Urban Clothing and Hip Hop Clothing

Avirex is Back and Flying High

SoJones Asmara — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:01:26 +0000

Avirex brings you the new ‘fly’ with their airplane-art concept this season, a concept based in the label’s roots. Lots of cut and sew pieces, woven shirts, all with Avirex’s aero-oriented air. The new collection is daring and totally different than what we are used to seeing from the brand. Marc Ecko is doing a great job on taking the yoke of this mile-high fashion club and we’re anxious to see more!

WWD Wrestler John Cena shows love for Avirex, although it would be nice to see him in the newest collection.

And here are some Avirex items we recommend for this season, all available at DrJays.

Avirex Layered Jacket, $60.00

Avirex Legendary Skulls Slider, $42.00

Isaora

SoJones — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:39:43 +0000

An Isaora ad

Snowboard lover Marc Daniels and former Theory men’s wear designer Ricky Hendry are the masterminds behind clothing line Isaora. Isaora brings out a striking collection of superiorly tailored, street designed and high-fashion outdoor apparel. With inspiration from ski and snow, the brand’s unique Italian-made garments are famous for providing protection, performance and originality in style and design.

Combining the concepts and ideas of a person with appreciation for high performance in energetic snow sports and someone with knowledge and love for fashion and design, results in garments that are unique and impeccable in both fields of areas. They strive to provide comfortable, technical clothing that works well in action, while still captivating all others with their street aesthetic style. For Isaora, their fashion objective is to meet the forces of nature and fashion to release a whole different fashion line, exquisite in concept and interesting on slope and on pavement.

The brand’s set of stylish, technical outdoor apparel is divided into two – a set for the ladies and another for men. The men’s collection includes shell and military jackets, pullover and insulated hoodies, tech and utility pants, utility shorts, plaid and insulted shirts and printed cotton t-shirts. For the ladies, Isaora provides an impressive blend of fashion and technical materials with elegant color varieties and cool designs. The ladies’ wear includes oversized hooded sweatshirts, waterproof jackets, tech pants, long-sleeved panel tops, thermal leggings and double layered shirts.

Isaora Plaid Shirt

Being a newbie in the fashion industry is hard as a lot of media is needed to create hype on any fashion line. Isaora, on the other hand, is well on its way to the top with features with online magazines such as Not Couture, High Snobiety, Up Down Magazine, Limite Magazine, Daily Candy, Style Caster, Hype Beast, Swipe Life, Complex, Men’s Rag, Show Hype and The Sunday Best. Aside from that, Isaora has also earned a spot in Outside Magazine and a word from WWD.

Now that Isaora’s collection is out in the open, their set of high-quality outdoor-wear can be bought online at Paragon Sports, Biz Rate, Karmaloop, The Find and through their website www.isaora.com. The fashion line is now stationed in their own store located at 18^th St. in New York.

Isaora proves that not every brand is for fashion and style. Instead, they are looked upon for their ability to combine the best technical materials and the most creative style while still being able to provide the most ecological-friendly set of apparel.

Russell Simmons’ RushCard: Everyone Needs Plastic!

Andre Sanchez — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:41:24 +0000

Russell Simmons shares a lot in common with the other hip hop moguls of today; he’s formed a successful clothing company, helped found an ever evolving label, etc. But Russell Simmons is now starting out with something very different for hip hop entrepreneurs: the credit/debit card arena.

You’ve probably heard of it by now. Welcome to the RushCard.

There are two versions of the RushCard (as seen above); along with the black and pink Baby Phat design, there are options for a pay as you go plan and a monthly plan. Both cards offer:

No monthly, annual, or hidden fees
Created by philanthropist and entrepreneur Russell Simmons
Everyone is eligible—no credit check or employment verification
Quick, easy application
Free money loading with direct deposit of pay or government benefits
Free 24×7 customer service, activity status, & balance inquiries
Use online, over the phone—anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted

Fees include:

No annual, monthly, or customer service fees
One-time activation fee: $19.95
(so you don’t have to pay monthly fees that can cost $60 a year or more)
Fee per purchase: $1.00
(capped at $10 per month—additional purchases are free)
ATM cash withdrawal fee: $1.95
(anywhere in the US)
Inactivity fee: $2.95
(no loads, purchases, or ATM activity within 60 days)

And add that on with the perks of you being able to:

Avoid expensive check cashing fees or worries about NSF, overdraft, or bounced check fees
Pay bills online or over the telephone—no more time-consuming trips to pay in cash.
Add money to your card conveniently and for free by arranging for direct deposit of some or all of your pay or government benefits—or even your tax refund. You can also transfer money to your card for free using PayPal.
Instantly load money on your card at tens of thousands of convenient MoneyGram and CheckFree locations
Check your activity status anytime online or by phone for free. (Unlike many other companies, we don’t charge for our 24/7 customer service.)
Get cash quickly from over 855,000 ATMs worldwide with a secure PIN number
Earn money every time you refer a friend and they get a RushCard ($5.00).

I happen to have a pre-paid card myself (not RushCard), and I like it a lot more than having a bank issued card in a way; no more overdraft bills, and no more general spam mail from the bank. Unfortunately, there are ridiculous transaction fees that come with these types of cards, so of course having a pre-paid card will have its criticisms.

Here’s the RushCard commercial that airs on BET nowadays…

Over 2 million people have a RushCard, and in this economy where bad credit runs rampant, it might be a good look to invest in one of these because the RushCard comes with an optional service that helps build a positive credit rating by reporting the regular bill payments you make with your card to participating credit reporting agencies. It’s said that the RushCard is the only prepaid card that does this for their customers.

All you need to get approved for a card of your own is a social security number and be over the age of 18, so this could be a good look for our SoJones readers out there who might need plastic but don’t know where to look.

Reader, are you gonna want a RushCard? If you currently own one, how do you like it? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments!

10.Deep Lookbook for Fall 2009

Andre Sanchez — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:58:14 +0000

If you ain’t sportin’ 10.Deep, your steez ain’t what it could be. Just ask Jamal Smith.

Or Kid Cudi. Hell, he has 10.Deep to thank for helping him release his first mixtape when he was starting out.

10.Deep has the Fall ‘09 collection for you to run with. And it’s looking lovely from first glance.

This season, 10.Deep has a wide range of cut and sew pieces, graphic t-shirts, fitted hats, and denim to pick from. Here are some shots from the lookbook, and some prices in the mix for you as well:

The Least Valuable Player Tee- $30.00

The World Class Tee in White- $30.00

The Rumble Fish Baseball Jacket in Black- $136.00

The Brighton Convertible Flannel Buttondown Shirt in Black- $80.00

(My favorite of the bunch.)

The Outta Luck Pullover Hoody- $96.00

T-shirt: The Sticker Attack! Tee- $30.00

Buttondown: The Lowlands Convertible Buttondown Shirt- $80.00

Reader, get to shopping!

KLP

SoJones — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:29:48 +0000

MTV Staying Alive x KLP tee for men. 40% of the proceeds go to AIDS research.

Have you ever wanted to submit designs and let your fashion prowess be known throughput the world? Then join the KLP. KLP stands for Klothing Liberation Project, which true enough, helps liberate the talents of fashionable people all around the world. This young label aims to revolutionize the face of fashion by featuring designs submitted by customers.

This label is an in-house brand of Karmaloop, a hit Streetwear site created by visionary Greg Selkoe. KLP is just one of the brands which have been nurtured by the famous website. KLP caters to the tastes of all races and faces, genders and sexes.

Men’s hit tees include the Free Shephard tee, created by Shephard Fairey. It features a screen print of Fairey’s face behind bars in the same style as his classic Andre the Giant face logo, with “FREE SHEPARD FAIREY” printed on the back. Coming in Gray and White is the Multi-Racial tee, which features the text “Multi-Racial,” giving a shout out to all the mixed people of the world.

Another iconic KLP statement tee is the Business tee, which features a screen print of a familiar mogul mouse’s head with each part crossed out and “Bu$ine$$” written underneath, obviously calling out the well-known corporation. Another great design is the Fuck Racism tee, which obviously connotes its meaning without all the usual hoo-ha.

Another great tee design is the Nerds are the New Gangstas – and so says this colorful KLP shirt, which features images of possibly Barack Obama and other African-Americans who have been successful in many fields.

Another comical tee – but with a serious message is the Dead Endz tee, which features a screen print that reads “DEAD ENDZ” with a pot leaf skull face and two pistols in the middle.

Kid Cudi x KLP tee for women.

Although still in its beginning stages, KLP has already made waves by teaming up with Scott Mescudi or Kid Cudi to come up with the iconic Kid Cudi x KLP collaborative shirt. This shirt features a silhouette of Cudders over the Moon, and a tribute to Cudi’s hit single “Day N Nite.”

KLP has also collaborated with MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation by coming up with the collaborative shirt design by street artist Shepard Fairey of the Obey fame. The Karmaloop x MTV Staying Alive Foundation Tee features a print of a heart-adorned sledgehammer on the front panel with graphics highlighting the collaborative effort of the two labels to eliminate the spread of AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, to which 40% of the proceeds go in aid of searching for the cure of the aforementioned disease.

KLP has also teamed up with Major Threat to come up with the “Be Scared Hoody,” which features a colorful 3M print. This limited edition hoody only comes in 100 pieces so fans should get their own hoody today.

As for developments, KLP’s future looks bright. Although KLP is a relatively-new brand, Karmaloop owner Selkoe aims to expand it by the next holiday season by including pieces designed in-house, or other words, by Karmaloop itself. So brace yourself for another rockin’ KLP collection next season.

Fragrance Review: Ecko by Marc Ecko

Andre Sanchez — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:28:30 +0000

Today I received this in the mail:

Futuristic packaging. You’ll see as I open this further a house of mirrors/reflection/mirror theme going on with the bottle and box. This is a cologne made for the confident man, sure of himself and his future, and who likes to look at it head on. And inside:

Also included with the cologne was a CD package. what was on it wasn’t explained on the cover or inside but after popping it in I found it to have some cool stuff:

…like this behind the scenes video with Marc Ecko, explaining his vision for his first cologne:

The video really touched on some important things to know about this fragrance, so let’s get into the review!

Top
“Marc Ecko electrifies with sparks of icy cool notes of Spice and Citrus. Chilled Ginger, infused with White Grapefruit, creates a remix of icy elegance and a cool, charming swagger…

Mid

…while a breath of Absinthe softens the bite with its warm sensuality and hallucinatory allure. Crisp masculine hints of White Incense and Energized Musk ground agile whispers of Cool, Green Violet leaves, mellowing the intensity and leaving an essence of cool confidence on the skin.

…Subtle, yet bold. Futuristic, but simple. ECKO by Marc Ecko is for the man ready to defy convention, intrigued with exploring new boundaries and open to a world of unlimited possibility.”

End

To be frank, this stuff smells amazing. I had an interview today, so I wore it just to see what would happen. I could swear the really hot assistant called me over and gave a goodbye squeeze on my shoulder because…of my charm? Eh, maybe. I just think she liked the Ecko cologne. ;)

After smelling this for the past couple of days and studying it, my nose is getting better at picking up notes in general. On one whiff, the three notes I picked up the strongest were Mint, Ginger, and Grapefruit.

This is what you wear to those meetings where you close the deal, then go out for a beer with the homies to celebrate. This is NOT a formal cologne, and if you wear it to anything like a black tie affair, anyone with a sense of cologne etiquette will wonder what the hell you were thinking. Ok maybe one COULD pull it off, but with so many other colognes out there to choose from, it wouldn’t make sense. The cologne wouldn’t match the mood, which is important when pairing a cologne for an outing.

You can also wear this on a date with no problem; it screams attention. This is also a good cologne for wearing after working out at the gym also…just hope not many other fellas are wearing this cologne as well. This cologne was made to celebrate movement and forward thinking. Wear accordingly. If you do so, the ladies will wonder in all the best ways possible, “what’s he wearing”?

Just have the breath mints ready, aight?

The prices:

This cologne is SoJones approved. It’s available for order here.

Dr. Dre x Hewlett Packard = a Limited Edition “Mac Killer”

Andre Sanchez — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:19:03 +0000

Hewlett Packard is starting to focus their marketing attention on the hip hop world just like Microsoft is and has been…but this one could actually gain some ground in what is being nicknamed” the Mac killer”. I’m a bit skeptical at such a claim, so let’s look at it:

Usually, the PC isn’t known for being the best at making music on; usually because the RAM (random access memory) gets swallowed up too easily when a lot of programs and applications are running, and even if you have a high powered PC, it could need upgrades within a couple years for an outdated sound card, sluggish processor, etc.

HP has announced that the collaboration with Beats by Dr. Dre will offer a limited edition Envy 15 laptop (branded with the Beats by Dr. Dre logo) as well as software that will “enhance” the audio through headphones or external speakers. The sound system is labeled as “Beats Audio” and the special edition laptop will be available on October 18th starting at $1,699.

Still, what will make the Dr. Dre x HP Envy so special?

“It’s all about the sound” they say. According to Wooha.com:

“The HP Envy will be the first laptop to feature a ‘cutting-edge’ sound system designed by Dr. Dre’s sound engineers labeled ‘Beats Audio.’ The ‘Beats Audio’ sound software was developed by the same folks that engineer Dre’s tracks and also helped design the Beats by Dre headphone line.”

According to HP, Dre has developed a unique, high-performance audio software solution. Available exclusively on the HP Envy, Beats Audio offers users playing music or audio through headphones or external speakers the optimal sound experience the way the artist intended it.’ the HP Envy and the Dr. Dre Edition hit stores on October 18th with prices starting at $1,699 and up.

Jimmy Iovine, Head of Interscope (the label Dre is signed on), states, “We have to fix the entire chain,” Iovine explained. “Our position is to go to all the sources and try to improve sound and educate people…We can’t put anything weak in the line. Whoever puts out things that sound bad shouldn’t be as cool as something that sounds great…I just want our product to sound better. The record business committed many, many mistakes in the last ten years, and I’m right in there. One of them was letting its product get degraded. It’s one thing to let it get stolen, it’s another to allow it to be degraded because then you really don’t have a chance…video games and TV quality are getting better and the quality of our work is getting lower. If that happens, then music will become disposable. That’s something we can fix.”

In my opinion, to charge $1,699 and up is definitely in the “Mac” price range. My question is, why would HP charge so much for only the sound aspect? So far no other specifications have been listed for the laptop, and I’m not convinced this will be worth a buy off the sound alone. Does it make coffee, complete my chores, and fold into an iPhone if I need it to?

If your gonna charge me over $1,500 for a laptop, you better tell me every single thing that’s in that laptop, especially if it’s a PC, and especially if it’s Hewlett Packard! The PC has way too much of a bad reputation for these discreet details on a so called “Mac killer”. Consumers want to know why this laptop is claiming to take down a monopoly in what so many people choose to make their music on.

But I’m only one opinion: What do you think, reader? Will a man who made a classic such as “The Chronic get you to buy a laptop like this?

The Chronic (1992)

Streetwear Spotlight: NTiCE Clothing

SoJones Asmara — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:30:07 +0000

NTiCE CLOTHING GIVEAWAY

We’ve got 4 NTiCE Clothing items to give away via a “SoJones Article Comments Lottery”. Here’s how it works:

Every SoJones comment posted on this page from Nov 6- Nov 13 counts as a “lottery entry”. Also make sure when you comment, have a link to somewhere we can contact you (like your SoJones account, your facebook, etc.). It makes it easier to contact you if you win.
Drawing for four winners will be held on Nov 15. Winners will be announced on this page and on the forums page (http://www.sojones.com/forums/).

Article Comments Lottery Rules

One item per winner
Duplicate comments will not count, like posting “I love this forum” or “hi” 50 times.
Garbage or nonsensical comments will not count, like “awr#$ASFasdfkl”
Comments hating on other people will definitely NOT count.
U.S. residents only

And here are the prizes you could win, ladies…

“Love Child”, retails for $31, comes in Cerise, Violet and Electric Blue

“Bamboo Banga”, retails for $33, comes in Black, White and Heather Grey

Sometimes we forget that having a collection from a clothing line means MORE than just having a closet full of graphic t-shirts. That’s why, ladies, get ready to add quirky-elegant dresses and fashionable pieces to your collection, because there’s a new clothing line in town. Say hello to NTiCE Clothing, an answer to an urban lady’s prayers for great quality and well-designed fashion line. Sojones.com chatted with Maria-Antonia from NTiCE and she gives us a scoop on what NTiCE is all about.

How did NTiCE started?
NTiCE was first conceptualized in the summer of 2007 in NYC and the first collection was S/S 2009. We wanted to come up with a women’s contemporary streetwear brand that did not revolve solely around screen printed garments but also had cut & sew pieces that focused more on the design, fabric and fit. We also wanted to create basics that didn’t have a mass produced look, but are still versatile enough to be easily incorporated into an existing wardrobe. NTiCE aims to combine the looks we all love from both coasts — NYC’s downtown chic and the laid back luxe of LA.

Describe this season and next season’s looks. What are your sources of inspiration?
The A/W 09 collection was actually inspired by Janet Jackson’s “Got Till it’s Gone” video, with the rich, deep colors mixed with earthy neutrals. S/S 2010 is all about Southern California in the 90’s. Lots of attitude, upbeat bright colored accents mixed with black and white, chambray and black fine mesh.

What celeb or well-known figure(s) exemplify the brand?
Dani Stahl, Rihanna, Mariel Haenn, Karen O and Debbie Harry.

Any product placements on celebs, in movies or videos to keep an eye out for?
We’re focused on getting the line on real people first, particularly those who we feel exemplify NTiCE, and not the other way around. We want to take things back to when people shopped based on the design/color/fit of the garment, or from positive feedback about a brand from friends, or from seeing it on the around the way girl from the neighborhood and not just because they saw it on Us Weekly, E! News or MTV.

Any expansion plans?
We plan to expand into making more jewelry to complement the line. We would like to expand to denim one day since we would like to see more subtle clean denim in streetwear that are just all about the material and the fit and sold at a reasonable price (since most jeans that have that clean look and are well constructed from quality denim cost easily over $150).

Looking ahead over the next year or two, what themes/looks/styles do you see your brand gravitating to?
We see ourselves gravitating to a more clean, contemporary look, something we’ve been wanting to see in streetwear. We’re moving from the 80’s influences to an updated version of 90’s style.

What themes/looks/styles do you see your brand moving away from?
Besides the 80’s style influences, we’re also slowly moving away from the typical screen printed graphic tees. We will still continue to churn out graphics, but we would like to print them on something other than a basic crewneck t-shirt. We’ve also been experimenting with different screen printing techniques to keep it interesting.

What has been a surprise fashion hit over the last year?
Definitely the harem pant. Never ever thought I would see the day that those MC Hammer pants would come back!

Check NTiCE collection on its official website, http://nticeclothing.com. The t-shirt and tank top collection is priced between $29.00 up to $36.00.

Someone Clothing

SoJones Asmara — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:13:43 +0000

SoJones TV caught up with Matt from Someone Clothing and he showed us the real meaning of exclusivity when it comes to fashion. If you’re the kind who like your clothes to be really one-of-a-kind, then you’re a definite Someone. Look out for their art-oriented t-shirts with paint spatters over their screen-printed graphics.

Starting off with only about $500, the owners put their hearts into their dream and bringing Someone to grow into a respectable company. Their other commitment as stated in an interview is: “to head up fund-raising efforts and rehabilitation efforts for the homeless, thus giving them clothing and teaching them a trade to further their chances in future job searches and life.”

For a grass-roots apparel brand, that is admirable. SoJones.com editors have picked out a few of our favorite Someone items. Pieces range from $16.00 up to $72.00. For their full collection, visit their official website at www.someoneclothing.com.

Streetwear Spotlight: Dincus

SoJones Asmara — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:13:08 +0000

If you think ‘green’ apparel is mostly drab, khaki-colored stuff that only a hippie could love, then you obviously haven’t seen what Dincus has to offer.

The British Columbia-based clothing company has been producing organic, attractive and fully fashion-forward streetwear made from bamboo fabrics. And if you think bamboo clothing will make you uncomfortable, BZZT wrong again. Dincus’ new bamboo material is ultra soft, naturally wicks away sweat and combats odor causing bacteria so you’ll smell fresh all day. SoJones.com sits down with Chad Hendren, co-creator and co-owner of Dincus Clothing.

Introduce yourself and describe how your brand was started?
Dincus Originated in Whistler 4 years ago by myself Chad Hendren and old time friend Greg Thompson. The first summer we created 50 Tees, with an overwhelming response the year following we went with 250 tees and 250 hoodies. Afer two years of the doinf thae same as everyone else we decided change was and when Dincus made the jump from basics to full on multi year collections, we contracted an experienced designer who was developing eco friendly lifestyle apparel and has a tremendous amount of experience with technical outerwear. He already had a successful working relationship with our graphics artist so once we understood this guy was working “ahead of the curve”, it was easy to adopt the eco route which is now the mission statement, platform and direction of the company.

Describe this season and next season’s looks.
There were a few fashion trends we touched on to bring the collection together. Firstly there needed to be a balance between the various eco fabrications, garment blocks and graphics. We started a morphed geometric graphic theme for summer 2009 which evolved into the 2010 program. The new collection direction is based around a retro 70’s hippy / Warhol’ish nature theme that flows through the collection, blends and then converts into a progressive geometric pattern. We also touched on hot rod pin striping detail to meld and add an additional element so we weren’t limiting our offering. All this with a colorful / subdued flare controlled by our palette which allowed us to offer bright combinations and mono-chromatics in the same graphic family’s. It was a complicated vision that was presented to our graphics guru who worked his magic. This all had to adapt to the eco fabrics, so it was challenging but the end result is awesome!

What celeb or well-known figure(s) exemplify the brand?
Our Athletes are our Celebrities, Action sports is such a huge part of our demographic. We sponsor atheltes such as Miranda Miller and Danice Uyesugi who race World Cup , Matty Richard who is one of the Leading Big Mountain Freeskiers in Canada and the World . Sami Kennedy from Australia whom is in running for a a spot on the Olympic skier-cross team. We also sponsor athleteswho Surf, Skate, Snowboard, Wake board and Kite surf

Any product placements on celebs, in movies or videos to keep an eye out for?
We’re in the works right now stay tuned..

Any expansion plans?
We are in the process of expanding our international distribution and American sales representative network. We did a “surprise release” limited technical recycled fabric outerwear collection for this coming “Olympic” season, which is expanding into 2010-11 due to the positive feedback we received from the recent trade shows. Our bamboo denim line (which we developed from scratch) will continue to expand. Everyone wears denim, but if you haven’t worn bamboo denim, you don’t know what your missing!!! The 2010 summer collection includes some fall garments which will cross-over into the winter offering, so yes, we are not holding back and plan to keep expanding our offerings for years to come.

Looking ahead over the next year or two, what themes/looks/styles do you see your brand gravitating to?
We’re not following. We started with a unique concept that allows us continue to evolve the blocks, eco fabrics and artistic interpretation of what we feel follows the progression we started last year. We are totally hooked up with the top fashion forecast companies, but that’s basically to just keep an eye on where everyone else is being directed. We are pushing further into developing more eco fabrics to help everyone lower there carbon footprints!

What has been a surprise fashion hit over the last year?
I don’t think there are any real surprises out there. Pretty much everything in this category is cyclical; what goes around, comes around! Reworking the norm, like denim and t’shirts, to provide these in eco blends that are better for you and the planet is a better surprise!

Sounds like a great idea to look eco-stylish. Here are some SoJones.com favorites from Dincus Apparel. For full collection, visit their official website at www.dincus.com where you can shop for a price range of $35.00 – $109.00.