Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Streetwear Spotlight: Dynastee Clothing + GIVEAWAY Article written by: Asmara Wreksono
Another example of how far humble beginnings can take a brand to its destination: success. Meet Marcus Andrew and Isaiah Andrew, creators of Dynastee Clothing, who turned their hobby into a business. Check Dynastee’s latest collection and be wowed.
Introduce yourself and describe how your brand was started?
Marcus: I’m Marcus Andrew, President and Chief Designer of Dynastee Clothing Co. Isaiah: I’m Isaiah Andrew, VP of Operations of Dynastee. The company was created by my brother and I almost a decade ago as a means of turning a hobby into a business. It started in our parent’s basement with a couple bottles of paint along with some hoodies & tee shirts. We were able to apply our artistic talent to create customized, unique clothing that differentiated itself from the masses. Through increased demand and resources, our brand has now grown into a fashion label that specializes in designing sophisticated urban-based wear with eclectic influences that represents our vision of our culture.
Describe this season’s theme for your line. Include any sources of inspiration (examples: 80′s punk, muses like Amber Rose, 70′s disco bands, Kanye, etc)
Marcus: Our major influences come from pop culture, contemporary art, and vintage advertisements, movies, European fashion, etc. As an artist, you can definitely be influenced or inspired by any images, words, or ideas you come into contact with. Isaiah: Overall, we want our pieces to speak to the young and ambitious student/professional/go-getter. It’s streetwear infused with a little sophistication.
Any product placements on celebs to keep an eye out for (examples: publicity photos, magazines, movies, music videos etc)
Isaiah: We currently produce designs for rapper/songwriter Andrew Davis II. Although he is currently unsigned, he is quickly making a name for himself within the Chicago music scene. We have also created shirts for Violator All-Star DJ All-En based out of New York, T.I., and MTV’s Sway. Marcus: We also plan to send influence packages out to various bloggers and celebrities who we feel exemplify the values or our brand; most notably, those who have used vision, ambition and their hustle to achieve their own version of the American Dream.
What has been a surprise fashion hit over the last year? (a particular piece, a look or even another brand)
Marcus: A surprise hit for me has been the return of classic rugged denim such as jean jackets and jean shirts. Isaiah: I’m also feeling the rugged boot movement, such as the Polo Rangers and Doc Martens.
Isaiah: I like the way nautical and vintage fashion have become popular again such as boat shoes, toggle jackets, military boots, and motorcycle leathers. Marcus: I like the minimalist approach I see in a lot of fashion design lately, less is always more.
What current fashion trend would you like to see thrown overboard?
Marcus: I’d like to see the super skinny jeans burned altogether in one heap. Especially bright, colorful ones. Isaiah: Sagging jeans seem a little outdated as well, anything sloppy needs to go in general.
What is/was one of your most prized fashion pieces, past or present?
Isaiah: I was able to get a tweed Marc Jacobs blazer by flirting with the lady in the DC Bloomingdale’s. Other than that, I’d say my Common Project Safari boots and a classic New York Yankees fitted for the past. Marcus: I’d have to say my Dynastees. But outside of that, I’d say my Polo boots and my Gucci loafs.
TuPac or Biggie?
Isaiah: Tupac. He transcended the urban, hip-hop culture and brought this lifestyle to the forefront of society. But lyrically, no one can ever see Biggie. Marcus: I agree, Biggie was my favorite though, because he actually seemed to have a more persistent brand, Tupac was definitely multi-faceted, but came across extremely contradictory at times.
Dynastee Clothing can be purchased at their official website: www.dynasteeshop.com with a reasonable range of prices ($29 per tee is a great bargain, don’t you think?) Here are some of our favorites from the brand:
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
The New Footpatrol London Store
With much anticipation many have awaited the re-opening of London’s premier sneaker boutique, Footpatrol, which surprisingly to many, closed a couple of years ago, after having been on the forefront of independent sneaker culture in the capital for so long. The new Footpatrol London store will open this month and has been designed by the Wilson Brothers and Brinkworth.
“Designed by Wilson Brothers and Brinkworth, the design of the store is as much a one-off as the products within, all of which have been individually selected by Michael Kopelman, the original Foot Patrol owner and current Creative Director.
Based in London’s Berwick Street, the store’s understated façade is simply a prelude to what has been achieved architecturally within. A ‘second’ shop, complete with pitched roof, has been constructed to float within the store shell, assembled from an urban palette of recycled scaffold board for the floors, walls and ceiling, teamed with satin black steel for the fixturing.
A fully-mirrored end wall accentuates the intimate scale of the ‘inner’ store, playfully reflecting the linearity of the design as an optical illusion, that appears to extend the store rearwards as an infinite space. Clever concealment of lighting and services, behind the pitched roof cladding, allows for a unique, sliding ‘library-style’ product display system, which can be extended along the whole length of the store, or nested at either end to leave space for special events or promotions.
This blend of modularity and function, offset with an aged vintage backdrop, creates the perfect stage for the final detail. The original, revered Foot Patrol gas mask logo, housed within an aged metal frame and rendered in white neon, meets customers as they enter the store through the ‘transition’ space, the antechamber where the outer and inner stores meet.”
Photography: Louise Melchior.
True x Diamond: Native Leagues Project Volume 6
Diamond Supply Co. steps up to the plate to join San Francisco’s True for Native Leagues Project release #6. The concept behind the Native Leagues Project is for True to collaborate with some of their top brands in tribute to the legacy of Bay Area sports teams. San Francisco native Nick Diamond pays tribute to his hometown team in the Diamond way with this release, including several t-shirts and New Era fitted caps.
Native Leagues Project Vol. 6: Diamond drops this Saturday July 24th at Diamond Supply Co. Los Angeles, True SF, True East & online at trueclothing.net.
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