‘los angeles’ Category
Store shout out - FIFTY50 GRIND in Eagle Rock
CHILDREN’s newest vendor is Fifty50 Grind. A dope streetwear boutique in the LA suburb of Eagle Rock.
Fifty50 carries brands like Jeepney, Free Gold Watch, Ames Bros., and 7th Letter. They also carry skate decks from Rhyders and they have a surprisingly stacked selection of shoes with New balance, Nike, Adidas and more.
Check the pics below and definitely make a point to stop by this unique spot. Say wassup to the owner Robert and his wife.
Tags: eagle rock stores fashion streetwear los angeles sneakers tee shirt
Venice Beach Boardwalk - We skate and look fresh too
I went down to Venice Beach Boardwalk (There’s really no boards on the boardwalk, it’s just cement) the other day. It was the first time I’d been there in a while. Besides the local loons, bad hippie artists, tourists and crap-selling vendors, I met some real cool, uber-hip skaters.
These dudes were pimpin the no-brand name streetwear look. Not only that, but they could skate. Big ups for keepin Venice Beach fresh, fellas.
And on a food note… next time your at Venice Boardwalk, stop at Big Daddy’s right by the skatepark for some chili cheese fries. They were bomb. Sliced like potato chips, crispy on the edges, loaded with chili and cheese.
Hybrid Culture at Dragonfly
A few nights ago we rep’d another night at Hybrid Culture at Dragonfly on Santa Monica. The homegirl Arianna Basco throws this night, getting together bands and visual artists for a night of creativity and general good times.
The CHILDREN section:
Arianna runs an art and poetry zine called Tard and Feathered. They had merch and zines for sale:
Some bands played that I was actually really impressed with. I’m not the kind of guy that goes to watch local bands, I usually get bored at concerts. But these 2 bands really rocked their sets and played some good music.
Forcefield ON was on some happy, indie tip with 3 trombonists (yes 3 trombonists) and a frontman/keyboardist/guitarist jumping into the crowd to play his solo. Good show.
When Vajra came on I was automatically turned off by the thought of a rock band with an MC, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear a unique style and some seriously talented musicians. The guitarist (who bought a CHILDREN shirt) ripped an insane solo and the bassist and trumpet player both killed it.
I also met Ugandan rapper Saba Saba. He was real cool dude and you’ll see him rockin his headphone tee he bought from me. Good lookin out Saba!
All in all a good night. I’ll post notices next time.
PEACE!
Streetwear dies in 2008 and WTF happened to 2007?
Happy New Year everyone!
‘08 is here. Seriously, WTF happened to ‘07? I mean I know there were record temperatures this year, but there had to have also been record speeds. I mean this was, without a doubt, the fastest year to date, right? At least that’s what it felt like to me.
And btw, I had a seriously rock ‘n roll NYE. My wife, my daughter and I all got the flu. We watched half of I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and were in bed by 9. I mean really, it doesn’t get more hardcore than that.
Anyway… 2007 was a big year for the fashion world and especially for streetwear. Every kid I see now from about age 10 and up has got on a cool pair of skinny jeans and a pair of Vans or Dunks. All-over prints and graphic tees (that actually don’t look bad) are sold at Target and Walmart. There’s a skateshop at every mall (sometimes 3) and that exclusive Japan-only thing you couldn’t get before, it’s not so exclusive now.
If you walk down Melrose there are now at least 6 sneaker boutiques in about 8 blocks. I mean that’s crazy! Kicks Los Angeles, Capsole, 2 Sportie LAs, Kendo and the one across the street from Barracuda that I forgot the name of. Not to mention Brooklyn Projects and Workmens which also sell kicks, plus Supreme, Flight Club LA. Streetwear has gone bananas in 2007!
What else happened in ‘07? Well, The Hundreds exploded. There were 13,458 collabos (half of which Rogue Status were a part of). 9,672 new lines were launched. Of the top 5 shoes from the top 3 shoe makers, there were 6,189 new colorways. (These figures were researched rigidly and you can most definitely trust them.)
So what do we do? How can we still be cool if cool has become so mainstream? Because I’ll tell you something, the crowd on La Brea outside of Union and Undefeated these days is looking pretty unique-less if you know what I mean. (You like that word? I made it up myself.)
We stay the course, I guess. Pretty soon the lines that are dedicated will stick around and the ones that aren’t won’t. Companies that thrived on producing what was hot at the moment will either have to move on or move out. Ultra-hip clothes that go out of style in a matter of months will do just that. And companies that make stuff that is cool and contemporary, but still classic and timeless will keep making those clothes. I mean that’s the way it’s always worked, right?
So, I guess if you want to keep being cool just listen to the homie Napolean Dynamite: “Just follow your heart. That’s what I do.”
On the CHILDREN front, we’ve got new designs in the works and we’ll be showing at Agenda and possibly other shows this year. We’ll keep expanding and growing, because that’s what CHILDREN do.
And I’ll leave you with this: The new female mc Kid Sister featuring Kanye with Pro Nails. There hasn’t been a good female rapper for a long time and leave it up to my favorite pop star, Kanye West, to break one. I’m not sure if Kanye did the production on this track, but the beat is tight and it’s a fun song. Don’t hate.
Have a great ‘08 y’all!
Tags: Streetwear fashion los angeles new year kid sister kanye west
To all a fashionable Christmas, and to all a goodnight.
Merry Christmas everyone.
The season of giving and receiving has wound down and with just 1 hour and 41 minutes left until December 26th, my wallet is empty and my stomach is full. It’s back to the grind tomorrow and my little 4 day slice of heaven is coming to a close. I shopped, saw The Golden Compass at The Grove, ate espresso-chocolate-chips pancakes from The Griddle, hung with the fam and got not-enough sleep. It was good times.
Next weekend will double as a UFC fight night and a second mini-Christmas party for the homies who didn’t get their gifts today. And I’ll for sure have something written about George St. Pierre’s slaughter of Matt Hughes and Wanderlei’s utter annihilation of Chuck Liddell at UFC 79… but that’s another blog.
Statistically speaking, it was a good holiday season for the retail industry. People were shopping and thank God I got some of what was bought. If you read my blog you probably know I like my streetwear clean and simple and that I like FUCT, Upper Playground and New Balance (amongst many other things, of course). Looks like wifey was reading my blog because she got me all three.
I got this shirt from Upper Playground:
This one from FUCT:
And the pimpy velcro New Balances from Undefeated which I KNOW I saw on Freshnessmag or Highsnobiety, but for some reason I can’t find the image now.
I got my wife the Made Me tights from Karmaloop:
and also some things I picked up a the Insight sample sale here in LA.
What’d you get?
Merry Christmas everyone. Back to the grind.
Holla!
Tags: streetwear christmas fashion los angeles tee shirt sneakers
CHILDREN with DJ Rhettmatic and Mr. Choc, Downtown LA
This Tuesday, December 18, CHILDREN will be downtown at Soled Out Tuesdays at the Crash Mansion, 9pm-2am.
1024 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Beat Junkies legends, DJ Rhettmatic and the ever-dope Mr. Choc will be mixing live. Streetwear brands reppin like Temel, Honor the Brand and of course CHILDREN will be there selling their goods.
Contact me about guest list.
Hip hop and streetwear… isn’t that why we’re here?
Tags: streetwear fashion los angeles hip hop
Streetwear store review #1 - Barracuda
With so many streetwear boutiques popping up all over Los Angeles it’s hard to be cool anymore. I mean it’s no secret where you got that hoodie from anymore. You can get that tee shirt anywhere and they sell your dunks at Urban Outfitters. However, I still love clothes and the stores that sell them. So this will be the first in my series of reviews of streetwear stores in the Los Angeles area. Exciting, huh?
Barracuda… Melrose’s finest vendor of upper-end streetwear. Great tee-shirt selection you don’t see everywhere else, interesting kicks and an eclectic mix of brands make this store a must-see stop when out shopping. (I’m always forgetting to take pictures of the outside of the store)
You walk in to the girls’ section on the bottom floor where brands like Insight, Stussy, Gentle Fawn, and many more grace the racks. They’ve got a nice collection of denim and tees for girls and probably the best selection of tops, sweaters and jackets I’ve ever seen. Every time, I go in there there’s something awesome I want to buy for my wife. Barracuda does a really good job buying clothes that are unique and hip without being too weird and unwearable. They’ve got uber-hip, over-sized, 80s style girls sweatshirts, fitted jackets and more.
Head upstairs to the men’s section and there’s more clothing hotness for yo ass. Barracuda always has a big selection of Stussy tees and caps… always. They’ve also got tees from RVCA, Insight, 2K, and a bunch of other brands I can’t remember. Whether you’re looking for some soft, slim-cut tees, or some standard, stiff streetwear type stuff, Barracuda gotcha covered.
Barracuda also has a kick-ass shoe selection of not only Nikes and Adidas in rare colorways, but higher end Varvatos Converse, and other shoes like that.
Like the women’s section downstairs, the men’s selection of jackets and hoodies is dope. They’ve always got nice numbers from Stussy, FreshJive and others. They recently were carrying a dope black on black camo-ish jacket from Quiksilver, not a brand you see in most boutiques like this.
While I was there they were having some crazy dope sale. Like 50% off AND buy 2 get 1 free on shoes and tees or something like that. I’m not sure if that sale is still going on, but you should definitely check it out.
Lastly, Barracuda has a whole special section dedicated to LA-based line Kazuo. Kazuo is a cut ‘n sew line with simple graphic tees and clean, bohemian-modern shirts, jackets and more. I didn’t like this line too much when I first saw it, I thought it was kind of boring, but after a while it’s definitely grown on me. The pieces are classic with a just a touch of strange.
So that’s Barracuda in a nutshell. Definitely stop by if you never have. While it’s not strictly a streetwear store, I’d say it’s the most unique store of it’s kind in LA and there are always great finds there. The best store on Melrose for sure and arguably the best boutique in LA.
Barracuda
7600B Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 852-7179
Tags: streetwear los angeles fashion barracuda boutique kazuo stussy
Aaahhhh. FUCT brings it back to cool.
Since my last post on FUCT, they’ve added a few new items that I really like. Some old school FUCT flavor, graphic tees. The first release they put out on their new site was little “Nordstrom” feeling for my taste, if you know what I mean; sort of Affliction-y The new stuff on there, however is reminiscent of the FUCT I grew up loving. So reminiscent, actually that it’s some of the same designs from yesteryear with a little ‘07 makeover; like the ape logo, the FUCT “LOVE” logo, etc.
Check it:
Simian since ‘91 raglan:
FUCT follies tee:
And my favorite, paying homage to the classic bike movement with the Wild in the Streets tee:
I don’t know what these tees are like. Whether they’re slim-cut, soft cotton or regular old-school Hanes-style. I hope they’re Hanes-style.
I’m also very jealous of the Japan-only, manly looking, slim-cut flannels. these shirts are manufactured and sold only in the JP. They look like they belong in SLB (which, by the way, has a rad website). I especially dig the black one:
Holla!
Tags: streetwear fashion japan fuct tee shirt
Stussy at Rose Bowl Swap Meet - Real or fake?
My wife and I and some others went to The Rose Bowl Swap Meet last weekend. It was the first time I’d ever been there; pretty sad as I’ve lived in LA my whole life.
Over all it was pretty cool, but I’m not writing a review on that. My real issue here is the Stussy booth that was set up there. I could not figure out if the clothes real or bootlegged. Overall, most of it looked real, but the whole set up was so messy and unofficial looking that I really couldn’t tell.
Hundreds of Stussy New Eras, thousands of tee shirts… all just piled on tables outside. I mean does Stussy really sell their stuff like that?
I saw at least one shirt that looked like it fit badly, like it was too short and wide. I saw another shirt where too much ink was applied on the silkscreen and the image was kind of bubbly. Maybe they were just seconds, like mistakes and what not, but I couldn’t help thinking it was all fake.
One guy picked up a Stussy x Mad Hectic x Undefeated tee and asked the lady working the booth how much it was. She told him it was $40 and that it was available only in Japan. Well according to Hypebeast it was available at Undefeated in the US, too. Maybe she was just misinformed… or maybe she was trying make a sale on some fake-ass shit!
The Rose Bowl Swap Meet is a huge event though and I would think that if they were selling fake Stussy, they’d get caught real quick. What the hell do I know, though.
Anyone out there know if this stuff was real? I mean shit, I should have bought some if it was.
Tags: streetwear stussy tee shirt new era fashion los angeles rose bowl
New FUCT website and collection
FUCT has been making a comeback in the last year or two and have just recently released their new site and their new F/W ‘07 collection. Looks OK.
They’ve got 2 lines: BDU (Battle Dress Uniform, according to Highsnobiety) and Premium. It’s definitely a departure form what they’ve been doing.
The BDU line is mostly black and white and the art is in a west coast graffiti/tattoo type of style.
The Premium line so far seems to consist of just 3 tees which are soft cotton, thin tees with soft, worn feeling prints.
An apparent anti-war message runs throughout the line. It’s kind of a weird thing with FUCT, I can’t figure out where they’re coming from, what they’re saying. The website has got girls in lingerie drinking in front of a confederate flag. It’s all very artistic and tasteful mind you, but nonetheless… it is what it is. That combined with what seems like anti-war messages and it kind of seems like FUCT doesn’t really know where it stands. Not that drunk girls and peace are necessarily conflicting ideas, it’s just that I can’t tell what this line is about now or who what demographic they’re aiming at. The vintage-cotton tees aren’t my thing either. There’s nothing wrong with them, but it seems to me that when a line starts printing shirts like that, they’ve basically left teh streetwear market. I wouldn’t be surprised to see these shirts end up at Barney’s NY, Scoop, or Fred Segal, places like that. Which if they do, props to FUCT and founder Erik Brunetti for getting his shit out there. I remember when I thought I was dope with my FUCT logo tee and then they started carrying it at Urban Outfitters. I couldn’t buy anything else FUCT for a while.
I just read an interview with Erik Brunetti and he definitely seems like a smart, cool, down-to-earth dude. And FUCT has been one of my favorite lines for the last 12 years or so. I’m glad to see they’re back and I hope they do well. I’m just a little confused at what they’re putting out there. Maybe it’ll just take a little time to digest.
