By drawing inspiration from their “Alligator Chair” design, brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana, along with LACOSTE, have undoubtedly satisfied the 2 goals of LACOSTE’s Holiday Collector’s Series – a reflection of LACOSTE heritage and conceptualization of the label in unusual forms. After an enthusiastic response to its debut earlier this year, portion of the Campanas Brothers x LACOSTE 2009 Holiday Collector’s Series is finally available now, exclusively at Parisian boutique colette.

During Lance Armstrong’s return to the competitive cycling scene this year at the Tour de France, Armstrong rode a series of specially designed Artist TREK Bikes. The six bicycles were created by Marc Newson, Yoshitomo Nara, Kenny Scharf, KAWS, Damien Hirst and Shepard Fairey. The bikes first debuted in a special preview not too long ago on Oct 2, also the day when Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer years ago. On Oct 2, a special dinner was held by Armstrong and Mr. Thompson to commemorate the day at the Park Avenue Armory. The uniquely designed bicycles will be on display until Oct 22, after which they will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s on Nov 1 to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Do visit the bikes and get a glimpse of the rides in person before they are ushered off to be auctioned for a wonderful cause.

Because by 2010, cancer will be the number one cause of death, raising awareness for cancer can effectively help countless people in dealing with the illness. For this fact, Nike partners up with Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG to host STAGES– an art exhibition aimed at raising funds and awareness for the fight against cancer. An impressive line-up of artists have been enlisted to STAGES and most have created original art work for the cause. A number of the artists have been personally affected by cancer, thus making the exhibition and their creations both personal and relatable in different ways. More than twenty artists contributed their effort, time and creativity to the project and some of the names include Cai Guo Qiang, Ed Ruscha, Shepard Fairey and FUTURA.

STAGES will be arriving soon at NYC right smacked on Halloween at Dietch Projects, running for a span of three weeks till Nov 21. Do take some time out to visit the exhibition not just to get cultured artistically, but also to support a worthy cause that is close to heart for many people, and perhaps you.

Nike SB teamed up with HUF to release a capsule collection of goodies ranging from Blazer Mid SB to tees and caps. The model used as a collaborative canvas this time is well, the Blazer Mid SB with a canvas upper. The collaborative kicks are kept clean, simple and classic in colorways of all-black and all-white. The only telltale sign of HUF’s hand in these kicks come in the form of an embroidered logo tag attached to the heel panel of the shoes, quietly flagging the Nike embroidery on the back. Alongside the sneakers, the capsule collection features printed tees, caps and jacket all with both HUF and Nike SB’s stamp. The tees are emblazoned with HUF logo and “HUF CITY DIRTBAG” on the back above the Nike mark, and HUF found a way to discreetly incorporate itself into the Nike SB tag on the bottom of the jacket. Check out the cool and fail-safe collection and mark your calendars for Nov 7 because that’s when all the items will go on sale exclusively at HUF stores.

Winfield is a Japanese boutique specializes on caps and more specifically the New Era 59FIFTY fitted caps. Not only do they retail but they have been producing their own custom fitted caps range periodically and this is their latest release paying homage to one of the epic gangsta films of the 90′s, Menace II Society. The Menace font face on the front panels of the cap is a replication of the film’s logo that is boldly embroidered over black, blue or red body. On the back of the cap is an embroidery of ‘Geah!’, a phrase popularized by the film. Finished off with grey under visor and Winfield label on the inside.

There is nothing more comforting than a pair of lived in Levi’s, and one doesn’t have to be a denim connoisseur to know this. Working to elaborate and further push the quality of evolution in Levi’s favorites, the heritage denim label is working with Obey to reinvent some Levi’s cult classics including the 511, Shepard Fairey’s favorite 514, truckers, work shirts and graphic tees with an injection of Obey aesthetics and energy. Each item is meticulously and intentionally customized for a well-loved, lived-in, unique look that is like your favorite pair of aged Levi’s. The collection will also feature original graphics created by the Levi’s X Obey team and will be launching at the end of this month on Oct 29 at various Levi’s locations including Santa Monica, Soho, Times Square and online.

This matrimony is both an exciting and befitting one as Fairey himself points out the similarities between both labels –

“I’ve always felt that keeping my art bold, simple and refined was a way to cut through the clutter, and it’s a formular that Levi’s has been using for decades that keeps them accessible and populist yet stylish and relevant. The posters I created for Levi’s are returns to the roots of my style: one side with an industrial propaganda poster feel that connects the heritage of Levi’s as a brand for workers and the reverse side reflecting my other biggest influence, punk rock, and the connection of Levi’s to punk and rock in general”.

Stay tuned for more information and detailed looks on the collaboration on Freshness as the release approaches!

Most knows Gourmet for providing feet with shoes that allow style and comfort to co-exist harmoniously, but the label does have its dabbles in other areas of the industry. Gourmet has a rather small but impressive line of jewelry, and now the label is collaborating with sportswear label, Champion, for some new silk-screened tees so Gourmet fans can sport their loyalties not just on their feet. The tees come in both long-sleeve and short-sleeve versions with silk-screened graphics. Both tees come in three colorways, white, black and grey, and all feature the Gourmet logo and “C’ logo. Check out the tees that are now available for order via: Gourmet!

A while back, we reported on the upcoming flannel riding shirt by Chari & Co. and today we see the final product in all its glory. The flannel shirt was made in conjunction with apparel brand and retailer Steven Alan and features some quality details that makes sense for cyclists and alike. The shirt features a long tail to cover the rider’s butt while riding, velcro-fastened rip-open pocket that is located to a messenger-bag-friendly position and hunting pocket on the rear perfect for storage of magazines or water bottle. Also the collar can be buttoned up with the ribbed cuff to protect the wearer from cold weather. Available in red or green flannel patterns in 100% cotton, made proudly in USA.

Japan’s NEIGHBORHOOD (NBHD) continues to work with Disney on their collaboration project which already includes various pieces from the NEIGHBORHOOD (NBHD) Autumn/Winter 2009 Collection. This preview is of an upcoming vinyl toy from NEIGHBORHOOD (NBHD) and Disney and features the Big Bad Wolf and Mickey Mouse vinyl figures with NEIGHBORHOOD (NBHD) branding. No word yet on when these vinyl toys might release but stay tuned for more information. via: Shinsuke Takizawa

The Nike Sportswear x LIVESTRONG collaboration had been performing with a wonderfully steadfast manner and continues to surprise fans with great items. To hit stores really soon on October 24th are new Air Zoom Tiempo TZ LAF Texas Austin that is inspired by Lance Armstrong’s hometown, Austin. The shoes are designed based on the cyclists of Austin and one of the city’s most iconic cycling stores, Mellow Johnny’s. Still rooted strong in LIVESTRONG designs, the kicks are crafted from a mix of quilted black premium oiled leather with yellow accents in lining, stitching and graphics. The words “Texas” and “Austin” are printed on the heel of the shoes and Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop makes its appearance on the tongue. Also, contrasting black and yellow sock liners add an extra punch to the collaborative kicks that are topped off with Starks laces featuring black aglets. The Air Zoom Tiempo TZ LAF Texas Austin will be available at select Nike Sportswear retailers including Mellow Johnny’s and Nike Sportswear 21 Mercer this Saturday, October 24th.

October marks a very busy month for luxury powerhouse, Gucci, as it makes its rounds all over the globe with Gucci Icon- Temporary. As previously reported, the Gucci Icon- Temporary is a flash sneaker store that will be popping up in major cities around the world housing 18 exclusive limited Gucci Icon-Temporary sneakers (16 for men, 2 for women) and also a limited collection of collaborative sneakers between Mark Ronson and the luxury label. While we had previously given Freshness readers a closer look into the pop-up store, this time around we have more detailed pictures of the collaborative Ronson Gucci Sneakers.

Most may know Mark Ronson as a man of music, but the artist is also an avid sneakerhead. The Ronson Gucci kicks work on the silhouette of one of this year’s favorite shoes–the boat shoes– in fresh and bright colorways of indigo and yellow using a mix of leather and canvas. Available in two different cuts and color combos, the shoes come attached with a special Gucci Ronson dog tag. Not forgetting his roots in music, Ronson also injected his passion for music into this project, enlisting the help of artists to make limited edition tracks for each store opening. For those who manage to get their hands on the Ronson Gucci kicks at the pop-up sneaker store, the shoes come gifted with a 12″ vinyl record with exclusive tracks hand-picked by Ronson.

The Gucci Icon0 Temporary pop-up store will have its inaugural opening this week at Crosby Street in New York City with an opening party on Oct 23 and its official opening the next day. Absolutely not an event to be missed, this deserves more than just a figurative space on your calendar and should be graced in person before it jets off to another place.

Not just an influencer but also a maker of culture, Bobbito Garcia is a man of vast talents and trades. A streetball player, DJ, writer, entrepreneur and of course, the man who gave us Where’d You Get Those?: New York City’s Sneaker Culture 1960-1987, Garcia is deeply rooted in many facets of urban culture as we have grown to know it. In his chronicle of the sneaker culture, Garcia professed his love for Pro-Keds’ Royal Flash (also known as “Add On”). As such, there seem to be no one more appropriate than Garcia to collaborate on a special pair of Pro-Keds Royal Flash to commemorate the model’s 30th Anniversary on the scene of kicks. Crafted in a variety of bright but not flashy colorways ranging from maroon to olive and yellow to orange, the kicks feature “Bobbito” embossed on the side and “El Barrio, NYC” embossed on the tongue, paying homage to Spanish Harlem. On the flip side of the tongue, 30th Anniversary information is printed to mark these kicks with the recognition they deserve. Due to drop soon on Oct 28, Bobbito Garcia himself will be conducting a one-day tour, making appearances at several retailers to sign both the kicks and his sneaker bible. Save the date for some one-on-one face time with Garcia!