Supra Footwear | Antwuan Dixon Signature

Supra's Spring 2010 Collection comes in leaps and bounds above their competitors with a handful of new silhouettes and clean takes on some of their classics. Of all the silhouettes I think the Antwuan Dixon Signature model rises among the rest. It seems a little uncharacteristic for a professional skater, whose every inch of his body is adorned with ink, to have such a clean and simple pro shoe, but that is exactly what the Dixon is. The silhouette is on point in terms of wardrobe versatility and skatebility with clean lines and minimalist look. The low-profile sneaker comes in four colorways. The Black Canvas and Blue Suede are available now, the Grey Canvas drops February 15 with my personal favorite, Bone Suede, will hit authorized Supra dealers on March 15. (via. SupraFootwear)

Apple | iPad Unveiled

After much speculation and waiting Apple and Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco today. The Apple iPad will bridge the gap between the smart-phone and laptop. The iPad features a 9.7" IPS display, featuring multi-touch functionality, 10-hour battery life with one full month of standby time, integrated speaker and microphone, Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G. The iPad comes in at .5" thick and a mere 1.5 pounds and will come in 16, 32 and 64 GB Flash storage options. The entry level version of the Apple iPad will run around $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32G and $699 for 64GB with the $130 option to add 3G. Good to see Mr. Jobs back in action after he missed last years January Macworld due to health concerns that resulted in a liver transplant in April of this past year. Check it out here. (via. Apple)

Maestro Knows - Houston Edition - Episode 4

Benny Gold x Gravis | Expedition Series

Gravis recruited SF based designer Benny Gold to design a collection of rugged technical luggage and bags. The Expedition Series features intricate patches designed by Benny that will grace a collection of "Park Ranger" inspired baggage. The backpacks, laptop cases and messenger bags feature vintage style patches that play off of camp patch and airline imagery. The patches will appear on the series of luggage and will later appear on a collection of apparel and footwear. Look for the collection to hit Gravis retailers in mid February.

(via. BennyGold)

Taishi Nobukuni | Clarks Weaver

Japanese designer Taishi Nobukuni is probably best know for his work as head designer for menswear label Takeo Kikuchi and more recently his signature line which debuted in 2005 at the Tokyo Collections. His work often relays a combination of ethnic influence and political concern.

He recently sat down with Clarks to work on a pair of Weavers. Nobukuni puts a twist on the classic Clarks staple which combines heritage and simplicity. The low-profile, crepe-soled shoe gets outfitted with removable golf inspired flaps coming in a camel and navy suede. This shoe falls somewhere between a Wallabee and Desert Boot and most definitely one of my personal favourite pieces of footwear I have seen in a while.

(via. Highsnobiety)

Midem 2010 | Pharrell Williams Interview

Midem is an annual music minded business conference held in Cannes, France. MidemNet launched 11 years ago and focuses on the digital progression of music and the future of the industry.

Cornerstone is a creative lifestyle marketing agency, based in New York City, that was founded in 1997 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. CEO Rob Stone sat down with keynote speaker and recently named Billboard Magazine's Producer of the Decade, Pharrell Williams. In a candid discussion Pharrell sheds light on the current state of music and also expands on quite the portfolio of business ventures he has on the go including BBC/Ice Cream, artst.com and Bionic Yarn.

Not only is this one of the best discussions but also very insightful. If the above piece was of interest check out this recent Billboard interview with Rob Stone, Jon Cohen and Pharrell Williams.

The Award Tour | Haiti Relief Project Tees

In an effort to provide additional financial support for the ongoing relief efforts taking place in Haiti, the Award Tour has teamed up with Antilogy Design to print up 50 “Relief Edition” tee’s. The tee features a two color print with the classic "Award Tour" logo gracing the front and a hand illustrated back image dedicated to a "Spread Love" theme. All proceeds will be donated to the on going aid efforts in Port-au-Prince. Definitely one of the more thought out Haiti relief tees.

The end product will release this coming Sunday, January 24 at 5:30 PM EST.

(via. TheAwardTour)

FUCT SSDD | Okayama Selvedge Denim

A preview of the first two releases of the FUCT SSDD (Same Shit Different Day) raw and dirty washed denim. The denim is made of Okayama Selvedge denim form Okayama Japan. Okayama is home to roughly 100 family-owned factories that serve Japan's designer market being utilized by brands like Dior Homme, Sling & Stones, Diesel and Dolce and Gabbana. Many of these factories have maintained century old methods resulting in a superior denim.

The FUCT SSDD denim features all YKK New Max metal trims a replica of vintage Scovill trims (1820 USA trims which are no longer in business, YKK bought the rights of the Scovill trim shapes).

(via. FUCT/SSDD)

Hypebeast TV | Leah McSweeney Married to the Mob

For the second installment of Hypebeast TV the crew caught up with Leah McSweeney and her MOB Girls during their Spring 2010 photo-shoot. With the help of New York videographer Kellen Dengler Hypebeast was able to get an honest and insightful look at the industry through the eyes of one of the leaders in women's streetwear.

(via. Hypebeast)

New Era Cap Company | Consolidate U.S. Manufacturing Operations

Just another sign of the times.

"The New Era Cap Company has been manufacturing its caps in the United States for 90 years. We are very proud of our longstanding commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing, something our main industry competitors long ago abandoned.

Like many other companies, we have been forced to re-evaluate our entire business operations as a result of the global recession. And we have taken steps to manage costs and improve efficiencies across all parts of the company: marketing, corporate, brand design, sales and distribution.


Our manufacturing operations have also been part of our business review. The recession has reduced overall consumer demand for our caps and it has hurt the small independent retailers who helped support our domestic custom-order business. We have seen a number of these "independents" close over the last year or watched them get bought up by large retailers.


During this challenging period, we have tried to keep as many of our employees working in our U.S. facilities for as long as possible through the building of stock product to a point where we now have significant levels of excess inventory.

Unfortunately, we can no longer put off the difficult decision that we're faced with and we have advised our employees and our unions of our plan to consolidate our U.S. manufacturing operations from three facilities into one.

We believe that as tough as this decision is, it will enable us to continue to do apparel manufacturing in the U.S. with a unionized workforce in the future.

We recognize the significant impact that the consolidation is going to have on our employees and the communities where our plants are located. New Era is committed to doing everything we can to lessen that impact and assist our employees through this very difficult process."

(via. NewEra)

Tuesday's Chill Track | "Red Heart" - Hey Rosetta!

Maybe one of the must true to Tuesday 'Chill' Tracks we have had in a while. Hey Rosetta! is based out in St. John’s, NL. The six-piece group is comprised of Tim Baker (vocals/piano/guitar), Adam Hogan (guitar), Josh Ward (bass), Phil Maloney (drums), Kinley Dowling (violin), and Romesh Thavanathan (cello). The bands unique sound is a result of layered sound incorporating piano, violin and cello with the traditional four-piece garage rock band basics.

Red Hearts appeared on Hey Rosetta!'s most recent album, Into Your Lungs, which was released in June of 2008. The band recorded in the dead of winter in two East Coast harbour towns with producer and singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman. Check them out.

(via. HeyRosetta!)

CXXVI | Spring 2010 Lookbook

I can't say I know too much about CXXVI other than the fact that I really enjoyed browsing their nautical inspired Spring 2010 collection. So much so that I now realize that I have spent the last hour and a half reading up on the brand. Hopefully you are as intrigued as I am.

CXXVI is the brainchild of designers Matt Gorton and Jon Contino. The two founded design studio onetwentysix, a full service creative studio located in Port Jefferson, Long Island. Onetwentysix seems to have a unique ability of combining old world aesthetics with the forward thinking of a great metropolis. The duo is responsible for some great t-shirt graphics that you have probably seen gracing the store front of The Brooklyn Circus, or online stores of Franco Shade and Johnny Cupcakes.

CXXVI was an opportunity for Matt and Jon to explore their own collection that initially consisted of primarily limited runs of graphic tees. "We value the process so much. In doing limited edition/unique pieces, we’re able to manage each one individually and also document the process fairly extensively giving the entire brand a very hand-crafted and personal aesthetic". So much so that each shirt is hand-printed and individually hand number. Exemplifying the importance of detail and taking pride in your work. By being so hands on it seems that the brand epitomizes what it means to be part of the working class both in the their involvement in the process and the outcome of the collection.

Spring '10 explores more than graphic tees diving into a tight knit collection of accessories, bags, hooded sweatshirts and long sleeves. While cruising through the Spring 2010 look book a couple pieces really stood out. Check out the Hang 'Em High Bandana ($30), The Local 13 Duffel ($120), The New York, NY Hoodie ($74) and CXXVI's strong cast of graphic tees ($32-$36).

I am not too sure where Matt and Jon find the time to balance running a full fledged studio and filling orders but here's to hoping they continue.

(via. onetwentysix/LimitedHype/Hypebeast)

Good Wood NYC | Chief Piece

Good Wood continues to ride the successes of the recent Jesus Piece release. Last week we got a glimpse at the Africa collaboration with Self Scientific emcee Chace Infinite. This week we have a unique Chief Piece. The Chief Piece is crafted of natural light wood highlighted on the signature 30" beaded 'chain'. You can pick it up now for $40 USD over at the Good Wood online store. (via. CtotheJL)

Ransom Holding Co. | By Adidas Fall/Winter 2010 Boot Preview

The partnership between Canadian retail Ransom and Adidas continues to mesmerize me. These particular duck style boots are part of the Fall/Winter 2010 Collection of Ransom by Adidas. The boot features premium leathers on the upper and traditional rubber lower. I guess I will get a good head start saving some coin now. (via. Highsnobiety)

Haiti | A Harsh Reality

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks in Haut-Limbe just outside of Cap Haitien in Haiti (which is North of Port-au-Prince). It was a life altering experience to say the least. During our stay their we worked with a local doctor, Emmanuel Mareus, build a small in patient care facility (and by facility I mean a large room with cots) next to his clinic. This individual is the most passionate individual especially when it comes to the people of his country. Ever dime he has ever made has been put back into his medical practice. Mr. Mareus sent an update email about the current disaster that hit Haiti and how you can become directly involved if donating funds through Red Cross isn't your thing.

"Usually we think of 5 seconds as nothing. If we ask people to wait for 5 seconds, we don’t feel guilty. Talking to the victims of the earthquake in Port Au Prince will make you realize how 5 seconds can drastically change the course of one person’s life, a city, or even a nation. This is the reality of Port Au Prince.

On Wednesday night, I couldn’t sleep. I don’t think it was because I was afraid of sleeping under a concrete roof, because we did not see any damage here. But for the whole night, I couldn’t sleep. Early in the morning a group of people came to my door asking me to let them use the clinic truck to go help someone that was trapped under rubble in Port au Prince. And since no other driver was available, I decided as a doctor I would be more helpful to go and help in case they were able to get him out because the last message of the president of the nation was a call for all doctors to come and help. I also thought this would be an opportunity to do an assessment of what really happened since communication is down and most information that we have received is by word of mouth.

As I was getting into Port Au Prince I started to realize that I was getting into a war zone, as I have seen in movies. There were lots of buildings collapsed, turned into sandwiches. Hundreds of people were on the street, a few vehicles and on every corner a pile of dead bodies (at least 10). As we got further into the city, we discovered hundreds of tent cities. People were turning their sheets into tents so that they can sleep under it – those that were actually able to save something from their house. There is no way that I can put into words what this disaster has added to the misery that people were already suffering.


The first question that you ask is, how can I help? How can I make a change? How can I bring a smile back to their faces? When you look at the disaster you are angry as you ask why did it happen to these people who have nothing? Why do they have to suffer that much? When it’s not political unrest, it’s the corruption of the government leaders or bad weather like hurricanes and now a strong earthquake. Why? The truth is, you realize that there is no way that you can make a huge difference. There is no way that you can bring the lives back of the dead... so many moms without their babies, so many men without their wives, so many kids without their parents.

From what I saw, life will no longer be the same in Port au Prince because Port au Prince as a city no longer exists. Most of the schools have collapsed with students inside. Churches collapsed with people inside. People are afraid to be inside of any buildings as 80% of buildings have at least some degree of damage.

Our clinic wants to send a team of volunteers. Our goal is to help at least 700 to 800 people that are staying in a yard in a slum of Port Au Prince. We want to give those people much needed help. On our first trip we want to provide them with real tents, water filters, protein supplements (which we already have), clothes, medicines and spiritual support. The only thing we have available right now is the protein supplement, so we need money to buy medicines, food, water, diesel fuel, etc.

You can also send items such as clothing, sheets, medicines, etc. to:

Ebenezer Clinic
Dr. Emmauel Mareus (HCCC)
c/o Missionary Flights International
Unit 1053, 3170 Airmans Dr.
Ft. Pierce, FL 34946 USA

Thank you for your partnership. Please continue to pray for us and with us through this devastating time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Emmanuel Mareus"

**If you would like to donate money directly to Dr. Emmanuel Mareus feel free to email me at life.after.midnight@hotmail.com and I will put you in touch**

(Photos via. CNN)

HUF SF | Footwear Closer Look

The Moat Show at the Skatepark of Tampa went down this past week. Among the 48 participating brands were The Hundreds, 5Boro, Mighty Healthy, Kayo, Nike SB, Tum Yeto, One Distribution, Nixon and HUF. It appears that when Keith decided to put together and expand into footwear he did it big. HUF had their Fall/Holiday collection on display and a couple photos surfaced of a two tone orange low cut sitting amongst what appears to be a vast collection. (via. SkateParkOfTampa)

FUCT | 'The Doctrine' Part 1

SLAMXHYPE recently caught up with Erik Brunetti of Fuct fame to discuss all things relevant to the resurgence of one of the innovators of streetwear. The brand itself has evolved under a new guise and motivation expanding into a larger medium, film. It seems fitting and a naturally move for Mr. Brunetti to explore film as much of his inspirations seems to have various pop culture and film reference.

Above is the intro to the FUCT site which in my eyes takes this clothing thing to a new level. The technically sound two and a half minute piece was written, directed and scored by Erik and is the first of three episodes to appear on the site.

“For 2010 I will begin presenting a trilogy of FUCT commercials, the next logical step, given the fact that I reference much from cinema pop culture. I feel this is a major push in the right direction for my brand within our industry, as we have the ability to do anything with the digital tools available to us.

My decision to take our home page one step farther, (i.e. actually making my own films, as opposed to showing films I reference) came via the Internet / hypesites, after reading about lesser, younger companies, as well as over paid art directors complaining about how ” it’s all been done, where can we go from here, streetwear is dead…etc.” I find those statements and sentiments defeatist. The sky is the limit as to what can be achieved. “

Definitely worth the read.

(via. slamxhype)

The Award Tour | Relief Beanies for Haiti

The Award Tour will be releasing a 20 piece beanie run this evening at 6:45 EST through their Corner Store. The "Relief Beanies" are offered up in charcoal, navy, maroon and army green each featuring custom crafted wood pins created by the good people at Good Wood NYC. All of the proceeds from the sales will go directly to Haitian relief efforts.

(via. Hypebeast)

Nike Training | Force Fate Commercial

These commercials for Nike Training started appearing in Canada over the holidays during the World Junior Hockey Championship in light of the up coming Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Combination of music, directing, editing and videography make for more catchy Nike commercial focused on a little bit of Canadian stereotype. Olympics start February 12th with the first men's games starting on the 16th.

(via. NikeTrainingCanada)

Tuesday's Chill Track | "Wolf Like Me" - TV on the Radio

3sixteen | Second Installment of a Day With 3sixteen

In the second installment of 'A Day With 3sixteen' owners Andrew Chen and Johan Lam give us a sneak peak at their new head office and showroom in New York. In mid 2009 Andrew and Johan had the opportunity to partner up with denim guru Kiya Babzani to open the second chapter of Self Edge. Self Edge New York in one of the few spots in New York that you can find the 3sixteen collection in its entirety including the full range of accessories as well as footwear.

The captivating video, shot by Sarah Krusen, follows the two as they check in with their tie and shirt manufacturers while shedding some light on why they have chosen to maintain production in the United States. I have a great deal of respect for brands that take a hit on production costs in order to be more involved in the sampling and production process while supporting the local economy and building a relationship with the people that help them bring their designs to fruition.

On a side note you have until Friday to make your way over to the 3sixteen online store to capitalize on their holiday promotion. For all purchases over $150 made through the site between December 15th until January 15th you will be entered to win a $500 gift certificate. The outwear is on point this season with a stunning wax canvas stadium jacket (as seen in the video) as well as an even better Duffel Coat and you can't go wrong with the denim.

(via. 3sixteen)

Hypebeast TV | Chris Gibbs Union LA

Hypebeast caught up with owner/buyer/manager of Union LA, Chris Gibbs for their inaugural episode of Hypebeast TV. Seems only fitting that the first chapter of Hypebeast TV would discuss the current state of streetwear with someone associated with one of the earliest streetwear establishments - Union New York. Chris has directed projects for the likes of Undefeated, Nike, Adidas and Supreme and in the sit down not only discusses the current state of streetwear but his stance on the importance of a well curated shop and the significant impact of Japanese labels within the industry.

Director: Daniel Ahn

(via. HypebeastTV)

Jordan Brand | Get Spiz'iked

Legendary director Spike Lee has united once again with Nike and the Jordan brand. The beloved director and filmmaker may be best remembered for playing his alter-ego "Mars Blackmon" in early Nike commercials for the Air Jordan Brand in the late 1980's early 90's. Mars Blackmon became the primary pitchman for the brand with the Jordan Spiz'ike being named in his honor.

To celebrate the latest Jordan Spiz'ike hybrid you are able to upload a photo of yourself via computer or iphone and 'Mars-ify' yourself while learning about the Spiz'ike hybrid.

You know, you know, you know – it’s gotta be the shoes!

(via. Hypebeast)

Franco Shade | The Return?

This past year proved to be a true test for many brands. With the economy the way it was brands were forced to cut back collections and pinch every penny. It was surprising to see first hand how the recession choked the life out of the independent clothing market. Though it was a rude awakening it was a good learning lesson for those who didn't realize the importance of a business plan. I think the realization set in that you can be the most creative and innovative brand on the market, have a strong following, corner a niche market but if your money isn't right your business is a sinking ship.

September marked the end of Franco Shade/FRSH who in my eyes was one of the few brands that I thought could rival The Hundreds with similar aesthetic and approach. The thing with The Hundreds is they are one of the few brands who realized the importance of being business savy prior to the recession. I guess Law degrees might help the situation. You may love The Hundreds, you may hate The Hundreds but bar none Ben and Bobby understand the almighty power of the dollar bill better than a lot of other brands. All that aside after a 3 month gap with no activity a post appeared on the Franco blog courtesy of owner Joe Navran (Joe Fresh). I am not sure how to interpret it. Decide for yourself.

"Whats up everyone!!!! Been a while huh?? Here is a video some of you may have not seen showing a recap of 2009. Things change and so does life and the date we put on our checks but somethings remain the same, somethings that are gone, aren’t really gone, and some things you knew would be there could be right around the corner…What do I mean? We will just have to wait and see"

Maybe they weren't dead...maybe just asleep. Welcome back?

(via. FRSH)

HUF SF | Signature Footwear

HUF unveiled their signature collection of footwear that will be a part of Spring/Summer 2010. The San Francisco based skate boutique's branded footwear line-up made its debut today at Agenda in Huntington Beach. It appears the collection re-works some classic silhouettes ranging from low cut to a mid cut high top in an array of warm colors. (via. HUFSF)

Mishka | Crookers Keep Watch Vol. XV

Here is volume 15 of the "Keep Watch" series. This time around DJ/Producing tandem Crookers provide the refreshing 43:43 continous track offered as another free download through Mishka NYC.

"Crookers started in 2003 when two DJ’s, nick-named Phra and Bot, met over a shared love of hip hop, house and the emerging skewed, bass heavy sounds pioneered by Switch in the UK and Diplo in the States. “We decided to call ourselves Crookers to describe what we do. To make beats and tracks that are not straight up, that are twisted or crooked.” Though they both grew up listening to a lot of hip hop; Beastie Boys, Tribe Called Quest, Madlib and J Dilla. It’s from these combined influences that Crookers derive their hybrid sound. Being based in Milan, away from London where the bassline scene initially thrived, meant they could hone their own musical identity." - MishkaNYC


The thing that initially caught by eye was the artwork. Mishka and Crookers remixed the cover of The Crookers upcoming album "Tons of Friends". The artwork, in signature Mishka colorway and style, also turned up on a limited edition tee that is available in black and white through the online store and at The Mishka Flaship at 350 Broadway in Brooklyn for $28.

(via. MishkaNYC)

13th Witness | Art of Facts (Feat. Futura)

(via. 13thWitness/Highsnobiety)

OBEY | Spring 2010 Lookbook

Obey Clothing picks up right were the left off. Spring '10 is an eclectic mix of denims, lightweight wind breakers and jackets as well as some really great looking traditional button-ups, hoods, subtle graphic tees, beanies and slim cut khaki's. The collection's execution of the basics is bang on. Not only is it a very wearable collection but also a great fusion of neutral colors and fabrics that are sure to compliment your existing wardrobe that won't break the bank. (via. ObeyClothing)

Benny Gold | Spring 2010 Preview

Here is a sneak peak at some of the Benny Gold products in the works for 2010. The preview eludes to some more classic New Era fitteds, branching out into the world of denim with what appears to be a dark indigo selvedge denim as well as a co-branded bag with Tokyo based bag maker SAG. SAG has done a few projects in the past with FTC as well as DQM. The bags main focus tend to be put on functionality and we would expect this collaboration to be no different. Expect big things from Benny Gold this coming year.

(via. BennyGold)

Premiere | "On To The Next One" - Jay-Z feat. Swiss Beatz

Happy New Year from the World Juniors

I want to start off by thanking everyone for coming by the site this year. Life After Midnight is really just a visual record of products, people, art and music that inspires us. So we thank those of you who have made this your casual or daily reading and those of you who share the same interests. We wish you all the best in 2010. Be blessed.

___________________________________________

So for New Years this year we decided to make our way up to Saskatoon, SK, Canada to attend the 2010 World Junior Tournament. The tournament is basically an opportunity to put the countries most talent under 20 hockey players together in a 10 day tournament in front of just about every scout in the National Hockey League. Ten countries were represent this year featuring talent from Russia, Sweden, Slovakia, Finland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Austria, Canada and the United States. We witnessed a handful of mediocre games as well as some blowouts that included Canada's 16-0 win over Latvia. However I think everyones eye's were set on the New Years eve game that featured Canada and the United States.

In front of a sell out crowd Canada got out played for two periods. The United States scored two shorthanded goals courtesy of Jordan Schoeder and Tyler Johnson. Johnson's goal came with 11 seconds remaining in the second period and could have easily been the straw that broke the camels back. But thanks to some late heroic efforts at the hands of Canadian forward Jordan Eberle and defenceman Alex Pietrangelo Canada managed to tie up the game during the third forcing an overtime that would resolve nothing. So if front of 15,171 Canadian fans and a 50/50 Jackpot of $190,000 the game came down to a 3 shooter shoot out.

Canada and the United States went stride for stride with both teams first two shooters finding the back of the net. Canada would score with third shooter Brandon Kozun and thanks to Jake Allen's save on Jordan Schroeder Canada completed the comeback which through Canadian fans into a frenzy. Here's to hoping the meet in the finals.