Atmos has always been one to portray its collaborations in loud colours. From the Air Max ‘Animal Pack’, to the Elephant print Air Max 1, the brand has never shied from trying and experimenting with new colours, techniques, and inspirations.
Such is the case then, for Nike’s newest retro, the Air Max2 Light. Carrying all of its predecessors’ previous advancements, the 1994 special is practically a lighter version of the Air Max, but the defining factor that separates the two is the varying Air pressures pumped into the various compartments in the midsole. This was a time before Tuned Air even existed, assisting the user to give a more supple ride during runs. The midsole also features a progenitor of Zoom foam technology, called Tensile Air at the forefoot. For a shoe before the turn of the millennium, it was a very advanced silhouette for its time, and paved the way towards more models of the Air Max.
And now, the timing couldn’t be more perfect to retro the model back to life as the air capsules of the OGs start to crumble. The Atmos version contains a plethora of Nike logos across its upper, a homage to vintage Nike apparel, overlaid with transparent panels to make for a very bold and bright silhouette.
The Atmos X Air Max2 Light drops on the 5th of April, for an approximate retail price of RM 652. Would you add this to your collection?
The fashion industry in this lovely heat-stricken country we call home is slowly (but surely) blooming into something that is greater than we can possibly imagine. With the multitude of womenswear designers who design with the intention to empower; we have shortlisted a few of our personal favourites who have gone above and beyond.
Pearly Wong
Utilitarianism infused with a tinge of streetwear that is feminine, yet non-conforming is probably the simplest way to describe Pearly Wong’s designs. With an emphasis on silhouettes and layers, Pearly’s designs are a greyscale dream juxtaposed by an interesting use of fabrics and textures. The Fashion Institute of Technology graduate launched her eponymous label back in 2012 and has since released a number of collections. Having recently presented her latest collection at Harbin Fashion Week 2019 – the designer describes her designs as, “…simple but functional, contemporary but no of-the-moment and tailoring pieces with a tough individual in mind.”
Cassey Gan
A maximalist to the highest degree, Cassey Gan started off as a Chemical Engineering major who went on to pursue her career in fashion after graduating from London College of Fashion. Colourful and saturated with a very distinct identity, the designer is definitely one who puts individualism before anything else when it comes to designing. With a sense of joy injected into each collection, the optimistic air of her clothes come from her many inspirations – be it art, travelling or nostalgia. Her most recent Autumn/Winter ‘19 collection was a celebration of textures and prints melded together seamlessly with her signature non-form fitting silhouettes. Designed with female empowerment in mind, the collection was presented last February at London Fashion Week 2019.
Yoke & Theam
Carrying on family traditions, the sisters behind Yoke & Theam aim to continue the legacy that their grandfather had created as a shoemaker over the years. With a range of chunky platformed sandals, heels and sliders – the shoes they make are quintessentially feminine by nature yet perfectly gender neutral at the same time. Reminiscent of the childhood sandals your mom would put on you in the ‘90s, these sandals are given a modern twist with contemporary elements. Their latest collection titled, “Uncover the Adventure” features a range of sliders and sandals suited to both men and women.
Kulet
Pronounced as “Kulit” or the Malay word of skin, this footwear label is full of timeless designs for the more sophisticated female. Founders Aina Syahirah and Julie Anne, derived the name from the hues in which the shoes are made – nudes that are suited to the wearer’s skin tone. With minimalistic designs to endure the test of time, the label also supports the “compassion in fashion” movement by using non-animal derived leather for their shoes.
Baju By Sharina
An artist with a passion to continue the tradition of wearing batik as a daily feat, Sharina Shahrin cultivated the label back in 2016. Working with batik artists in Terengganu on the designs, the prints lay themselves on the simple silhouette of the baju Kedah. Colour blocking and styling each of the pieces, the label’s campaigns put an emphasis on inclusivity; featuring women of all ages, shapes and sizes.
UPDATE: The entire pack will drop this Saturday on Nike.com, with prices ranging from RM 609 for the Air Max 1, to RM 949 for the Vapormax Tuned.
Opinion Editorial
Nike has officially announced the entire On Air collection of Air Max footwear designed by six individuals from different parts of the world. This contest calls upon the world’s most dedicated Air Max fanatics to create an Air Max silhouette with the concept of both their home city while telling an authentic, personal story. The designs are now finalised, so let’s take a look at each of the 6 finalists.
Air Max 97 “Shanghai Kaleidoscope” designed by Cash Ru
Cash Ru’s iteration of the Air Max 97 takes inspiration from above the atmosphere and into the sky. The “Shanghai Kaleidoscope” pays homage to the city by reflecting her impressions of the ever changing form of the clouds, combining, shifting, and dissipating as they float along the metropolitan skyline.
The 97’s upper uses a multitude of the same materials and cuts to form the illusion of layers mimicking the clouds, accented by 2 pull tabs that are tripled stitched on the back, kind of like Sacai with the double tongue concept. I like the choice of colours that Ru has chosen for her palette; the subtle tonalities of each shade complementing the other as it reflects the gradient of the sky. My favourite Air max silhouette with a unique twist.
Air Max 97 “London Summer of Love” designed by Jasmine Lasode
A much more personal journey, Lasode uses the Air Max 97 to express her love for the city, with a first date up on Primrose Hill. The colours are bright, reflecting the summertime magic and is chock full of small details, including “97P” and “Good Chat” on the pull tab. Not the strongest of contenders, as the mixture of colours puts me off, but I love what it stands for.
Nike Air Max 1 “Tokyo Maze” designed by Yuta Takuman
Takuman’s main takeaway from Japan is the train line, and its sheer complexity as it lines the underbelly of Tokyo. Two types of labyrinth adorn the upper in black and white, with a black midsole and red air bubble to represent the Tokyo Tower. “Tokyo Maze” is visible through the transparent outsole at the bottom, and the whole silhouette is tied together with rainbow laces. The design pulls you in from a far as the curiosity gets to you, until you come closer and sink into all these little details as you glance around the shoe.
Nike Air Max 97 “Neon Seoul” designed by Gwang Shin
The 97 seems to be a popular choice among the contestants, and the Korean iteration of it looks to be one of the best out of the bunch. Graphic Designer Gwang Shin has chosen to reflect the hustle and bustle of Seoul in the night, with neon red and blue accents on the oversized swoosh, with the top half of the upper mimicking the Taaeguk symbol on the South Korean flag, finished with a matte black background. Personally, I feel that this is the best one, and one colourway I’d wear all day, everyday.
The “La Mezcla” inspired Air Max 98 NYC designed by Gabrielle Serrano
According to Gabrielle Serrano, New York is a bustling city, but it is nothing without its people, and that’s the story that she wants to tell with her design. The upper features different tones of brown to highlight different skin complexions, and the finely cracked leather represents the concrete jungle that is New York. I love the story that Serrano tells with the shoe, and execution on the shoe is excellent.
Nike Air VaporMax Plus Paris designed by Lou Matheron.
Taking hints from an under construction Parisian courthouse, Matheron experiments with different shades of grey, highlighting more construced features with a screwed on yellow Swoosh. A safety buckle wraps around the midfoot portion of the silhouette. More construction inspiration is visible in the hi-vis orange and white hazard stripes printed on the insole. The Vapormax Plus has always been a bit of a favourite of mine, and the concept and execution on the silhouette is something that hasn’t been done before, and I applaud the effort.
There’s no official word of its release here, but fingers crossed we get a local drop.
This one has been a long time coming. Jerry Lorenzo’s FOG 1 is one of the latest original silhouettes to come out of Nike, and one of the most expensive. Watch as Julian ‘Sunflower’ Leong and Bryan ‘Botak’ Chin detail just how good the build quality is, that factory fresh smell, and the sheer size of the shoe. Big thanks to Brannon AKA btkicks_ on Instagram for lending us his personal pair.
Now, this may upset purists a little bit. Jordan 1s must always be a high top,OG colourways must stick to the OG silhouette, the logos must all be in the right places, etc, etc, we’ve heard it all. Regardless, it still stays true to the original, albeit it with a few tweaks.
White leather forms the base of the shoe, with black nubuck leather forms the front of the toebox, followed by a red collar and heel counter. The difference doesn’t end there though. A Jumpman logo makes an appearance on the black tongue, the wings logo has shifted location to the heel, and the tongue’s lace holder has been given an extra shot of red.
The Air Jordan 1 Low ‘Black Toe’ will release on Nike.com on the 29th of March for approximately RM 449. Even though there’s no SB designation on it, we reckon it can be used for skating, or just a casual summer shoe for the hot days.
The Adidas Alphaedge 4D had a massive opening day when it was launched here in Malaysia. It was the first 4D shoe to land on our shores, which subsequently became the gateway for more 4D releases here, including the ZX4000 4D not too long ago.
Now, the Three Stripes is hosting a re-release of the shoe, as a testament to its 4D tech. Much like what the initial 4D technology was intended for performance use, the ALPHAEDGE enhances upon that ethos with plenty of cutting edge materials to go along with the futuristic midsole. For starters, the Primeknit has been tuned to give a sock-like fit, providing the support and comfort needed during sharp lateral movements and tight turns. the knit is then enhanced with FORGEFIBER, a process using TPU coated yarn that maximises performance when stitched at various angles and layers giving maximum strength in motion.
The 4D outsole gathers more than a decades worth of running data and translates it with a process called Digital Light Synthesis, a process pioneered by Carbon to shoot light into a polymeric mould to create the distinctive light green midsole. This all seems very extra, but according to Adidas, this tech allows the shoe to pinpoint exactly the needs of a particular sport, and programmed to the individual for maximum utility, of which Adidas then hopes that the technology will be drip-fed to consumers as it becomes more available en masse. Continental outsole provides superior traction and durability regardless of whether and terrain.
The Adidas ALPHAEDGE 4D will be available on Adidas.com.my, and Adidas KLCC, and Pavilion on the 28th of March for a retail price of RM1400. For those who didn’t manage to get the first time round, now’s your chance.
You would have definitely come across John Wick in your scours of new movie releases or on the way to rewatch the trailer of Avengers: Endgame, and the third installment of the trilogy puts John Wick, reprised by the President of actors you can never hate, Keanu Reeves, running and gunning for his life as he tries to make his way out of New York. Now, I won’t deny that John Wick is a total Badass, but when we last saw John, he wasn’t in the best situation as John is on the run for two reasons, he’s being hunted for a global $14 million open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule of taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds. Let’s break down what we know so far in the trailer.
Already the trailer shows that it won’t be a stroll in the park for Wick. Even the movie title, indicates to a full-scale battle, as Parabellum roughly translates to ‘prepare for war,’ taken from a famous phrase, ‘Si vis pacem, para bellum,’ which then translates to ‘If you want peace, prepare for war.’ Evidently too as Wick did mention he’ll have to kill them all if he has to at the end of Chapter 2.
Set pieces are much more varied this time round, as Wick faces his adversaries in a more eclectic set piece, ranging from what looks to be an antic weapon shop, a highway shoot-out on motorcycles, and Wick gunning down adversaries on a horse. It’s fucking fantastic.
According to Stahelski, the movie will feature “horses, dogs, cats, a raven, a bunch of pigeons” and not to mention “shotguns and ninjas”.
You will notice Wick seeking for help from Sofia (Halle Berry), because Reeves has teased that the two have a past, but can she be trusted, more so with the contract out on Wick? While no backstory has been given with regards to Sofia’s relationship with Wick, an educated guess would land that they may have been partners who split on rough terms.
Keanu Reeves isn’t alone in the sequel as The Bowery King, Continental Hotel owner Winston, Continental concierge Charon and chop shop owner Aurelio all reprise their role. In the previous movie, The Bowery King and Winston were on Wick’s side, but the new trailer then suggests otherwise. This fact is also hinted at the promotional pictures with the caption, ‘old friends, new enemies.’
Adding to John Wick’s problems, include Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman from The Raid fame will star as professional assassins, supplemented by martials arts star, Tiger Hu Chen. It’s safe to say John will have a little bit to deal with on his plate.
The movie also makes time to include a Matrix reference to it. When Winston asks what he needs, John replies, “Guns. Lots of guns.”
What we can summarise from all this can be said in three words: fast, intense, violent. And sometimes, that’s all we need to consume.
The quotes in this article is mostly translated from Malay
Written by Zim Ahmadi
On M. Nasir, Mainstream, & Dad Rock
At a listening party of their debut EP, members of the band Toko Kilat share some of the stories behind the makings of the album.
The band has been at it since 2016, having released their first single “Pemacu Api” that same year. The individual members of Toko Kilat however, are not newcomers. Far from it. Vocalist, Edwin Raj, was in the noise pop band, They Will Kill Us All. Drummer, Irfan, has played for several bands including Bittersweet, Da Vagabonds, Relay & The Times. Bassist, Wan, was in the Singaporean indie jazz band, Moods. Initially, the band also included guitarist Khairil of the band Moods as well, but he was eventually replaced by Toya, who used to play for legendary indie band, Laila’s Lounge (now defunct).”I think Mawar Khayalan is one of the best songs ever, and to have Toya play for us is like having Johnny Marr be our guitarist”, said Edwin, referencing the guitarist for the band The Smiths, Modest Mouse and The Cribs. Khairil is still involved in the album as the producer of the guitar tracks. There’s also Syaiful who plays the keys.
“A lot of people have taken to calling us a supergroup, but I consider this more of like a mid-life crisis”, joked Edwin at the listening party that was organised to give the public their first exposure to Toko Kilat’s full EP. A documentary made by Haziq R about the band’s journey was shown at the party, called “Toko-mentari”. It’s an overview of how far they’ve come and how Toko Kilat was formed, separated into chapters headed by their song lyrics.
Tokomentari Part 1
When asked to explain briefly what the documentary is about, Edwin stated metaphorically that it was basically a process of how the album moved from the “intensive care unit” into a “normal ward”.
Bassist, Wan also quipped about the fact that the band members having children now acts as a motivation. “At our age, if we want to start a new band, we better not f*** up.”
Toko Kilat has a very humble view of themselves as band despite being mostly seasoned players of the indie scene. However, they are highly aware of how they choose to position themselves. In a question asked by the event host regarding how Toko Kilat sees themselves in the music scene, Edwin said, “We have to realise that the music scene in Malaysia is not just ‘indie’. We have to get ourselves out of that box. We grew up listening to bands like Iklim or Search who were themselves mainstream. When is the music community going to be the successor for bands like them? We have to stop thinking of the word “mainstream” as a bad word. Get out of our “indie only” mindset”.
Image Credit: Khalil Makata
Drummer, Irfan, also added that there is a great number of bands out there right now who are rocking it out. “A lot of the new bands performing right now are also becoming an inspiration to us”.
On the topic of benchmarks and inspirations, Edwin Raj mused: “Our benchmark is ourselves, first and foremost. If whatever we hear from our songs feel natural, that’s we go for”
“But if we had to choose a benchmark from someone else it’d be people like Zainal Abidin. We want to create that feeling we get when we hear Hijau. That timeless feeling or “oomph” you get from artists like Sheila Majid or Hujan, even”.
The Songs
After an overview of who they are and how far they’ve come, Toko Kilat played their song on speakers and explaining a little bit about each song after each track ended.
The first song on the self-titled album is Gema. Although in itself a very riveting track with an epic static transmission introduction to draw you in, the story told by the band about the track was very short. “Gema was actually the last track we recorded. It all happened very organically and spontaneously”, said Edwin.
Pemacu Api
The second track is Pemacu Api. In a previous interview with Rojak Daily, Edwin has stated the song is about an arsonist. (It’s pretty clear from the lyrics, but clearer once you know the context). In addition to that, Pemacu Api is also really interesting since it was mastered by Frank Arkwright of Abbey Road Studios, whose resume reads like an encyclopedia of music legends such as the Smiths and Joy Division. Edwin said: “He finished it within two or three days”.
Nahas
The first words that came out of Edwin Raj’s mouth after the song Nahas were “dendam mendalam (or deep-seated vengeance), reflecting the “murder-mystery” vibe of the track. “Actually, Toko Kilat is especially challenging to me as a songwriter because I’m not Malay and I was brought up in an English-speaking household. It was especially hard for Nahas because the emotions that I wanted to convey were complicated. I hope that it translates well in this track”, said Edwin. The band also pointed out that they showed Toko Kilat songs to Malaysian music icon, M. Nasir, and Nahas was the track that he found most interesting.
Ratu Malam
Ratu Malam is their latest single release, launched with a music video that exudes a murderous femme fatale sound and aesthetic. “Fun fact: the person playing the sax in the music video is not actually playing the sax. The saxophone in the track is played by Sheila Majid’s saxophonist (credit in Toko Kilat’s website as Kevin Choo)”. Edwin Raj also cites the band Komplot as an influence for this song, considering that Komplot is one of the few indie bands that uses horns to elevate their sound.
Kabur
Kabur is where the album takes a slightly different turn with an almost psychedelic atmosphere and a wholesome feeling to its message. Edwin Raj clarified: “Last time, I would always give the songs I made to my father so he could tell me what he thinks about it. During the process of recording the EP, my father already passed away. With Kabur, what I did was I used my dad’s bass in the track. He was a musician; a bassist. The song is really about unconditional love”.
Wan adds that Kabur is probably the one most representative of the “dad rock” sound. “When we were recording it, songs like The Drugs Don’t Work by The Verve came to mind”.
After the last track, Satu Suara, an anthemic track about overcoming great odds and setting aside differences, Edwin Raj suitably thanked the crowd of people involved in making Toko Kilat who they are today. “Like they always say, it takes a village to raise a band”.
Listen to Toko Kilat on Spotify or order their cassettes and CDs at tokokilatband.com
In this episode of The Hoarder Series, DJ Blink (IG: @blink_mys) invites us to his home to show us his insane sneaker collection, including hype grail Nikes, classic Yeezys, as well as his secret stash of archived Visvims, including ultra rare collaborations.
Hits Of Colour Add A Subtle Flavouring To The Palette
We think a classic needs a little bit of refreshing every now and then. Jordan started to add non-OG colourways to their rotation, Adidas introduced a myriad of options for the Stan Smith, ranging from just changing the heel colours all the way to changing materials and designer collaborations, and now, Reebok is adding its own twist to two of its long serving models, the Classic and the Workout Plus. And we honestly think they look great and different without muddying up the time tested silhouette.
This is done with an introduction of slight hits of electric colours to the otherwise staple white and gum look. The shoe also sports the slightly newer Reebok logo and not the classic one with the half Union Jack. A white background and the gum outsole still remain.
Reebok’s reason for doing this is to guide the rising generation of future designers, artists and other young visionaries in helping them homage history without being swallowed by it. To alter your path without letting go of the roots. And I think that’s one practice that we can get behind.
The Alter The Icon series is available now at all major shopping malls nationwide.
