of his clothes…but we’re going to do it anyway, because he’s about to unveil his Holiday 2007 Basics Collection and his Better Men’s Spring 2008 Lifestyle Sportswear Collection at MAGIC — an event that I assume will be much livelier than its website. (The collections, also, will be more attractive than their names.) Jib sent us a few advance pictures of the tees he’ll be showing at MAGIC and they are characteristically bold, engaging and cognizant of the world around them.
For a bit of insight into Jib’s history and philosophy, check out this stiff but informative video, which first aired on Bravo. While the announcer talks about how great Mr. Hunt is, we learn how leaving your corporate name off a piece of clothing can actually make your brand popular.
There are three things I like about Blanck’s ‘Kite Missile’ Hat. One, you’ll probably be the only kid on the block wearing it; two, it has an adjustable snap closure (harder to find these days, and more forgiving to those of us with big craniums); and three, it’s in keeping with the military/cold war-era trend that’s been going on in headwear lately. The details are especially appealing as well– the whimsical motif of a kid flying a cruise missile “kite” and the added texture of the rubber print rising from the surface of the hat both add complexity to the appearance and message of the hat.
MTV sets stuff on fire. Someone special wears something, that something becomes special, people make money… no shock there. Although their pyro superpowers have been known to propel the wrong product into the spotlight, every now and then something really good comes out of the MTV machine. For instance, not too long ago Kanye West wore a certain “Sunglasses” shirt during an appearance on TRL, thereby spurring a quick sell-out via the shirt’s only two (online) distributors. The creator of this shirt was KiserNY, a Brooklyn based designer quickly gaining cred as one of the freshest streetwear providers around. What’s unique about Kiser is his refreshingly different approach to graphic design that’s at times political, at times playful, but always simple and well balanced. I didn’t see a single example of over-done graphics (my current pet peeve) in the entire collection. From what I can tell, this hoodie (my favorite) isn’t available yet, but the rest of the new line, including one-of-a-kinds and limited quantities of the famous “Sunglass” shirt, is available exclusively at KiserNY and Karmaloop.
Triko is a brand founded by Hector Estrada, after years of designing for some of the biggest names in the street-wear market he decided to set out on his own to build a premium brand with what he proclaims to be a soul. His brand celebrates individuality, creativity, and is built for those truly interested in pursuing and mastering the Art of Life. All that aside, point blank we dig his hoodies, pop by his nice site and check them out. A real live online store is coming soon, but for now you’ll can grab your hoodies at Karmaloop, or at one of the many stockists around the globe– check their site for shops in your area.
It’s simple, fun, and inexpensive gift time. Our pal Undoboy has parlayed his abundant design talent into these Super-Bastard art characters. There are 16 different toys and 64 different characters, from cowboys, to Mr. T, to Conan the Barbarian. You can buy these Super-Bastard toys online at Karmaloopor in person at one of the retailers listed on the website. But hurry, because Undoboy only manufactured 1000 units of each character. They cost $6 for a single Super-Bastard or you can get the entire set for $95. The holiday season is upon us, and I’m definitely going to stuff some stockings with Super-Bastards.
Our friends over at Karmaloop are giving all you starving artist and design junkies the opportunity of a lifetime with the new Rock the Kazbah global underground market place! Karmaloop will provide 45 lucky individuals the chance to showcase their t-shirts, jewelry, art, etc. to over one million visitors from around the world on their own Karmaloop URL allowing you to get comments and feedback on your designs all the while earning a little cashola to fill those empty pockets. The benefits are endless, so check it out now to be one of the Karmaloop Kazbah's pioneers! Details and applications are available on their site.
The Adicolor launch is in full effect worldwide and the DIY shoes are flying off store shelves and internet sites like hot cakes. Karmaloop was one of the few online retailers to get a handful of these puppies– and I’ve got a pair of the low shell toes (and the paints and whole kit that come with) to give away to one lucky reader. If you’re unfamiliar with the revival of the Adicolor products, check out the Adidas site for more details.Want ‘em? Sign up for the mailing list and I’ll choose one random name in the next 48 hours. It’s all in the luck of the draw…
In an effort to end McFashion in its entirety Karmaloop.com is giving $10 gift certificates to everyone who signs up for the JoshSpear.com mailing list. The code is in the last confirmation email after you sign up– you can’t miss it. Additionally you can use the code: Josh at checkout and you’ll get free shipping. Thanks for all the support Karmaloop!
In celebration of Karmaloop’s new store at 160 Newbury Street in Boston, they threw an extremely nutty party last week. And you better believe there was a JS.com correspondent on the scene. Apparently the venue was packed to the brim with beautiful people, tunes by talented DJ Clinton Sparks, and a great vibe. There were also ice sculptures, Karmaloop dancers, and original art by Jib Hunt, Shepard Fairey, and more. Early reports of the new store say it is fly as ever, as great as their website is, rumor is they really outdid themselves this time! Can’t wait to see it, congratulations guys!
When Russian-American artist Russ Karablin wants to get his collab on, all he really has to do is turn to his four brands, 
With Sean Paul wearing his shirts and his collection on the shelves at 
There are three things I like about Blanck’s 
MTV sets stuff on fire. Someone special wears something, that something becomes special, people make money… no shock there. Although their pyro superpowers have been known to propel the wrong product into the spotlight, every now and then something really good comes out of the MTV machine. For instance, not too long ago Kanye West wore a certain “Sunglasses” shirt during an appearance on TRL, thereby spurring a quick sell-out via the shirt’s only two (online) distributors. The creator of this shirt was 
It’s simple, fun, and inexpensive gift time. Our pal 
