Jordan Brand Starting The Holiday Season Early With The Air Jordan 11 “Platinum Tint”

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The season of the Air Jordan 11 releases have begun and Jordan Brand is getting the party started earlier than usual with a new colorway. Dubbed the “Platinum Tint”, the colorway features light beige uppers, red piping, red accents and an opaque outsole which is easily styled with your outfit off-court. Jordan Brand replaces the Air Jordan 11 signature patent leather mudguard with nubuck this time round yet keeps the ballistic nylon material on the upper and the tongue as seen on every other Air Jordan 11. Jordanheads used to complain about the cheap materials used to build the pairs, but Jordan Brand have been listening and is finally offering a premium-grade Air Jordan 11.

This colorway is definitely difficult to resist for all the Jordanheads and we know sneakerheads are anticipating this release. The Air Jordan 11 “Platinum Tint” is set to release on the 27th of October at nine in the morning with a price tag of RM879. Cop or drop?

 

KAWS Returns With A New Uniqlo Collaboration

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Sesama Street Plushies Now Available

Uniqlo knows how to do collaborations right when it comes to giving much of the masses a more affordable price point for designer products. Previous collaborations with KAWS have been an extremely successful hit, with the t-shirts featuring Sesame Street characters with KAWS’s signature double cross eye motif selling out in stores everywhere, it’s only right that a sequel follows up.

Volume 2 takes the partnership outside of apparel, and into plushies. Sesame Street favourites Bert, Elmo, Ernie, Big Bird and Cookie Monster will receive the plushie treatment. For customers who can get it early, a special collection set of all 5 will be available encased in a special box available in limited quantities.

The collab’s clothing line will also feature redesigned graphics and new clothing, to pair along nicely with your newly acquired plushies.

Friday, November 23rd is the drop date, so be on the lookout at your nearest Uniqlo stores nationwide.

Browse below for more photos of the collection!

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ALBUM REVIEW: Remember Sycamore By Sounds Of Kites

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Written by Zaaim Hariz

6.75/10

Do you think that the folk genre of music will make a comeback? We have seen a surge of hip-hop and r&b music from numbers of talented artists – do you think we should bring back the ‘forgotten art’ to the mainstream listeners? Well Sounds Of Kites thinks it is time. After the success of ‘Bulatan Belon’, which was recently included in Pop Terkini! playlist on Spotify, Wan Umar Shahid (known as Sounds Of Kites) is ready to take listeners on a musical journey with his debut album titled, “Remember Sycamore”.

A remembrance of accepting changes and intimate past times, the singer/songwriter endures a series of his emotional arc as he wants us to relive the moment of happiness and hardships that made us the person we are today. This 48-minute project is here to remind us that it is always important to think about why did you start your journey and certainly, the message was well-resonated for most of the tracks in the album.

The entire album settles upon a foundation composed of slick fingerpicking on Shahid’s especially crispy sounding acoustic guitar, accompanied by his weighty voice and the occasional backup vocals, and nothing else. Depending on how much you appreciate its simplicity, this can be a good thing or a bad thing. We think it’s a fantastic exercise that ensures Shahid’s focus does not stray elsewhere, only tunnelling your conscience towards his lyrics and guitar work, both of which are done at an excellent level.

Most, if not all the songs in this album serves as a reminder in different periods of one’s life. One of the only two Malay songs on offer, “Bulatan Belon” brings back the soul to sharing the good times with a significant other. A jovial, yet slow strumming of the guitar accompanies a double layered mix of vocals that takes the listener through his/her own catalogue of memories, all the while painting a nice summer weather where the birds are chirping and the wind is just nice in the background for the listeners to lay their memories down and reveal them.

‘Salt’ reminds us of the struggles that we go through in our lives that make us who we are today. “You fight your way, till the salt falls from your face” implies there is a light at the end of the tunnel as the grime from the grind washes off, knowing that the journey was worth it. Deft fingerpicking underlies long and extensive lyrics that not only invites you to reflect, but encourages one to keep the fight going.

The album presents a slow and easy cocktail to sip at your own pace, taking in the melody, and then the stories embedded in the lyrics at your own pace, asking you to take your time to enjoy each piece in its wholesome. The mix of English and BM is a good showcase of Shahid’s ability, but I’d have preferred if more Malay songs were included other than just two songs. Western folk has been heard of a hundred times over, but modern Malay folk very rarely so.

While the folk music scene is still in a relative niche, ‘Remember Sycamore’ is a pleasantly good entry into the scene, one that can accompany you as reminisce, look back into times that you’ve been through previously that has combined so that you can be where you are now.

Uniqlo and Alexander Wang Bring The Heat With New Heattech Collection

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9th of November, mark your dates.

UNIQLO and Alexander Wang collaborates to produce an entire range with a concept to enjoy light and fashionable dress even in cold  seasons, expressed with new ideas, creating LifeWear with practicality using UNIQLO’s HEATTECH. Their launch campaign, “Warmth Reimagined” features their products in ice blocks which metaphorically aims to express the thought that HEATTECH can withstand such cold temperatures while still retaining body heat. A message meant to be conveyed to the consumers through this campaign is that the ‘innerwear’ may be worn as ‘outerwear’ or visible layers altogether. The campaign’s name “Warmth Reimagined” is inspired by the thought that there isn’t any reason to hide these beautiful, warming inner garments.

The silhouettes from the collection is sharp and slim overall, while the women’s tank top features a unique back design which may be styled with other pieces from the collection. The collaboration includes a range of colours from Alexander Wang’s classic black to neon green which incorporates neo-futuristic elements and sporty stylings such as the glossy rib materials reminiscent of 80s fashion. Bias weave fabric is used in this collection as one of the main characteristic of the collection with visual presentation of comfort. Another unique feature by the fabric used is that the fabric changes with body movement, with V-shaped patterns appearing on the surface.

The key here then, implies that with HEATTECH and LifeWear, the new collection enables users to ditch the winter coats and wear light even in cold temperatures. Hence, styled with both aesthetic and function in mind, allowing wearers to keep warm and stylish with the innerwear during cold seasons. The collection will be available for both men and women on the 9th of November, in-stores and online.

 

 

Where Will Streetwear Head To Next?

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Looking back a few years behind us, we’ve lived and breathed streetwear. From it’s relatively muted days, to its astronomical rise in popularity, even its adoption into luxury fashion houses. Every person, every acquaintance you know has somehow sunk the hook and gotten into fashion’s latest big trend, some in small steps; others in huge leaps. From normal oversized t-shirts to a full outfit flex, the trend was in full force and mass adoption had already taken place. Now though, we may just begin to see its descent.

We take a look back at the runway shows that big fashion houses have hosted. Dior has been the front runner in spearheading the new direction; its SS19 shows mainly consisted of said suits, but in a different iteration than its standard Savile Row counterpart. Light colours and relaxed cuts took centre stage as the classic DNA gets transmogrified with a little bit of streetwear panache.

Speaking to Highsnobiety, buying director at Mr. Porter, Fiona Firth, had this to say, “With tailoring back in focus, we’ve seen a shift towards a more sophisticated aesthetic for Spring/Summer 2019. As luxury streetwear has evolved, men have embraced softer fabrics and larger proportions — both design elements we now see incorporated into contemporary suits and tailoring.”

Kanye wearing a Virgil Abloh designed Louis Vuitton suit with YEEZY Slides

In other words, more relaxed fits with graphic print on them, not usually heard of in the world of suits. One shining example that drove social media into a frenzy was Kanye’s debut of Virgil Abloh’s LV monogram suit at 2Chainz’s wedding. While not forgetting about his Yeezy Slides that’s one size too small, the suit sees through Abloh’s new vision of his plans at Louis Vuitton; casual fitting with a pastel coloured affair. The embossed monogram adds a nice little detail throughout the suit.

Kim Jones of Dior paid homage to several streetwear honchos, having featured KAWS’s BFF figure and transformed him into a 10-metre tall model made out of pink roses. Jones also tapped into 1019 ALYX SM’s Matthew Williams to incorporate his rollercoaster buckles into several Dior accessories like the daypack, and cap. Jones’s selection of suits too were of varying degrees of colour and cuts, all of which were tastefully made as Dior progressively moves to the epicentre of streetwear meets high fashion.

Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen plays along in the same realm, having featured brightly coloured suits that take inspiration from renowned UK painter, Francis Bacon. It all plays towards the same theme, as we are now in the current intersection between suits, and streetwear.

But as the trend shifts forward in the Western countries, where does that leave us across the pond here in Malaysia? It’s highly unlikely the next Sneakerlah will feature Dior suits with Balenciaga sneakers spread across the audience, or a full Celine outfit that’ll definitely look out of place in such a  convention. Back then (only very recently), the current status symbol has shifted from handbags to shoes, and usual outfits such as t-shirts, hoodies and jackets that were usually found practically everywhere else were elevated into luxury as Balenciaga dived headfirst in the general direction of the trend. I don’t think anyone could forget Demna’s satirical approach to branding as he sold to us a DHL t-shirt that costs RM2,300. Gucci parodied itself with the GUCCY hoodie; a simple piece of clothing, exalted into a higher level by means of handmade production and heavy grain cotton. It’s just fucking ridiculous.

While high fashion looks away from the prism of streetwear, we may see a return to its cultural roots, a proper back to basics that follows the stigma of what streetwear is all about, or rather, what it was about. Speculations may come and go; streetwear could evolve into something else altogether as major players over in the States, Europe, and Japan continue to pump out different styles. We may even stick to what is available to us now, and catch up with the trends later in the season. There will still be outliers, but the general consumption will again be skewed towards the middle as disinterest from the elitist few look away to different pastures.

Sacai X Nike

Part of it may retain, but overall as the mainstream catches up (and it already has), the style progressively becomes disingenuous, and people will no longer want to associate themselves with streetwear. Streetwear has now become uncool, and the cycle goes on and on.

Brain Dead x Converse Collaboration Goes For A Wild Mismatch Look

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Brain Dead, the brand well-recognized for their unique and irreverent graphics collaborates with Converse this time round. When both brands came together to begin their collaboration, they dug deep into the archives of Converse where many rich arrays of original archival prints caught Brain Dead’s attention. Converse first released graphic patterns on their sneakers back in 1983 featuring a camouflage print applied on a pair of Chuck Taylor All Star. Converse did not stop there and continued with more prints such as the glow-in-the-dark animal print in 1988 and a patriotic American Flag print in 1992.

The Chuck 70 was the silhouette choice to express the collab between Brain Dead and Converse using a mashed up print to create a bold and energizing graphic statement which is aligned with Kyle Ng’s vision of his brand, “is Not One Person, Nor Is It One Idea. It sits in the space between people”. This collab, anchored in Converse graphic prints is conveyed through the footwear and apparel as if it was stylized by a mix of fabrics and prints scattered on a factory floor. Kyle Ng’s vision is brought together by bringing together Converse graphic prints across the years through asymmetrical screen printing on the upper and text detail along the foxing of the Chuck 70. Visionary with depths in meaning, the text on the Chuck 70 reads, “To see and be seen as far as the eye can see. Who Controls the Control Men. The same elsewhere”.

If you were thinking of how to cop this, we’re here to provide you on some insights before you become brain dead. The collection will be available on the 2nd of November at Crossover Sunway Pyramid, Converse Mid Valley and Converse KLCC. The Chuck 70 will be retailing at RM479.90 while the apparel will be priced from RM139.90 to RM229.90.

The Yeezy 700 ‘Mauve’ Is Releasing This Weekend

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Don’t worry if you didn’t manage to cop the original ‘Wave Runner’ colourway, cos Adidas just stocked up on its next iteration.

By now, everyone will have already known what exactly is the Yeezy 700, Kanye’s entry to the dad shoe world has taken the scene by storm, especially now as the original ‘Wave Runner’ had a massive restock. Regardless of whether it was in trend or not, the 700 is still a sight to behold; its organic shapes forming the silhouette with a splash of colour ensuring an extra pop in an otherwise understated look. 3M stripes adorn the insides of a mesh cage on the lateral side, while a Boost encapsulated midsole completes the design.

Instantly recognisable with plenty to love, the shoe is a hard miss, and if your chance to cop it then went up in smoke, here’s another one. The ‘Mauve’ takes out the grey colours of the shoe, replacing it with black panels and mauve. Orange highlights are switched out to Lime Green ones, and gum outsole takes place instead of a black one.

Overall a very muted colourway compared to the first one, the ‘Mauve’ will retain its price of RM 1,400 and will release at Adidas Originals KLCC, Pavilion, and Crossover Gardens, this Saturday, 27th October 2018. Don’t miss out.

The Off-White Air Max 97 “Menta” Just Dropped Today

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We’re quite used to surprise drops ourselves, but this one came literally 20 minutes before the release date which caught all of us off guard when we woke up in the morning. Off-White Kuala Lumpur announced the release of the Air Max 97 ‘Menta’ just 20 minutes before the scheduled drop time at 10AM.

 

 

For those who don’t know, the Air Max 97 ‘Menta’ is the next in the series of Off-White collaborations, an extension from the original ‘The Ten’ series. The original model was a basic white colourway with black swoosh and address on the medial side of the shoe. The ‘Menta’ remixes the model, featuring a tonal grey upper and midsole, finished off with a faux iridescent swoosh.

The Off-White Air Max 97 ‘Menta’ is priced at RM790, but expect to pay a lot more for resell.

Vans Collaboration With NASA Is Out Of This World

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UPDATE:

The Vans Space Voyager capsule collection will be made available for purchase on the 2nd of November at selected Vans stores (Vans Mid Valley, Vans Sunway Pyramid, Vans Pavilion, Vans KLCC, Vans Setia City Mall, Vans Genting Sky Avenue, Vans City Square, Vans East Coast Mall, Vans Queensbay Mall & Vans Viva City Mall) and selected authorized dealers. The Old Skool will be retailing at RM379 per pair, while the price range for the apparel and bags will be ranging from RM369 to RM569. Another info to take note is that the Sk8-Hi MTE and Slip-On will not be available in Malaysia. Good luck to everyone who wants a piece from this collection.

Reporting live from Earth in the Masses office, we have breaking news! The NASA x Vans collaboration is happening and is about to launch soon.

This collection includes two pairs of Old Skool, two pairs of Sk8-Hi, two pairs of Sk8-Hi MTE and a Slip-On. Keeping it ace, the collaboration features removable patches and thematic prints to live up to the expectations of this release. Voyager details are noticeable as we skim through the leaked photos of the collection such as the wording “SHUTTLE” on the pull tabs of the Old Skool tongues and astronaut boot-like midsoles on both the Old Skool and Sk8-Hi. The collaboration also includes apparels, backpacks and duffle bags to complement the entire collection.

The global release is expected to be on the 2nd of November but based on some of our sources, Malaysia is looking to expect an earlier release which may or may not be around the end of October. What do you think of this collection? Is it out of this world or do you think it’s just another ‘Apollo 1’ tragedy? Remember to look out for the collection in your nearest Vans store available.

 

 

 

TMJ Copped Himself 2 Exclusive Football Boots From Nike

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When it comes to professional grade football, only the top of the tops get a Player Exclusive Edition gifted to them from their associated manufacturers. Adidas has been seeding Lionel Messi with his own line of Nemeziz boots, Cristiano Ronaldo with his Mercurial line, and Eden Hazard got his own pair, custom made by Nike.

Now though, TMJ looks to be joining those ranks.

Recently, TMJ posted a pic thanking Nike for making a custom pair of golden boots for him.

One netizen then managed to point out that the boots in question were in fact, Harry Kane’s, a Premier League footballer playing for Tottenham Hotspurs.

TMJ has since then took to Twitter to clarify that he acknowledges that those were Harry Kane’s boots, but he asked his friend in Nike to customize the exact same design only with the JDT crest in the medial heel portion of the shoe instead of the shield of the Three Lions.

Soon after that, TMJ was given two pairs of boots by Nike Malaysia’s Head of Marketing, Ernest Rodrigues: one with the original mockup design, and the other in a template reminiscent of the JDT flag. One offs for the one percent? We can only dream.