Streetwear’s Obsession With Ralph Lauren

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Written by Isaac Yeap

It was the 1980’s, and New York City was not what it was now. The rich & the poor were clearly divided. Drugs & violence ran the town, but despite all that, managed to birth a new underground subculture which we are all very familiar with now, and it’s none other than Hip-Hop. All around NYC’s little alleyways, suburbs, and dodgy towns, it’s not uncommon to see groups of young people gathering around, dancing to enjoy this new ‘thing.’ Legends such as Kool Herc & Grandmaster Flash were pushing the boundaries of music to create what was known as the first ‘beat break’ of Hip-Hop, hence conceiving the first group of individuals we now know as ‘B-Boys’.

Contrary to popular belief that break dancing is literally a type of dance that could make you break something, the term ‘B-Boy’ is an abbreviation of ‘Breaking Boys’, in which these individuals were dancing to the ‘break’ located in a section of a song.

Which brings us to our next point. Streetwear is obsessed with Ralph Lauren, and to understand the level of fanaticism these groups had with the brand, we have to analyse the phases in which B-Boy’s go through in terms of fashion. In the beginning, majority of the B-Boy’s in the projects are dressed in Adidas sweatsuits, Kangol Hats & Sheepskin to flex. The look and feel was heavily influenced by fellow East Coast rapper, Run DMC in his song ‘My Adidas.’

But during the early 80’s, something was brewing amongst the New York City’s elites. A Bronx born Jewish boy named Ralph Lifsitz was making a name for himself by bringing preppy, collegiate style back. NYC was not ready for this, at the age where Europe was deemed as the fashion megahouse, America is still struggling with their own identity & stance in fashion. Ralph brought something entirely fresh, yet close to the heart of all Americans. In short, he’s selling the ‘American Dream’ all over again.

The freshly decked out B-Boys clearly noticed the presence of such a trend brewing in their own home ground & wanted a piece of the pie to belong & live in the American Dream. However, there is one huge roadblock; Polo Ralph Lauren even by standards back then was very expensive & majority of the advertising done is mostly catered to the rich, powerful & white. It never had the other minorities in sight in terms of promoting the ‘American Dream’ style, which was a normal occurrence back then as fashion was predominantly made available to the White Americans only, as racial separation was a norm still.

Little did Ralph knew, his influence is reaching to the projects. So much that it conceived two shoplifting groups solely dedicated to Polo Ralph Lauren: Ralphie’s Kids from Crown Heights and Polo USA (United Shoplifters Association) from Brownsville. These groups will then eventually merge and form what is now known as the ‘Lo-Life’s’. The members of the Lo-Life’s are rappers, and aside from rapping, they have made a name for themselves by going into fancier parts of New York City like Manhattan & Brooklyn to steal some Polo Ralph Lauren from high end department stores such as Bloomingdale’s & Sak’s. Not only do they steal & rock their goods, they also boast how they got it. care, they did not, as they were having a piece of the ‘American Dream’.

To understand why the African American community is so hyped up by getting themselves something or anything Polo Ralph Lauren, it’s crucial to understand the political climate in the U.S. at 1980’s. To own any luxury fashion items, you must be rich or influential, & almost always, white. It was the American Dream to most African American kid back then; it made you feel a million bucks, rich, influential because it’s exclusive & hard to get. Hence the drive to own these items.

To find out more about the Lo Life’s craze with Polo Ralph Lauren check out this comprehensive video titled ‘Horse Power’ done by COMPLEX:

Fast forward to this day & age, Ralph Lauren has become an iconic brand for all selling to everyone across the globe the quintessential American preppy lifestyle. The polos, oxfords, and Polo Bear sweaters are now a staple in many fashionista’s wardrobe. Big celebrities names such as Kanye West can be seen rocking the classic Polo Bear Sweater in his early hey-day’s. Even amongst the big streetwear brands, the preppy style influence is strong, with Supreme & Palace having Oxfords, Fair Isle Sweaters, Mohair Cardigans even down to the shoes like Penny Loafers included in their list of items almost every drop. It’s clear that streetwear, hip-hop & Ralph all learn something from each other directly or indirectly.

Then, the ball dropped. An iconic moment of streetwear mixing up with the fashion big boys along the lines of Louis Vuitton X Supreme. What seemed very much unlikely, has happened when Palace Skateboards collaborated with what they tout as their “most favourite brand in the world.” A showcase of the seemingly clashing, but unified on both ends of the spectrum. Delinquency, vs preppy, melded into one collection. Undoubtedly this is the grandchild, the masterpiece, the perfect harmony over the decades of the mix between streetwear, hip-hop & fashion.

Fashion is a funny thing, and often, its legacy can take a different turn altogether than what was intended, and it should be embraced. It’s what made the culture, and this collaboration represents the pinnacle of two completely different audiences, merged into one. Beautiful.

Take A Look At BAPE’s Latest Collab With Bell & Ross

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Nigo’s going all out for Bathing Ape’s XXV Anniversary bash. Bell & Ross has been tapped by the company to make special edition watches in conjunction with the celebration of BAPE’s 25th Anniversary.

Two colourways make an appearance: an all black model, and a green camo-ed dial. Both models have the BAPE logo replacing the 6, with the straps featuring a lacquered logo. The Green Camo comes with a leather box, complete with extra cloth strap, tightening kit, and manual. The black one however, features something a bit more special. The watch comes in a Pelican Case with all the necessary bits and pieces, as well as coming with an urban camo leather replacement strap. Both are painted with Superluminova, ensuring constant low light legibility and visibility.

Interested? The Black model retails for RM 18,600, whereas the Green Camo retails for RM16,800. Only 25 units are available for the Black one, while the Green Camo only has a 100 units. Get yours now while you can at selected Bell & Ross boutiques.

ASICSTIGER Pays Homage To Mickey Mouse’s First Cartoon, Plane Crazy

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ASICSTIGER is collaborating with Disney once again to commemorate 90 years of Mickey Mouse’s appearance on the big screen. The collection is inspired from Mickey Mouse’s first cartoon, Plane Crazy which includes three different silhouettes from ASICSTIGER namely the low and mid-top GELPTG and GEL-LYTE HIKARI which is designed exclusively for kids. Plane crazy was first produced in 1928, featuring Mickey Mouse for the very first time. Aviator Charles Lindbergh’s trailblazing journey from New York to Paris was the main source of inspiration behind Plane Crazy where Mickey built his own plane together with Minnie Mouse and embarked on its maiden’s flight.

The GEL-PTG silhouette is a rework of the ASICS FABRE POINT GETTER which was initially released back in 1983 in Japan. Both low and mid-top iterations feature a still from Plane Crazy on the upper. However, the low cut model comes in three separate styles where two of the styles feature details of Mickey’s first flight on the toe box. The third style displays a black print of Mickey and Minnie on the side panel alongside the ASICS Stripes. To further implement retro vibes, all three styles come with rubber soles, serving as a throwback to the basketball shoes in the 1980s with monochromatic colors that recreates the minimalist charm of the cartoon couple’s debut.

The GEL-LYTE HIKARI pays homage to Mickey, symbolizing Mickey’s 90 years using colors such as black, red, white and grey, synonymous to Mickey Mouse development over the years. Lightweight and designed for mobility and comfort, the GEL-LYTE HIKARI is the latest reinvention of the original GEL-LYTE silhouette. This collaboration rounds off Mickey’s anniversary in style, celebrating the iconic charm of the character which captivated audiences for the best part of a century.

If you are keen to purchase the collection, it will be releasing at the latest ASICS Concept Store in Pavilion KL on the 16th of November 2018.

Local Accessory Makers BEHATI Collaborate With Hatta Dolmat and Kittie Yiyi For New Brooch Collection

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Written by Jo Yee

Homegrown brooch brand, Behati launches a limited collection named “BEHATTIE” in collaboration with local designers Hatta Dolmat and Kittie Yiyi that’s a bit Gucci, and that’s no bad thing. Both designers sport bugs to be their signature spirit animals for their brands which is highlighted through the arthropodic elements in this limited brooch collection.

Hatta Dolmat first debuts his signature spiny beetle in his ‘Decade’ collection at Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week 2015 (KLFW 2015) which lives on today in a lot of his designs and prints in his Beetle by Hatta Dolmat series.

Kittie Yiyi’s iconic bee was first introduced as embroidered patches as a motive on a coat in her 2014 debut collection that eventually molded into her adorable icon that would symbolize her eponymous fashion brand. Interested? These limited designs are available now exclusively at the BEHATI.CO’s online store.

Vans Revisits Mickey Mouse Through The Decades In New Collection

Posted by & filed under Fashion, Sneakers.

November is full of surprises and drops, and this upcoming Disney x Vans collection is another one to look out for. In conjunction with the celebration of Mickey Mouse’s 90th Anniversary, Vans and Disney picked out one of shoemaker’s original footwear silhouette, the Authentic, which showcases a gallery of Mickey Mouse illustrations across the upper, including a special rendition of Mickey Mouse with a birthday cake.

Vans and Disney’s logo is present on the insoles, while some graphics of Mickey Mouse is visible on the inside of the shoe. To complete the entire 90th anniversary collaboration, an exclusive ‘Mickey Through the Decades’ long sleeve tee and jockey hat will be made available for purchase, featuring memorable moments from Mickey Mouse’s 90 years.

The collection will be launching this coming 16 November at most Vans retail stores with a strong feeling of nostalgia checking in hard with this collection.

The Release Of H&M X Moschino Caused A Slight Havoc In Malaysian Stores

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Most of the time when the word queue comes up, it almost instantly relates to a queue for sneakers but this time, the queue is for another.

We are talking about the recently released H&M x Moschino collection which ended up in a havoc. With the help of social media, we managed to take a peek of how things went down during the collection release and it did not look good one bit. As we watch the videos, we observe people rushing into the H&M store, walking over the racks,  pushing anything or anyone out of their way (including the guards), just to grab anything their hands can reach. The crowd included teenagers, young adults, and even senior citizens, which is a shame that an individual can result into such actions just to purchase a piece of apparel or accessory.

 

Video credits to Daphne Charice and Joanne Jojobi

The videos don’t indicate which store hosted the debacle, but the ensuing riot once the guards let the people through was immense. This isn’t the behaviour which we should display at all.

Speaking to Vogue UK, Jeremy Scott, the designer behind the collection had this to say, “I thought about the mood of ‘street’, the mix and attitude of haute couture and humour, and the elements of ‘bling bling’ accessories piled up on top of each other to capture and create the look I do on the catwalk. I thought of it like ingredients for a feast, and I wanted to include all the ingredients to make sure it had all the essence of a Moschino collection. You get cartoon characters, you get gold, bold Moschino jewellery, you get sequins and shiny things, and a mix and juxtaposition of elements you don’t normally find together. Expect the unexpected!”

It’s as Jeremy Scott as Jeremy Scott can be.

Despite this however, the designs are definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. 3/4 of the office dislikes it, so what’s the hype? The real question is, what is so unique about this collection that the launch situation had to escalate till that extent? Is it due to chronic nostalgia, the branding of the collaboration, or for the greed of profits? Let us know what you think about the collaboration and what you think the organizers can do to prevent another havoc.

Jeff Staple Remixes The Staple Pigeon Suede

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Better, Or Worse?

All in the midst of heat releases, PUMA has tapped longtime collaborator Jeff Staple for another sequel to the Pigeon collab back in 2013 and more recently, 2016.

 

The story of the Pigeon is an interesting one. While we don’t usually encounter with pigeons here in Malaysia, they’re ridiculously ubiquitous in Manhattan that holds a heavy meaning to the citizens there. To them, the pigeon is a reminder of the gritty resilience of New Yorkers. Much like the pigeon, New Yorkers are survivors, and the bird that can survive horrible weather conditions, eat whatever is thrown at it, and still live, is very much a reminder and homage to that spirit.

To bring forth the template of the bird, A frost gray suede upper is decked out with gray laces and pony hair heels. An Ombre coloured Formstrip reflects the iridescent accents on the bird, finished off with Georgia peach highlights. Colour blocking is spot on this pair, and for the ones that desire even a fraction of the pigeon magic, this is the one to get. The shoe also comes with an extra set of peach laces for if you want an extra pop of colour.

The Jeff Staple Suede 50 is available now at PUMA KLCC, Sunway Pyramid, Pavilion, Aeon Terbau City, Mid Valley, and Genting Sky Avenue for approximately RM 460. Drip, or skip?

Song Review: The Pills (I Know) By The Bear Scouts

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Written by Aida Rashid

Fun, energetic and spirited is how we’d describe the first single of this up-and-coming indie-pop band, Bear Scouts. A 6-piece band that has been making appearance at local gigs around KL this year including Soundstruck Live, Borneo X Semenanjung Show, Bear Scouts will be performing at Urbanscapes alongside Spooky Wet Dreams, Senja and Hacktick this weekend.

80s pop-vibes are channeled through the song, and with it, bring forth a very danceable tune and turning it into an absolute crowd favourite. The pills in this question aren’t a euphemism for drugs or a person, rather they were literal medicinal pills taken by the song-writer, and vocalist of Bear Scouts — Aliff Azhar (Lepp).

“The song is actually about the pills that I used to take few years back. I am diagnosed with a skin problem. Sometimes its tough and hard for me to catch some sleep so I had to take this pill that can calm me down and put me to sleep. This is song is pretty much like a love letter to myself and a reminder of those tough days.” Aliff said.

We tend to underrate the ability for song-writers to actually pen their feelings and experiences to words and turn it into a song. It brings forth some kind of vulnerability that we subconsciously look for when we listen to songs because we want that sense of comfort knowing other people feel the way we do, or in another sense, relatability. The process can either be hard or easy, but it is definitely one that pushes the writer to put their guard down. “I had the line “the pills put me to sleep more peacefully than any of the lullabies I know” for the longest time. There’s no continuation to that until I realised I can make songs using my phone – that is when i decided to finish “The Pills”.” He added.

The song on the surface sounds like finding comfort in a person and it feels like it’s an appropriate soundtrack for every other love story. “To be honest, I want people to interpret that song however they want it. Some people might think “the pills” is about a person, some might think about drugs. It really depends though. Its like reading a book. You read a line and you start to imagine the scenario and all. Same like this song. I want the listeners to relate to it based on their own personal experience and imagination.” Said Aliff when asked about what their listeners would think the song means.

The Pills (I Know) is definitely a song that’s easy to jive into because of it’s catchy and cheery tune, despite having a profound backstory to it. We look forward to hear more from Bear Scouts in the near future, which leaves us questioning — whether they will retain this 80s pop sound or are they taking us to explore a lot more pockets of the indie pop genre? I guess that’s for them to know, and for us to wait til we can find out.

The Nike Air Max 97 QS Releases Tomorrow

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Half Gold and Half Silver

In the midst of all the furor of the hype, we tend to miss out on several GR pairs that aren’t paid attention to because it’s not “hype.” This upcoming Air Max 97 from the Swoosh we think, fits this category very well.

Known colourways of the Air Max 97 has always been the coveted ‘Silver Bullet’ and ‘Gold Bullet,’ monikers taken from a very fast look even when stationary. Of course, this is as such because inspirations were heavily drawn from the ‘Shinkansen,’ or bullet trains in Japan. While the ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ Bullets had a full metallic upper, this iteration sees only the mudguard get colourised with the remaining portions coloured in black.

It’s an interesting take on two classic colourways, providing enough of a twist without completely distorting its image that makes clothing transitions that much easier with a black top. It’s a safe choice for when you still want to rep the OG colours while still maintaining some form of versatility when it comes to matching clothes. A white top is also available for the ‘Silver Bullet’ colourway.

The Air Max 97 QS drops for RM735 at Nike.com on the 9th of November, 2017. Maybe it’s time to buy yourself something that you like instead of following the hype.