Basketball fuses football as Nike remixes 2 of the world’s most iconic sports in its latest Nike Dunk series. Innovation and inspiration, the basis of the Nike brand. The Nike Dunk, Be True to a legend * 1985 saw the pioneering launch of a basketball shoe that could—and would—become part of the college basketball uniform, created not only to help the players dunk on opponents, but also to flash…
Artist, skater and leaf connoisseur Toby Shuall has been steadily doing his own thing for years now, and recently he's been getting a lot of well-deserved publicity for his Suburban Bliss label. Toby's work has one foot in the English forests and the other in the concrete jungle of London and his t-shirt range is a natural extension of this aesthetic. Instead of looking to current trends and other labels for inspiration, the Suburban Bliss…
Juice was the first to bring the likes of Neighborhood, and other brands to Hong Kong, the first to start a movement in a country which has seen a bigger following than any other in Street Culture. When I saw the pictures of the long queue outside Juice for the relaunch, it immediately made me think of how this phenomenom is such an important part of Hong Kong's street culture, and that Juice has played…
Most of you will know Joe Hahn of course from Linkin Park fame, but new to most of us, is Joe Hahn, the filmmaker. Its nothing new to him though, and so I wanted to catch up with the mutli-talented and creative friend of mine to see what his new film 'The Seed' is about and how filmmaking differs from writing music and some of the other creative projects he works on so regularly. You…
I was in Oregon a few months back, and walking around Nike's WHQ, saw Sandy Bodecker wearing a bright yellow pair of shoes, I didn't recognise, they looked a little like a Presto, and a little like a Zvezdockha, with a Free sole unit, having just seen 3 of my favourite Nike shoes all in one, I immediatley had a new favourite. The Air Rejunen8 is a favourite at Nike too, the product of their…
NIKE created its Tech Pack collection in order to take something familiar and reinterpret it through our signature innovation process. It’ an evolution: taking iconic pieces from NIKE’s DNA and fusing them with innovative fabrics and design embellishments. Together, Michael Leon and Jarrett Reynolds, the designers behind Tech pack, created the Summer 08 collection by combining cutting edge performance materials and diverse fabrications with sophisticated design techniques and original graphics, and then…
NIKE’s history of creative collaborations with artists such as Junya Watanabe, Futura and Mr. Cartoon has resulted in building some of the brand’s most innovative shoes that have transcended sport and style, pushing the brand even further forward. For Summer 2008, NIKE will have a new creative partner for the Air Force 1: NIKE itself. This collection is not just a collaboration of NIKE on NIKE, but also of sneaker style on sneaker…
Three Thug Mice which we recently previewed here on SlamxHype is a cartoon series that features voice overs by Kool G Rap, Ra the rugged man, MIN ONE, and many others. Alan Ket calls it "violent, funny, and a real New York production". 00 Gallery put together this interesting interview with the creator Steve Marcus, once you are done make sure you head over to the Three Thug Mice website every week as a new…
Fergadelic is without a doubt one of my favourite artists, his work for his own label, Tonite has played a big part in my own inspirations and influences within streetwear as has his work for numerous other projects. This is one of the most exciting interviews for me personally, but also one of the most insightful yet here at Slam X Hype. Remember you can check out our exclusive look at Fergadelic's latest Tonite collection…
Slam recently caught up with Yokohama born artist Hiroyasu Tsuri, who now resides in Melbourne where he is known as 'Twoone' (or 'Two'). '1000 Cans' is Twoone's remarkable new exhibition currently on show at Bus Gallery. 1000 discarded aerosol cans, merticulously hand painted over a solitary 18 month period that Twone describes as an exercise in "mental training". Inspired by the Japanese legend of Sadako Sasaki and the 1000 paper cranes, each can…
Japan and the UK are both famed for their individual modern styles and high-quality traditional manufacturing. Japanese-English brand Articalizm combine these qualities with influences from Tokyo and London (hence the TYOLDN tag in every garment) and the result is a unique range of clothing with roots in both cultures. A bit like the fashion equivalent of eating fish 'n' chips with chopsticks if you like, but a hell of a lot tastier... We've featured some…
I can't remember when I first heard of Marc Johns, but I've been a fan ever since, I tracked him down, more out of personal satisfaction than anything to learn more about him, and hopefully introduce more of you to his amazing work. I spoke to Marc who was kind enough to really open up and give us an insight into his work which has become a worldwide phenomenom and we showcase a selection of…
Carri Mundane is a fashion icon of the new century, a movement make, a genuine taste maker, she's worked with some of the worlds best magazines, artists and of course her own label Cassette Playa is responsible for a whole new movement within culture and fashion. People come and go within this industry, but Carri's name will be remembered for years and years to come. I caught up with Carri to learn a little more…
I first met London-based designer Mark Ward at college, and I've been impressed (not to mention slightly jealous) to see how successful he's been since graduating. With a client list that reads like a who's who of the biggest brands in streetwear (Nike, Stussy, Medicom, New Balance, DC, New Era and Silly Thing just to name a few), he's still managed to remain not only a nice chap but also refreshingly humble about what he…
Tonite and the works of Fergadelic are some of my favourite aspects of Street Culture. We showed you a hint of what was to come with the current seasons collection, a part of the Tonite comeback, this coming season, with arrivals in stores during March we'll see the full comeback of Fegadelic's London based brand. We see so many brands these days but to see a genuinley talented artist bring his successful brand back at…
Hong Kong has become a thriving centre of Streetwear, with access to some of the best brands in the world and a market with a huge passion for the culture. Recent years have seen the progress of local born labels also, leaving the city as a new major city within street culture. Our man Frank took us around Hong Kong to see the sights. Check here for our other city guides of Barcelona and…
Sabre Vision launched onto the scene last year in a big way, an eyewear company targeting the streetwear market, making them unique in many ways. Their classic styling has enabled them to produce a number of great styles and continue to receive great press and acclaim around the world. We spoke to the guys at Sabre about the brand and their progress after the production of our own colab with them, which you can buy…
Since we first heard of Aprix new line of footwear last year, I've been impressed and intrigued. The footwear released was in a timely fashion, simple, classic and of the highest quality and fitting with new trends within the industry, you could tell though, there was much more to it than fitting trends, there was a genuine feel to the brand and perhaps the reason why the product was so good. I decided to…
I'm always intrigued by Artists and the way in which they found their niche and occupation within the industry. Jiro Bevans is a UK based artist, for whom I'm a big fan, I decided to have a quick chat to Jiro as way to find out more and also give me the chance to introduce his work to you guys. How did you originally get into art and drawing? For me like most…
On February 9th, Rogue Status and Kr8Space hosted MAXIMAL REDUCTION MINIMAL BOUNDARIES. The event was two concurrent exhibitions in Los Angeles and Berlin both celebrating fixed gear culture and showing off both vintage bikes and custom creations. We were able to stop buy the Rogue Status event in Venice, California. The party had a great turn out and help push the fixed gear culture in a very good direction. Look out for a lot more…
Woodwood is without a doubt one of the most forward moving brands in Street Fashion today, with their latest collection released this week, with their lookbook available to view and also some items available online, and also their involvement in the Highmath exhibition and latest Arkitip issue, we decided to catch up with Karl of the Danish brand to find out a little more about the company make such strong moves. This recent collection featured…
With all the success of the graniph innagrual design award last year the Japanese t-shirt company are set to launch vol. 2 of this magnificent competition that offers so much for aspiring designers, illistrators and artists. In there short existence graniph have incorperated some of the finest artist from around the globe to produce some of the finest t-shirt graphics. The philosphy of the t-shirt company is simple although their execution is above par as…
As of recent times, we've noticed a surge of timepiece related industry releases. A handy accessory that keeps most of our busy lives in check and at the same time compliment our individual nature. From digital to quartz we've seen an array of creative releases in the past year and now a new high-end timepiece has emerged, one not many of us would be able to partake in, but evident to see would garner a…
Here's the second installment in our round-up of the best offerings at Bread & Butter. On the final day of the show the entire Streetwear section seemed a little the worse for wear following the previous night's events, which included the Addict, Patta and 24 Kilates party where the Patta soundsystem wreaked havoc in Barcelona's most upscale neighbourhood and several revellers ended up falling into the swimming pool by mistake. Thursday evening also saw Nash…
Yesterday the Bread & Butter tradeshow in Barcelona got underway, with the streetwear industry out in full force to get a glimpse of upcoming products. There were a lot of new artwork, shoes, clothing and toys on display in the Streetwear section, with the Playboy stand handily situated close by for a bit of light entertainment. Here's Slam X Hype's pick of the best of yesterday's offerings - stay tuned for more later today... …
Some people believe that catching a break is the key to success, but to Jeff Staple working your tail off to create that break is actually the key. Jeff is the brains and motivation behind his break, what started off as a small tee shirt business is now a multi-dimensional design/retail empire that produces flawless creations perfect for today’s consumers. Along with becoming a hugely influential figure within Streetwear and its niche cultures, Jeff…
2007 was a big year in Streetwear, a transition into a new generation of streetwear brands making their mark, an older generation moving into a new direction and of course further growth of our niche economically and demographically, we don't just cover streetwear here at Slam though, when we speak of brands and those who made a big impact in 2007 we have to consider all aspects of Pop culture, Apple's moves within the year…
Art means alot of different things to different people, here at Slam X Hype we've tried to broaden our views on what Street Culture is and Pop Culture today, much of this emphasis has been placed on art and the impact it plays on our world today. In recent years street artists have found critical acclaim within the world of fine art, and commercially too, to me art can be street art, fine art, music,…
We have caught up with Jordan Brand's D'Wayne Edwards and have talked about his most recent project over at Nike, The Future Sole Design Competition. The competition was created to discover and develop footwear designers for the future of Nike and offer them an exceptional opportunity to live out there dream as a sneaker designer. Interview by James SXH: First of all can you tell us what initially influenced your interest in…
Following exclusive interviews with Paul Mittleman, Michael Leon and Jesse Levya previewing the Nike's 'Be True' project, we take a slightly different direction with an interview with The Rivers Crew. The B-Boy crew from Korea have really made breakdancing what it is in Korea, almost building it from nothing and finding a place with the elite breakdancers around the world. On a recent trip to New York to perform at the UN Occupation I was…
Here at SlamxHype we present another of our exclusive interviews that preview the Nike's 'Be True' project, which looks at the Dunk as an iconic shoe in the history of Nike, Basketball, Skateboarding and Sneaker Cultures. This time I had the pleasure to talk to Stussy Creative Director Paul Mittleman. Paul has long been plying his trade whether it be as a DJ, Artist, Designer and has had a truely inspirational influence on Stussy and…
In the world of design, we as consumers flock to products that are impeccably designed. We desire the aesthetically fly, and can tell when there is a certain attention to detail that sets a product apart from all the other mediocrity. Sometimes these designers, the "authors of cool" are left off the information pages... Well not today! World say hello to C-Law.... Chris Law is a lead Designer for Adidas Coastal, Adidas Skateboarding, and ex-founding…
Slam got to chance to talk recently with director Shaun Roberts in Melbourne where he was promoting the Australian release of his 2006 DVD ‘The Run Up’(screening this Saturday at Fed Square). Clocking in at four hours, The Run Up, which Shaun made in conjunction with Upper Playground (he'd worked previously with UP producing ‘Dithers’), is a landmark release. It's an artistic who’s who of street culture today. We got taking about the film,…
A continuation from yesterday's beginning to our preview to Nike's 'Be True' project, which looks at the Dunk as an iconic shoe in the history of Nike, Basketball, Skateboarding and Sneaker Cultures. Again, as with Jesse, Michael is located in Portland, Oregon at Nike's WHQ, after years of design history within the Skateboard industry, Michael is now an Art director at Nike, one of the men famous for creating the Tech Pack. His past includes…
A few months ago while at Nike's Portland WHQ, I was fortunate enough to be involved in a new series of interviews with a number of people involved in the history and development of one of Nike's most iconic shoes, the Dunk! While, in recent years the Dunk has taken on numerous new faces, its still a very important shoe within Basketball, Skateboarding and even fashion. It carries alot of history, holds a simple and…
Kicks/HI, St Alfred and Bittersweet are some of the most famous names in Streetwear today, Ian Ginoza is one man behind all those names, and alongside the release of his newest Bittersweet collection, we took the chance to take a peak at the line and speak with Ian about all his projects and history. How did you first become involved in Streetwear? I first got involved with the streetwear market when we opened…
Here's a look at the winter range from London-based clothing label Second Son. Formerly known as Loki, these chaps have been bringing tight, original graphics and an English sense of humour to some of the most exclusive bastions of European streetwear since 2005. You may have seen their ubiquitous Weather Pattern print and, if you're lucky, you may have witnessed one of their notorious underground wrestling matches. You can see the rest of the collection…
Even before the emergence of the internet and its effects on streetwear, the culture was always a worldwide phenomenon. I was able to sit down with Greg, one of the co-founders of Triiad and the street culture web-based magazine BKRW. Greg was in at the beginning of the street culture scene in France and Europe, and some of the things he created years ago with his brand Triiad are concepts that many of the current…
While obviously the amazing quality and inventive qualities of Visvim have been a huge telling part in their success, a sucess which started with the FBT in terms of gaining worldwide recognition but has grown a very intrenched fan base all round the world, from their bags, to their shirts, denim and so much more. If you've been to F.I.L you'll know the Hiroki Nakamura doesn't do things by halves, infact just looking at a…
New Era has launched its European NE|SESSIONS project, which sees artists, designers and industry figures invited to design a one-off piece of headwear. Here at Slam X Hype we've asked a few of the designers to explain the concept behind the caps they've created. This is an artist showcase rather than a commercial project, with each designer creating a unique 59Fifty for exhibition in the UK, France and Germany. The exhibiition is currently on…
November 28, 2007 was the official opening of the Burton Los Angeles store on Melrose. With it Burton adds yet another amazing shop to the growing neighborhood around Hollywood which is quickly becoming one of the major centers of street fashion culture in the world. The Los Angeles Burton store houses their whole family of Burtons board sports starting with the original snowboard brand but now also brings along Anon, Analog, Gravis and…
Maharishi's Churchill Gallery in London is currently showing a double exhibition by Andrew Brandou and Dr Romanelli. Last week we showed you the launch, and now here's a more in-depth look at the two sides of the show. All artwork and jackets are available to buy at Maharishi and DPMHI... Andrew Brandou's 'After Audubon' is his first London exhibition and features beautifully detailed watercolour and ink paintings. The work is based on Audubon's 19th…
Since its inception some years ago in the thick of the Sneaker boom, DQM has become not only one of NY's best known retailers but the worlds, its bold themes and branding have led to the creation of a very strong streetwear brand itself, and of course with Dave Ortiz at the helm it will only continue to grow. We spoke to Dave to discuss the recent changes in the market and movements forward for…
MadeMe has made a huge impact on streetwear in its first season, with recent press including Erin Magee's label's leather Bomber Jacket being seen on the likes of Alicia Keys in her latest video. The Supreme designer has given us a preview of her next seasons collection, keeping in the theme of her first collection, which is available in some of the best stores worldwide and at Karmaloop online. You saw it here first, have…
James Jarvis is best known for his Amos Toy's creations, his recent YOD Figure is his latest, but he's also just released a book of his selected drawings from over the years, fittingly titled "James Jarvis Selected Drawings". I spoke to James about his work over the years, the development of his company Amos and more. As an artist, I've read interviews with you when you say you consider yourself an illustrator before…
False are now merging into their 4th Season, with a further development and expansion into a wider range of products. To coincide with the launch of the Singapore based Custom made streetwear label's new website, Slam X Hype blogger and head of False, Le Messie gives us a run down of the brand and their new movements, alongside imagery from their latest collection arriving in stores soon. It’s been awhile, we’ve been toiling…
Josh Rubin has built Cool Hunting into one of the most recognizable websites and names within popular culture today. Since its creation in 2003, Cool Hunting has managed to reach a broader array of readers than almost any site I know, making sure to cover the spectrum; from fashion, to tech, to design, to streetwear, to art, etc. Cool Hunting spreads the “esthetically fly” gospel. There’s a lot more to Josh Rubin than just what…
You've checked out the mens collection in our last feature, heres a look at whats to come February/March for the girls. again, entitled 'Space Face' and you can see the clear inspiration. Check out the mens collection and more info here. 1. Space Face T-Shirt Dress | UFO Knit Skirt | Double Fantasy Brooch 2. Shape Shift Dress | Light Years Spray Jacket 3. Alien Sweater | Alien…
Perks and Mini's collection for 2008's Spring/Summer is entitled 'Space Face', the collection will be in-store Feb/March 2008 around the world. P.A.M. is stocked at Someday (Melbourne), Colette (Paris), The HideOut and Good Hood (London), I Heart (NYC), PAM store (Tokyo), and various other stockists. Heres a look at their mens collection. Don't forget to check out our recent interview with Misha here. 1. Ufo Sweater | Ettore Cardigan | Short Monka Cinos |…
It's interesting to take a step back and see how this business and culture has evolved independently on all angles of the globe over the years. One pioneer who'se been out doing his thing since '95 is Raph, whose Melbourne-based label BLANK has been a stalwart of the local scene. BLANK has recently been making some steady inroads into the US, becoming the first Oz label to get picked up by Digital Gravel…
We mentioned yesterday about the launch last night of SURU's latest Triple Threat Series installation in their LA store. Featuring new works from Ekundayo, Joshua Clay, and Erik Siador and brought to you by Think Space Gallery and Suru. The Triple Threat Series is an ongoing event created to expose emerging artists to the scene. Slam X Hype Blogger, Yevgeniy was on hand to interview featured artist Ekundayo, who's work has also been seen as…
Rockers NYC has become an icon of the new movements in Streetwear, a genuine lifestyle brand which embraces its own culture and educates and informs. Their recent developments leading to their blog itself bein a great source of information and news for Rockers NYC fans and their family, the recent induction of a radio channel, video interviews and their own record label, again further their push towards creating an all emcompassing brand. Then of…
I first met Yo some years back, and have been a huge supporter of Rogue Status ever since. Those in the know, will be aware of the great stories told by their tee's, and their amazing reach well beyond the famous Gun Show Tee. With the recent opening of their store and development into some new and exciting products, we have decided to run a indepth feature on Rogue, with this, Part 1, Yo explains…
The Internet explosion in recent years within Street Culture has brought about the inclusion of alot of new sites, one of my favourite is French Site, Guillotine. Guillotine has been running a special project for the last few months entitled 'Project S2DIO', its a look at the work space or studio's of numerous artists and designers around the world. Im a huge fan of more candid journalism, and to me this is one of the…
Custom sneaker art is something that divides sneaker collectors. Whether you love it or pass on it, it's out in the mainstream now more than ever. And as last year's Adicolor promotion showed it's something that the big brands are noticing and increasingly using as a reference point for their own production. We caught up with Melbourne based Sekure D, recent winner of Sole Collector's custom of the year comp. His intricate creations have been…
Releasing on the 20th of October is the latest and last in New Balance ST33 collection, the Asia Pacific range of 1400's inspired by the elements, Wood, Water, Earth, Metal, and Fire. We showed you a glimpse of the shoes some weeks back here, but decided to find out more about the design process, so we spoke to Arthur Ang, the man in charge of New Balance entire Asia Pacific region. We're also giving you…
With all the recent hype surrounding one of america's most established outdoor clothing exports, with colaborations lasy season with Stussy and Mhi and this season alongside Alife, DPM, and Wood Wood, I decided to catch up with the guys from Boston to ask them about their recent involvement in streetwear and more.
Three years in the making, 'Nothing But the Truth' is the story of the Nike SB team, on and off their skateboards. Filmed on location in the Santa Clarita Valley of Southern California and set to an original soundtrack composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, professional skateboarders Paul Rodriguez, Brian Anderson, Gino Iannucci, Stefan Janoski, Omar Salazar, Chet Childress, Reese Forbes, Todd Jordan, Daniel Shimizu, Danny Supa, Wieger Van Wageningen, Lance Mountain and amateurs Grant Taylor, Lewis…
We saw alot of coverage from the recent Calligraffiti exhibition in Amsterdam, involving Shoe and Haze, I decided to find out a little more about the event and Shoe for those who couldn't make it. Theres also a directory of places on the web where you can find more info and coverage at the end of the feature.
Having shown you Chapters 1 and 2 of Nike's new Charles Barkley inspired series of AF1's, heres the final chapter, which, like the shoes, is the last in the career of Barkley, this chapter is inspired by his time at the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, 1993 - 1999.
Yesterday we gave you an insight into Chapter 1 of Nike's Charles Barkley project using his career as inspiration for a new series of AF1's. Today we discover chapter 2, a whole new series of shoes to be released next month, inspired by Barkley's time with the Philadelphia 76'ers and the 1992 Olympics. (1984 - 1993). Check out the story and the shoes to follow.
Charles Barkley wasnt only one of the most influential basketballers of all time, he was also an Athlete who spoke true of what Nike's 'Force' range was inspired by, athletisism and courage, Nike's Force Basketball range in the 80's of course included the AF1! The Charles Barkley Range of AF1's is inspired by his Career in the game, starting with his High School and College years and Leeds and Auburn with Chapter 1.
Goodhood is the newest Retail space in London's ever growing Streetwear Scene,also playing hosts to a gallery and the collective design studio of the founders Jo and Kyle's Dead Good, the store is the stockist of great range of brands from Perks and Mini and Woodwood to Bernhard Willhelm and Tsumori Chisato. I spoke briefly to the guys.
I only just recently first heard of Thomas Broome but was immediatley interested in his work, it was through The Brilliance(who I understand came across his work in a recent copy of the NY Times) infact that I heard of the Swedish based artist, and decided to do some digging for myself and also give those of you, who like me, may have never came across his work, a chance to see.
Kidrobot is a big part of Vinyl Toy Culture. Just 5 years old but very much at the centre of the sub cultures development in the western world, responsible for some of the most famous toys in recent years and the first to open Vinly figure specialist stores. I spoke to the founder of Kid Robot, Paul Budnitz.
Brent Rollins is probably best known for his work with Supreme or the amazing collage that covers the walls of Undefeated Santa Monica, but theres much more to him and his work. I caught up with him just prior to the launch of his solo show in LA last month.
Shauna and Misha are respective artists in their own right and have turned their creativity into one of the best Streetwear brands in the world. Their store, Someday is Melbournes finest, stockists of Neighborhood, Visvim, Supreme, Bless and more alongside their own brand PAM. I caught up with Misha to find out more.
Real Real Genuine launched out of the UK just last month but already hosts the maturity of a veteran label. Thats mainly down to the fact its creator is Richard Hobbs. Colabs with the likes of Methamphibian and Fiberops saw Real Real Genuine gain popular exposure in its first season, we decided to find out more.
New Jack Swing…
Undefeated Worldwide Tee…
Fred Perry "Terry…