In an extraordinary collaboration, Louis Vuitton, the ultimate French luxury brand, and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, the ultimate fashion rebel, will open a joint Tokyo store in September — an ephemeral three-month space where six one-off bags, designed by Kawakubo in LV monogram pattern, can be ordered by shoppers.
Yves Carcelle, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, sitting front row at Kawakubos’ show on Friday, said that he was approached by Comme and considers the project a fine way to celebrate 30 years since Vuitton first opened in Tokyo.
Backstage, Kawakubo said that memory of her excitement at the arrival of Parisian luxury in Japan in 1978, resulted in this unlikely idea of the new design duo creating the store within the Comme des Garçons shop off Omotesando.
For Comme acolytes, this move will be considered either as sleeping with the enemy — or a brilliant and imaginative partnership.
Kawakubo has re-designed the entire Comme des Garçons store on Kottodori, Omotesando for the Vuitton project. Carcelle says that LV is investing in the store, and that any financial profits will be divided.
Although there have been many recent collaborations between ‘high’ and ‘low’ fashion, starting with Karl Lagerfeld’s mini collection for fast fashion store H & M, this meld is different, since it involves a beacon of individuality with a company at the heart of corporate luxury management, as part of the LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) group.
Carcelle said that Marc Jacobs, artistic director of Louis Vuitton, admired Comme des Garçons and was an enthusiastic supporter of the idea of a joint venture.
“It is impossible to overstate Rei Kawakubo’s influence on modern fashion,” Jacobs said in a prepared statement, ‘I find it wonderful to think that 30 years ago, this immense talent, someone who has inspired so many others, was inspired by Louis Vuitton.”
Kawakubo described her designs as ‘party’ bags, promising multi-handles or two handles morphing into one. All will use the Monogram toile, with the LV initials, and the offerings will hark back to the styles of 30 years when Vuitton made only bags and leather goods.
I think we all know by now that Rick Klotz is no stranger to controversy.
After beefing with streetwear brands and rockstars, he’s under fire from a new, more complicated, entity: The Jewish Defense League. Rick, and his veteran L.A.-based apparel brand Freshjive, produced a couple t-shirts this season that have been intensely scrutinized by certain members of the Jewish community.
I’m not gonna weigh in any of my own opinions here (You can read Rick’s personal defense and reasoning behind his artistic choices on the Freshjive blog), but the ultra-controversial terrorist group The JDL certainly voiced theirs this afternoon on Fairfax in front of Rick’s store Reserve, storming up and down the sidewalk with picket signs, bullhorns, and an artillery of verbal warfare.
Shelley Rubin is the current chairman of the JDL. Her husband, Irv Rubin, ran the JDL for 15 years before being imprisoned for planning a terror attack against an Arab-American Congressman and 2 attacks on a Muslim mosque here in L.A. He ended up “killing himself” in jail (read: being tossed 18 feet over a railing by other inmates), leaving his lil’ firecracker Shelley in charge.
Shelley showed up with her son and a collective of angry extremist Right-Wing Jews, belligerently claiming Rick hates Jews, support Muslims, and is gay. The ironic part being that Rick himself is Jewish and has done more than anyone else on the block in terms of enlightening the streetwear kids on Judaism through apparel and literature, and preserving Fairfax’s historic Jewish community. (The other parts about supporting Muslims is not necessarily a bad thing, last time I checked. And the Rick being gay thing, it would explain a lot, buuut I don’t think that’s so accurate either.)
You gotta read up on the JDL. Shelley’s late husband and the JDL allegedly provided Eazy-E protection from Suge Knight back in the early ’90s, as well as indirectly being involved with Death Row’s inception. I know, weird but true.
At one point, Shelley just started wrecking shop on everybody. Somehow, she got into it with Reza (The Arab Parrot). C’mon Shelley, you’ve taken on the Soviets and the FBI, but we all know this is a losing battle.
We showed you some cool pics of scribbled-on currency from De-Noted, but this guy takes it to the next level! Also, if you have some green backs and time to waste, then head over to THIS site and don’t blame us when you look up at the clock and realize the entire afternoon is gone.
They say the passing of the greats comes in three’s, but over the past ten days or so we have lost some really notable artist who have given so much to the world of film, fashion and music.
First, Sydney Pollack, the Hollywood great who has directed, produced and acted in so many things over a career dating back to the 60’s. as Oddly enough, he passed away just a day after the premier of his latest work on the HBO special ‘Recount‘.
Then news spread that Algerian born Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent, better known because of his label YSL, passed after a fight with cancer. A truly amazing designer, who joined the Dior fashion house at 17 and by 21 was the creative director after the sudden passing of founder Christian Dior, he is credited with many firsts such as:
fashion trends such as the beatnik look, safari jackets for men and women, tight pants and tall, thigh-high boots, including the creation of arguably the most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, Le Smoking suit. He also started mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. He was the first, in 1966, to popularize ready-to-wear in an attempt to democratize fashion, with Rive Gauche and the boutique of the same name.[5] He was also the first designer to use black models in his runway shows.
Then, just one day after the passing of Yves, we got news that legendary blues guitarist Bo Diddley was gone as well. The man has too many credits to his name, having worked with anyone from The Clash, to The Stones, to The Greatful Dead. The man made hit’s of songs that had NO chord changes! What else do you need to know?
Threadless is, if you haven’t heard already, a concept from Chicago that let’s you submit your tee shirt design, which, if selected, is printed and sold to the thousands of people who frequent the site. Chuck Anderson, of NoPattern, recently submitted a post on his blog tipping his hat to the crew from Threadless for making the cover of INC Magazine. Here is what he has to say:
Where do I personally even begin when it comes to Threadless? Before I started NoPattern as my full-time thing in 2004 I was packing t-shirts at their Chicago office and trying to learn as much as I could from a small group of dudes who I thought were doing some awesome things. Did I imagine they’d be as explosively successful as they are now in such a short amount of time? Not really, not this fast…but it certainly does not surprise me and I feel they completely deserve every bit of press, success, and praise they get. I’ll keep this short and to the point but I just really want to commend Threadless, specifically Jake Nickell and Jeffrey Kalmikoff, on what I think is their coolest piece of press to date. The cover of Inc. Magazine for June 2008. Super happy for these guys having watched them grow from a small office with shirts wedged onto a few shelves in a corner to a giant playground of an office with a warehouse staffed with people packing thousands of shirts a day. Nice headline on the cover too, sheesh! “The Most Innovative Small Company in America.” Again, congrats guys…Truly one of the most deserving and forward-thinking companies around. See the cover in the link below.
If you have been in the shop lately, then you have noticed quite a bit of product from Insight on our walls. They recently sent us a packet containing the images for their Spring press, and the pictures are absolutely amazing. These shots must have taken hours to set up and required a lot of strong lungs, but the result is pretty spectacular. Here are just a few:
Veronique Nichanian, menswear designer for Hermes, gave Details magazine 10 great pieces of wisdom regarding men’s style and clothing. Granted they may come off as a little presumptuous, but we can’t really argue with the general concepts.
1. The right proportion and fit are a matter of centimeters—millimeters, really. When you choose clothes that are perfect for you, you feel strong, comfortable, and more self-confident.
2. Style is a question of charm, not nationality. It’s not true that French men have more allure or style than American men. It’s just that they dress with more personality. They don’t follow dress codes, and sometimes they mix things in a way they shouldn’t. Like how Serge Gainsbourg dressed, with his reptile shoes with jeans and blazer and white shirt—that’s charm.
3. For a weekend away, a man should bring a simple shirt, two cashmere sweaters, three polos, and one pair of jeans. For shoes, either sandals or light leather moccasins—just the essentials.
4. In relationships, you must show proof of love and do something passionate. I once had a boyfriend fly from New York to Paris just to have dinner with me. It was very smart.
5. Age is not important. A man, no matter if he’s 20 or 60, can wear a tee and jeans if he has the right body.
6. You should have one watch for the weekend, one for the week, one for suits, one for sport. I love watches. Watches are for men what perfume is for women. They are very personal, and you can wear them according to your mood.
7. Wearing a scarf is about attitude. A man should just wrap one around his neck, maybe two times—but not tightly like women do. It should be nonchalant.
8. Men make a mistake when they follow fashion instead of their own personality or their own body. When they dress in a very slim shape even if they don’t have the right body, it’s all wrong. It’s awful. With my husband, I tell him, ‘Stay yourself and I’ll take care of you.’ He’s the most spoiled man in Paris.
9. You can never have too many cashmere sweaters. There are so many kinds of fits and colors. You should have a lightweight one for summer and a heavier one for winter. Whether you wear darker colors like navy or brighter ones like green or yellow can depend on the way you wake up.
10. The most timeless article of clothing a man can have is a leather piece. An Hermès leather bomber.
Many of you have probably been on this one for a while, but we can’t get enough of the blog Stuff White People Like. We like it because it’s blatantly true, mildly offensive and this is its mission statement:
This is a scientific approach to highlight and explain stuff white people like. They are pretty predictable.
There seem to be a lot of people up in arms about the concept, but if you don’t laugh at some of these posts, then you have no sense of humor. Here is just a taste of some posts:
Dinner Parties:
Though many would have you believe that white people come of age at Summer Camp, it’s simply not the truth. Immediately following graduation but prior to renovating a house, white people take their first step from childhood to maturity by hosting a successful dinner party.
It is imperative that white people know how to host a good dinner party as they will be expected to do it well into retirement.
At the most basic level, these simple gatherings involve 3-6 couples getting together at a single house or apartment, having dinner and talking for 5-6 hours. Though it might seem basic these events are some of the most stressful situations in all of white culture.
St. Patricks Day:
Normally if someone were to wake up at 7:00 in the morning, take the day off work, and get drunk at a bar before 10:00 a.m., they would be called an alcoholic, and not in the artistic, edgy way that white people are so fond of.
On March 17th, however, this exact same activity is called celebrating St. Patrick’s day. This very special white holiday recognizes Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who helped to bring Catholicism to the Emerald Isle. His ascetic life is celebrated every year by white people drinking large amounts of Irish-themed alcohol and listening to the Dropkick Murphys.
It is also the day of the year when you can make the most gains in your social and professional relationship with white people.
Outdoor Performance Clothes:
As white people get older, they like to make clear boundaries between their professional and personal lives. They don’t mind talking about their personal life at work, but they hate talking about their work life when they are enjoying a weekend or vacation. But with blackberries and laptops, white people could be working anywhere, at any time. So how do you know when they are off the clock? It’s easy, check their clothes.
When white people aren’t working, they generally like to wear Outdoor Performance Clothes. The top suppliers of these garments and accessories include North Face, REI, Mountain Equipment Co-Op, Columbia Sportswear, and Patagonia.
When you see white people wearing these, it is important that you do not discuss business matters. Instead you should say things like “where did you get that fleece?” and “what’s that thing holding your keys to your shorts?” White people will be more than happy to talk to you about their sustainably produced possessions.
…and HERE is a full list of ’stuff white people like’, which as of today is 95 items long.
We are a little late reporting on this one, but saw it a while back and figured it was worth a post. The street vendor booth set-up is genius! Also, can you spot the celebrity fan taking a picture of Kanye in the last picture after the jump?
Perhaps one of the most famous car/fashion collaborations took place in the US in the late 1970s. Cadillac’s Seville was aimed to compete against European competition from BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes, and bringing some additional European flair to this all-American model was some Gucci trimming. The Gucci Seville was never an officially sanctioned factory model, instead being a dealer special.
Built by International Automotive Design in Miami, Gucci licensed the use of its branding on the exclusive cars. Around 200 Gucci Sevilles were produced, with the interior and exterior featuring Gucci logos, Gucci cloth, headlining and vinyl. They also came with Gucci luggage. Of questionable taste then and enormously expensive, the Gucci Sevilles typically cost around $7,000 more than the standard car, which retailed at around $15,000. Today, they’re rare, sought after kitsch classics.
You might have seen these in a recent edition of Quick, but all we can say is ‘wow’ because these Hoopers have been the fastest selling sneaker to date (yes, even quicker than the Skytops). It’s easy to see why because the Puma Hooper Mid Decades is unlike any other Puma style out there. In addition to the Decades Mid, we have a little bit cleaner Hooper Hi in white and ‘amazon’ green with some orange and turquoise accents:
Puma - Hooper Mid Decades, Black Purple ($85)
Puma - Hooper Hi, White Amazon Green ($85)
More detail pics after the jump. And remember that you can now click each picture to link to a full-size version.
Many people have mentioned it on the wide-web-world, but, for a while now, former creative director for Dior Homme, Hedi Slimane, has a pretty cool photo blog. In addition, on his WEBSITE, there are links to fashion journals as well as his Myspace page.
It seems that many of the high fashion types are opening up their lives a little more. Recently you might have heard that Marc Jacobs also made the jump to Myspace
…and a Rodolphe Marconi documentary exploring the world of Karl Lagerfeld called Lagerfeld Confidential. Here’s a clip.
***Also, we have switched our blog code a little so you can now click on the images above and see an enlarged version***
Last Thursday, DJs Klever and Caleb Guage stopped through town while playing a gig at Suite. Really nice guys with some dope style - check out Caleb with the new Insight tee he picked up:
You can download Klever’s latest mix, Ski Mask Way, HERE.
Thought it debuted a while ago, the MASH SF film that released last year has, as they put it, “set the benchmark for urban fixed gear riding” after taking “the past 2 years gabe and mike have been chasing riders on track bikes through the streets of San Francisco.” There is not too much more to say about it - just watch the video to see a little about their crew and the culture behind it. It seems the phenomenon is taking hold even here in Dallas, as we see quite a few zoom past the shop every week. Here is the trailer for the film:
If you want to learn a little more about the culture/sport then check out THIS article the NYTimes did last year. Also, you can check out what Wikipedia has to say HERE. Also, posted below is a glimpse at what the right bike with an insanely skills rider can do:
We’re all about the intersection of music and video. Someone told me there used to be a channel devoted to the same thing but I just don’t buy it.
Or so says the ‘About’ section of the Shots Ring Out website. Recently, Brian (fully 1/3 of the Shot’s family), came through the shop and gave us a heads up on the site. Based out of LA, the team, well, perhaps it’s best in their own words:
Shots Ring Out (SRO) is a music video blog. Music videos are an art form that we would like to celebrate and promote. Obtaining music videos, however, can be tricky. With some exception, you can’t really go ‘buy’ music videos to the same effect as you can with songs. We help people obtain music videos and discover great new artists. By this, we mean great bands and great filmmakers.
Believing music videos to be an art form in and of themselves, we try to showcase those who are pushing the medium. We always let you know the director of every video we showcase. This is not a video ‘dump’. All videos are hand-picked by us based on the fact that we feel it merits attention. This is a place to discover and discuss great, new bands and up-and-coming directors. It’s also a place to check out some classic works.
If you love music videos as much as we do (can you tell?), then you’ll appreciate their Monthly Mix and Video Classics sections. And just for good measure here is a video of Dallas native Erykah Badu’s new single ‘Honey’.
You can check out their opinion on the piece HERE.
Leica has always fascinated me. Few other brands poses the customer loyalty and/or fanaticism of the famed German brand concepted in 1913. For some reason, the brand seems equivalent to a subtle, but commanding wristwatch or maybe even a Visvim jacket. All the details are manicured out and the right person knows just why they paid so much for what otherwise might be mistaken for a mundane object. Photographer David Perez put it nicely:
“I recently went to my friends office and low and behold i see a new Leica M8 sitting on the desk. Now im not usually a jealous person but for a few minutes i was green with envy. I mean i own one of the best Canon Digital cameras they make and i have my own Leica M6 but i have been dreaming of this camera night and day since its inception. Why i dont know but there is something special about Leicas. When you wear one around your neck its like someone put a costume on you that said “Hey this guy is member of secret club dont fuck with him”.
Ive gone to stores where they would never give me the time of day and when i go back and have a Leica around my neck they walk up to me and say “good day sir can we help you today. Its like that old Eddie Murphy skit on Saturday Night Live where he dressed as a white guy and people at banks were giving him money when the Black people werent around.”
