I went to visit Takahashi Hiroko’s studio in Japan recently and really enjoyed what I saw. A wildly talented designer, I loved how she fused her own personal and modern take on the traditional Japanese products like the Tenugui, Sensu, Kimonos, Yukatas, and more. Check her out, I see big things in her future.

Aegis in Shanghai is definitely one of the most impressive men’s stores I visited while in China. Launched just a little over a year ago, they’re certainly the pioneers in the Chinese fashion retail space.

The space is a beautifully done with a great collection of international brands we know and love (Some NYC classics)– as well as a few small Japanese and Chinese brands I had never seen before.  It’s a solid place to pick  up shirts, denim, accessories, and even a little technology under the glass.

If you’re heading to Shanghai, I encourage checking it out.

Aegis Shanghai Co.
777 Julu Road (Next to Fumin Road)
Jing’ang District Shanghai
China 200040

Open Daily 12:30 to 21:00

Loving the monochrome look of the new 2011 Nike Winter Lunar Flow. I’m seeing a lot more monochrome in design lately and I’m digging it. Via Hypebeast

Inspired by activists, protests and underground resistance, Ontour says NO to hamburgers without pickles, NO to queuing at the local butcher and YES to YES!

Gather your riot tomatoes and join the union guild. Classic silhouettes with a modern take, premium quality materials and a vivid color palette.

The folks at Ontour added some innovative & functional garments to challenge various types of weather conditions at this time of the year. Check out the collection on their site.

The fine folks at Roden Gray have just announced the launch of Wings & Horns Fall Winter 2011 collection. Huge fan of what I see. The hoodies are an amazing staple. Check it out.

Inspired by the retro 8-bit graphic, Fashionary (a company that makes sketchbooks tailor-made for fashion designers) mixed the pixel with the Fashionary templates. The results are fantastic! Check them out…Two of my favorites (Louis Vuitton and Yohji Yamamoto) shown below.

Sunpocket Original Sunglasses are back from the dead– now available in literally more than a dozen colors for only $65.

It looks like some Swedish entrepreneurs bought the French company and relaunched it (yes I’m also wondering what a cool yuppie is…)!

In their own words:

The story behind Sunpocket begins in France in the late 1970’s. The foldable shades mixed functionality and great design with a lot of joy. During the 1980’s Sunpocket became enormously popular all over Europe and elsewhere, among adventurous sportsmen and women, as well as the cool yuppies.

In 2011 Sunpocket has been re-launched and the French brand has become Swedish. We focus on the interesting area where an active and a fashionable life style can meet. The foldable shades remain a Sunpocket signum whereas design, material and function vary. Sunpocket is to be found on the chic streets, glaciers and the beach walks.

Celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, WILL Leather Goods has been making an impact on the leather goods market in the company’s hometown of Eugene, OR and elsewhere. Hailing from New York in the mid 70′s, William Adler tried his hand in Hollywood and enjoyed a series of small roles on TV. In 1981, with the SAG strike bringing production to a halt, Adler needed to find a new outlet for his creativity. He started selling scout belts on Venice and went on to leather goods, eventually employing 150 people.

Today, the family-run operation is recognized for their use of high-end materials and workmanship. WILL Leather goods enjoys using modern techniques to create a classic and vintage feeling that is nostalgic of Old Hollywood. Note the name of their bags: McQueen, Hopper, Lennon. In an exciting capsule collection, FOUND: Made in the U.S.A., WILL takes vintage materials (WWII army bags, military issue belts, etc) and turns them into finished goods. Needless to say, each piece is unique. You may have come across a WILL product and not even known it. Did you know they produce all the Nike Golf and Tiger Woods leather apparel goods? With recent sponsorships of high profile events such as the Tribeca Film Festival and the addition of stockists, WILL is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

With thoughtful features such as including a removable laptop case in the Hopper and space for finger support behind button clasps, WILL products are made to not only be admired but used.

Loving these Young Lovers Label limited-edition t-shirts. Anyone that has spent anytime in NYC will get a laugh out of the New York Smile, Rats, City Don’t Sleep or my favorite, Lovers. 100% cotton, sweatshop free.

I wont even comment on what other plastic shoes these Nike Gato’s ($42) remind me of. What do you think? Via Nice Kicks