Exclusive look at BWS NYC!!!

A friend of mine recently travelled to New York and was nice enough to take some pictures of the Busy Work Shop in NYC. So, for the ones among you that have not seen it yet, you can experience it now here. We will show you two stages of the store. In a first stage you will see the store in the afternoon, when normal people enter it ans shop around. In a second stage you see the store in the morning (well, noon), when the store opens its doors.



The store has a very simplistic design. Inside one can see the Bape camo on the walls and the Bapesta's nicely put into the window. The shop is actually quite small, but 100% Bape.



Here above one can see the Busy Work Shop bag that comes along with all purchases.

Now we move into a different cycle of the daily Busy Work Shop life. The morning, before the doors open and maybe (who knows) some new hot apparel has arrived the store looks like that...



People are standing in a massive line-up and this happens every day. The shatters are hardly open and people start already looking inside, checking for new gear.



A guy on the door, slowly let's people enter step by step to not make the store too crowded. So, if you are going to NYC any time soon and you are planning on visiting the Busy Work Shop there, you know when to go or at least what to expect. Because if you come in the afternoon, all the hot stuff is already gone.
Thanks to Peter for the images.


Enjoy,

David

Triumvir3 Interview + Exclusive GS-Pack presentation!!!

Triumvir3 is a striking new brand from Orange County, California. They became more known after there sneaker customizations appeared on the Sneaker Pimps Tour. After that they released their first tee`s, with hot designs like the GS and now they dropped the Mao design and came out with their first hoodies. One can clearly see how the brand evolves in the right direction. Read now the Interview with the founder of Triumvir3 Brandon Cheng. Find out how Triumvir3 began and where they are heading. Also be the first one to see the exclusive pictures of the Triumvir3 GS-Pack that drops New Years Eve in a limited edition of 125pcs of each color.

HS: Hi Brandon, how is it going these days? Busy for the holiday sales?

BRAN: What’s up David...yeah it’s been pretty hectic…someone gave me the flu for Christmas…very enjoyable.

HS: Please tell us, who is involved in Triumvir3? Who are the founders and who is in it now? And quickly explain us where the name Triumvir3 comes from.

BRAN: Brian Chen, Richard Vaughn, Van Ness Wu, Brandon Cheng... Triumvir 3 was founded in the Summer of 2004 by myself. The name Triumvir was taken from the last two Triumvirs of Rome, the coalition between 3 men who jointly ruled the Roman Empire…mainly Julius Caesar, Pompei Magnus, Augustus, Mark Antony and other boring historical figures that nobody cares about…

HS: Triumvir3 does clothing but also sneaker customization. What came first and explain us the background of how it all started?

BRAN: Custom sneaks came first…a year ago I was working at Niketown. Bored off my ass I decided to take advantage of the employee discount and bought a bunch of sneakers. Bought some paint, and an air brush that I had no idea how to use and painted away the whole summer…I started posting some of my works on Niketalk and eventually was getting requests for customs. First pair that I made was the Clockworks, and then the Kill Bill Vol. 1 theme took off in its own direction. The name Triumvir 3 was being associated with the Kill Bills and it carried our brand here today.




HS: Where is Triumvir3 available aside from your online store?

BRAN: Our line can mostly be found in urban boutiques along the coast of California, NY, HK, Taipei, and Sweden. More boutiques are on its way for January so I’ll keep our supporters updated.

HS: Triumvir3 is located in Orange County, California. How come so many hot streetwear labels come from that area? Stussy, LRG, Creative Recreation….. to name a few. What makes the place so unique?

BRAN: First I would like to add that not everyone in Orange County live like the TV shows, “The OC” & “MTV’s The Real OC.” There are people of different ethnic backgrounds here…but I would like to add that the girls are very cute in that show. In reality OC is a big suburbia by the Pacific, it’s like an all you can eat international buffet. So many cultures to borrow from in such a big wide setting, it’s comfortable, mellow, and we’re 30 minutes away from our weekend playground Los Angeles. Being 30 minutes away is a big difference…everything that’s comes into OC gets filtered back out with a laidback feel…seriously I don’t know…this is the best answer I can give…you really just have to check OC out for yourself…


HS: What are the future plans for Triumvir3? What can we expect to see soon? A full collection after you now also introduced the Mao hoodies?

BRAN: Brian came up with that Mao parody design one day when he was suppose to do something else. After seeing it I gave it that Chinese slogan and we fell to the ground laughing. We were testing the waters with that Mao design but the results have been very surprising, so a collection is definitely in the works. We’re also busy working on some cut & sew pieces for the first time, something to distinguish us not just as the t-shirt guys. Let’s just say our loyal GS fans will be seeing a lot more styles soon in Spring/Fall 06.



HS: Where do you get the inspirations for Triumvir3? Is there a common theme behind the brand or a brand philosophy?

BRAN: This is a tough one to answer...I personally feel that it’s our generations time to create and lead. A lot of the designs we throw out relates to a person, place, thing, or time…and people in our generation are noticing and they can relate with us. In the last 27 years of my life the last time I recalled going crazy over t-shirts was during the T & C, Gotcha era...and now I see it happening again, like an Urban/Fashion Renaissance…But my other philosophy behind the brand is to smoke, drink, and get creative…

HS: You guys also participated in the Sneaker Pimps exhibition and showed some of your beautiful sneaker customizations. Tell us something about the event. How did you experience it? How did you end up in it?

BRAN: It all happened one day when Peter Fahey from Sneaker Pimps emailed me. He wanted to display my Kill Bill series for the Pimp tour, I couldn’t miss this exhibit, it still feels like I hit the jackpot to be in that show. When the show came to LA, Peter was nice enough to give us a piece of the wall for our GS series, Brian and I pulled mad hours for that show. Brian did the Porno-Camo Collage to match each of the GS shoes (I can’t wait to get that back)...it was really cool just to see a few people taking pictures of our stuff…it was the show that made us realize that damn, people like our shit…




HS: Now some more info on you Brandon. What is your background? What have you done before Triumvir 3?

BRAN: Believe it or not I actually studied Medieval European History in college. History is what I thought I was going to do for the rest of my life, but time can wait. Before Triumvir 3 I was just like any other college graduate...scared, confused, and high, and still am today. I had a degree but couldn’t find a decent job with history. I traveled around two continents for a year looking for inspiration for a book/screenplay. And I worked at Niketown for a few months and found my calling to never work for ANYONE…and start Triumvir 3.


HS: What are your 5 favorite clothing brands?

BRAN: Tommy Hilfiger (boxers), Abercrombie & Fitch (bottoms), 5 for $10 T-Shirt Warehouse (socks), Diamond Star Tees (tees we print on), and Nike (shoes)…my wardrobe year round…priceless…




HS: Which websites (aside from HighSnobiety!!!), do you read on a regular basis?

BRAN: Highsnobiety is the only one for us and none other..! Whoo, Yeah !...just kidding. But seriously HSNOB, HypeBeast, Lurk Ltd, Hyde, Honeyee, Niketalk, Sneakerfreaker, Think-Silly, and I can’t remember…


HS: That’s it already. It has been great talking to you. It’s great to see Triumvir3 moving along and dropping mad designs. Keep us posted here at HighSnobiety and Peace.

BRAN: Thanks bro…it was fun…


******Now a quick note on the new GS-Pack. Its been a while since Triumvir3 last released a GS tee.. now they created the GS Pack. The new GS-PAK comes in a homemade box like all of their shoe boxes, 2 colorways of the GS will be released, limited quantity of 125 pcs in each color. The Pack will be released New Years. Hurry, because these will be sold out in no time. HighSnobiety is the first one to release exclusive pics of that pack. Check them out above and click on the images to get to Triumvir3 and purchase your own.******



Enjoy,

David

Interview with Nick from Twelve Bar!!!

Twelve Bar has been much in the news over the past months. This fresh new label straight out of London started off at the Glade and is now carried at the finest retailers around the planet, including Union and Colette. If you think that you have seen it all, than you are wrong. Twelve Bar is only at the very beginning with full collections coming soon.
HighSnobiety talked to Nick, one of the founders of Twelve Bar to find out how everything went until now, what it means to start a clothing line and what we can expect from Twelve Bar in the near future.



HS: Hi guys, how is it going these days? I hear you are very busy?

The last couple of months have been mad busy and we have a million and one things going on at the moment most importantly finishing our new line and working on a full collection for early next year.

HS: Just quickly, for the people who are not aware yet. Who is behind Twelve Bar and what is the history of the company?

The two main people behind Twelve Bar are myself, Nick Jackson, and Damien Webster and we have two people in London, one person in New York and one person in Tokyo working with us. The brand was officially set up towards the end of 2004 but it was a long time coming and something that Damien and I had been planning for ages.

HS: What is the brand Twelve Bar about? What image do you want your consumers to have of your brand?

The name Twelve Bar is a reference to the rhythm pattern black music comes from. This is something that we are hugely influenced by but the brand goes beyond this and is really about everything that we love and are inspired by. As far as the image we want consumers to have of our brand, we just want people who are into what we are doing to be able to buy our products and enjoy them!



HS: You are already present in some of the hottest retail spaces. Colette and Union, just to name some of them. How did that come about?

All the retailers that have supported Twelve Bar we approached directly and actually went to see in person. We have been very fortunate that Colette and Union New York and everyone who stocks Twelve Bar likes what we are doing and we are really grateful to them for helping us get going.

HS: I always find it very fascinating when people start off new and do what they love. What tips or advice can you give people that want to start their own clothing line? What were your main difficulties?

We have only been in this game for just over a year so I’m not sure we are in any position to be giving advice but the one thing I will say is that anyone wanting to start their own clothing line should stick to what they want to do and not let anyone convince them otherwise. As for our main difficulties, a new one tends to appear everyday(!) so it’s hard to single one particular thing out.



HS: What are the future plans of Twelve Bar? What can we expect to see soon?

We have another line of tees and sweats dropping very soon and early next year you’ll be seeing our first full collection. We have someone working with us who not only has experience in streetwear but most recently has worked for the British high fashion designer Hussein Chalayan. She has amazing skills so expect something totally fresh!

HS: Twelve Bar seems to be a brand which has a lot of inspirations. Could you tell us something about that?

Twelve Bar is inspired by everything we love which is why our logo is our take on a heart. Both myself and Damien have been lucky to have traveled a lot especially in the States and Asia and this is why our influences are so varied and cover everything from basketball to skateboarding to Japanese cinema. Ultimately though, the way we were introduced to the majority of these was through a love of hip hop and all the genres of music that hip hop evolved from and it is black music that ties everything together for us. The funny thing is that when I talk to people about all this so many of them agree with me it’s ridiculous!



HS: What makes Twelve Bar different from all the other clothing labels?

What makes Twelve Bar different is that it is a brand which represents what we are all about. When you meet us and hang out with us you’ll quickly realize that if Twelve Bar was any different to what you see, it wouldn’t be right and this is very important to us. We aren’t doing something which will change whenever a new trend comes along. Twelve Bar is what we do and who we are and this is why it has so much soul and substance.


HS: How are the roles divided at Twelve Bar? Do you guys do everything together, or is there a clear division of tasks?

We pretty much do everything together and are both involved in all areas of the business but are obviously careful not to unnecessarily complicate things. Damien is responsible for the creative execution of all the ideas and I do more of the marketing and sales which is why I am doing this interview!

HS: Now some more info on you guys. What is your background? What have you done before Twelve Bar?

Damien has over 10 years experience in the new media industry and before setting up Twelve Bar was responsible for the creative direction of Nike’s European digital projects including Battle Grounds, The Art Of Speed and Bowerman. Believe it or not I am a lawyer and used to work at Maharishi on the Business Affairs side of things.



(Just in case you did not know, the words in the heart in the tee below are the clues of the Hip Hop Crossword puzzle tee above)



HS: What are your 5 favorite clothing brands (aside from Twelve Bar!!!)?

Stussy
Ralph Lauren.
Supreme.
Junya Watanabe.
The North Face.

HS: Which websites (aside from HighSnobiety!!!), do you read on a regular basis?

CliqueNMove, LaMjc, The Hundreds, Hypebeast, Slam Hype, Okayplayer, Being Hunted, Evil Monito, Freshness Mag and Splay.



HS: That’s it already. It has been great talking to you. I have followed Twelve Bar, as of the first tee that dropped and I cannot wait to see how the brand flourishes in the future. Keep the HighSnobiety readers posted on new things happening.

Thanks so much David for your support for Twelve Bar – It is hugely appreciated. Shouts go out to the Twelve Bar London family, our extended family around the world and all the retailers who have supported us – you know who you are. A special shout goes out to Dame Ca$h and Jules who have helped me hold it down like 4 Hero over the last fortnight!!!


Thanks again and we cannot wait to see the full collection soon. Click on one of the images above in order to see the full range of Twelve Bar designs.


Enjoy,

David

Garbege - street-inspired luxury brand!!!

garbege™ specializies at linking design innovation, marketing ingenuity and selective retail positioning. Playing off of the words garb, meaning garment and edge, as in cutting edge, garbege™ redefines fashion for the young, intelligent, and sexy. garbege™ infuses fashion with thought-provoking incomparable products for early-adopters who possess refined sensibilities for everything from fashion to politics. Utilizing young men’s and women’s apparel as instruments of expression. garbege™ is a street-inspired luxury label that is not about branding, but rather providing vehicles of self-
transformation for garbege™ collectors worldwide.

This was just a short introduction to garbege™ . Read now the Interview with the 2 founders, check out the pics of their latest collection and head over to Cartel Goods to buy them online.

HS: Hey, guys. How is it going?


(garbege): Peace, all is well.



HS: Who are the founders of garbege and what was the process? Do you have a background in fashion?


(Zak): I have worked with top apparel brands including *ecko unltd, PNB Nation, and Todd Oldham Jeans. However, I got my start in the industry on the sales floor of Dr. Denim in Philadelphia. I later started interning at www.platform.net, one of the first successful hip-hop oriented web sites during the dot com boom. Soon after, I moved onto Todd Oldham Jeans where I honed my skills in Public Relations. In 2001, I served as Specialty Accounts Manager for PNB Nation, managing 150 accounts for the brand and researching market trends. It was at PNB Nation where I met my business partner, garbege President Malcolm Phipps. Later on that same year, I moved onto *ecko unltd. as the Visual Director where I oversaw the visual installation of the *ecko unltd., Zoo York, Femme Arsenal, G-Unit Clothing Company and Complex Media showrooms and offices. That would eventually land me the position as *ecko unltd.’s Director of Retail Marketing, where I implemented and executed initiatives to increase profitability, including the *ecko unltd. Pavilion in Las Vegas during the Magic convention and all merchandising objectives for over thirty Ecko Unlimited stores.



(Malcolm) :I have moved all over the apparel industry as a stylist, model, and brand liaison. I graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with a focus on Marketing, Renaissance Art, and Textiles. In 2002, I did freelance work for Sean “P.Diddy” Combs’ Sean John as a Marketing Coordinator and Sales Manager for Groovey Styles, the clothing store owned by Comb’s stylist. From 1999 to 2001, I served as the Executive Assistant to the President of PNB Nation where I assisted in everything from planning events to brokering deals between PNB Nation and Pepsi. Again, it was at PNB Nation where I met my business partner and garbege Brand Architect W. “Zak” Hoke. From 2001 to 2004, I worked at *ecko unltd where I would eventually become Marketing Manager. Soon I would handle marketing for the other brands under the Marc Ecko Enterprises umbrella, which including G-Unit Clothing, Zoo York, Femme Arsenal, and Complex Media. As Marketing Manager, I created innovative ways to position the aforementioned brands within the youth culture market through print, television, and feature & independent films. I also brokered a deal between luxury automotive wheel manufacturer Lexani and *ecko unltd. to create the *ecko unltd. car rim. And my placement list is long and includes key celebrities such as Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Ashton Kuchter, The Rock, Monica, Eve, Trina, Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Nas.

(Zak): Having gone to our share of tradeshows domestically and abroad, we found ourselves unhappy with the direction fashion was heading in. In our Hilton hotel room after Magic in Las Vegas, I proceeded to tell Malcolm about my idea to create a line of clothing that appealed to the early adopters in the need of a brand that merges the aesthetics of both streetwear and luxury apparel. It was something that was in the back of my mind for some time and I believed it was now time for it to come into fruition. To me, the line would be a way for individuals to utilize clothing as their canvas for self-expression, something that has been lost from some of the most popular brands’ latest lines. We outlined the brands’ direction and purpose. While the themes of the line would change per season, the brand’s overall purpose would always stay the same: a Street-Inspired Luxury label that is not about branding, but rather provides a vehicle of self-transformation for young consumers impacting the way they think, appear, and understand the world.




HS: What is garbege all about? Is their a clear philosophy or line that you follow when you create new designs/collections?


(Zak): The garbege™ Clothing Company was formed for the purpose of engaging in the Design, Marketing and Sales of clothing for young men and women in the United States and abroad. Our ultimate focus is producing garments of the highest quality and servicing Select Boutiques, Specialty Shops and Better Department Stores in major cities such as, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, London, Tokyo, Berlin and others. With its unique products, garbege™ fulfills the needs of early adopters in between the Street-Wear and Urban-Wear markets. A market niche we have coined as “Street-Chic”.

(Malcolm): garbege T-Shirts are fabricated in 100% ring-spun cotton, made up of 36 single-combed cotton yarn and knitted on a 28-gauge knitting machine. Each conversational top conveys a lightweight feel and texture. Features such as dye-gain / dye-resist screen-printing, heat transfer and metallic printing, along with other technologies emphasize our intended treatment innovation.



HS: Why the name garbege?


(Zak): garbege™ specializes at linking design innovation, marketing ingenuity and selective retail positioning. Playing off of the words garb, meaning garment and edge, as in cutting edge, garbege™ redefines fashion for the young, intelligent, and sexy. garbege™ infuses stylishness with thought-provoking, incomparable products for the early-adopters who possess refined sensibilities for everything from fashion to politics.


HS: garbege is already carried in many hot retail locations. How hard was it to get in there?


(Zak): Visibility is crucial, and garbege™ gains exposure by focusing on consumer Word-of-Mouth, Alliances with Tastemakers, Artist and Celebrities, Tradeshow Appearances, Product Placement, Strategic Ad Buys, and most importantly: Selective Retail Positioning (SRP).


(Malcolm): The hardest part is finding the right partner (store) that matches our merchandising sensibilities. It’s like trying to establish an arranged marriage.



HS: You guys have also already collaborated on a sneaker with Reebok. Tell us how that came about?


(Zak): Collaborations aren’t necessarily a new thing. Car manufacturers have been sharing resources from behind the scenes for a minute now. Two brands appear stronger than one in the eyes of the consumer.


(Malcolm): Collaborations have been born out of a recognition that customer interaction doesn't need to end at the point of sale for one brand. Collabos bring different perspectives and opportunities to your world.


HS: Any future collaborations that you want to mention? Or people whom you would love to work with in the future?


(Malcolm): Future collabos? It all depends on how soon up-and-coming designers can send us their portfolios….


(Zak): In the “Retail World”, garbege would LOVE to build a private selection for: Barney’s (Japan), Fred Segel Fun (LA), Colette (FR), Harvey Nichols (UK), Exhibit A (Can), Louis (Boston), American Classics (UK), Oki-Ni.com, Barney’s Co-Op (NY)… In the “Fashion World” garbege would LOVE to build a collection with: Vivienne Westwood, Diesel Denim Gallery (NY), Diesel, Burton, G-Star, Nike, Jack Spade, Breitling, dpmhi, Gucci, Y-3 (adidas), Dior. The list goes on…



HS: You have already a mens and womens collection. What are the plans/ strategy for garbege in the future?

(Malcolm): Well our plans for the future will be to out do every collection that we put forth & continue growing as creatives…

HS: How do you see the industry and competitors as a whole? What comes to your mind when you think about the words quality and limited editions?

(Zak): For me, a few words come to mind when I think about the words “Quality” and “Limited Editions” as it relates to our space within the market:

• Quality – Missing in our space. There’s a pre-occupation with “Quantity.”
• Limited Editions – Boring, Uninteresting, Repetitive and Mind-numbing.

(Malcolm): We’re very critical dudes. But we also see the industry shifting in terms of a change in the guard.

HS: Now lets get to know you guys better. What music do you listen to?

(Zak): The soundtrack at the garbege gallery (office) consists of B.I.G., ColdPlay, Jay-Z, Lula, A Tribe Called Quest, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arch Angel, Alicia Keys, Little Brother, N.E.R.D., Amel Larrieux, Jadakiss, The White Stripes, Goapele, John Coltrane, Nas, Nina Simone, Kanye West, Kelis, Sneaker Pimps, Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Maroon 5, Smif-N-Wessun, The Clash, Gang Starr...



HS: What clothing brands do you dig the most? Admire? Wear?

(Malcolm): We enjoy Burton, G-Star, dpmhi, Pieces Black Label, Harajuku Lovers, And Suns, Nike-White Label, Y-3, Fred Perry/Comme des Garcons-double label, Modern Amusement, Jamhuriwear, we admire all these brands as well & we wear them also.



HS: What websites do you check on a regular basis?

(Malcolm): garbege.com - to check on our stats, Oki-Ni.com, Proteinos.com, CartelGoods.com, WonderWall.com, HighSnobiety.com, TheOutFitSociety.com, WhatsReallyGood.com, HipHopFriendsOnline.com, Schawb.com, NikeTalk.com, http://itpro.rayannpublishers.com

HS: Thanks a lot guys. It was great talking to you. We hope to hear a lot more from you in the near future.

(garbege): You guys keep up the good work! Thanx for the love and support!



You got to see a nice little preview of upcoming products by Garbege. As you can see, these guys are real pro's in the apparel industry. There is a lot to come from them, so watch out.


Enjoy,

David

Irak NY Interview and exclusive Collection Preview!!!

IRAK NY began as a graffiti crew in New York City in the mid 1990s,EARSNOT (the illest shoplifter in New York.) Over the years the crew has developed into a clothing line and established the brand as a creative outlet for its members ( KSER, SACER, REHAB, GLACE, FANTA, KENT, TIE RIP, SETUP JUST TO NAME A FEW.). IRAK NY is about representing downtown NYC all over the world thoroughly and giving those who may not be able to visit the lower east side of Manhattan a taste of the life. Currently IRAK NY is carried by top retail stores in NYC, including Alife, SSUR, Union (LA and NY) and select boutiques around the globe. They have also done collaborations with Alife, aNYthing, ESPO (Steve Powers), Fucking Awesome and RockStar games.

Read now the Interview (which represents the whole crew) and get to know these guys better. You`ll notice pretty quick that this is real and that they really represent NYC, unlike many others.

HS: IRAK NY is already around since the mid 90`s. What was it at the time, how did it all start?

As as shoplifting crewn of graffitti writing degenerates. Me just Stealing anything I wanted cause I’m nice like that!. Me Rehab and Kent driving going OT to rack for a couple of days. Looking for loot n gear spots.

HS: Tell us something about the members, founders of IRAK NY?

I just did.

HS: Tell us, how did the crew develop into a clothing line? What were the drivers of that evolvement?

A lot of people are throwing that NY or NYC into their brand name, trying to cling to an image etc, Fuck that. We’ve been IRAK NY, before making gear ever even crossed our minds. As a brand, yeah were emerging, and were “new“ but we’ve been around for years, and most people that like our shit know that and respect it.



HS: What stands behind the clothing of IRAK NY? What is the brand philosophy?

Fuck that question that’s bullshit. NEXT!

HS: You guys are already carried in the hottest retail locations of NYC. Alife, SSUR and Union just to name a few. How did that come about? What is your connection to these outlets and the people behind them?

NYC is like one big circle jerk without the "Money Shot".


HS: You have already done collaborations with Alife, aNYthing, ESPO and others. How did that come about?

: Those are our cool hipster friends from the downtown scene that
we ride on the coat tails of...we got our knees dirty. But seriously Basically, at this point, anybody that we fuck with is on some personal shit. Like all those poeple, Aron, Dill, Espo, they are down with IRAK strtaight up. The crew, fuck the clothing line ya know We hope that we’ll maintain our standards to only collaborate or work weith people we really respect or feel understand where were coming from, or people with enough money to make us forget that they are wack.



HS: What are the future plans for IRAK NY? Any people you guys would love to collaborate with in the future? Any secrets you would like to let the HighSnobiety readers know already?

: Were gonna make some Dunks out of bacon for Nike SB, a human
flesh jacket for Marc Ecko. We'll prolly do a bunch more interviews
with the 5 million street wear/hipster culture websites. Also, we're
gonna help you re-design that horrible top-hat logo!



HS: Now some random questions to get to know you better, Kunle. What are your 5 favorite fashion brands?

Alife, Gucci, Anything, Louie V.,



HS: Your 5 favorite musicians? Ist hat also part of your influence?

Josie and the pussy cats, the bradey’s, the monkey’s you know the usual.



HS: Your 5 favorite websites that you check on a regular basis ? Except HighSnobiety!!!

Never heard of you!



HS: Good that we got together than, because now you have heard of us. Thanks a lot for having taken the time to talk to me. HighSnobiety is looking forward to hear a lot more from you guys. Keep up the great work and keep us posted.

Shout out to Irak Friend and Fam... oh yeah and the haters!




Irak NYC is hitting the planet soon with their new collection. We already gave you a preview of what there is to come and expect a lot more.

Purchase IRAK NY online at Cartel Goods!!!!


Enjoy,

David

Feature: Reason Clothing NYC!!!

This week we have again a special feature on HighSnobiety: Reason Clothing. Reason is a brand from downtown New York City and a conglomerate of young designers that get together to create something outstanding and special. Nostalgic images are used to portray the urban lifestyle and culture of their youth.

For now Reason Clothing rolled out a collection of tee`s. As you will hear in the Interview later, this is only one first step in a lot of more sophisticated things to come. All tee`s are hand screenprinted on the finest cotton and are produced in limited quantities. The purpose of the brand is to fill a void in mens fashion while bridging the flashy street suave with the sophistication and allure of highsociety.

HighSnobiety was already a big fan as of the beginning, already due to the logo of Reason with the cylinder hat. Read the Interview, get to know the founders Jonathan Totaro and Philip Bassis. But mainly find out what Reason Clothing is all about and what you can expect from them in the near future. I can tell you already now: it`s a lot. For now they are already carried in Union and Nom de Guerre, just to name some of the big names. But the list is getting longer as you read on.



HighSnobiety: How is it going? Had a good day so far?

PhilipBassis: To be honest with you I just took a huge crap in my school bathroom so I guess you could say i’ve had better days.

JonathanTotaro: I’m just glad I saved myself some piff for this very moment. It’s been a long day.

HS: Tell me, whats your background? Where are you from? What did you do in your life until now?

PB: Part time stickup kid- full time hustler. Native New Yorker.
JT: We’re just kids from New York with a hustler mentality. If we weren’t out here slinging tee’s, we’d be slinging something else.

HS: You are the guys behind Reason Clothing, one of the new hot brands from NYC. Tell us who else is involved?

PB: Well Jon and I are the founders of Reason, but we would be nothing without our mobb- that means everybody who plays a role in the day to day operations of this company, including our interns, our team of artists and designers, friends, family, and everybody out there who lends a helping hand when it comes to taking The Reason Brand to the next level.



HS: What is Reason all about? Whats the philosophy behind the brand?

JT: Reason is the most innovative brand out right now. Our mission is to bridge the gap between flashy street suave and the sophistication and allure of high society by creating top quality products that continue to pioneer the industry in design and function.

HS: If you had to compare yourself to other clothing brands, which ones would those be?

PB: We are just out here doing our own thing trying to get paid- we could care less what other brands are doing.

HS: Tell us something about the Reason designs? What ist the inspiration of your designs?

PB: We are inspired by everything around us. Nameley, the streets of NY, high fashion, photography, hip hop, getting bent, punk music, our friends, our enemies, whatever. We are constantly inspired, I mean obviously everything that inspires us doesn’t end up on a Tshirt but we do have a pile of crap back at the crib that we consider ’inspirational’.

HS: For now you guys have t-shirts in the collection. What else is there to come? A whole collection? What are your future plans?

PB: We plan to move away from screen printed T-shirts and towards more cut and sew pieces. We are also looking to do a line of hats, jewelery, and even flasks. We would like Reason to be looked at as more of a lifestyle brand than just a T-shirt label, but that takes time, and more importantly, funds. Also be on the lookout for Reason Skateboards which is expected to drop later this month.

HS: Reason is still a very young brand, but you are already in some of the hottest shops in NYC. Union and Nom de Guerre, just to name a few. How did that come about? What Tips can you give people who would also like to start their own brand?

PB: We have been lucky enough to get picked up in some great shops. Not just in NY, but around the world, and for that we are greatful. As far as advice, we charge $300 an hour for consultations.... just kidding. Uhhhh, be original... know that if you are starting a brand you are going to face some major skepticizim (considering how saturated the market is right now) so your designs better be crack. And watch out for the bloggers, they can be brutal!!



HS: Now some more info on you. What were your major influences over the years, in terms of music, art and other stuff?

PB:Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, Stlyes P, Dipset, Dylan, Niel Young, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin, and Louis Armstrong are some of my musical influences.
It’s hard to say what type of art we have have been influenced by considering that nither of us have had any formal schooling in art. Mostly just art on the streets of New York I guess.
JT: Being raised in New York your brought up with this mentality that in order to get what you want, you need to go out and take it. So a few of my major influences are all the other self made millionaries working in this city. New York is a city full of risk takers and in order to succeed like them you got to take risks. No one ever sat on their ass and success came to them. You need to look back at all those who’ve made their mark on the world and make moves.

HS: What are your 5 most beloved musicians?

JT: I just saw Ray for the first time, and damn, it must of been hard being black, blind, and talented. Ray Charles is defiently an inspiration to me. Musically, I can connect with a wide range of styles but my favorite artists have to be Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Wu-Tang, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Dipset, Ramones, theirs so many, it’s hard to list only 5.

HS: Which are your favorite websites? The ones that you check on the most regular basis?

PB: Besides High Snobiety? Hypebeast, Superfuture, Hoodtalk (for a good laugh), I used to check niketalk occasionally, but it just has gotten so lame recently that I can’t deal with it.
JT: I enjoy all the real websites out their with substance. My favorites are Being Hunted, Freshnessmag, and the Chronicles from The Hundreds.

HS: What clothing brands do you dig the most? (Besides Reason)

PB: As far as T-shirt companies i’d have to say aNYthing, Mighty Healthy, Mishka, Peg Leg, Ojas. As far as fashion labels, polo, missoni, gucci, nom de guerre, uniqlo, apc..
JT: Defiently feeling all the brands Phil mentioned but in addition I’m really into Perks and Mini, Neighborhood, Visvim for kicks, Rockers NYC, and UNDR CRWN.

HS: That was it already. Do you have any closing thought or love you want to shout out? Any last remarks?

PB: Fuck all the haters- fuck all the teachers who failed me in highschool/college- Fuck all the bitches who decided to move to NY after watching sex in the city- Fuck fake people- Fuck nike dunks- Fuck BAPE and FUCK JOCKS
JT: Since Phil handled all the fuck you’s, I’ll handle the thank you’s. Peace to everyone at Nom de Guerre and Union for supporting us. Much love to the whole Frank151 crew.

HS: It was great talking to you. Keep up the great work. The first tee`s are amazing. I hope that you are soon also available in Europe. Keep us posted on new haappenings.

Thanks for the oppurtunity to let us rant on your website
NATIVE NEW YORKERS STAND UP – ALL YOU FAKE ASS TOURISTS GO HOME




Enjoy,

David

Special Feature: LMAC Interview + Zombie Give-Away!!!

Today we have a very exciting feature on HighSnobiety. HighSnobiety interviews Le Messie, the creative director of LMAC. Read the Interview and find out what LMAC does and what they are about.



LMAC slowly but steadily invaded the planet over the past months. Right now one can purchase there Zombie`s and also their stylish tee`s at the Retail Yakuza. The Zombie`s had such a success that most of them were sold out in no time.
Another exciting venture of LMAC and Vacant, is the LMAC Travelling Boutique, where one can see all sorts of products and art madr by LMAC. This travelling boutique makes its way around the globe. The first stops where in Chicago and Quebec. Now NYC, L.A., Vancouver, Toronto and others will follow. If you live in the area and have the time, do not miss this. Check for the dates, locations and other info here.

Read now the Interview with Le Messie and get to know the people behind LMAC better.



HighSnobiety: Hi Le Messie, how is it going today?

LeMessie: Going pretty swell, how bout yourself? Very good I presume with the recent growth of HS you are doing a really fine job!

HS: Tell me, for everybody who does not know yet, who is behind LMAC? Who is in it? Who founded it?

LM: LMAC was found by my fiancee and myself and we both do most of the work in company from the glam to the not so glam. We have Mike Alder aka Projekt Alpha our trusted Art Director with his great intuition and understanding of my vision we bring our world of Gehenom to it’s unsuspecting victims. For now it’s just the beginning!

HS: LMAC is a very young company. How did it all happen? And what are the main areas of work of LMAC?

LM: Yup we’re just over a year old, really young and virginal. We have been probed a bit though *evil grin*! How did it all happen.... I usually answer this part with the standard bringing a visual physical world out from the music but I’m feeling to tell the root reason. It happened when I made a choice to break the barriers that society set on me, to take the risk and to jump into the unknown, insecure realm, and test fate. I wanted to reap exactly what I sowed... and amidst all that chaos, LMAC sprouted. We mainly conceptually created a world and gave it inhabitants, slowly but surely this world will grow, the story is not far from home and it is easy for the audience to see the bigger picture. To further narrate and help bring the world into peoples homes and hearts we took to production of it’s physical products and constantly make sure it goes to the right venues for the right minded chosen ones.

HS: Since the LMAC Travelling Boutique has started, LMAC is everywhere. How did the idea of the Travelling boutique arise? How ist he tour going at the moment? And what role does Vacant take in all this?

LM: The travelling boutique wasn’t a product of LMAC but of the great Russ Miller, purveyor of the original semi-permanent retail chain VACANT. The tour is going super with a show just of the shelves at POOL in Vegas with RBK. Next is NY or LA, schedules are still juggling to be set! It’s not what Vacant takes but what LMAC takes actually we are thoroughly grateful to Russ for such an opportunity and he’s very close family to us at LMAC. The Travelling Boutique is basically his baby and he does what he does with it. The line-up of venues he’s attached to it is remarkable and we’re just too happy to be apart of anything related to the Vacant empire. ** Just in, the LMAC Travelling Boutique will make it’s final stop back in Singapore for the stellar designEDGE IdN Conference in November, back to home ground! There’s a Stella line-up of speakers from Surrender to Answer to MHI. It’s gonna blow!

HS: And tell us something about all the great LMAC collaborations on display at the boutique!!! How did they come about? Did you know all the people before already?

LM: Yes, we have a bunch of collaborations in the tour, production models and strict one offs. For the ones off’s many of the Artists involved are friends and people we admire. For the production models, most of em we’ve known for quite some time and some are brand new acquaintances that gave us a great opportunity to work with them! You have to see all the works in person, so check by the tour schedule for a stop near you, bear in mind the list will be altered shortly to coincide with the finale at designEDGE in S’pore.

HS: Les Minimal Autistic Children is the toy division of LMAC. What was the inspiration and how did the name arise?

LM: LMAC is actually an abbreviation for ‘les minimal autistic children’. It defines us on a whole. For the longest time I have always been mesmerized at the mind of an autistic savant. Isolated from the world not having nor comprehending the informational tools a normal person would naturally acquire from birth that would help them in normal areas of their life. However naturally excelling phenomelly in various disciplines of the creative kind, music, art, etc. It seems their very existence was to be a creative being in every sense of the word. I found only one main inspiration when I had to create a title for the company in the beginning, thus labeling our creative company after them, in high pride to the achievements made and to be made by the brilliant minds of autistic savants past, present and future. Minimal stands for how we perceive our output and ourselves, is all but a mere minute, miniscule speck compared to the ample light of these brilliant amazing autistic savants.

HS: What are the future plans for LMAC? Any people you guys would love to collaborate with? Any secrets you would like to let the HighSnobiety readers know already?

LM: We’ve got plenty planned won’t reveal to much but a lot to do with our own cut and sew lines and erm a certain brand they call Punter... Ohh they’re a bunch I'd truly love to work with.. Devilock or Bounty Hunter would be a perfect match for our next directions to collaborate with! Ahhh secrets.... hmmm but if i told they won’t be secrets anymore ! Be assured plenty are in the line-up!

HS: Now some random questions to get to know you better, Le Messie. What are your 5 favorite fashion brands?

LM: 5!!! Nah they’re too many I’m into, here are but a few..

BAPE
Number Nine
Bounty Hunter
BBC
Devilock
Surrender
Know1edge

HS: Your 5 favorite musicians? Except yourself....

LM: Ilkae
Jimmy Edgar
Deceptikon
Lackluster
Machine drum

You gotta check out m3rck.net!

HS: Your 5 favorite websites that you check on a regular basis ? Except HighSnobiety!!!

LM: Wow there really are to many i check all of them at a regular basis!! They’re all great and each have something different to share at any point of time!

HS: Thats all Le Messie. Thanks a lot for having taken the time to talk to me. HighSnobiety is looking forward to hear a lot more from you guys and is very proud to be a supporter of the LMAC Travelling Boutique. Keep up the great work and keep us posted.

LM: Thank you very much, I thoroughly enjoyed this interview as i enjoy HS on a daily basis. Keep up the great work and there are......

Too many shouts to hand out, but I will say I bleed for what I do and am totally indebt to all who have made the impossible.... possible. Love & Respects*



Now we come to a very exciting part. LMAC and HighSnobiety are giving out a LMAC x Colette Zombie. This is a very rare one. All you have to do is answer this very simple question.

Where does LMAC have its headquarters?

a) New York City
b) Toronto
c) Singapore
d) L.A.



Please send all answers to the following email adress:


HIGHSNOBIETY@GMAIL.COM



We will contact the winner some time next week.



Thanks to LMAC and especially LeMessie for this great interview and the Zombie give-away.




Enjoy,

David

Feature: The Common Creative Network!!!

This week we have a big feature on a very interesting Network from Hamburg, Germany: The Common Creative Network. Have you heard of them already? I would not be suprised. Just in case you haven`t, let this feature introduce them to you.
They have done great stuff in the past and even more is about to come in the future. Find out what the Common Creative Network does, what they stand for and feel the immense potential and combined creative power in this network. An Interview with Lars Hartmann & Ulf Meyer, the main people organizing the Network and featured pictures will open your eyes, and make you realize what creative talents bundled can create. Check it out now.



The Common Creative Network is a network of freelance designers out of all design- and creative disciplines. This enables them to put together different teams, according to the clients needs.
Next to this they organize club events that combine clubbing and art. For instance they have Live Paintings and Exhibitions that happen during their club events. In 2004 they called out a “Shame on you Mr. Bush” Poster competition, which was so successful that they decided to exhibit all the sent in work. This resultet in a 3 day exhibition with a big opening-vernissage. They also try to focus on political things that they care about and use their work to make people take notice of certain topics. Below some pictures of the poster event.



This fall, they are organizing an exhibition of the great street art crew “Level Art” from France, in Hamburg. The Level Art crew does fantastic stuff on canvas, they customized a series of 12 Vans Sk8 Hi’s and accompanying skate decks, toys and other stuff…They just recently did a collaboration with the great Flying Fortress…check all of this out at www.level-art.com .

The comn – brand is an extension of their creative network. All of the contributors are emerging out of different, but somehow connecting cultures of Skateboarding, DJing, Music, Gaffiti, Graphic- Design and Photography. This is where they get their influences from…

The first shirt-edition will accompany the upcoming exhibition of the “Level Art" Crew. Each design will be only produced in a quantity of 15 Shirts. This will ensure that people get something unique and fresh for their hard earned cash.
Check out the following pics to give you an idea, of how these limited edition tee`s will look like:





The comn brand will be available in a couple of selected retail stores in Germany, via their website and in Japan, which they are currently sorting out with their good friends from connect4 in Tokyo. Tip: Hurry to their website now, the tee`s are available for purchase, but very limited. Also do not miss the great Interview with the Level Art crew in the Misc section of the website.

As you can see, a lot is happening around these guys. A lot to look out for. Now read the Interview with Lars Hartmann & Ulf Meyer, which will give you an even more detailed look at this creative network and who stands behind it.



Above you can already see on the left a tee designed by Wasp, a really talentet artist from Hamburg , Germany. He will be a major contributor to the second edition of tee`s. Here already a teaser. And now read on the Interview.

HighSnobiety: Hi guys, how is it going today?

Comn: We are just fine, always busy doing stuff…having a shitty summer here in Hamburg…

HS: Tell me, who is behind Common HH? Who is in it? And what is Common?

Comn: The Common Creative Network is a network of freelance designers from all kinds of design disciplines. With a focus on graphic- and communication-design, we cover all parts from multimedia-, fashion-, video-, sound- and motion-design.
Two aspects are elementary for the network: one is the fact of working together, which enables each one of us to offer his/ her client a full spectrum of competences since every member can offer the skills of the other members, too. This allows each one of us to almost offer the same services of a full-service-agency.
Next to this professional aspect we are a network that also works and does stuff together, besides the professional stuff for clients, such as exhibitions and other projects.
The fun of just doing things that are not restricted by clients’ briefings and to actualize oneself as a designer is the most important ascpect. Next to this we want to provide a platform were all members can help themselves professionaly and in their private life, which takes this network to another level….

HS: What mainly inspires the the creations of Common HH? Whats the background?

Comn: We are inspired by all the things that surround us. We all are coming out of the cultures of skateboarding, DJ’ing, Music, GraphicDesign, Photography and other designs categories, so that’s where our influences come from. We use our network as a platform for all the stuff we do, be it a clubnight with exhibitions and livepainting, or political and social stuff that we want to make people aware of, or our clothing line…. Another thing we want to do, is to enable our desingers to just work free
and not be limited to some bullshit clients restrictions. They should
be able to work in creative freedom and produce what they want, show
what they feel inside....

HS: Tell me something about past exhibitions and stuff that you guys have done. Who have you worked with?

Comn: Past exhibitions have featured people from our network, such as the great “WASP ”. He will also contribute some nice desings for the upcoming t-shirt edition.We did Live Painting sessions during our clubnight “Excursions” that we hold bimonthly at a little club in Hamburg. Also we initated a nationwide “Shame on you Mr. Bush” poster contest, prior to the 2004 US-elections, which resultet in a 3-day exhibition in the infamous red light district “Reeperbahn”, here in Hamburg. Furthermore we a voluminous 24 hours programm of documentations from the US, like for example “Votergate” about the faulty voting machines used in the US and “Outfoxed” about the newschannel FOX, used as a media control and propaganda medium for the Bush administration.
And lots more, just visit our website to check out what we’re up to. We’re always looking for new and interesting things to do and try to not limit ourselves to one thing or one theme.


HS: One of the most exciting things I find the upcoming exhibition that you guys are doing on the „Level Art Crew“ from France. This event will also be the launch of your first shirt-edition. Tell me all about it. How did you hook up with the Level Art Crew? How were the designs created? What else exciting is happening at that exhibit?

Comn: The connection happened by accident. I’ve read an article on an exhibition of their work in France on freshnessmag.com. I really liked what they do, so I dropped them an email, asking if they would like to exhibit in Hamburg. They were excited about my idea, and here we are….
The exhibition will feature lots of canvases, prints, toys, puppets and also the customized Vans Sk8-Hi series that they did, with the matching skate-decks.
The opening of the exhibition will feature a DJ set of Assoto Sounds, a famous DJ-collective out of Hamburg and visuals by Niels Lightstroem, who is also from our network..
The exhibiton will also be the launch of our clothing label comn-for strong minds. The first edition will feature desings of the Level Art Crew that were exclusively made for this event. … More stuff is coming later this year…

HS: Where will your gear be available and when?

Comn: Our stuff will be available through our website and a really nice sneaker store in Berlin: kickback-berlin.de and some spots in Japan, thanks to our friends at connect4. if you like the stuff, be quick, since we are only doing 15 pieces of each design….

HS: What are the future plans for Common? Any people you guys would love to collaborate with or to exhibit?

Comn: No particular people in mind, just more exhibitions of stuff that we like or people we like to feature, extending and developing our label “comn”, continuing our clubnight “Excursions” , then there is a pdf-magazine called “commonism” in the making. Basically just having fun doing stuff that we like…

HS: Now some random questions to get to know you better. What are your 5 favorite brands?

Comn:
- silas
- PAM
- Visvim
- stussy
- cleptomanicx



HS: Your 5 favorite musicians?

Comn:
- john coltrane
- tribe called quest
- ricardo villalobos
- metallica
- sizzla
- they change everyday, depending on the mood I’m in…

HS: Your 5 favorite websites that you check on a regular basis ? Except HighSnobiety!!!

Comn:
- Slamxhype
- Beinghunted
- Spiegel.de
- Rthq
- Betalounge.com

HS: Thats all guys. Thanks a lot for having taken the time to talk to me. You are doing great things and HighSnobiety hopes to hear a lot more from you.

Comn: Big shout outs to the whole CommonCreativeNetwork, especially Ulf and Gordian for their contribution on the upcoming exhibition and the comn-label. The LevelArt Crew – the exhibition is going to be NICE!!! DJ Needlejuice for delivering the fat beats, Praxis, Hamburg City for not giving us a summer this year, all people that come to our events and like our stuff…


As you can see, these guys are really hot. Big collaborations, exhibitions, music - all arts are involved. There is a lot to come from the Common Creative Network in the future. I am already looking forward.

And now I have to thank the CommonCreativeNetwork crew for the beautiful banner they made for this feature. Notice the Hamburg skyline in the background. Fantastic work. Thanks a lot from HighSnobiety.

Enjoy,

David

Special Feature: YOSOY Records - the Invasion (+ Contest)!!!

This weeks special feature is on YOSOY Records, a young and rising record label out of Frankfurt Germany. Who they are, what they do and what they are up to in the near future - all that you will find out now. I can only advise you to read until the end, because with some luck you will be the lucky one to win one of their albums that we are giving away.

YOSOY Records was founded in 2002 by Yves Hofman and Junaid Din in Frankfurt, Germany. Currently YOSOY Records works with the following artists: Fabian Lamar (Producer), Juani (Producer), Nazca (MC from Berlin) and since the beginning of the year also with Casey Keth (singer). Their first CD dropped in December 2004 and was a compilation and called „Watchamacallit“. It was a project in cooperation with Ima Multibar. The last CD`s can be purchased directly at YOSOY Records via info@yosoyrecords.com or online at www.finetunes.net, one can download them or you read until the end and win one.
During the time of the release the CD was also distributed through the famous DOM stores in Europe and a few record stores and also American Apparel stores.

Another highlight in the young history of YOSOY Records was the inclusion of the artists Fabian Lamar, Juani, Tatum Gold and Yosoy Productions with 4 titles on the Mercedes Mixed-Tape 06(see: www.mixed-tape.com), where Mercedes always sponsors young and emerging talents. Never before had anyone been on there with 4 songs at once.
The cooperation with Mercedes does not stop here. For the introduction of the new B-Class, YOSOY provided Juani & Fabian Lamar „Rumba Latina“ und Tatum Gold „Afro Carribean Street“ for the Online Special(see: www.b-klasse.com).

As you can see, there is a lot happening around these guys. Cooperations with big car manufacturers are never a bad start. In the near future the master invasion is planned. After the release of their compilation, albums of their artists will follow. Casey Keth, will be one of the first artists with his own album produced by YOSOY. It will be a mix of soul, jazz, pop and acustic music. Sounds already interesting before it is out. We are all waiting impatiently!!!



Now, I have said enough. Who else, but one of the founders can better explain what YOSOY is about and what their music is about. Get to know YOSOY through one of the founders, Yves Hofmann and also get to know a bit better Yves. Here comes the Interview.


HighSnobiety: Hi Yves, how is it going today?

Yves Hofmann: Thanx, all good in the hood! Just came back from my short vacation. Now I feel fresh again and I am trying to act the rainy weather away.


HS: Tell me, who is behind Yosoy Records? Who is in it? Who founded it?

YH: Everything started very naturally, but for sure with destiny. But Yosoy is much more than a usual Recordlabel. We all put all of our heart in it. Behind the Business Part am I and my Partner in Crime Junaid Din, we also founded it together. The Music is brought by the Producers Juani and Fabian Lamar. And of course there are the Artists Casey Keth and Nazca. Both of them are working on their Debutalbum. Specially Casey. He is our newest Artist on the Label and we are very proud to work with him. The first Songs are set and it’s about time to rock!
With this I’ve just mentioned the closest ones but there are lots of other people who influenced Yosoy and made it to what it is today. At this part: Much Love to Louie Mumblz, Jo Muckenhirn, Dennis & Julian Smith, Nadine Demetrio, Daniel Standke, Mektoub, DJ Shuffle, Flow Area, Jorge Gebauhr, DJ Opossum, Dirty Berty, Johannes Laumer, Turko Loko, The One and more for the strength, love and inspiration.


HS: What mainly inspires the creations of Yosoy Records? How would you describe the style of Music by Yosoy Records?

YH: We produce in almost every style of music. We can’t and won’t reduce ourself. It wouldn’t work any other way on the fact that we have too many different influences.
Our aim is to be a fresh modern Label with the best of all worlds. From Clubvinyls to Radiosongs. We got it all!


HS: Tell us something about setting up your own Record Company. I always find it inspiring when people just do what they love. But we all know it`s not always easy. How did you encounter it?

YH: Hhhmm, the well known question that I am afraid of. Straight up, it’s not always easy. You have also bad days. But you know what: Fuck it – thats my Fam! We support ourselves again and again. Every written line and every new phat Beat makes me believe in it. That’s my life!


HS: Let`s come to the exciting part. You guys came out with your first compilation CD: Watchamacallit!!! Tell us how it came up, and quickly tell us who is on it?

YH: The „Watchamacallit“ Compilation is our first Release on Yosoy Records. Meanwhile it is already a few days old… it’s still hot! For real, we are very proud about this piece of art and happy about the positive feedback. We produced the Compilation in coorperation with the Ima Bar. It was fun to work with them..look out! Maybe there is more to come. Watchamacallit made it through whole Europe and there exist only a few more copies. You can order the last copies on our Homepage. We present the Artists Juani, Fabian Lamar, Wegotsoul, Casey, The One, Louie Mumblz and Korben Dallas on it.


HS: Where is your Music available for purchase ?

YH: The Compilation on www.finetunes.net and our Homepage. Then you can get two Yosoy Tracks(from Tatum Gold and Juani & Fabian Lamar) on the Mercedes B-Class Webspecial www.b-klasse.com.
The Watchamacallit Compilation was available in every DOM Store all over Europe and in some more stores.


HS: What are the future plans for Yosoy Records? Any people you guys would love to collaborate with? Any secrets you would like to let the HighSnobiety readers know already?

YH: Making Casey Keth’s Debutalbum big! A collective EP or LP from Juani & Louie Mumblz – Hip-Hop Classic Stuff! Many Vinyls from Fabian Lamar. You’ll see, many people will dance to it. Fashion, Partys…and of course many Live Gigs.


HS: Now some random questions to get to know you better, Yves. What are your 5 favorite fashion brands?

YH: Hard to answer on the run, but I think these are my favourites:
Stüssy, Nike, Adidas (Stan Smith), Rockwell, X-Large

HS: Your 5 favorite musicians? Except your own of course....

YH: Thats not fair!! There are too many.

At this point I just wanna mention Mr. M.E.T.H.O.D Man! He really got me deep into the music.


HS: Thats all Yves. Thanks a lot for having taken the time to talk to me. HighSnobiety is looking forward to hear a lot more from you guys. Keep up the great work and keep us posted.

YH: Well, thank you! Much succes with Highsnobiety – keep doing your thing! Let’s stay connected! We’ll keep you updated. Promise..Yosoy Yves



*******CONTEST**********CONTEST*************CONTEST***********CONTEST***

And now after we know all about YOSOY Records, we get to the part that should interest you all: the Contest. YOSOY Records and HighSnobiety are giving away 3 Watchmacallit Albums. All you have to do, is answer a very simple question. The first three to give the right answer will receive the album.


THE QUESTION: In which German city is YOSOY Records based?

Please send all answers to the following email adress: HIGHSNOBIETY@GMAIL.COM



Good luck and we hope you enjoyed the YOSOY Special Feature.




David

Exclusive pics of Comme des Garcons Guerilla Store +4930!!!

During my recent visit to Berlin I could not leave without having visited the Comme des Garcons Guerilla Store. Berlin was the first location ever for this concept of Comme des Garcons and it is the only one which survived a second season. What do I mean by that?

Let me explain the concept. Comme des Garcons chooses a city and looks for a shop location. Once the shop location is chosen, the shop is used the way it is, there is no renovation, restructuring, etc. They come with boxes full of Comme des Garcons clothing, accessories and products, put them up and the store is ready. There is no sign outside, no signals on the shop windows.... nothing. It`s just there. Therefore, trust me, hardly anybody comes by these stores by chance. Usually the stores disappear as fast as they appear. After once year the products are taken out and the store closes from one day to the other. Berlin location was so popular, that they stayed in the city, but switched location after a year.

Find here some pictures trying to display what a Comme des Garcons Guerilla Store is about and especially what it is about in Berlin. Because remember... the stores are never alike!!!!



The store is located in the east of Berlin. Getting closer to the store you feel like reliving the communist times. The buildings and the whole atmosphere is very special. Not only is the CDG Guerilla Store in this area, the store it in a building with a huge banner saying Karl Marx on top. As I sais already before, there is no logo or banner, signalling the stoe.



Inside one can fnid a big range of CDG products. A lot of t-shirts and casual wear, but also some more elegant stuff is displayed. There is a nice range of the whole line-up. The whole CDG x Fred Perry collab was of course also present.



Also, a nice range of accessories was displayed. From bags, over wallets and a lot of other stuff.



One corner of the store was dedicated to the perfume line-up of CDG with nice bags coming along.



What facinated me the most was the great mix of clothing. It was not all classic, or casual, or sporty, there was everything. The people working in the store explained me that they really get constantly new products. They received the CDG x Gore Tex clothing (even a CDG x Gore Tex Blazer - amazing!!!) and now they pulled it off the shelves again. In the coming weeks the CDG x North Face clothing is expected.

As you can see, this is really exciting, especially in a location with such a strong historical background. The store fits the area, fits Berlin and does not want to be cosmopolitan like most others. CDG displays a big selection of their creative output in these stores and also offers very good prices. Sales come very often and therefore a visit is always worth it.

Berlin was the first location and will probably stick around for another while. If you cannot visit this one, maybe you can check one of the other CDG Guerilla Stores in Stockholm, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Singapor, Helsinki or Ljubljana!! Find the adresses of the stores on their website. Or maybe one opens next to you any time soon. The unexpected makes it so interesting!!!



Enjoy,


David