Last week we posted about The Sound Advice Project and how its tangible soundwave technology might better translate into an anniversary gift. A reader wrote in suggesting that the idea had been co-opted by David Bizer who also sells soundwave-based jewelry through Ponoko. So I’ll take this opportunity to point out another artist who has been working in the field of wearable waves. Sakurako Shimizu made some of the coolest rings, cuffs and brooches I saw last year. Unlike the anti-drug reminders of the Sound Advice Project, the Brooklyn-based artist used soundbytes you’d actually want to hear and wear, like wedding vows and giggles. So check out the project and both artists: there’s more than enough sound to go around.
It’s amazing to watch the exponential growth of SXSW festival, both in the sheer number of attendees but also in the new and emerging facets of popular culture it’s touching. We’ve already seen iPhone 3.0 OS predictions and the Dell Adamo surfacing. In the ultimate trifecta of things you thought you’d never see together, sneaker manufacturer Supra has teamed up with Spin and Austin’s very own Stubb’s BBQ to produce the Stubb’s Skytop SXSW Edition. With some of the most original packaging I’ve seen, the hi-tops come in only one colorway (BBQ, what else) and is paired with a bottle of the famous sauce and a black tee with the crisp white logo. All of which are placed in a custom wooden box and hand numbered. Those of you lucky enough to be at the festival can swing by Stubb’s this Friday, March 20, between 10 and 11 a.m. and try to score a pair.
Here’s another umbrella to fight the rain — literally. It’s mostly a defensive battle, though. You will never prevail unless you have the courage stop hiding and attack. The Ninja Umbrella shows those angry clouds that you mean business, and may even cause people on the sidewalk to keep their distance.
While the wet rat look works for some, others may want to consider taking a fresh look at the umbrella, as rendered by Finnish company Marimekko. The brand came into the American consciousness with Jackie O’s unofficial endorsement in the 1960s and made our radar in 2006. Now as we head into springtime, and May showers, you can pick up a Marimekko umbrella that will protect you from the elements and preserve your sense of style. New to OAK’s menswear line are four umbrellas in black and white stripes, polka dots, and red and navy designs. Each is made from durable teflon-coated polyester, measures approximately 40†in diameter open and 13†in length closed.
As the 16-bit skirmish raged on in the late 80’s/early 90’s you either remained a tried and true Nintendo devotee or swore by your Sega Genesis. Sure there were precious few TurboGrafix 16 mercenaries, but they eventually had to choose between the big boys. Whether Sonic The Hedgehog was your homeboy or you’ve always been a Super Mario fan, you’ll want to make your allegiance official with the latest pins from the Supermandolini Console Wars Collection. The third and fourth installments feature the controllers of that bygone era. Place them in the correct spot — just above your heart.
This summer sneakerheads will undoubtedly be lining up at their favorite store awaiting the the first drop of the “Nintendo Wii” pack. Kicking things off is the Blazer, which was designed by the team at Beaverton to resemble, what else, the Nintendo Wii gaming console. I have to admit, Nike did the best they could given their model. Let’s face it, the Wii does not really have many distinctive features that can be captured in a sneaker. What they came up with was the blue gum shoes to match the power light, laces to match the nunchuck wrist strap, and metallic (more like gray) details to match those of the Wii. There’s no word on pricing, but you can expect these sleek hi-tops to drop Summer 2009.
You don’t have to be a messenger to be in search of a serious bag. The latest gear from Chrome has arrived. The no nonsense pack producers have introduced their spring ‘09 line: The MiniMetro, Citizen, and Metropolis. All models are available in a limited variety of colors and are the ideal accessories for those consistently on the move. In addition to choice cases they also offer an array of hoodies and jackets in their online store.
DC, everyone’s favorite urban skate brand, is really stepping up their game lately. We’ve given all sorts of attention to their collaboration efforts with the likes of agnes B and Lemar & Dauley. For Spring 2009 they kept things both in-house, as well as continuing the partnership spirit. The DC LIFE collection includes a low “dress sneaker” model as well as hi-tops, a design that is clearly making a return (Terminators, Kanye’s kicks, etc) The colorways are very simple and don’t draw too much attention, but have enough of an edge to turn heads. They also are introducing a couple of tees and v-necks, but what really caught my eye is their skate backpack collaboration with infamous accessory maker Incase. The multifunction “Strapped” bag offers protection for your laptop and, of course, all your gear. It even carries your board on the front.
It’s not that us females aren’t attracted to some of the skateboard and snowboard designs out there, it’s just that some of them are a bit much. We’re not asking for our decks to be splashed with images of male models or anything — though we probably wouldn’t complain — but we’d appreciate some designs that appeal directly to our particular sensibilities. In the meantime, we have Lilly Lab to thank for creating a women’s line of apparel that makes us feel feminine without images of flowers and unicorns. So far, the site features just a few designs, including a tweeting bird, a banana peel, and their heart-filled logo. Even better, the shirts are cut to fit our curves, no matter how big or small they may be.
We posted about Mishka’s website relaunch in 2007, and now we’re happy to see that the streetwear brand is opening its first store in the heart of Brooklyn, “where it all began.” Mishka’s flagship store is located at 350 Broadway and set to open its doors this Friday, March 13th at 12 p.m. In celebration they have prepared a host of exclusive releases, including New Era caps, T-shirts and “kaiju craziness,” which, for the uninitiated, translates to cool Japanese monster toys. Music and monsters have always been a running theme in Mishka’s aesthetic. There will be an in-store reception beginning at 7 p.m. featuring the debut of Nick Catchdubs & Mr. Ducker's “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter 2.†The party then moves to Trophy Bar at 10 p.m. where you'll get down with Nick Gazin & His Creepy Touch until about midnight. Finally, Trouble & Bass rings in the new day from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. at Studio B.
There are those who are darn proud to break wind. We’re talking about Nike’s iconic Windrunner, of course, which started off as a functional apparel piece to cut pace-slowing headwinds. In their latest Brazilian campaign to promote these classic nylon jackets, Nike Sportswear called upon my dear friends Paula Reboredo and Gil França of street fashion blog Freakstyle to help oversee the one-off Windfreak Style contest. Sao Paulo residents are invited to send in photos of themselves in Windrunners, via their blogs, for a chance to win a package that includes (another) Windrunner and VIP tickets to Freakstyle’s monthly party — essentially the bragging rights far outweigh the prize. So far the entries range from dudes on skateboards to stylish fashion shoots. Help pick the winner by leaving your comments on the Flickr page. What a great example of connecting a campaign to the local market.
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.
Yelpers are a notoriously fickle bunch, and pretty verbose when it comes to the recently opened San Francisco men and women's apparel boutique SHOTWELL. Carrying “vintage Lacoste sweaters, plaid shirts … and reconstructed dressesâ€, as well as lines from Cheap Monday and Alex & Chloe, one reviewer described it as having a “SF-meets-L.A.-meets-NY-hipster-meets-high-fashion yuppy threads.â€
Founders Michael Weaver and Holly Kricher were previously selling vintage clothing out of their house in the Mission District before grabbing this space on Geary St. If you need an excuse to shop, Bosnian artist Jasko Begovic's colorful, haunting artwork will be on display at an in-store party tonight.
We got the skinny on Tavis Coburn’s inspiration for imagery with a vintage appearance. His newest tee — ‘Double Endorsement’ — is born from Coburn’s love of typography. The design makes use of a simple eye-test pattern that contains a pleasant, slightly hidden message. That’s the first endorsement. For the second endorsement you should probably take a look at yourself.
Ready to move from creative to creation? Want to spread the word that you’re action oriented? We’ve got a handful of very limited T-shirts here from our friends over at Behance, founders of the Behance Network and Action Method, the ultimate tools to find inspiration and get things done.
Want one? Leave a comment with color and size preferences and we’ll choose a few lucky winners at random next week.
