Month: August 2013

The North Face Purple Label FW13 lookbook.

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While the North Face brand in North America hardly inspires with its increasingly safe output, Japan-based North Face Purple Label has been consistently pushing new territory since it’s inception a few years ago. The Fall/Winter 2013 continues this trend with a tonal, well-styled lookbook. This is one of those rare lookbooks where both the girls and guys sides of things are styled excellently.

There’s alot of greys, tans and blues this time out and the outerwear appears technically sound, with a mix of down jackets, shells and vests layered over minimal shirting and trousers. There’s also a few tasteful knits thrown in to complete the collection. All in all this is a nice lookbook to reference if you’re looking to try something new this Fall/Winter but still want to mix in the staples you already have (New Balance sneakers, dry denim etc). Look for items from the collection to drop soon at select retailers including nanamica.

See all the looks after the jump 

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XXBC Collection 1

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Having known Alex Lee and Will Thomson of XXBC (Twenty B.C.) for some time, it’s great to see their work come to fruition in a hard-hitting debut collection. The lookbook is an amalgamation of the their personal inspirations in photo form. The two have been successful in turning their own unique personal style into a full-fledged brand. The initial collection intersperses sweatshirt material with vintage fabric cut in a relaxed slouchy fit.  They provided me with the word-association like assemblage of reference points which pretty much sums up where collection 1 is coming from.

“Almonds & braided pretzel twists. USPS winter uniforms. Hurricane Chris. Makaveli Branded Clothing. Dior Monsieur. Christopher Moltisanti. Ramen. Starter. Kacy World Colors. Mark McGwire. Dollar pizza. Regular-ass dudes. Word art. Shirts with flames or dragons on them. Scarface varsity jackets. Recess. Dapper Dan. Tommy
Hilfiger. Cash Money Records. Crosby Deli. Coogi suits. Norma Kamali 1981. Your grandmother’s living room sofa. FUBU. eBay. Jersey City. New York City. XXBC. Collection I.

Check out my previous interview with Alex and Will (founders of XXBC) HERE

Photos by James Parker
Creative Direction by Will Thompson, Alex Lee and Rhamier Auguste
Model: Erica Lusha
Hair/Make-up: Michela Wariebi

See the rest of the lookbook after the jump

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WTAPS FW13 ‘Lifist’ Lookbook

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WTAPS presents a simple approach to their Fall/Winter 2013 Lookbook. For being a Fall/Winter collection not many of the items here seem suited for colder weather. Most of the pieces here don’t stray far from basics like t-shirts, jeans and t-shirts. The creative direction is in line with head designer Tetsu Nishiyama’s philosophy of being a lifist. In short that term has come a harmonious lifestyle where work, play and relationships are balanced. The lookbook features photos of TET himself doing everyday activities: skating, working on his motorcycle and getting a haircut.

More images after the jump.

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Viberg for Haven 8 Hole Boots

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One of the top shops in Canada Haven teamed up with fellow Canadian boot producers Viberg to create a capsule collection of 8 Hole Boots in 3 suede colorways. I like all of the models presented so I gotta say it’s a pretty difficult choice to pick which version I’d get.  The customized 8 Hole … Read more

Champion Made in Japan Reverse Weave Collection

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If you’re gonna get a Champion crewneck, it’s always been the case that the reverse weave joints are THAT much nicer. They’re more durable, hold their shape better after countless washes, and to me they’ve come represent a golden era of American manufacturing technique. It’s not suprising then that Champion Japan has produced it’s own … Read more

KOMAKINO FW13 Lookbook

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shot by Rémi Lamandé and styled by Niklas Bildstein Zaar.

KOMAKINO released this lookbook for their Fall/Winter 2013 collection and it’s bound to make MA-1 and black boot fans very happy. The bomber is released in a ton of different variations and colorways. Simpler staples such as the graphic t-shirts, crewnecks, button-down and skinny trousers round out the selection. 

For a glimpse into the future, take a look at their Spring/Summer 2014 presentation HERE. See all the looks after the jump.

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‘I See You’ Eri Wakiyama Exhibition

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This past Thursday marked the opening of the ‘I See You’ an inaugural art exhibit by my friend Eri Wakiyama. The opening night was a blast and it was great to see so many people come out in support of her art work. When I first met Eri I had no idea she drew but when I found her tumblr Mermaid Hair I quickly became a fan of her work. If you like the images here definitely check her stuff out on there as she regular posts similarly-styled illustrations and paintings.

The exhibition on Kenmare closed Sunday but I managed to get some snaps of the work while it was still hanging. Some of the pieces have already sold but if you are interested in getting in touch with Eri regarding her artwork the best way to reach her is through e-mail or on twitter. The color palettes and whimsical, quirky mood of her work is best seen in person and I already can’t wait until her next showing.

More images after the jump

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Supreme FW13 Lookbook and Collection

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New York based skate/streetwear giant Supreme returns with their Fall/Winter 2013 collection. As someone who’s been tracking and wearing the brand for many years, I have to say that recent collections have been quite a disappointment to me. As the brand has increased it’s presence both it’s online store, new London location and a stream of high-profile celebrity endorsements, it’s also felt the pressure to adapt more to current market trends and also produce more items to meet demand. At this point, I’m not really interested in just another fitted or hoody with Supreme written on it. Most disappointedly are the pieces which seem to be influenced by the current web culture through the use of nostalgic graphics (that Blingee style hate graphic and the Indian ‘hanu’ design come to mind). Also surprising was the release of a stadium jacket which appears to be a real collaboration with Wise potato chips. Somehow I doubt the brand would have ever considered this move five years ago. It’s this ability to ‘cover all bases’ that makes Supreme such a viable, iconic brand but perhaps in increasing the range, they’ve lost a bit of what made the brand so special in the first place.

Supreme is always an interesting case study as it is still fun to sift through each release. The brand remains a great barometer of where men’s fashion (not just streetwear) is at during a particular point in time. My favorite pieces from the brand in the past were generally ones where the branding was a bit more subversive or otherwise low-key. Pieces like this are few and far between this time out but there are still some gems in here that are worth the reasonable price of admission (Supreme still has a pretty fair pricepoint for the quality all things considered). There are a couple noteworthy collaborations with Champion and Schott and I’m sure that more will be announced in the coming weeks. That being said there are always a few items in each collection worth coveting, I’ve made a selection of my personal favorites and posted them below after the jump. View the entire collection online at Supreme“>Supreme.

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johnUndercover FW13 Editorial in Men’s Non-No

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Men’s Non-No puts out this clean visually appealing editorial for the latest Men’s Non-No using johnUndercover FW13. The two models (one guy, one girl) wear selects pieces from the season with the fishtail parka definitely being the standout item for me. johnUndercover is the new diffusion line by Jun Takahashi that minimizes some of the … Read more

Video: Stussy BBC Doc

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Stussy Tribe – BBC’s The Look featuring Chanel, Rl & Stussy from Stussy on Vimeo. While Stussy may not be much of a grassroots brand anymore, this BBC video takes a look at the brand when Shawn Stussy was still at the helm. The quick doc touches on the styles and trends of the time … Read more