Urban Clothing and Hip Hop Clothing » Streetwear

All Black

SoJones — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:23:16 +0000

ALL BLACK Women's Shiny Fish Ballet Flat

All Black is an upcoming indie brand of shoes that offers elegant yet edgy footwear that is set to satisfy even the most discriminating customer. All Black combines thoughtful construction, clever design, and beautiful and unique materials all into one package.

This North American company that entered into the fashion market in June of 2005 and was immediately discovered. It became made available in Anthropologie retail and online stores and was then made a favorite item in select fashion boutiques. Colin Lin, the designer of All Black shoes and bags, tends to focus on dramatic yet soft tones and combines the new looks of today along with touches of past style.

ALL BLACK Women's Gathered Snake Ballet Flat

They produce products such as Tess Exotic Kitten Heels which are gorgeous with their stunning wild prints. There is also the All Black Women’s Gathered Snake Ballet Flats which has a snake skin lined in leather upper and a man-made sole. The brand’s Women’s 070025A Blunt Toe Ballet shoe has a smooth leather upper and pleated vamp. Other shoes that All Black produces include the Women’s Diamond Quilt Ballet Flat; the 47Th Street Ballet Flat with a leather and cluster of jewels forming the upper; and the Buckle My Toe Ballet Flat with a micro fiber lined in leather upper.

As far as shoes go, All Black likes to put its primary focus on flats, low heels, and wedges. The materials that they tend to use is traditional leathers but also include such things as snakeskin, eel skin, and even fish skins. With their soft new sole construction, All Black offers innovative styling along with a comfortable fit.

Triple 5 Soul

SoJones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:06:11 +0000

Triple 5 Soul or T5S is a clothing company for men and women, and has been around for 20 solid years. Founded in 1989 by Camella Ehlke and now handled by company vice president Ben Valez, it was initially located in New York’s Lower East side. By 1997, only months after opening on Lafayette Street in New York City, the brand gained international recognition and can now be found in most of the U.S., Australia, Europe, Canada and Japan.

Calling Triple 5 Soul an independent forerunner in the streetwear industry can’t be more accurate. The brand started catering to clothing demands set by their consumers, and has helped them in becoming an instant clothing staple. Most popular in the underground fashion scene, its international recognition does not compromise their company’s design values of maintaining its street soul, allowing the brand to grow together with its original market while still expanding their fanbase.

Outdoor backpack by Triple 5 Soul

With its first debut on MTV, T5S’s hat was the beginning of an era of emergent street style and functionality. Their merchandise includes men’s clothing and women’s clothing consisting of shirts made of pure cotton, cleverly designed and durable sweaters and hoodies, denim and sweatpants, laptop bags, backpacks, and carry all bags, canvas and leather footwear and other accessories to complement these basic pieces. Mainly using street mixed with a bit of bohemian style as design principles, their style is distinguished by clean lines, comfortable fabric, versatility and classic street style that will never get old. These simple design principles are also what has made the brand emerge into a global lifestyle brand that has created an ever loyal fanbase.

You can visit their main site www.triplefivesoul.com or shop for their latest pieces from karmaloop.

Team Sager

SoJones — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:35:49 +0000

Sager and Friends

Hope is the most important thing that people need to move forward. The slightest ray of hope can ignite the human spirit’s ability to overcome: the power of the invisible sun.

– Bobby Sager

There are those in the world of business who just seem to be golden. They have a touch that bathes each of their projects in success, no matter what it is. They are meant to be noticed by the world, and the world obliges. Bobby Sager may be one of those golden ones. What sets him apart from even this select group, though, may well be the heart that beats beneath his business exterior.

Bobby Sager is the force behind Team Sager. As a branch of the Sager Family Traveling Foundation and Roadshow, they team with communities in such places as the West Bank and Rwanda, enabling them to market their handicrafts to the West. The initiative empowers the people who construct the items to move closer towards a goal of being self-sufficient, as individual families and communities, as well.

Sager and Sting

Sager, a Brandeis graduate with a Masters of Management from Yale, was an integral part of the Gordon Brothers Group in Boston from 1985 to 2000. But the groundwork for living what was in his heart was probably set in the preceding years just before that, when he and wife Elaine lived a nomadic life, making and selling jewelry as they traveled the world. In 2000, the road apparently began to call out to him again, and he established the Sager Family Traveling Foundation and Roadshow. The couple, and their two young children, embraced their global travels once again with a slightly different objective this time around. They would now take up the role of philanthropists instead of vendors, working to assist instead of to only make a living for themselves.

Sager found a kindred spirit when he met Sting in 1999, and the two have been close ever since. Most recently, Sting performed and appeared with Sager at events promoting Sager’s book of photographs, The Power of the Invisible Sun, as well as contributing the book’s foreword. Sager was also the basis for the main character in NBC’s The Philanthropist television series.

Hands Up Not Hands Out Initiative

Team Sager contributes to the foundation’s cause by sponsoring the Hands Up Not Handouts program, which brings handicrafts from around the world to a global market. The Qalandia cuffs are the first to be featured, along with a Rwandan initiative that features earrings and necklaces. The Qalandia cuffs are handmade by the Qalandia Camp Women’s Handicraft Cooperative, working out of the West Bank’s Qalandia Refugee Camp. Made to be worn by both men and women, the intricate needlework is hand sewn and completed in seven assorted basic and seasonal color palettes, including trellis, autumnal floral and tribal multi, to name a few. Profits from the sales are used by the co-op to fund such community projects as clothing for refugee schoolchildren, quilts for orphanages and vocational programs for impoverished women in nearby remote villages.

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.

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.

CRCLM

SoJones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:29 +0000

High fashion defines CRCLM's Lexington Jacket.

In the age of text messaging, CRCLM puts a twist to its name – and its quality goods. Pronounced as “Curriculum,” this newly-conceived, Los Angeles-based clothing line aims to connect the gap between streetwear and high fashion by making use of premium materials.

The brand’s icon is represented by an upside-down picture of Benjamin Franklin, with the text “Bankrupt” represented by the case of the reversed 100-dollar bill. This icon is also featured in the brand’s best-selling Bankrupt tee. Depicting another iconic figure of the dollar bill, CRCLM also has the Pyramid tee, which features the 1-dollar bill’s “Pyramid with the eye.”

Aside from iconic tees, CRCLM also specializes in outerwear. Bestsellers include the Swift Rock jacket, which features a zip-up front, two zip chest pockets on the left side, two lower side pockets, and ribbing at the cuffs and hem.

Another revolutionary jacket is the Lexington model, which features a double breasted button-down front, buttoned shoulder epaulets, and two lower pockets.

For a defined look, try the Artillery jacket, which features a zip-up front, four snap button pockets on the front, buttoned shoulder epaulets, and ribbing at the collar, cuffs, and hem.

Channel the preppy look with the Hemingway Cardigan’s defining large shawl collar. This unique cardigan features a button-down front, two pockets, raw edges on the stitching, and ribbing at the cuffs and hem.

For a more laid-back outerwear, try CRCLM’s wide array of sweatshirts. Look hot with CRCLM’s Quilt Crew Zip Sweatshirt, which features a quilted design all throughout. Like the aforementioned design, quilts govern CRCLM’s Pullover Sweatshirt.

Another innovative CRCLM top is the Henley Hooded shirt, which features a button-down front. It also features a regular hood, buttoned shoulder epaulets, and two chest pockets (one zip, one buttoned).

Look preppy and fashionable in CRCLM's Hemingway Cardigan.

In terms of formal wear, CRCLM also sells button-down polos. One model is the Swindle Selvedge Buttondown, which features a button-down front, thinly lined pattern throughout, and two buttoned chest pockets. It also has contrast stitching on the outside edges of the chest pockets and on the horizontal seam across the back.

For a laid-back yet innovative look, choose CRCLM’s Civilian Button-down. This seemingly normal button-down pops up with its iconic third red button. For a look which you can take from day to night, try the Mercenary Button-down, which brims with its button-down front, buttoned shoulder epaulets, and two buttoned chest pockets.

For a country feel, try the Work The Angle Button-down, which features checkered fabric and buttoned shoulder epaulets. If you love a more detailed checkered print, try the Shibuya Buttondown, which features a button-down front, a plaid knit pattern throughout, and a chest pocket.

Despite being a relatively young label, CRCLM has been a noisemaker, given its extensive range of exquisitely-created shirts, sweatshirts, cardigans, button-downs, and jackets. To browse through the label’s extensive collection, visit its official website, www.crclm.com.

Warrior Footwear

SoJones — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:45:01 +0000

Warrior Footwear

Originally founded in 1935, Warrior Footwear started as a sporting shoe, a pathway for everyone to afford athletics. Since no other footwear brands dominated the market then, Warrior Footwear arose in popularity in the Chinese market. When China opened up to the Western and their dominating footwear brands, Warrior Footwear lay amassed behind the other more famous brands. Now that Warrior Footwear has been brought to life by two American students inspired with the footwear that the working people in Shanghai loved, the brand is ready to rise from its ashes.

Classic, comfortable, lightweight and breathable, these sneakers are Warrior Footwear’s pride and for good reason. Since the footwear is produced at a year-round style, each shoe can be worn anywhere – to a friend’s place, at a sports arena, in the beach or even while walking the dog.

The footwear brand provides a set of unisex shoes believing that in footwear, people must not limit themselves to the status quo of fashion. The footwear line is classified into four types: Team Basketball, World Tour Tennis, Street Kung Fu and Lane Badminton. Each classification is embedded with specific details, created with special technical materials to ensure the comfort and high performance especially for the sport it intends to play on. Every shoe is designed creatively, available in classic colors and elegant patterns.

Warrior Footwear

With a rising international popularity and a growing reputation for elegant-looking, stylish footwear, Warrior Footwear is bound to snatch up some media for itself. Online fashion magazines like High Snobiety, Freshness Mag, Rex Magazine, Hype Beast, Uncrate, Norml Clothing, Kicks on Fire, This Next, Sneaker Me Stupid, Men’s Fashion Blips, Like, Thrillist and Style Hive all appreciate the set of basic, lightweight but high-performance sneakers that Warrior Footwear prides itself on. Aside from the positive support of these magazines, Warrior Footwear has also been introduced to American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member, Raekwon.

The collection is now available in over 10 stores spread out in New York, Massachusetts, Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, California, Pennsylvania and Florida. In Canada, Warrior Footwear is available in Ottawa and in Belgium. Online, the footwear can be bought through Classic Kicks, BD Gas Store, Rivington Club, Stop for Traffic, Social Study Sneakers and Karmaloop. The brand also sells their footwear through their official website www.warriorfootwear.com.

If Warrior Footwear hadn’t made much impression on the Western markets in the 1990s, now with their modern concept and high-fashion designs, the footwear brand is bound to tattoo a stronger impression into international markets.

Red Wing

SoJones — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:55:00 +0000

Red Wing Shoes

Founded in 1905 by Charles H. Beckman, Red Wing Shoes started out big by becoming the producer of the footwear used by the American soldiers during World War I and II. Being the producer of high powered, military boots, Red Wing Shoes earned their way up to the footwear industry.

Recently, the company has expanded their footwear line to produce not just military footwear, but shoes for the regular working class and specific industries.

Red Wing Shoes’ collection consists of work shoes, work boots and motorcycle footwear. Motorcycle footwear is classified by design – lace up, with its classic laces; and the zipper, a stylish new design emphasizing the zipper at the side of the shoe. Both work shoes and work boots have sub-classifications, but each shoe has all the necessary safety requirements, comfort and durability that all workers may need. Each style has unique details and specific materials to ensure high performance.

Arising along with the brand’s continuous reputation is their ever growing press and media reviews. Online and offline reputable magazines and blogs such as Sole Diction, Montreal Lifestyle Magazine, Rogtec Magazine, Men’s Lifestyle Magazine, Swipe Life, Ramp Magazine, Slam X Hype, Jocks and Nerds Magazine, Apparel Magazine and This Next have all supported the footwear brand with positive features. After all, when it’s powerful, durable footwear – who couldn’t resist?

Red Wing Shoes

Being around for a long time in the footwear industry pays a lot. As time passes and Red Wing Shoes becomes more and more popular, online e-stores hope to be able to carry the brand in their collection. These e-stores include Shoes to Boot, Sacks Store, Shoe Buy, Lots of Boots, Zappos, Endless, Shoe Biz, The Find, Shoe Store, Boot Biz, Online Shoes, Pegasus Shoes, Biz Rate, Shoes, Pronto Style, Planet Shoes and Karmaloop. Since Red Wing Shoes are now available in more than 20 countries internationally, it isn’t hard to find a store that holds the brand. Red Wing also runs a set of websites by location like www.redwingshoes.com.au, www.redwingshoes-europe.com and www.rwss.com which also sells Irish Setter and Vasque footwear. Their lifestyle collection is portrayed at www.rwleatherboots.com, while their safety footwear advice can be found at www.redwingsafety.com. Their official online e-store is www.redwingshoestore.com and www.redwingshoes.com is the brand’s official website.

With the same high quality performance footwear the brand provides to the soldiers, the same quality materials and details are embedded to the footwear they produce today.

Void Watches

SoJones — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:00:50 +0000

Void Watches

Launched only in 2008, Void Watches is the result of the genius and artistic mind of Swedish designer, David Ericsson. His unique eye and specialty for expressive shapes gives the brand’s watches an elegant, architectural expression. With a modernistic idea and appointing a cooler look on digital timepieces, Void Watches upgrades their level, embedding uniqueness into a high performance stylish wrist watch for everyone to appreciate.

Customized especially for the wearer’s wrist, Void Watches offers fashionable timepieces featuring leather straps, inverted display of LCD and half glass and half stainless steel front. Arising from a Scandinavian influence in design and concept with its geometric and used materials, the watches produced by the brand are especially made for those who’d like to wear the perfect wrist candy – creative and elegance all in one.

The Void Watches collection, aside from their set of elegant, digital watches varying in colors includes the set of accessories divided into two classifications. The cufflink accessory is made of anodized aluminum and includes a one piece CNC lathe. The cufflink is available in gold, silver and black. The other type of accessory available to choose from is the strap, made of leather and stainless steel and includes a buckle appropriate for the color. This strap is available in white and copper, black and brushed buckle, black and polished buckle, brown with gold buckle and black with black buckle.

LCD Void Watches

Since the beginning of the company and the rise in reputation, Void Watches seem to be doing just fine. Their press attention has also risen with online blogs and magazines such as Good as Gold, Crunch Gear, Genwi, Por Homme, Lint Coat, Design to Design, Dezeen, Swipe Life and Cool Material writing positive reviews about their products. Not only that, online lifestyle magazines We Heart Stuff and Watch is Mo has also shown appreciation to the quality products from Void Watches.

Although the company is new to the business, Void Watches has already gone out to promote their special watches. Their collection is available in Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, UK and in the United States. Aside from the retailers in other countries, the collection is also offered online for those who wish to avail the products. These e-stores include Watch is Mo, Gad Hype, Splendicity and Karmaloop. Their website, www.voidwatches.com also offers their products for sale.

Void Watches are for those people who have deep appreciation for an endless time piece that’s fashion forward and made of high quality materials.

DV Shoes by Dolce Vita

SoJones — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:36:05 +0000

'Willy' beige booties By DV Shoes

DV Shoes were launched as a counter line by Dolce Vita. The brand, formally launched in 2001 and based in New York, was made to cater to younger generation without compromising the classic and sensible style of Dolce Vita.

The line consists of heels, flats, boots and sandals that are designed to be worn in accordance to mainstream trends. Compared to the original Dolce Vita, this sub line is a lot more experimental and edgy, taking inspiration from So Cal’s most prominent trendsetters. Shoes from the DV collection are relatively affordable and very comfortable.

DV shoes are made with all the current silhouettes in mind. You get unique and beautiful lines and shapes with each pair. It’s a guarantee that you’ll never see something too chunky or too slim in their collection.

Audrina Partridge in sandals by DV Shoes

They offer more than just shoes. They recently added a few clothing lines to match their shoes. You can now coordinate outfits according to mood whether you are feeling flirty, sexy, naughty, casual or hyped up to go all out, you can find a whole variety of choices to choose from. All of these were made especially for girls of The Now – young, rockin’ and glam.

DV shoes by Dolce Vita allow for a more flexible usage of their shoes, letting their clients romp around having a wild time while still giving you reliable comfort and wearability. So you basically get style and practicality, which is a rarity in the fashion world. Plus it doesn’t hurt that these pretty little things are priced just right, don’t be afraid to splurge on few pairs and satisfy your shoe addiction.

Besides being one of hottest new shoe lines sought after so many magazines like InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, People, and Life&Style, the DV line has proven to be a big hit with celebrities like Audrina Partridge, Paris Hilton and Ashley Tisdale.

You can get your own pair from their specialty store in the Manhattan’s Lower East Side, affiliated department stores or online at their shop www.shopdolcevita.com or karmaloop.