High Snobiety

Thanks to J.W. Anderson, Joe Brainard Is Finally Getting the Renaissance He Deserves

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:11:53 GMT

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Joe Brainard – the conceptual trailblazer and often overlooked contemporary of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Katz – is having a renaissance right now, thanks in part to LOEWE‘s creative director Jonathan Anderson.

For the Madrid label’s FW21 men’s runway collection, LOEWE presented A Show in a Book; an original 200-page hardbound volume devoted to Brainard’s graphic works. His prints and jacquards appeared on the collection’s garments and accessories while his method and mindset were celebrated in the form of collage.

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In his foreword to the book, Anderson outlined the reason for the homage: “I have been drawn to Joe Brainard’s body of work, in particular his collages, and his ability to create things out of the everyday. As an artist, a writer, an illustrator, and a poet, he thought and acted outside of rulebooks and categories.”

Despite having been an extremely prolific artist, with a dozen individual publications, collaborative book projects, and a couple of thousand visual works to his name, Brainard never achieved the notoriety of his more famous friends and collaborators – Andy Warhol, Frank O’Hara, and John Ashbery.

Now, 25 years after he died of AIDS-induced pneumonia, Brainard is being recognized as a visionary forerunner of current dispersed and all-encompassing digital practices. As the poet Nathan Kernan suggests, it is our multimodal online existence that “looks more and more like a Joe Brainard world.”

It was his eclectic approach that made it challenging for critics and curators to properly categorize him. For example, though his treatment of pansies is reminiscent of Warhol’s flower prints, critics have resisted lumping him in with Pop artists. That’s partly because Brainard’s affection for pop culture didn’t chime with the ironic distance to mass media products adopted by heavy-hitters like Warhol and Lichtenstein.

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“There is a lightness and an immediacy in his work,” Anderson explains in the foreword to A Show in a Book. “I find acutely apt for this very moment, and indeed any moment.” His approach to everyday visual culture was empathetic rather than detached, but that’s what is drawing new audiences to his gargantuan body of work today.

Similarly, the diversity of his output was regarded as a professional liability in his lifetime. Today, however, his works of collage, comic strip-inspired graphic works, book design, poetry, oil paintings, watercolors, and sculptural assemblage seem to anticipate the ways that we see and create on the internet. Meanwhile, his diverse oeuvre continues to draw comparisons to a surprisingly diverse array of contemporary artists including David Shrigley, Mike Kelley, and Rene Ricard.

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A Show in a Book will be distributed by Printed Matter as a stand-alone volume when the collections are commercially available in June 2021, with all proceeds going to Printed Matter and Visual AIDS.

2 Moncler 1952 Man’s Sergio Zambon on Italy’s OG Streetwear Credentials

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 16:42:04 GMT

Curated by Highsnobiety and presented during the time period formerly known as Paris Men’s Fashion Week, “Not In Paris 2” is our second in a series of bi-annual digital exhibitions celebrating creativity in the age of remote interactions. Head here for the full series and cop our new merch via our online store.

As a country that prides itself on both fashion and high-quality gastronomy, the irony that Italy’s coolest ever youth movement would take its name from a modest grilled sandwich is not lost on me. You no doubt know the story of the Paninaro, the 1980s upstarts who would skulk outside big city cafés, drowning in fancy labels as if they had just stuck up a nearby designer boutique. They had their own style, magazines, and even dictionary — “Il Gallo,” infamously, was thelader’s nickname, which translates to “The Cock.” All good things must come to an end, however, and by the time Pet Shop Boys had immortalized the subculture as a song in 1986, it had already begun to wind down.

The legacy and spirit lives on, and to celebrate, we caught up with 2 Moncler 1952 Man’s Sergio Zambon, who regaled us with his memories of the Paninaro. Afterward we shot some of our favorite pieces from the label, including its recent SS collection.

I was on the opposite side. I was more on the Gothic, dark punk side. But I remember the look was very related to the hedonism of the ’80s, and Italy entering a good economic period. Before that, things were very intense in the ’70s, and people in Rome and Milan wouldn’t go out in the evening because it wasn’t safe and there were a lot of demonstrations. This carefree look was all over the country. I remember the strong colors, the groups in front of the bars, the fast food. I remember when they opened the first McDonald’s in Rome, in ’86. It was a huge thing.

Yes. Italy had their own chain of fast-food, which were the places where the Paninari were eating. The most famous was called Burghy. Of course, the name Paninari came from a sandwich bar in Milan, called Il Panino.

The Paninari started in the early ’80s. Let’s say the peak was when the Pet Shop Boys did the song “Paninaro” after they visited Milan in 1986. The Paninaro was a reaction to a very intense politicized period of before. The late ’70s and early ’80s in Italy was extremely turbulent. In terms of music, they were the opposite of punk and dark. They were all about pop. The two favorite bands were Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet.

Very much so. I would call them outerwear yuppies. The strange thing was, they were about appearances; facade fashion. But then they chose styles and codes from the working American class. For example, Levi’s and Timberland boots.

They were middle class or even bourgeoise, but then they gravitated towards working-class items. In fact, I can call them an Italian streetwear movement because they go for the Italian mentality of showing off, of bella figura, only with workwear and utility garments. Everything was branded. They were never wearing something which wasn’t branded.

A lot has changed, but I think it’s fair to say they were the hypebeasts of that period. The difference was, everything wasn’t so fast. You didn’t have a new pair of sneakers every month; you don’t have a new guy dancing on TikTok. But conceptually, and in terms of materialism, I think there are a lot of similarities.

There is Le Sfitinzie and then a variant called Squinzie. The imprinting of those girls was really based on Italian TV. They were all about image. It wasn’t a very good representation for women, but that’s how they were.

It was an icon of style at that time, for skiing. It was the first time [the jacket] had been translated to daily wear, which is so typical of any street movement. Moncler was very fashionable at that time.

I wasn’t there working with Moncler, so I can’t say. But in Italy, when something like this happens, the big brands or houses are usually flattered or amused. They are flexible and like to see people wearing things in fresh ways; “Oh, that’s a new way of wearing our things.” Italians always link the real world to the street. And there is nothing better than to see your things on the streets.

Right. We are not so strict in that way.

I relate that to the Italian way of going around into big cities; it’s the easiest mode of transport because of the traffic. Brands they liked were Gilera, Laverda, and one called Zügda, which sounds German.

The scooters are quintessentially Italian, which makes me believe it’s the only truly Italian street movement we had. It’s why I think it’s perfect for starting our Genius collection.

I would say it’s another Italian thing too: colorful outerwear, playful belts, and the girls were wearing all these pastels and had big curly hair. It’s European, but also very Mediterranean.

This is a question which I really think about. And as I said at the start, Paninaro was a reaction to a very politicized former period. And also nowadays, there are subcultures who have their own looks in reaction to politics. For example, we saw in America, certain groups — and I’m not making names, because they’re not necessarily good — but they have their own look, like Hawaiian shirts etc. But apart from that, I think the situation nowadays in fashion is we have this normcore, comfort zone look for the pandemic period, or we have the super technological sport look which is all about functionality and living in a big city.

I believe subculture will always exist as an expression. I think the future of subculture would only be canceled if real democracy were to exist all around the world. Otherwise, there is always a reason for a subculture to exist, and generally, it’s political. I think when the planet will be in a right democratic situation, subculture will maybe die. But we are very far from that, so subculture will be with us for a long time.

There is a difference between real subculture and hype. Of course, the speed of communication has had a positive side, but also sometimes — as the pandemic shows us — we don’t need so many things. I think real things need time. It takes time to make a real thing. And Paninaro, it still has the sense as a heritage, because it was a real thing. It was organic.

With uniform you look dapper, and Italians love that. That simple “I look good” feeling is a very Italian attitude to style. So maybe that has something to do with it. Italian fashion has always harked at our heritage of making things in a fine way.

Didi Rojas’ Ceramic Sneakers Are Forever DS

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 15:18:18 GMT

Didi Rojas is part of Highsnobiety Shop’s Athletics Footwear campaign. The Athletics One.2 will be available exclusively via Highsnobiety Shop on January 28.

Didi Rojas has taken the Instagram world by storm with her lifelike ceramic versions of hyped and classic sneakers. Her account, @0h_heck, has quickly amassed a cult following thanks both to the quality of her work and her own quirky and genuine nature.

What started as an experiment — Rojas began working with ceramics during her freshman year of college at the Pratt Institute in New York — has blossomed into a full-blown hustle, with brands such as adidas and Ganni tapping Rojas to recreate their shoes, either via ceramics or painting, her other creative outlet.

Rojas has been working with ceramics for several years now, but the idea to make ceramic sneakers wasn’t immediate. “I would always wear my Air Force Ones to the studio, where I worked during college,” Rojas shares. “I noticed that my shoes were looking more and more like they were made out of the material because they just got so dirty. So that’s when the first idea came where I was like, ‘Oh, I want to maybe try and recreate these in the material or the medium.’”

As for how exactly she chooses which shoes to make, well, it started with her own Nike Air Force 1s and transitioned to other classics Rojas noticed people wearing around New York City. “I noticed a lot of Chuck Taylors and Stan Smiths at the time. I just kept seeing those everywhere, so those were the shoes that I started with,” she explains.

Nowadays, her inspiration is just as impulsive, but it’s not limited to what she sees on the NYC subway. “The other day I was watching The Last Dance and I saw the Air Jordan 1s and I was like, ‘I haven’t made these yet.’ So this week, that’s what I made at my studio,” she smiles. “The inspiration comes from which one sparks my interest, whether I’m scrolling through Instagram or looking online.”

After making her first few sneakers out of ceramic, Rojas saw it as a challenge. “I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I feel like I can try making any kind of shoe.’ I kept on going on designer sites and seeing what sneakers were popular at the time. I was almost pretending to have this object that I couldn’t afford,” Rojas says, tapping into a feeling most sneakerheads will have felt before.

Highsnobiety / Evan Browning

When faced with the question of whether she — an artist who predominantly paints and makes shoes out of ceramics — is a sneakerhead, Rojas is unsure. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t be able to tell you a lot about that topic, but I do love shoes in general,” she reveals. “I just appreciate the product and design itself. What the shapes look like is something that I’ve begun to appreciate a lot through the process of sculpting them.”

That unadulterated appreciation and passion for the design of sneakers are reflected in Rojas’ work. Her ceramic sculptures are, in her words, art. They’re not meant to be worn; Rojas did not intend for them to be used for anything other than art. Parallels can be drawn to sneaker collecting, where some people buy shoes for displaying or reselling purposes only. Many of you probably have shoes you’ve never actually worn, making Rojas’ ceramic sneakers not all that different to the ones we keep on shelves or shoeboxes at home.

“I like to play with the idea of an object, whose function is known to the people who buy it. And then it becomes much more than that,” Rojas muses. “That’s also something that I love about ceramics itself, the fact that it can be functional but it also doesn’t need to be.”

Though Rojas sees her sculptures as art, first and foremost, she recognizes the beauty of intended function being in the eye of the beholder. Many of her works are sold via a gallery or shows, some are created for clients. “If you buy one of my pieces and you want to use it as a vase or a planter, that’s chill,” says Rojas, epitomizing her spontaneous and pure approach to her craft.

Didi Rojas is making ceramic sneakers because she likes to. We’re just lucky that she’s decided to share her art with us.

The Athletics One.2 can be purchased on Highsnobiety Shop starting January 28.

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We Went Shopping for Vintage Nike ACG & Found These Gems

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 15:00:52 GMT

Founded in 1989, Nike’s ACG arm began life as a way for Nike to innovate in the performance, sports, and outdoor arenas. In its 30 years of life, Nike All Conditions Gear has grown to become an integral part of the Nike global brand, its releases often overshadowing flagship Nike drops and storming the resale market. As such, delving way back into the archive and shopping fire vintage Nike ACG pieces is almost as enjoyable as actually wearing them.

We hit up the internet’s most fruitful vintage gold mines in search of the best vintage Nike ACG and we were not disappointed. From accessories to outerwear and footwear, you won’t be hard pushed to style vintage Nike ACG from head to toe. Whether it’s ’90s grail jackets or what ACG does best (boots), check out the vintage Nike ACG gems we found below.

Dating back to the ‘90s, this shell jacket shows how ahead of its time Nike ACG was and continues to be. While many jackets only now are reaching these levels of outdoor style and functionality, Nike ACG has been doing it for decades. Still completely relevant.

This long coat from Nike ACG comes in two parts, each of which works as a standalone layer, but together they reach new heights. A down-fill base layer provides warmth while the polyurethane shell drapes over the top with futuristic charm for a waterproof finish.

One of Nike ACG’s biggest pulls is its willingness to experiment not only with innovative material but also shape and form. This GORE-TEX poncho perfectly exemplifies the prioritization of function alongside a desire to explore off the beaten track.

A triangular Nike ACG logo embroidered to the left sleeve tells you all you need to know about this hoodie. Heavyweight technical jersey forms the basis of the zip-through jumper while jacket details like press studs to the patch pockets and adjustable togas to the hood elevate the piece.

An unmissable vintage Nike ACG graphic characterizes this tee. The ACG logo is surrounded by water, molten lava, icebergs, and the painted walls of a cave, celebrating the diverse conditions that nature presents and ACG deals in.

Nike’s famous Tech Pack took a detour via Nike ACG towards the end of last year and the outcome is a beauty. This pair of lightweight pants feature technical details aplenty which are what we sign up for every time we sport the ACG triangle.

Details details details. From the hem ties to detachable legs, large cargo pockets, and reinforced saddle, this pair of vintage Nike ACG pants is brimming with functional embellishment.

Hardwearing brown suede forms the upper of this sneaker-boot hybrid dating back to 2009. This mint-condition pair of Nike ACG Air Magma is an ultra-rare find.

A rugged outsole meets a technical upper for this pair of sneakers that will see you through all conditions… A crisscrossed technical tape details the uppers and anchors the lacing system for strong foot support.

As hiking sneakers edge their way further and further into the spotlight, now’s a great time to cop a pair of vintage Nike ACG track sneakers. A muted colorway is typified by hits of cobalt blue to the Swoosh, laces, and outsole.

Nike boots can be divisive, but the Nike ACG Goadome ranks with the best. Recently announced as the canvas to a forthcoming Supreme collaboration, you’d do well to get your hands on a vintage pair now.

Our designated Selects section features products that we love and want to share with you. Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase.

Step Into Cold Laundry’s Carefree Playground

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 15:00:31 GMT

Two years ago, Cold Laundry was just a passion project between Ola Alabi and his wife Cerise. “We didn’t go to fashion school or intern at Dior or anything, but we were super into fashion. We worked in retail,” Alabi tells Highsnobiety. “We wanted to bring something to the market that we couldn’t really see.”

For “Not In Paris,” Cold Laundry presents “Still Escaping,” a depiction of a day at the beach, and a 12-person swing-set to crystallize the brand’s ethos of cultivating a peaceful mental state.

“I remember as a child, you had no affairs, you had no worries” Alabi explains. “It was just all about playing and having fun. We wanted to match that by creating a Cold Laundry playground where people were swinging and having fun and living life, almost carefree.” The film also speaks to his personal values: “Representation is at the core of what we do and that’s evident with our visuals and how we put people of color at the forefront.”

The vision saw Cold Laundry take over one million in sales in its first proper year of trading — not bad at all for a passion project. Cold Laundry was stationed in BOXPARK in Shoreditch and is now homed in its flagship store on Redchurch Street. It’s a cyclical destination for Alabi, who developed an aesthetic vantage point for his embryonic label in the same neighborhood when he was younger.

“I used to be out at Brick Lane early Saturday and Sunday morning, queuing up, waiting to get my pieces,” recalls Alabi. “I was a more hype sort of guy, but as I started to develop my focus and mind a bit more, I started to want to dress more grown, and that’s where my love for contemporary Korean-style streetwear came from.”

The couple spent six months in South Korea researching the brand, finding suppliers and factories, which the brand still uses, in addition to factories in Portugal. “We intertwined with the culture and the fashion there” says Alabi. “Our pieces are heavily inspired by Korean fashion; clean, minimal looks with our twist on colors and cuts and shapes as well, so it derives from that sort of drop shoulder, oversized, boxy fit.”

Cold Laundry

Cold Laundry’s offering of clean pieces cut through the noise of contemporary fashion, distinguishing itself with the details; the bifurcated zipped seams, matte fabrics, pleats, pastel colorways, and absent logos. The overall aesthetic is contagious — we’ve profiled enough Korean street style to know — but accessible. Anyone looking to get on the tracksuit to double-breasted suit pipeline need only try on the loose and oversized pistachio pants and blazers. As a modern brand that’s come up in the age of Instagram, there’s a photogenic quality to the garments, too, matched by the brand’s glowing visuals, which deliver a bit of mental respite in trying times.

Cold Laundry

While Cold Laundry seeks out a restful state of mind for both itself and its customers, starting a brand from scratch is not without some setbacks, as Alabi discovered. Expansion and rapid growth can be a double-edged sword: “We weren’t ready for that sort of growth, the customer service was absolutely horrendous at times,” he notes.

“We did see a dip last year because of that,” he continues. “People didn’t really understand that we were so new. Sometimes they don’t know that they’re buying from a brand that’s only got three people working and we have an influx of orders so we can’t handle it. They think we’re just taking the piss,” says Alabi, “We’ve got an army of customer service reps now though.”

Cold Laundry

Now that Cold Laundry has weathered the growing pains of a brand that hit the ground running, it’s well positioned to become the next IYKYK brand in London. “I always knew my calling was to do this. I had a clear vision. I’m living out what I’ve always wanted to do as a kid. I don’t know if I’d been manifesting it as a kid or if I just got lucky, but this is what I’ve always wanted to do, so I feel massive fulfillment.”

Cold Laundry is available on their webstore.

Is Supreme Going to the Olympics?

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 14:34:20 GMT

You’ve seen a bogo brick, a motorbike, and a pinball machine, but did you ever think you’d see a Supreme bobsled? When it comes to accessories, the New York brand consistently surprises, and we doubt anyone saw this Cool Runnings’ pivot coming.

Though it might be their wildest accessory to date, this isn’t the first time Supreme has dipped its toe into the winter sports arena. Last October, Supreme dropped a long sleeve in its collection with an image of the sled on it. And of course, there was the more lo-fi sled from FW17.

Way back in 2007, after the success of the first Supreme x Oakley Frogskin sunglasses, the NY crew mocked up a Supreme ski goggles Oakley had produced, with the Box Logo branded on the strap. Seven years later, the Supreme x Smith goggle made it into the FW15 collection.

Supreme’s accessories often feel random to the point of trolling at first but each one does have a genuine reason behind it, and a legitimate connection to the brand and its personnel. Time will tell what inspired this addition, or whether we’ll see a Supreme bobsled hurtling down mountains any time soon or whether this is a one-off — which it might be, considering an Olympic bobsled can cost around $50,000. But while we wait for that info, Highsnobiety’s resident winter sports-enthusiast, Fabian Gorsler (who may or may not have too much time on his hands) did some quick math and discovered that, if Supreme’s bobsled does cost Olympic levels, you only need 150 of your closet pals and/or colleagues to chip in $335 each. You in?

Check out the high-octane announcement below which shows the USA Bobsled & Skeleton Team competing on a Supreme branded sled. Check out the 50 greatest Supreme accessories of all time and the stories behind them.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKeOIptHi4A/

Dior Brings Paris to Its Favorite Creatives With a Painterly Collection

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:00:09 GMT

In a normal year, Paris would be awash with fashion photographers and models, and content creators would be rubbing shoulders at the Dior Menswear show. But this isn’t a normal year — and with the city in its current state of lockdown and fashion week going mostly digital, Paris has become more abstracted than ever.

Of course, the fashion capital has always had a mythic allure that carried farther than its arrondissements. Even as an idea, the city continues to seduce creators from around the world. So while it might not be possible to physically travel to Paris this fashion week, Highsnobiety aimed to harness some of the magic by putting Dior’s Summer 2021 collection into the hands of the creatives that love it the most — like Deon Hinton, Alex Gowon, Alex Roth, Eric Jess, and Tanner Reese.

If any collection celebrated the power of creativity and art’s capacity to transport, it’s Kim Jones’ collaborative collection with Ghanaian-born, Vienna-trained artist Amoako Boafo. For Jones and Boafo, and Paris itself, the African continent has provided an infinite source of inspiration. Each piece is a dialogue, drawing from the graphic patterns that characterize Boafo’s work and Jones’ childhood spent in Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana.

To truly appreciate the painterly quality of the collection — the intricately realized surfaced, printed, and layered ribbed knits, incorporating jacquard patterns — it needs to be worn. So we asked Hinton, Gowon, Roth, Jess, and Reese to model their favorite pieces from the comfort of their respective homes, and wax lyrical about Paris, Dior, and creativity in lockdown.

I’d be running around, capturing moments that I’ll always remember. Maybe even indulging in a croissant or five.

My go-to fit for a special occasion are neutrals. Any muted palette with a pop of an accessory is where you will often find me.

Take breaks from social media when needed. Although the tool can be very helpful creatively, it can also be a place that harbors lots of comparisons. Take breaks as needed and pay close attention to the work you ingest.

Oooh, perhaps one of the hardest questions I’ve ever been asked?! I honestly think any saddle/tote. The bags are essential yet classics, and can elevate and draw in any look. Definitely the most versatile accessory I have.

The ’80s. The sense of vast cultures within this time has really grasped me. From fashion to photography to civil rights. There’s so much I’d just love to sit and experience.

I would probably be dancing in the streets, listening to a curated French playlist. I have never been, but I have dreams about it all of the time.

I feel like I don’t necessarily have a go-to outfit for anything. I love dressing in the colors I feel like that day, but a simple black-on-black look is never a bad idea.

Continue to create, even when you don’t feel like it!

The Dior saddle bag, because I already wear it everyday!

If I was invisible for a day I would be a fly on a wall in the White House. I’m just so curious to know what actually goes down in there.

If I was in Paris right now, granted Covid was not present, I’d be somewhere lost in Le Marais in a crowded restaurant, eating, drinking, and surrounded by people I love and only see twice a year. Discussion topic: anything and everything.

Something to express my personal style on top — probably a statement jacket or top with colorful jewelry. Most likely on the bottom I’m wearing just underwear.

Research, learn, and study your interests and their pasts. Understanding where something came from can help you grasp creativity for the present and future. Also, explore adjacent or related interests to your hobby, you’d be surprised how interconnected different art forms are.

Either Dior Men Fall16 look 20 (full look) or the gloves and accessories from Fall 20.

I try and find the artists and people I look up to and just observe. You learn the most about someone when no one is around.

If I wasn’t bouncing around the shows I’d probably be sitting at Le Perle having a glass of wine with friends and people-watching, cause yeah, Paris.

If I’m not getting a little more dressed up for a virtual show or shoot I’ll probably just have a leather jacket and vintage tee on.

I feel like within this lockdown period I felt either completely inspired because we have so much time to concept, think of new ideas, and aren’t traveling and running ourselves down — or, I felt totally confined. I’d say my biggest tip is just to not put too much pressure on yourself and immerse yourself with great films and books.

The iconic Dior saddle for sure, it’s the perfect bag to throw your necessities in and always elevates a fit.

The vaults of the Louvre, for sure.

I would be going to shows non-stop and eating croissants every chance I get and roaming the city with the boys.

Definitely a tank top with a leather blazer on top, the perfect mix of edge and class.

Staying creative is crucial for an artist; it’s also easy to lose this flow in lockdown. For me, I have to have a clean and inspiring space for clarity and then I can focus solely on whatever it is I’m creating.

EASY. The Dior Jordan 1s, I would never take them off!

I would definitely go some place I’m not supposed to be, like Area 51, or I would just hop on a plane and go on the most extravagant vacation ever.

Shop Dior’s new collection here.

777 Presents the Top 10 Luxury Watches of 2020

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 11:12:02 GMT

London-based jewelers 777 strive for perfection, which, in such a saturated niche market, is almost the minimum requirement. This proves especially true when you dive into the world of customization — specifically luxury, high-end watch customization.

The brand, founded by Reiss Dixon and Amir Kailany serves an ultra-rich clientele that wants people to know how heavy their wallets are. For “Not In Paris 2,” 777 presents the 10 most popular high-end watches from 2020, three of which have been customized in collaboration with Browns Fashion to celebrate the luxury retailer’s 50th anniversary.

To differentiate themselves from their competitors, where customers usually drop off an item and pick it up after it’s been customized, 777 offers the process as an experience. “We make the process feel like a collaboration between the customer and ourselves,” explains Kailany. “We take them through the whole process; from the sketch design to the 3D design and until it’s made.”

For the three watches created in partnership with Browns, Kailany and his team wanted to do something special and rare. “On other luxury or customized watches, brands use gemstones: emeralds, sapphires, or rubies,” explains Kailany. “I wanted to create a full diamond set watch. Because with gemstones you don’t get the sparkle or the life that’s in the stone that you get with a diamond.”

Scroll through below for a roundup of 777’s 10 watches of 2020.

All three 777-customized watches are treated with what the brand calls the “777 Max Setting,” which is how close the stones are set next to each other, to ensure that no metal is seen through the gaps. As the name suggests, the “Hulk” edition of the Rolex Submariner is covered in green diamonds. Baguette diamonds are featured on top, while round stones are on the case and dial.

The 777 x Browns Rolex GMT Master 2 “Batman” features blue and black diamonds, alongside a mix of baguette and round stones. The blue and black color scheme gives the unmistakable superhero new life as a luxury watch.

Batman’s sidekick Robin is also given his own watch as part of 777 and Browns’ partnership. As the superhero’s costume would suggest, both brands have dressed this Rolex GMT Master 2 in red and white diamonds. Again, baguettes and round stones are carefully placed on the watch in 777’s signature max setting.

The Rolex Daytona with a ceramic platinum bezel and diamond baguette dial is the rarest Rolex model available on the market at the moment. The timepiece is made from platinum, which is notable for its striking silvery whiteness.

This rose gold DayDate combines an olive green dial with rose gold roman numerals. It was made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of what many consider to be Rolex’s most prestigious model. The DayDate is worn by many of the world’s political figures. It features what is called the President Bracelet, a nod to the eminent figures that have worn it. Another nickname for the timepiece is the “president’s watch.”

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is an eye-catching watch, thanks to its octagon-shaped bezel. The Royal Oak is often worn by celebrities, such as Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, Will Smith, and John Mayer. The Skeleton version was at the height of its popularity in 2020 because of its “open work” movement, which offers a look into the heart of the movement.

This self-winding Royal Oak 41mm Audemars Piguet is made out of rose gold, which is combined with the blue-colored “Grande Tapisserie” pattern dial. Because of its exclusivity and the craftsmanship that goes into making such a watch, many watch fans believe this timepiece to be in a class of its own.

The Royal Oak Jumbo features a distinctive octagonal screwed bezel, inspired by a ship’s porthole. When it was first designed, its shape was considered unusual. The case, at 39mm, was also considered large when it launched — hence the “Jumbo” in its name. Nowadays, it’s one of the most iconic watches on the market and its price keeps rising because of its limited quantity.

Over the years, Richard Mille has released several limited edition watches named after one of its most famous ambassadors, Bubba Watson. Watson is one of the rare left-handed players on the golfing circuit who also wears a timepiece on his wrist when playing. This RM055 ended up being one of the most popular watches of 2020, according to 777.

Richard Mille’s RM 011 has been around for 10 years and existed in two different variations. In 2020, the RM011-03 was released. The model is Richard Mille’s most recognizable and the third iteration the model’s biggest to date. Some of its features include a flyback chronograph and an annual calendar. The diamond version, seen above, features the precious stone encrusted on the entire case of the watch, making it a hit with people who want to make a statement.

adidas Gives the ZX 8000 a Zesty Update

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 11:09:30 GMT

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Brand: adidas Originals

Model: ZX 8000

Key Features: The ZX 8000 is updated with a zesty yellow and green upper inspired by a glass of frozen lemonade. Details pointing to the beverage of inspiration come through on the tongue label and lace jewels, and a recipe for frozen lemonade is printed on the footbed.

Release Date: January 29

Price: €119

Buy: adidas.com, OVERKILL, BSTN, 43einhalb, Asphaltgold, and Solebox

Editor’s Notes: Summer may still a few months off, but the optimists at adidas are giving us a sweet reminder of the good things to come once the temperatures climb with the ZX 8000 “Frozen Lemonade”.

The latest drop in adidas’ A-ZX series, this summery take on the retro runner is an ode to the refreshing beverage as well as to the popular ZX colorway, “Citrus”, which has been revisited a number of times since it first appeared in the late 80s.

The citrusy colorway features a mixed-material upper boasting various shades of yellow complemented by mint green and white accents. When it comes to beverage-inspired details, adidas has gone all out. There are translucent, ice-like rubber lace jewels, ice-cube printed sock-liners, and custom “Frozen Lemonade” tongue tabs where the zeros of ZX 8000 have switched out for lemons.

Finally, to tie it all together, a frozen lemonade recipe is printed on the footbed because, after all, what’s the point in wearing lemonade-inspired kicks if you can’t be sipping on an ice-cool glass of it too?

This release is part of adidas’ A-ZX program, a series of 26 ZX sneakers dropping throughout 2020-21. To see what’s dropped so far and what’s coming next, head here.

We Need to Stop Making Memes Into Merch

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 19:45:43 GMT

Last Wednesday, a picture of Bernie Sanders sitting at the inauguration went viral. It was a sweet image, an old man in his sensible coat and mittens looking extremely uninterested. Almost immediately, memes of him sitting in various situations flooded everyone’s timeline. Not missing a beat, his team quickly turned the picture into merch — a tee and a sweatshirt, which promptly sold out.

Over the last few years, merch has enjoyed an outsized role in popular fashion. Music merch is constantly being released; new drops from artists like Travis Scott or The Weeknd arrive so fast they’re hard to keep up with. But recently, political merch is has been taking things up a notch. Joe Biden’s team seized on viral moments so quickly that you could buy a “Will You Shut Up Man” T-shirt while the Presidential debate was still happening. Similarly, less than two hours after a fly landed on Mike Pence’s head during the Vice Presidential debate, you could buy a “Truth Over Flies” Biden fly swatter.

It’s not just official merch either, in the last few months alone both Etsy and Shopify were flooded with merch referencing niche political moments, like Pence and the fly, Trump’s Four Seasons Total Landscaping venue, and Kamala Harris saying “I’m Speaking.” If something even vaguely funny happens in politics, you can get a T-shirt referencing it.

Political memes are not the problem, if anything they’re an extremely welcome relief from doomscrolling. But why do they need to be made into merch?

The fashion industry is finally owning up to the huge amount of waste it causes, and so are consumers. Phrases like “conscious consumerism” have entered our lexicon and people are attempting to step away from fast fashion and “buy less but buy better.” Yet somehow that all gets forgotten about if there’s a joke involved.

It’s understanding that politicians find it hard to resist releasing these pieces. Candidates need to grasp on to any publicity they can get, they need to look relatable, and they need to constantly raise funds. So why not board the meme merch train, especially if bootleg versions will be circulating anyway?

However, it’s slightly more egregious when the item is coming from a climate-progressive politician. 100 percent of the proceeds of Bernie’s merch went to Vermont Meals on Wheels, a vital organization that’s even more needed now, but just because something is giving to a charity doesn’t cancel out its climate impact.

The real question we should be asking ourselves is: Why are we buying this in the first place? Meme culture is designed to be ephemeral, why are we trying to make memes stick around? Or more to the point, why are we insisting on turning memes into fast fashion?

Back in 2018, Jason Wong, founder of e-commerce site Dank Tank that sold meme merch told The Atlantic that the meme cycle was moving too fast for merch to be profitable. “People today are consuming more memes than ever. The expiration date for them has shortened more since even last year. Memes used to last for two to three weeks, but recently we’ve noticed they die after just a few days.” Now sometimes they last mere hours.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEKYjfHgwFL/

What makes it worse is that most of these products are pre-orders. The “Chairman Sanders” sweatshirt, for instance, won’t arrive for another 4-8 weeks, in which time the joke will already be extremely played out. No one is going to be sharing the Sanders meme in two months, so why do we think we’ll want to wear it?

Campaign merch is slightly different. While it is memorializing a certain moment in time, that moment lasted more than a meme cycle so it has more meaning in our collective memory. Those Bernie “Rage Against The Machine” tee or the Joe Biden thirst trap tank not only look better, but they’re something you could wear in a few years as a throwback. Or like a ‘90s band T-shirt, even something you could pass on to your kids (or sell for hundreds of dollars on Etsy) in 20 years. It’s just a hunch but it’s hard to imagine meme merch having the same longevity factor.

Let people enjoy things, you cry. Why are we begrudging people who get a modicum of happiness from a novelty T-shirt? We get it, find joy where you can, but do we really need to buy the T-shirt to be happy? Is the image of Sanders, in his little hand-made mittens not enough? Do we need to make it into a capitalist enterprise? Are memes alone not enough anymore? Come back in 4-8 weeks and let us know.

Paperboy Paris Carries the NB992’s Delicious Dominance Into 2021

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:53:15 GMT

Brand: Paperboy Paris x New Balance

Model: 992

Release Date: January 30

Price: TBC

Buy: In-store at Paperboy (137 Rue Amelot, 75011 Paris, France)

Editor’s Notes: Parisian restaurant Paperboy has been tapped by New Balance to reimagine the 992. The silhouette had a stellar 2020 thanks to enticing general release colorways and high-profile collaborations alike. This latest collaboration suggests that New Balance hopes to capitalize on the momentum in 2021.

Paperboy has only shared a mockup (below) and the above teaser of the co-branded 992, neither of which give us a full look at the shoe. From what we can see, though, we can tell that the sneaker features a white, cream, and beige colorway with yellow accents. The inspiration is clearly one of the restaurant’s poultry dishes. The shoe is branded with Paperboy’s logo on the heels and New Balance’s signature “N” logo on the side.

This chicken-themed 992 isn’t Paperboy’s first collaboration with New Balance. Early last year Paperboy released an 801 inspired by its signature Tuna Tataki Sandwich.

Stay tuned for a closer look at the Paperboy Paris x New Balance 992 as we near the January 30 release date. The sneaker will launch exclusively in-store at Paperboy, although a wider release is rumored to follow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKd5xYfhAtv/

To stay updated on everything happening in the sneaker world, follow @Highsnobietysneakers on Instagram, check our sneaker release date calendar, and subscribe to our sneaker chatbot on Facebook to receive lightning quick updates to your inbox.

Wild Pants Top This Month’s Best in Luxury Fashion

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:29:16 GMT

2021 was always going to be a time to look forward, simply due to how unfortunate 2020 was. The quality of the first month of the post-2020 era is up for debate, granted, but if there’s one thing that signals a promising beginning, it’s this month’s happenings in fashion. January has been a surprisingly strong month for all sides of the sartorial landscape, from rescued fashion weeks to internet-breaking shows, and the number of standout goods to hit the figurative shelves of online stores suggests that we aren’t the only ones optimistic about the near future.

Alongside the aforementioned trousers and footwear, January saw the first few signs of a thing called summer. Down-filled padding has taken a step back to make way for lightweight pastel shirting from Celine and transitional outerwear from Burberry.

As we’re all finding our 2021 feet, we know it’s been even harder to keep up to date with all the goings-on in the world of luxury fashion this month. That why Highsnobiety’s Rhianna Matthews has set aside some time to round up some of our top picks from the past month. So, without further ado, let’s give 2021 the stylish start that it deserves.

Heliot Emil is the label quietly working 10 years ahead of everyone else and it’s just proven so with this not-so-quiet pair of liquid metal trousers. Cut from a proprietary material that reflects light and flows hypnotically, this is a surefire way to turn heads and blow minds.

Bode pieces always bring a flash of color and pattern to a dark winter day, and this pair of Vina Pinwheel-quilted Trousers is nothing if not aspirational; this pair speaks of brighter days to come.

From the profile, Maison Margiela’s Tabi Ankle Boots are just a classic, heeled pair of leather boots for men — sharp and structured. From above, everything changes. The split-toe Tabi construction never ceases to subvert and amaze.

As if Raf hadn’t made enough headlines with his and Miuccia Prada’s recent presentation, he drops his Archive Redux collection that revisits some of his favorite archive pieces. This bold fisherman’s jumper dates back to FW14 which saw Simons collaborate with his long-term friend and artist Sterling Ruby.

The transitional jacket done oh so right. Elasticated hems and cuffs feature classic varsity stripes while the actual body of Burberry’s Epping Jacket feels more akin to workwear. Burberry’s location signature is embroidered to the chest as a finishing touch.

It’s always a pleasure to see Our Legacy’s Mono Runner return, so our January was made slightly more promising by the sight of an all-white Mono Runner with an unchanged design. A Vibram sole unit offers bold visuals as well as unrivaled comfort and durability while luxury suede and leather join mesh to form the uppers.

Silver-tone lettering takes center stage on Jacquemus’ Le Bob Gadjo Bucket Hat thanks to a supremely minimal backdrop. The classic bucket hat boasts a string tie above the brim for a customizable fit and an understated embellishment.

The versatility afforded by high-quality black leather should never be underestimated. This Acne Studios cardholder stands as a convincing argument as to why. Silver-foil lettering details the pouch finished with a neckstrap for portable ease.

Bottega Veneta’s signature Intrecciato weave is, as usual, the protagonist of this classic leather bag. The woven leather provides an eye-catching yet subtle texture to the small bag to tell anyone with a keen eye who made it.

Dark times call for bright clothes, so we’re going right ahead and copping our highlight summer jawns in January. Thanks, Celine.

Welcome to Bond Hardware’s Industrial Wonderland

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:00:28 GMT

Sometimes, the clue is in the name. Not in the case of sustainable jewelry and accessories label Bond Hardware, however, which keeps things deliberately ambiguous to reflect their MO of free-thinking creation. “Bond can be very suggestive and people will define it however they feel connected to it,” co-founder Dana Hurwitz explains. “We’re a hardware company first and that gives us the opportunity to make so many different things,” adds her foil, Mariah Pershadsingh.

It was back in the early noughties when Hurwitz and Pershadsingh would source local scrap metal and found industrial objects to adorn their pals in the New York club scene. Shortly after, Bond was born. The “Berghain” adjective used to describe anything that can be considered even moderately fetishistic has become something of a cliché in fashion writing, but fuck me, it’s impossible not to think of the techno mecca when you see the leather chokers and nail hairpins. This is big boy jewelry for those who like their BDSM themes full on — the kind of gnarly metalwork Tetsuo: Iron Man has wet dreams about at night.

According to Hurwitz, many jewelry labels take the easy way out when it comes to materials. Sustainability is at the core of Bond’s mission, which means sourcing stainless steel and silver that’s purer than the sterling variety (recycled diamonds are also regularly used). That can be challenging, both in terms of cost and malleability when creating. Yet, putting environmental concerns to the side, when you think of it, it’s ludicrous that some people would cut corners when it comes to essentially wounding their body. You wouldn’t eat foods laced with chemicals, so why stab yourself with cheap metals full of nickel?

“I felt the shift with gluten-free,” says Hurwitz. “People started paying more attention to the ingredients in what they’re buying, what they’re eating, what they’re putting into their bodies. When you wear cheap jewelry and it turns your skin green, that’s metal oxidation, and it gets absorbed through your skin — that’s going directly into your bloodstream. It’s not something that is commonly talked about.”

Bond Hardware

When you think of a bookcase at home and the rings on your fingers, the two things perhaps don’t share much of an aesthetic thread. Bond’s work doesn’t discriminate. If you fancy that new buzzsaw hoop earring, then consider scaling up, because it’s also available as a table. There are also cinder block adornments and hitch ottomans, both as far removed from the stuff found in your local HAY as possible.

“Not being able to make bigger things felt like a limitation for so long,” says Hurwitz. “It almost felt like, ‘Fuck this jewelry thing, how big can we actually make something?’ There are a lot of ultimate goals, but one of the main ones would be public outdoor art, which would be really, really big.” When they’re finished, perhaps the sculpture could live on in the already burgeoning archive filled with random finds that have been given a Bond-style makeover. See the kinkiest Ozweegos on earth.

Bond Hardware

Last year, Bond had the opportunity to expand into Europe after scooping the top prize in the CFDA’s third Elaine Gold Launch Pad. Covid put that on the back burner, but the downtime afforded Hurwitz and Pershadsingh the opportunity to refine minor details, such as packaging. Although their gear would immediately kill among club kids in Berlin, they understand it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and won’t sacrifice their ethos or quality for the sake of expansion. I bring up WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN, the Bavarian workshop that has become a cult institution, and Hurwitz gives her seal of approval. “They’re niche, but they’re known. And they’ve been around, but I feel they do a really good job of maintaining a balance.”

When speaking to the ladies, it’s impossible not to be taken in by the passion and ambition they have for the project. Bearing that in mind, if money and resources were no object, what would be their dream gig? “I have a few crazy ideas and sometimes I would love the opportunity just to do a building from top to bottom and then what’s inside of it,” says Hurwitz. It’s an answer which strikes at the heart of their practice: immersive construction from the ground-up that spins our expectations entirely; a new way of creating diamonds altogether.

The Saucony Jazz 81 Is a Tuned-Up Classic for a New Age

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:59:24 GMT

Saucony celebrates the 40th anniversary of its classic Jazz silhouette with a new and improved version designed to give new ‘heads an icon to call their own.

Arguably the most iconic shoe in Saucony’s 123-year history, it’s reborn as the Jazz 81 — a sleek reinterpretation that stays true to the original overall design and tweaked with modern style considerations. The Jazz 81 is essentially a premium version of its predecessor, ditching basic suede and nylon for buttery smooth Wolverine suede and durable nylon mesh for a subtle upgrade that’ll pay dividends for years to come.

Another detail that might go unnoticed (but eagle-eyed sneakerheads might) is the omission of the S-stitch accent on the Saucony logo for a more polished look. Coming in three neutral yet stylish colorways that work with just about any fit — Black/Silver, Grey/Silver, and our favorite, Navy/Silver — the Jazz 81 is a solid choice to replace those everyday kicks in your rotation with one that’s destined to be your next go-to sneaker.

To get a better sense of its versatility, we tapped a diverse crew of creatives — from musicians Brandon Woody and Matthew Jamal, dancer Jess Hu, photographer Tyrell Hampton, model Melissa Ramirez, and DJ Stretch Armstrong himself — to show us what jazz means to them while each demonstrates their unique style sensibilities. We spoke to them to learn more about their background and relationship with music, the power of jazz as a creative outlet, and more.

Shop the Saucony Jazz 81: Saucony US, Saucony IT, Saucony UK, Saucony FR

Jess Hu wears the new Saucony Jazz 81.

Highsnobiety

My love for art started with the piano. I played for seven years and entered various showcases and competitions. During my active years, I became fascinated by the clarinet and saxophone and played in my school jazz band. I soon discovered dance and it became the defining form of expression I wanted to pursue. I’ve been dancing for over 14 years. Music and dance is the root of my inspiration and has evolved into how I create in various avenues of art, whether it’s fashion, modeling, visual direction, and how I collaborate with others.

I’m directing my first short film, refining a platform to represent and scout/cast dancers on a broader spectrum than just conventional “dance” projects, curating virtual exhibition spaces, and releasing music.

Music has been an integral part of my life. My introduction to freestyle was through jazz. Jazz taught me the freedom of expression at a young age and the beauty of collaboration. I spent hours practicing my first jazz solo on my saxophone. Jazz taught me that as long as you have the foundation you can turn it into your own form of expression, and I’ve carried that lesson into my dance career.

It’s adaptive to the nature of the environment. It’s comfortable and its sleek style gives it versatility. I can wear them out around the city to run errands and straight into dance rehearsal.

Brandon Woody wears the new Saucony Jazz 81.

I’m a bandleader, film scorer, model, and mentor. In the last few years, I’ve toured with artists like Solange, taught at a public school in Baltimore, toured with my own band, and modeled a bunch. I’ve been getting into film scoring for shows and movies recently. I hope to continue traveling the world and bringing people together with my music as well as bringing fashion and music together in the most respectful way.

I’m working on a few people’s albums that I’m playing horns on, but also working on my own project. My band UPENDO is releasing our album in March.

Since I was a little kid I listened to all types of Black music with my parents, so I think music just seeped into my soul at a very young age. The first program I went to was the eubie Blake center for the arts and that was where I first learned about jazz. I was so curious and astounded, and I just kept getting more curious as the years went by. Music is the easiest way to tell my story, and to express myself.

I actually bought an older pair of Jazz sneakers in black and grey two years ago from a store in Baltimore — I thought they were so unique because they had jazz on the front of them. It’s a coincidence that years later I’m modeling and making music for the shoe that I used to wear. The Jazz is definitely gonna hold a special place for me.

DJ Stretch Armstrong wears the new Saucony Jazz 81.

I’ve been DJing professionally since 1989. I’m most known for the radio show I co-presented from 1990-1998 with Bobbito Garcia, where we shaped the rapidly-evolving hip-hop scene and gave a platform to unsigned future superstars like Nas, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, and countless others. In addition to playing in clubs all over the world and broadcasting in NYC, I’ve been actively archiving cultural artifacts, in particular, New York radio mix shows and night club flyers — the latter being the topic of the book I published, NO SLEEP: NYC Nightlife Flyers 1989-1999.

I have a mix show on Apple Music Hits called Stretch and Bobbito Radio. I’m also working on a slew of music releases that will feature remixed recordings from our ‘90s radio show. Earlier this year, via our 89Tec9 imprint, we released remixes of the first time the Notorious B.I.G. graced the airwaves, as well as the truly legendary time that Big L and Jay-Z traded bars in 1995.

Music is as important to me as air. I listen to it every day, think about it every day, and am constantly in awe of its magic. I’m intrigued by how my taste in music changes over time. Music I couldn’t appreciate when I was in my twenties all of a sudden makes complete sense to me. As we get older and our internal lives become more complex, so does our appetite for deeper forms of music that elicit new and more subtle ways of feeling and thinking.

I really appreciate the simplicity of the Jazz sneaker. It compliments my understated attitude and style. It’s a really comfortable shoe that feels like it’s a part of me when I wear them.

Melissa Ramirez wears the new Saucony Jazz 81.

I was introduced to modeling and talent opportunities in 2018 then officially started modeling in 2019 when I signed with an agency. My first corporate job was supporting a brand activation and experiential retail agency. Now, I’m working at Marc Jacobs on the Raw Materials team where I source leather, fabric, and hardware for handbags, but began my journey as an intern in the Production Management and Product Development department.

Personal projects like volunteering, continuing to learn on my own, writing and reading more, discovering how available I can make myself to painting and dance. And overall, responsibly taking care of myself physically and mentally in order to bring me closer to the woman I desire to be.

Music has always been important because it’s an avenue of expression for me. it provides me with latitude and freedom for exploration. It connects me to my family, lovers, and friends, to storytelling, to larger communities of adults (pre covid). Jazz, in particular, I reserve for moments where I want to give up feeling distracted and make myself fully available to the sounds, rhythms, sensations, pleasure, and pain that it brings.

My connection to the Jazz sneaker is simple — you choose what makes you feel good every day.

Matthew Jamal wears the new Saucony Jazz 81.

My music career started with playing double bass in orchestras. I toured with Soulful Symphony for a bit and played a couple of studio orchestra jobs, but I branched off into other genres like jazz, R&B, folk, and rock. Eventually, I left orchestral playing to continue exploring new sounds and started studying jazz more. I started playing with groups like Upendo (founded by Brandon Woody) and had opportunities to play with my mentors like Damien Sneed, a multi-genre pianist and composer.

I have two personal projects I’m working on. I’m writing and directing a short film to be released with a seven-minute composition of mine titled “Organic Sounds of the Black Mind.” A few months ago I also started writing a piece for orchestra that I hope to premiere this year.

Music has always been a way for me to cope with trauma and understanding emotions. I have vivid memories of my mom crying and putting on one gospel song on loop to regain her strength or to let things go That’s when I first learned the power that music holds. I remember not knowing how to deal with pain, loss, and heartbreak and turning to my instrument. I didn’t get into jazz until moving to New York to attend music school. I saw how it was rooted in blues, and how free and expressive it was. To me, it’s one of the freest forms of music there is.

As soon as I put it on I instantly noticed how comfortable it was. I’ve been going to the gym in them and I love them. Style should be comfortable and practical, and Saucony achieved that. I’m a huge fan of the navy suede, and it’s cool that [Saucony] is dedicating this shoe to an art form that I know and love.

Tyrell Hampton wears the new Saucony Jazz 81.

I’m a photographer and a dancer.

My cover with Zendaya for GQ just came out and it’s probably the biggest milestone in my career so far. I’m very excited for the next few months though.

My relationship with music is a special one because of my movement background. One of my favorite memories with jazz music is having dance class to live instruments.

Athletics Footwear – The Athletics ONE.2

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:29:31 GMT

What Goes Into the Making of a New-Age Classic Sneaker

Athletics Footwear is at an important junction in the young sneaker brand’s evolution. The team behind Sneakerboy founder Chris Kyvetos and Areté’s Myles O’Meally are readying the launch of the Athletics ONE.2, which is billed as an advancement (both are quick to stress this is not an upgrade, per se) to the brand’s first sneaker, the Athletics ONE.

Highsnobiety / Volker Conradus

Kids, Thom Browne Is Coming for Your Piggy Bank

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:28:22 GMT

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Thom Browne forewent its fashion show format for Fall/ Winter 2021, leaving a theatrical shaped-hole in the Paris Fashion Week Men’s schedule. Instead, the brand announced a new chapter for its fashion business — putting tiny humans in tiny suits and it’s giving us Gossip Girl pre-school vibes.

The new Thom Browne Childrenswear line is essentially a shrunken version of the already-shrunken adult tailoring; it has the same signature proportions and four-bar branding, just this time it’s aimed at children aged between two and 12. The miniature offerings include a medium grey super 120s wool twill suit, Chesterfield overcoats, classic four-bar cardigans white Oxford shirts, navy super 120s twill sport coats, loopback jersey sweats, ripstop vests, and four-bar puffer jackets.

To illustrate the world of Thom Browne Jr., New York-based filmmaker Cass Bird directed a short film that recontextualizes the American workforce as children dressed in beautiful tailoring. The film gets a lot darker than you might expect, as the besuited children descend into a Lynchian nightmare as they succumb to the banality of modern office life.

Thom Browne’s childrenswear line will be available online and in-stores globally from January 25. Watch the film below.

The Split Personalities of Friedman Benda

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 15:03:45 GMT

OrtaMiklos [Established 2016] Melting Thonet, 2020

To the uninitiated, a catalogue of works by the New York based gallery Friedman Benda might seem slightly schizophrenic. A minimal transparent chair by the designer Faye Toogood on one page, warps into a decadent multicolored monster masquerading as a lamp by Jonathan Trayte on the next. In addition to showcasing the works of younger artists, the gallery represents the older and more canonical estates of designers such as Bruno Munari and Wendell Castels. Taken all together, it’s a roster that reinitiates (and explodes) the readymade conversation around form versus function..” “Design is a very amorphous field,” says Friedman Benda’s director Marc Benda. “It’s hard to put boundaries on what constitutes design for our gallery and what doesn’t. When we set out, we wanted to explore the entire universe.”

In a special online presentation for Not In Paris, Benda pulled together a series of diptychs of works in the Friedman Benda program, which draw out the bifurcated logic behind the gallery’s stable, and maps out how Janus-faced nature of how the objects themselves exist in space. Read the full interview below.

Daniel Arsham [American, b. 1980] Philly Lamp 3019

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Daniel Arsham, Photography by Daniel Kukla

Daniel Arsham [American, b. 1980] Shanghai Chair, 3019

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Daniel Arsham, Photography by Timothy Doyon

Daniel Arsham [American, b. 1980] Shanghai Chair, 3019

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Daniel Arsham, Photography by Timothy Doyon

Daniel Arsham [American, b. 1980] Shanghai Chair, 3019

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Daniel Arsham, Photography by Timothy Doyon

“The Shanghai Chair is based on a chair that I had in the studio a number of years ago, which was literally just cut from a single block of foam. It was a remnant from an old construction site. One of the things I love about this chair is that it was actually sculpted while I was sitting in it. So I’d cut a little bit, sit in it, feel the form, feel the ergonomics of it, carve a little more. So the chair really does completely conform to the shape of the body as you sit in it.”

Daniel Arsham

The idea was to stake the entire homestead that is Friedman Benda with this selection of artists. So with each artist we tried to show just how varied a practice can possibly be. The variation can sometimes be within a single theme, and can sometimes be wildly different investigations. It’s a chef’s selection of the freshest fish on the market this morning.

Andrea Branzi [Italian, b. 1938] Plank Cabinet 2, 2014

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Andrea Branzi

Andrea Branzi [Italian, b. 1938] Vibrazioni, 2019

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Andrea Branzi, Photography by Daniel Kukla

The selection is based on the gallery’s program. We tried to explore the entire universe of Friedman Benda within design with this selection. The selection of works is disparate because the gallery is not founded on aesthetic principles, but on formal principles about what sort of design we find relevant to follow. And for the gallery as a whole, we never pick an artist based on the look, on aesthetics. Process is way more interesting to us than the outcome. The output is a consequence of how you build your practice and not the other way around.

Chris Schanck [American, b. 1975] Nite Light: Xenorc, 2019

“Both works exist on a spectrum, one end being highly practical and functional and the other end being more aspirational and speculative. So a lot of work combines fantasy and reality. So if you think about one of those childs beds that are shaped like a racecar. The function of that bed takes the form of a fantasy. You and I know that you can’t start the car and drive down the street, but it inspires the idea of speed, exploration and competition. My work functions a lot like that.”

Chris Schank

Design is a very amorphous field. It’s hard to put boundaries on what constitutes design for our gallery and what doesn’t. When we set out, we wanted to explore the entire universe. We wanted to make objective choices for our program. We’re the only gallery in the world that represents the Sottsass Estate, or the Wendell Castle estate. We do that because it gives a framework to our younger artists as well. It gives them something to look up to and gives them a certain context. We have a program that spans four or five generations, that’s a choice. Instead of just having a program that only relates to people my own age, or passing on wisdom to the younger artists, we wanted to build a program that allows for these cross references and allows for a non-linear historical view. These sort of straight time arrows aren’t very interesting to me. This isn’t science, this isn’t biology. It’s not the 1960s, then 1990s, it’s not one thing after the other. In our world, time can go forwards, backwards, and sideways.

OrtaMiklos [Established 2016] Melting Thonet, 2020

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and OrtaMiklos

OrtaMiklos [Established 2016] Morphosis TV Bench, 2020

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Orta Miklos

“We always attack the material straightforwardly, to see in what direction we can bend it. Like with the chair, at a certain point, we just had all this bent metal and I realized it looked a bit a Thonet design, a melted one. That perfectly represents what we do. To take this object that was intended for mass production, and start to deform it — to manipulate it and see where it can go.”

OrtaMiklos

I’m trying to provide a platform that shows an expansive view of the world of design. Some of the greatest architects weren’t architects. Some of the greatest architects were sculptors, or came from all kinds of directions and vice versa. Or their vernacular was incorporated by the field. I’m not trying to be the arbiter of what’s what.

Faye Toogood [British, b. 1977] Marquette 270 / Wire and Card Chair, 2020

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Faye Toogood, Photography by Angus Mill

Faye Toogood [British, b. 1977] Roly-Poly Chair / Water, 2016

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Faye Toogood, Photography by Angus Mill

Yes, it is. I think it’s a different layer of information, but there’s a lot of information you can transmit digitally. Some things are omitted, not lost. It’s like filmmakers saying that they want their movies shown in a theater initially, instead of being streamed. But the audience doesn’t give a damn anymore, they just want to buy a nice TV and watch it on that. Even before Covid, if we had 60,000 people watching us on Instagram, and 30,000 people coming to Design Miami, for a successful show we probably had 1000 people actually coming to the gallery in a month. Those are rough numbers, but the majority of people have always experienced the work online, or on Instagram, or in catalogues as opposed to in person.

Misha Kahn [American, b. 1989] Reception Desk for the Unknown, 2020

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn, Photography by Daniel Kukla

Misha Kahn [American, b. 1989] The Gatherer, 2019

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn, Photography by Timothy Doyon

“The reception desk is drawn entirely in VR, using what is basically a child’s drawing program. It’s probably designed for sculpting monsters. drew it when I was really sick with a fever before COVID. I was just lying in bed for days, and that was the piece that came out of it. Now I feel that having this piece that feels like chaos and a fever dream feels prescient.”

Misha Kahn

Chris Schanck [American, b. 1975] Scrying Table III, 2018

I think we’re living in a wonderful moment where things can coexist. Where there’s not just an adherence to one school or another, but you can really consume design involving every school or collection. People are looking for authenticity. Differentiating between schools like parametric design or craft, is ultimately unimportant. Key people will always separate from the rest. Where design is headed, isn’t based so much on formal dialogue, but based on how much people can layer onto an object nowadays. People want to know that an object is not just the object that they’re looking at, but also the object that they’re thinking.

Jonathan Trayte [British, b. 1980] Hoh, 2019

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Jonathan Trayte

Jonathan Trayte [British, b. 1980] Kula Sour, 2020

Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Jonathan Trayte

“I take a lot of inspiration from the natural world, things that I’ve seen in botanical gardens; plants, cacti, succulents. Even though that piece is still a lamp, because there’s a lightbulb on it for illumination, it’s not very functional in many respects. But I like incorporating incandescent bulbs into my work. It’s a momentary luminescence, and then the bulb goes out. It also makes it more like a plant. It has a life cycle. It feels like it’s alive.”

Jonathan Trayte

What Goes Into the Making of a New-Age Classic Sneaker

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:37:28 GMT

At first, it may seem counter-intuitive for a brand to release an updated version of an existing sneaker when their ethos is to create timeless design and reinvent what constitutes a classic sneaker in this day and age. Doesn’t that make the original redundant? Shouldn’t the original be given time to breathe and establish itself before it is replaced?

According to Kyvetos and O’Meally, the existence of the ONE.2 doesn’t make the ONE obsolete. If anything, it strengthens the sneaker’s stake to icon status. Of course, Athletics Footwear is still some way off landing a hit like Nike’s Air Force 1 or the adidas Stan Smith, but its founders believe it’s well on its way.

Both O’Meally and Kyvetos — in separate interviews — use the same example to explain it to me. “In a few years’ time, after we develop the line plan for Athletics, the ONE will be seen as the retro car, if you like. The original 911,” explains O’Meally, referring to the Porsche 911’s reputation as the perfect sports car. “As you advance, you still see that relationship to the ONE, but you’re going to see this slight evolution, season on season. It’s about creating a product that will, like the 911, stand the test of time.”

Kyvetos agrees. “We actually hired an industrial designer for the ONE. We saw the first one as the basic object. It’s what the lines of the product would be forever.” he explains. “I go back to some of Ferdinand Porsche’s early work, even to the Beetle, which informs the 911 world forever.” Kyvetos owns a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle, making the comparison both apt and personal.

Another comparison Kyvetos likes to make is to Apple’s iPhone. “Most of Apple’s products are a great example; the original iPhone was created, and then it’s just a matter of advancing, and advancing, and advancing,” he says. “But it’s always a version of the original object.”

The ONE.2 very much falls in line with that idea. The similarities to the ONE are clear: The original’s shape is still the shape of its predecessor. The overall structure has stayed largely the same — it’s in the details where differences begin to crop up. “The ONE was really about establishing the lines and the form language. And then the ONE.2 was really about, ‘How do we carry that forward? What new technologies can we use?’,” reveals O’Meally. “With the ONE.2, we really wanted to show off some of the technical details. The details of the molded ribbing, the combination of seamless construction and traditional stitching.”

“On the ONE.2 there are some new lines, but the biggest difference is the technology,” O’Meally continues. “Not so much new technology, because that’s quite similar to the ONE, but rather how we show it off in a subtle way.” The Athletics ONE and the ONE.2 share the same seamlessly-pressed upper, however, the ONE.2 features cut-out pockets in the upper to show off that technology. “So, on the ONE.2 you have multiple layers. You have these deep, pressed, very sharp, clean lines around those edges, and there’s no stitching there,” says O’Meally. “The ONE was built in a similar way, but it was all hidden underneath that top layer. We’re really allowing the application technology on the ONE.2 to sing by just showing it off, not hiding it.”

Highsnobiety / Volker Conradus

Of course, every technological advancement brings an object further and further from the original and risks obsoletion. “The next biggest challenge is making sure whatever technology or performance technology you’re using to create the next iteration isn’t obsolete by the time the shoe hits the shelf,” says Kyvetos. “And this is where I believe the design team was amazing. [The new design details] are all taken from very timeless objects but applied with modern materials and construction methods.”

Those references that O’Meally and Kyvetos mention range from Dieter Rams’ iconic Braun radio to the Apple iMac G3. These are two objects one might not immediately associate with a sneaker, but the Athletics Footwear team’s subtle reinterpretation of existing (and most importantly proven) design, makes it work.

“The Rams radio informed the cleanness of the design. The radio has perforations where the speaker is, which is the reference for the perforations that we have near the toe box,” details O’Meally. “The handle of the radio is referenced [on the quarter panel] here, with the cord [on the heel]. On some of the colorways, the handle reference is a different color to the base, allowing it to stand out more. Our favorite Apple product is the iMac G3, with that shape and the translucent back. That was a reference on the use of plastic, transparent and harder materials, within the rest of the body of the shoe, and then also the color-popping elements.”

Clearly, timeless design inspires a new generation of timeless design. The approach makes sense, as trends that are no more than a flash in the pan can’t possibly build foundations that are — if all goes well — meant to last decades. Creating classic sneakers also requires a methodical approach, one that doesn’t try to rush through the process and gives ideas and the final design enough time to breath.

Highsnobiety / Volker Conradus

“One of the biggest challenges is blocking out noise. Because you can get so overwhelmed by ‘this is happening,’ ‘this is new,’ ‘this is cool,’ ‘this does this.’” says Kyvetos. “You run the risk of coming out of your lane very quickly. So, this is a great exercise in discipline, a great exercise in design, in collaboration, and we’re really enjoying it.”

The ONE.2 is clear proof that Athletics Footwear has stayed in its lane, and that that has been a key factor in its successful advancement of the original ONE. For those lucky enough to hold both versions of the shoe side-by-side, the design language — and the advancement of it — is clear as day. The lines and the shape both O’Meally and Kyvetos speak of is well on its way of establishing itself, with much more surely to come from the Athletics Footwear team.

The Athletics ONE.2 will be available exclusively on Highsnobiety Shop starting January 28.

UNC Football Players Are Getting This Mouth-Watering AJ5 PE

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:04:39 GMT

Visit the original post to see all 2 images from this gallery.

This year is likely going to be a strong year for fans of UNC-inspired colorways, with a couple of Nike Air Jordan 1s and an Air Jordan 4 reportedly set to be released featuring the famous Carolina university blue hue. Adding to the hype and anticipation, UNC’s equipment team has unveiled a Player Edition version of the Nike Air Jordan 5, which will be given to players and staff of the UNC men’s football team.

The sneaker features a leather upper with an all-over UNC blue elephant print. The sneaker’s tongue is a deep navy blue suede and features the university’s logo embroidered on the front. A white midsole gives way to navy and white speckled details, as well as an icy-blue outsole. “Nike Air” branding is present on the heel, giving the shoe a certified OG look.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKcfv_DHQA2/

Take a look at the (unfortunately unobtainable) Nike Air Jordan 5 “UNC” PE above. If you’re in the mood for UNC-flavored kicks, take a look at our favorites here.

To stay updated on everything happening in the sneaker world, follow @highsnobietysneakers on Instagram, check out the best sneakers to add to your rotation this week, and sign up to our newsletter for the latest sneaker news sent straight to your inbox.

Liberal Youth Ministry: Freedom and Punk Threads From Mexico

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 13:00:09 GMT

Since it was established in 2016, Liberal Youth Ministry has experienced some pivotal moments of change and growth. The Mexican fashion brand, created by Guadalajara-native Antonio Zaragoza, became an instant sensation for its rebellious punk-informed collections which mixed everything from Aztec influences to ’80s and ’90s pop culture, and soon became a staple for the forward-thinking and fashion-conscious shoppers of Dover Street Market.

One such devotee is global super star Bad Bunny, who has worn LYM on many show-stopping occasions – most recently for the Latin Grammys, where he dazzled in an all white ensemble, headband included, which was hand-emblazoned with 100,000 Swarovski crystals. “I wanted to create something that when you saw Bad Bunny, all you’d see is him shining,” Zaragoza tells me in Spanish, his Guadalajara drawl crisp over our zoom call.

Liberal Youth Ministry

But despite the brand’s success, Zaragoza and LYM – like the rest of us – found themselves affected by the ever-changing impact that Covid-19 has had on our sartorial choices, purposes, and desires, which has made us contemplate our comfort while maintaining the aspects of fashion that help us show our personalities. Zaragoza wanted to mirror this new world order: “I wanted this collection to be very simple. My past work has been very embellished, and I think the biggest principle of the brand stems from rebellion, the feeling of ecstasy, and, in a way, antisocial behaviors.”

It made him consider how to translate this energy into his new collection. “I began to idealize spirituality,” he adds.

Liberal Youth Ministry

Zaragoza’s path of spirituality took a strong hold during a visit to Los Angeles, where he realized “that in LA and in California, there is this very intense energy towards cults and to the cliché of tackiness-meets-good-taste.” Paired with cult-centric documentaries like Wild Wild Country, Heaven’s Gate, and knowledge of Scientology, as well as music by Oneohtrix Point Never (from Good Time and Uncut Gems-soundtrack fame), Liberal Youth Ministry found its moodboard. “I started to think that the ideas [cults are formed by] and the principles they have are actually quite punk, in the sense that they create their own religions and their own ideologies. From there I began to conceptualize the next collection, called ‘Spiritual Punk,’ which in my mind would create this ‘youth’ community.”

Liberal Youth Ministry

The Spiritual Punk community needed a pseudonym behind it, a cheeky move Zaragoza has played with before (the brand used to be called Weimar Youths), so he branded sweaters and bags with the interim name: Spiritual Youth Foundation. “It’s based on this ideology of spiritual punk – which means you can be rebellious but in a philosophical and metaphysical way, and not in a transgressive way, aesthetically, like how it was in the ’80s or ’90s.”

Softness, comfort, simplicity, and a pared-down color palette (with occasional psychotropic print inspiration) became the infusers for the life of LYM’s collection, which also counts a big new addition: womenswear, designed by Zaragoza’s newlywed designer wife Kenia Filippini. And thus “Spiritual Punk” was born – a compilation of pieces made almost entirely out of French terry cotton jersey that includes sweatpants, emblazoned hoodies, shirts, tennis skirts, jackets, dresses, bedazzled socks, and even a crystal headband that harkens back to Bad Bunny’s shining Grammy fit. The collection creates what Zaragoza calls a “dream yoga vibe,” as shown on the lookbook which accompanies it.

While we’re on the topic of cults, I ask the designer what the principles of his cult would be if he were the head of one. He laughs and says he’s not much of a cult leader, “but what I try to share to people with my clothes is just to feel liberated.” This was awakened in him at a young age, when he spent a few childhood years living in the USA. “I remember that my first approach to fashion [was] walking into the school and seeing all these people, like the groups of the goths, then you have the Latinos, then the skaters, and I was really into rock and roll. I remember realizing that fashion helps you to be free. And that’s the message I want to give to people, just to be free.”