7 Best Pieces From Local Brands That Dropped In 2018

Posted by & filed under Fashion.

Written by Sean Ho

No doubt streetwear dominated 2018, with multiple high profile collabs, to amalgamations into high fashion, last year proved to be an extremely productive year for the culture. Despite this however, I think there’s a lack of focus inwards, highlighting the blood, sweat and tears our local designers have produced through the year. Matching in design, quality, and price, let’s get down to some of the standout pieces that I think should be highlighted.

OBSCR Tote Bag

Totes bags are definitely an essential to anyone’s wardrobe, from high end brands from Comme Des Garçons to finding them at flea markets around town. This bag released by Obscr is the perfect balance from quality to functionality. Made with a clear PVC upper, this very versatile item should play a central role in your everyday wardrobe. Chuck your essentials in and head out!

Purchase here.

Price: RM 200

Football Jersey by Justin Chew

Ever since the world cup in 2018 happened, everyone hopped on the jersey bandwagon. athleisure fits started booming into to one of the top trends of the year. This jersey by Justin Chew was inspired by 90’s football attire with bigger fits and longer sleeves being tucked in. The small branding on the right contrasting the stripes makes the look striking yet still neutral.

Purchase here.

Price: RM 179

Henley Tee by Futuremade Studio

The perfect white tee is most definitely a staple in menswear. We spend our lives looking for the perfect one. In the process of production Futuremade really made the fabric their priority. Made with thicker and heavier cotton, Futuremade nailed it with this t-shirt, way more durable compared to your ordinary white tee from H&M. The buttons incorporated along the chest area gives it a little touch of individuality and it’s something different.

Purchase here.

Price: RM 150

Studio Sailor Cap by Futuremade Studio

This is the perfect accessory on days where your hair docent cooperate well with you, or you’re just too lazy to get it done. A very minimal design with a small ‘F’ branding on the side, made from a slightly heavier cotton for durability. This sailor cap by Futuremade is definitely an essential to any men’s wardrobe.

Purchase here.

Price: RM 150

Luban Pants by DY/DX

The perfect pair of shorts. With 7 different compartments as visible pockets and 4 hidden pockets..Yes that’s right, this pant has 11 pockets. Carrying things around just makes it easier for you with this pants. The adjustable waist belt incorporated along the belt loops makes sizing easier.

Purchase here.

Price: Approximately RM 310 (75 USD)

Repair Work Shirt by Shuuren Project

Work shirts has been seen a lot as of late, they can be found everywhere from thrift shops to high end designer brands like Prada. The attention to detail Shuren project paid on this piece is mad. With the open collar top, the dual pockets placed at both chest areas to store your belongings, with the big branding behind the shirt isn’t too much as it adds a slight design to it.

Purchase here.

Price: RM 220

Snap Button Shirt Jacket by Shuuren Project

Everyone should own a piece of outerwear, a simple shirt jacket by Shuren Project would get the job done. With the Malaysian weather, one minute it rains and the other it stops, this jacket makes taking off easy with their snap button. With a round collar being added to it makes it presentable and you might be able to any occasion.

Purchase here.

Price: RM 320

 

The Nike Air Max 720 Is Actually A Good Looking Shoe With Some Performance To Boot

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

The Air Max line of shoes practically defined Nike, and as a remembrance of that legacy, the brand continues on with innovating the air each year to bring something fresh to the table. Last year, we were presented with the Air Max 270, a pure lifestyle shoe that incorporates the Swoosh’s biggest air bubble to date, and coupled with attractive colour blocking and variations, was an instant hit among the mainstream market.

This year continues along the same vein, with increasing levels of innovation resulting in the creation of the biggest air bubble ever put onto a Nike shoe, the Air Max 720. Teased endlessly with pictures of the rear had people guessing its shape, and now, unveiled in its full glory, sits a futuristic looking silhouette that looks a bit as if the Air Max 97 was brought 15 years forward in time. Inspiration however, did not come from the 97, rather it mimics its wave-like patterns from the Air Max Plus. “If the retro part is what informs the upper, then the future part is this Air bag,” says Dylan Raasch, who co-designed the shoe with Jesi Small.

Featuring an airbag that is now 6mm taller than the Air Max 270, the 720 sits on a much wider base that provides buoyancy and repulsion while cradling the foot, translating to increased levels of comfort without sacrificing the bounciness. The 720 in the moniker references the horizontal and vertical visibility of the air unit.

Often, concepts like these were made to tackle not just the relatively niche sneaker market, but rather the mainstream as a whole. Hence why, during development, the goal was to create a shoe for the urban hustlers who needed long lasting shoe comfort as they’re on their feet for more than 10 hours a day. Feedback and control groups consisted of young kids who uttered the same word: drained. And in that retrospect, the Air Max 720 delivers on that front very well.

 

 

 

 

 

Still Want To Rock The Dad Shoe? The Nike Air Monarch Drops Tomorrow

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Maximum Dad

Yes, the dawn of 2019 faces its warm rays on us, and trends come and they go. But for the ones who still want to hold true to a certain type, or fit, there is still hope yet, specifically for the ones who want to pull on the dad look.

More so in typical father figure colours, the Nike Air Monarch IV makes a return in its twilight hours of a fading trend, passing the torch to those who strive for the fatherly fit, or simply just like chunky shoes in general. The M2K Tekno predecessor gets draped in varying tones of grey and white, accented by hits of volt on the swoosh, and wording on the tongue and wording.

The Nike Air Monarch IV drops tomorrow at Nike.com for an estimated retail price of RM 205. Trends come and go, but the dad stays forever.

Russell Westbrook’s Updated Signature Shoe Drops Here Earlier Than The US

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Probably the best looking signature shoe yet

Oklahoma City Thunder’s engine Russell Westbrook receives an update to his signature shoe, in the form of the Why Not Zer0.2, a no frills, technical supercharger that complements his explosive style of basketball on the courts. During the design process, Westbrook decided to steer away from more popular models, instead opting for maximum performance, which resulted in what has to be one of the best looking signature shoes available right now.

The upper takes a deconstructed form to it, with exposed stitching combining many types of materials into one upper. Performance enhancers include a 2-piece midsole with an exposed midfoot plate, a midfoot strap, and double-layered heel reinforced with TPU for additional support and stability. While the colour is fairly reminiscent to the ‘What The’ line of shoes, the multitude of colours represents all the teams that he has played for, and becomes the debut colourway for a very technical model.

The Jordan Why Not Zer0.2 launches on the 5th of January for RM 495 at Nike.com.

 

Here’s Where You Can Get Cav Empt’s Collaborative Air Max 95

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Fresh new year, fresh new collab. Renowned Japanese label Cav Empt releases their own collaborative effort in the form of the new Air Max 95 drenched with digital camo, literally all over. Two colourway choices are available, “White,” and “Blackened Blue.” Contrasting camo patterns are not just limited to the upper, it’s speckled on the midsole as well as the air unit for maximum digital “invisibility.”

Laces are also given the speckled treatment, and co-branding is present on the tongue, featuring Cav Empt’s C.E. insignia with the Swoosh.

The Cav Empt X Nike Air Max 95 releases on Nike.com for 200 USD (approximately RM 830) on the 10th of January. Time to get your Chinese New Year flex on.

 

 

The New Adidas Ultraboost 19: Worth Your Purchase?

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

If you’ve been on Highsnobiety as of late, you would’ve seen an article of the new Ultraboost 19 being featured extensively as Adidas tells the story of how they deconstructed the model, and rebuilt it after picking out the fundamentals that could be improved on. Product images enticed readers with a view of a silhouette that still retains the shape that made it ever so recognizable whether in the Adidas catalog or on the feet of someone, but with small improved details that arguably is more function over form.

Adidas played a big trump card with updating the Ultraboost silhouette altogether, and only 3 years after its original, iconic look, the brand has nipped, tucked, and thrown away whatever it deems unnecessary in an effort to keep it as simple as possible.

“the best innovation is nothing without cultural relevance,” said Matthias Amm, Director of Product at Adidas, and in the case of the Ultraboost 19, the shoe allows for some semblance of creative outlook, hence the partly deconstructed look. Amm confesses that this was a learning process by the design team; that chopping and hacking a shoe is also engaging with dynamics that they have yet to explore and uncover. In essence, the wearer also becomes the designer, and the new silhouette allows for such measures to be taken should the hands feel the itch.

Of course, performance is not sacrificed to make room for the aforementioned point. The new silhouette incorporates 20% more Boost in the midsole, an updated Torsion Spring, new knit called Primeknit 360, and a hollow heel counter that allows freer movement of the heel. The cage too has been given a retool and is lighter than the previous one. The knit is now thinner, translating to an overall lighter shoe than all the other previous iterations. All looks good so far.

Adidas N3XT L3V3L

Except the looks. What has culminated from such lengthy discussions and considerations have resulted in a shoe that looks a tad bit DIY. Reminiscing the N3XT L3V3L basketball shoe, the new design anticipates the arrival of customizers as evidenced by the previous model, where people cut the cages for a laceless look and coloured the midsole to make their pair truly unique to themselves.

Initial looks will polarise opinions, but then again, the original Ultraboost was a cultural icon, especially after being endorsed by Kanye West and subsequently, numerous other retailers, publication, and athletes, cementing its legacy in stone. The Ultraboost 19 serves as a sequel, one that could potentially contain a trove of new iterations as 2019 unfolds.

The Adidas Ultraboost 19 drops on February 21st for approximately 180 USD worldwide. Will you be copping?

From The Thread EP3: A 2018 Recap With Ben And Isaac

Posted by & filed under Fashion, TV.

No guests this time around, just the hosts recapping the previous year. In this episode of From The Thread, Ben and Isaac discuss the trends that happened in 2018, what they personally liked and disliked, and predict what’s gonna be the next big thing in 2019.

Idle/Ido Travels Into The Mind For Its Fourth Collection

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Concepts can sometimes get lost during the ideation phase following up to the execution, but Idle/ido have it pretty much spot on in their Volume 4 Collection. A journey into the mind, to explore thoughts that lead to the formation of ideas to the end product. Which is basically a convoluted way of saying the whole collection is an exercise in thought process from a third party perspective.

Regardless of interpretation, Idle/ido brings a fairly minimalist design stature that infuses a small degree of variations and combinations in some of its pieces. 5 shirts make up the collection, with one overshirt, cap and cropped pants rounding out the others. Relatively simple in design, the apparel places it focus more on the material and quality of said apparel rather than design, as the artworks are kept to a distant hush when presented on the shirt.

The highlight of the collection however, is the cropped pants, with oversized outer pockets and extra butt pocket for added measure.

Price ranges from RM 120 for the cap and all the way to RM 490 for the cropped pants. Head on to Idle/ido’s site to see the collection.

For more apparel news, KOZO just introduced their menswear line in their latest collection.

The Mystery Of Travel Takes Centre Stage With KOZO’s ‘Capsule 03’

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Written by Jo Yee

Kozo: A form of traditionally harvested and meticulously processed paper in Japan. In Rin Zheng’s interpretation however, she seeks to bring structure amidst our day to day chaos akin to the durability of “kozo” paper when it comes to sturdiness.

Capsule 03 brings a bit of a change as compared to the previous ones. As every design detail and process is conceived from gathering inspiration and skills from different walks of life, Capsule 3 sticks true to KOZO’s core identity with the release of this new collection inspired by the idea of travel, specifically the sense of mysteriousness and hidden trails that lie ahead of a person, waiting to be discovered.

“Every woman desires to carve their own path in this journey we call life. Along this adventure, nature plays an instrumental role when it comes to self-realization or freeing our spirit for a peace of mind,” laments Rin when reflecting on her third collection.

Neutral colours and evergreen cuts make the collection, featuring timeless pieces in oxford and twill cotton fabrics — with the palette predominantly inspired by earthy tones from sandy beige, navy blue of the deep night, to olive green like the maturing leaves in the rainforest. Capsule 03 also marks the debut of the brand’s very first menswear line, following along the same minimalist ethos and simple cuts that make for a very wearable and understated fit.

Prices though, are a different story. For such levels of simplicity, the apparel commands a fairly high price for its offerings; one of their short sleeve shirts comes at RM209, while the pants are priced at RM249. Still, if you appreciate these kinds of aesthetics, Kozo’s well stocked from head to toe. Head on to Kozo’s website to see more.

 

New Clothing Brand Eversince Combines Minimalist Aesthetics With Athleisure Wear

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A new player has entered the scene, and is set to place its footing amongst the local streetwear groups here in Malaysia. An athleisure outfit, EVERSINCE debuts its first collection, aptly named ‘Establishment,’ a collection focused on minimal aesthetics surrounding its wears, and this is done to a tee. Only solid colours are employed, namely black & white with very little graphics going around them. Highlights include a military inspired bomber jacket and a distressed denim jacket.

 

And it looks rather good. Simple, easy to focus designs that doesn’t become an eyesore after a while. For now, the collection is available online exclusively at EVERSINCE’s online store.