Category: Features

World’s Largest Akira Vintage T-shirt Collection

September 17, 2020October 9, 2019 by rocky

2019 is a fitting year to look back at the Legacy of Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic cyberpunk manga AKIRA. Set in 2019, the illustration and anime based on the story are now a legendary part of the sci-fi canon. One Japanese collector Satoshi Takahashi, has amassed an extraordinary collection of some of the best vintage AKIRA t-shirts released during the past 20 years.

Takahashi who is a creative director and fashion stylist in has been obsessed with the manga since it’s release in 1982. Since then he’s collected over 40 T-shirts. Finding the shirts through thrift stores and online auction sites like Yahoo Japan . He used the publication “AKIRA CLUB” which published in 1995 by Kodansha as his main reference for tracking down references on the older T-shirts. In addition, “GENGA” (2012) and Katsuhiro Otomo’s special feature “BRUTUS” (2014) were influential in guiding his search to complete his collection. Among the shirts in his collection are many of the highly sought after licensed Fashion Victim T-shirts, bootlegs, as well as more recent collaborations with Otomo and Supreme.

Click through for more photos of his collection and visit WWD Japan for the entire interview.

Best Sneaker and Fashion 2018 Black Friday Deals

November 22, 2018 by rocky

It’s Thanksgiving in the US which usually signals awkward family interactions and overeating. It also is usually followed up by over-shopping, luckily 2018 is offering a lot of great deals. Below is a compilation of over 50 stores which will be continually updated over the course of Black Monday through next week. Ultimately , while not every deal is good this week is a great time to save on things you’ve wanted to buy for months. Luckily shopping online also let’s you chill indoors instead of having to brave huge lines and annoying strangers. Click through to shop see a list of the best sales this holiday season.

How to Pick A Vintage Rolex

May 31, 2018May 30, 2018 by rocky

Whether you’re new to the world of vintage Rolex watches or planning on expanding your collection, picking the right Rolex may prove to be a pretty daunting task. Chances are, you’re searching for a stylish watch that will hold its value well. Sounds simple, right? It’s actually a little bit more involved than simply finding a watch that you like and purchasing it. So how do you go about picking the perfect vintage watch? Below is a quick overview of just a few factors that you should keep in mind.

A Conversation with Takahiro Miyashita

March 6, 2018 by rocky

The designer of TheSoloist sits down with SSENSE coorespondent Tiffany Godoy and talks about pop culture his career and reflects on Number (N)ine. The interview also touches on his designs for his forthcoming FW18 collection which was previously covered HERE. As a big Number (N)one fan over the years, this has to be my favorite … Read more

FW18 Editorial by Belief Moscow

January 9, 2018 by rocky

Belief is one of the best shops in Russia at delivering a selection of top tier streetwear. They present a new editorial featuring items from Fall/Winter collections, fusing items from a wide range of labels including WTAPS, ACRONYM, NEIGHBORHOOD, Cav Empt, and RATS. Click through to see the rest of the shoot and shop the selection online.

New Air Max 97s on feet

July 31, 2017 by rocky

I love Nike Air Max 97s and I’m glad Nike is finally giving the shoe more attention. You can see a trio of color ways on feet in the post. It’s nice to see Nike reaching back into the archives for OG designs as well as innovating with new variations and materials. All three three … Read more

GRIND Magazine ACG SS17 Editorial

July 6, 2017 by rocky

While the summer Nike ACG release came earlier this year, GRIND Magazine has presented the collection in all it’s glory in their 74th issue. While the print edition is the optimal way to view the content from the excellent magazine, you can check their website for more. Certain ACG items are still available at stores including Nike and BDGA.

Buyer Beware: Anti-capitalism, Desire, and Cav Empt SS17

June 1, 2017May 31, 2017 by Contributor

In 1999 the Marxist academic collective Krisis Group published an essay entitled “Against Labor, Against Capital”. In it the authors argued that due to increasing automation a society based on labor was quickly becoming obsolete. Instead of looking to free workers from their oppression, as traditional Marxism espoused, the goal should be to end the labor society entirely. The only reason the world had not yet realized this was because of the economic and political elite, who have pacified the masses with “Silly fancy goods, designed to create the illusion of a full life”.

Eighteen years later, this phrase has appeared as a recurring motif in T-shirts, jackets, and hats in the Spring/Summer 2017 season of the streetwear brand Cav Empt. At first glance, it seems to be nothing more than another example of capitalism’s ruthless drive to commodify even the thoughts and actions of its opponents- just a more advanced version of a Sex Pistols shirt at H&M, in other words. Yet a closer look at Cav Empt’s history reveals that while garnering praise for their alluring graphics and uniquely cut and sewn garments, designers Sk8thing and Toby Feltwell have embedded a radical critique of consumer society into their clothing from the beginning. Cav Empt’s Spring/Summer 2017 season is the apex of a project that has been inherent in their clothing since its inception; an attempt to challenge the wearer into thinking seriously about the act of fashion fandom, desire and consumption under late capitalism.

Costume Design in the Alien Franchise

May 22, 2017May 21, 2017 by rocky

The release of Alien Covenant this past week makes this an excellent time to reflect on the franchise as a whole. The original 1979 film directed by Ridley Scott single handedly came to define the space horror genre. While much has been made of H.R Giger’s alien designs, the film’s popularity and success largely hinges on its ability to pack immense detail into every scene. The original film utilizes set design, music, costumes and even custom typography to bring the world to life. The epic world building in the original set the standard for the entire franchise but today I want to take a closer look at the costume design in particular. The costumes and clothing seen throughout the franchise have had an immense impact on future sci-fi films and even the film industry as a whole. I’ll be breaking down the costume design of the original Alien trilogy below.

When Alternative Marketplaces Become Convention

May 17, 2017May 17, 2017 by Contributor

Retail apocalypse is ripping through the United States leaving brick-and-mortar boutiques and mall chain behemoths alike wobbling on the brink of irrelevance as online shopping becomes the norm for consumers. The Atlantic reported the first third of 2017 has witnessed nine major retail bankruptcies, major apparel companies’ stocks plunging to new lows, and flagship after flagship closing their doors. The meteoric rise of alternative, often community-run platforms for buying, selling and trading goods online has directly crippled the retail industry. Shoppers, who are already conditioned to shop on sale, now have access to secondhand designer items at mere fractions of retail prices.

Alternative marketplaces are nowhere near a new phenomenon. In the days before sites like eBay, Y! Japan and Grailed, dedicated shoppers scoured flea markets, thrift shops and consignment stores alike for designer threads amidst piles of musty windbreakers and knockoff COOGI sweaters. Each independent, enthusiast-run online shop carrying marked-up goods initially purveyed through Rakuten mirrors my own foray into the world of e-commerce. In the 2000s, my middle-school self was conducting a legally-questionable scheme of funneling East Asian street fashion back to the United States to shill at higher prices on LiveJournal. As the internet has matured, the number of alternative marketplaces has multiplied and with each iteration they become more targeted and communal.