Afends - 2012

Personally, i've got a huge amount of time for Aussie clothing label AFENDS. My support stemming not only through my love of the clothing but also for the brand themselves. Resisting the fashion stereotype of seasonal releases, they seemingly release new gear on a weekly basis, from limited 100only tees, to collaborations with some of the dopest artists and designers out their.

The 2012 Autumn ranges feature awesome cut and sew garments along with radical artworks from our diverse array of AFENDS Artists and Radicals. Each item has been tagged and trimmed with the most precise of details and produced from the finest quality materials.

The mens range consists of printed tees, fashion tees, tall tees, raglans and singlets along with a heap of button up shirts, jackets, zips, pull over hoods and crew neck fleece not to mention a solid range of AFENDS denim and walk-shorts alongside the almighty Baywatch shorts and of course headwear and accessories. Check out the video lookbook below...

Video Lookbook - Taken from Afends Blog. Vimeo

Afends have also released a Women's range. Bursting with Autumn-ish elegance and exiting edgy outfits for just about any occasion this Autumn. The range features night gowns, summery light dresses, cute tops and the first full range of Women's denim including jeans and shorts.

Full range in-store and online 15th FEBRUARY 2012.

Now stocked by Chemical Records for anyone like me in the UK.

Question Everything

YMC Navajo Canvas Deck Shoes

When, back in 1995, Fraser Moss and Jimmy Collins borrowed industrial designer Raymond Loewy’s slogan, ‘You must create’, in order to name their nascent clothing company they couldn’t have realised what a clarion call those words would become.

Since 1995 YMC, as the company swiftly came to be known, has slowly and quietly evolved into a highly significant label. They are now among the prime exponents of a highly British form of modernism in clothes design. Where others are increasingly concerned with the fleeting trends of modern culture, YMC follow the Corbusian precept that form follows function. The results, free from fads and gimmick's, are as close to timeless as clothing gets. This year see's the secondary release of the Navajo Canvas Deck Shoes, this time round coming in the form of three aesthetically pleasing colourways; Blue, Orange & Navy colourways [see last years here]

Personally always go for the blue sneaks, but all nice...

Get your YMC deck shoes at both Oki-Ni & Mr Porter now.. £75

Sources: Hypebeast; Highsnobiety.

Fiasco & Pharrell To Release Album

Lupe Fiasco, left, & Pharrell Williams, right.

The self-confessed skateboarding geeks of Hip-Hop Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell Williams have recently announced their plans to release a joint album. The Chicago MC, Lupe Fiasco revealed on his website, stating that he and Pharrell will be recording the joint album...

“Lupe And Pharrell Album Coming Soon” 

The joint album will be far from the first time the two have worked together, with Pharrell both producing [a.k.a. The Neptunes] and featuring in several track off Lupe's first album "Food & Liquor" back in 2006. The pair are close inside and outside music with Pharrell once stating...

"Lupe [Fiasco] is our brother, period. If there was...a fourth member of N.E.R.D., it would probably be Lupe"

Pharrell, left, and Lupe, middle, posing with the other half of The Neptunes Chad Hugo, right.

Lupe and Pharrell are also two thirds of hip-hop supergroup Child Rebel Soldier (CRS), rounded off by no other than Kanye West. The pair are also a part of the young HipHop supergroup All City Chess Club alongside Asher Roth, Bobby Ray, The Cool Kids, Charles Hamilton, Blu, Diggy Simmons, J. Cole and Wale. With the CRS album (Kanye West, Pharrell, and Lupe Fiasco) being put on a indefinite hold, the announcement had drawn a lot of hype!! Although talking to GQmagazine earlier this month Pharrell stayed quite defensive when the topic of the joint album arose.. “I can’t talk about that. Lupe is my man and whatever we’re talking about we can’t really discuss and get into right now. We’re talking about some very interesting things.” For an idea of what to expect.. Check Lupe's recent track 'Horn Synth' produced again by Pharrell & Chad Hugo a.k.a The Neptune

Sample of Lupe Fiasco - Horn Synth (produced by The Naptunes)

Keep you posted on any development..

JIC.

The NBA Returns..

The Lockout

So after the 161-day lockout, which saw the 2011-2012 regular season being delayed for over a month, the NBA has returned. The lockout disagreement between the owners and the players, represented by the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)  began on July 1, 2011 and ended on December 8, 2011 and has reduced the regular season from 82 to 66 games. Personally I am far from an expert on the sport, but since the reintroduction I have definitely found myself on NBA.com on a regular basis..

               Kevin Durant                                                  LeBron James                                                       Derrick Rose

The Season So Far..

Currently mid-way through the shortened season, there seems to be three in the lead for NBA title. Oklahoma City Thunder (28-7) looking odds on to take the Western Conference, whilst over in the Eastern Conference the regular season title is being fought out between the Miami Heat (27-7) and Chicago Bulls (29-8). No surprise then, that these three players currently in the running for the MVP award are at these leading sides. As pictured above the first, and possibly favourite for MVP is Kevin Durant, left, of Oklahoma City Thunder. Next up is the illustrious LeBron James of the Miami Heat, middle, and finally the reigning MVP, Derrick Rose of Chicago Bulls, right.

Blake Griffin Highlights

Blake Griffin is a 6"10, 250lbs monster and has made a name for himself purely off his highly athletic and quite aggressive dunks. Selected as the no.1 draft pick for the LA Clippers, back in 2009, Griffin expectations were high, and he has certainly not disappointed. No more explanation is needed, watch the video below and see the dunk master at work.

Linsanity!!!

Due to the extended break and lack of match practise the standard of play in the first half of this NBA season has been heavily criticised by experts and journalists. A much higher percentage of error, and obvious fatigue in some of the star players, crowds for the games had started to decrease. The need for a boost in excitement was becoming evident. Along came Jeremy Lin!! The un-drafted, underdog has come from nowhere, energizing the flat-lining NY Knicks franchise and exciting the masses.

Here some of Lin's facts..
> Only the 4th graduate from Havard to play in the NBA..
> Lin has been dumped by two NBA teams before joining the Knicks and spent last season playing in the D-league.
> Since starting for Knicks, team has gone 10-3, even without their stars Amare Stoudemire & Carmelo Anthony.
> Highlight so far... His career-high 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers. See the highlights below.

The NBA is Back...