Photo by Wire Image

Hidden beneath the hype and hysteria from last night’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was something unique. No, it wasn’t M.I.A.’s inexplicable action when she flipped the bird and lip-synched the F-Bomb during her routine. Nor was it Madonna‘s subdued performance (in comparison to her Blond Ambition World Tour). Instead, it was right underneath everyone’s nose, when SkyBlu of LMFAO stepped onto the stage. Beneath the electro-pop sensation’s wild mane was the most expensive Beats by Dr. Dre headphones to date. Crafted with help from Graff Diamonds, one of the world’s foremost precious gems dealers, Beats by Dr. Dre placed over 114 carats of diamonds on the headphones. Because of the volatility of precious gems and metals pricing, the collaborators could only estimate the total price around “a million dollars,” give or take a few hundred thousand here or there.

Do you know what time it is? If you’ve been sticking with Stussy and Casio’s G-Shock over the past 15 years then you certainly would, as the two have been getting together every couple of years since then to crank out a new collaborative watch. There have been six pieces to drop in total, with the team up first occurring in 1997, which was followed by an eight year break that ended in 2005 as they finished out the decade at a much more rapid pace. We’ve got a quick set of images here that serve as a retrospective in this project, culminating in the most recent model the Stussy x G-Shock G-001 “Jason”. Follow us after the jump to check them out and grab the Jason now from Stussy Japan.

It’s been a while since we heard anything from raincoat company K-Way but this form of reentry is welcome, as they team up with New Balance for a trio of silhouettes. Grabbing one of NB’s more slimmed down sneakers, the K-Way x New Balance U420 is a trio of straightforward suede and nylon runners that match well with the pastel aesthetic of K-Way’s jackets. In form with New Balance’s collaborative guidelines the branding is pretty minimal, with K-Way’s logo hit popping up on the tongue tag as a nod to the partnership. Follow us after the jump to get a look at all three pairs that are on their way for Spring/Summer 2012. via Sneaker Freaker

Ever the renaissance man, it can be a bit hard to keep track of all the different projects Pharrell Williams is working on at any given time. From his traditional role of producing bangers for hip hop’s elite to making waves with his various fashion endeavors, the man is branching out now to scoring the Oscars along with Hans Zimmer and the set up of his new Billionaire Girls Club line. GQ sat down with Williams recently for a brief Q&A, chopping it up about his Academy Awards involvement, the influence of his personal style, and more. Hit up GQ for the full interview with the Billionaire Boys Club leader now.

Last week, we previewed the PENTAX K-01 Digital Hybrid Camera designed by Marc Newson. Understanding our curiosity, PENTAX took the initiative to interview Newson to explain the project and the final product in a five minute video. The highly acclaimed designer discusses his inspiration and approach to the design of the camera, his opinion of PENTAX, what it means to design his first ever camera, and the importance of photography for Newson. As always, it is great to gain insight from an established designer, and the full video interview can be seen after the jump.

Each season, COMME des GARÇONS designer Junya Watanabe teams up with Levi’s for a collaboration project, and this season is no exception. A vintage pair of jeans from 1966 was selected for their collaboration, heavily customized to visually translate the season’s work theme. Over-sized reinforcements on the thigh and knee areas create a totally unique aesthetic, coupled with large pockets on the upper thighs. Rear pockets have been moved slightly outwards, and in their place is hickory fabric, juxtaposed with the raw denim underneath. These jeans can be picked up at HAVEN retail store and online shop at the moment.

HAVEN Flagship
10528 108 Street NW | Map
Edmonton, AB Canada

HAVEN Select
7 Gaoler’s Mews | Map
Vancouver, BC Canada

Aside from their own line of products and retail stores, Japanese fashion giant Beauty & Youth is known for instigating high-profile collaboration projects. Their latest partnership is with the Californian brand VANS, who have produced an exclusive pair of Leopard Slip Ons for the ladies. As animal prints have been making the rounds in recent seasons, here is the version from Beauty & Youth, utilizing a leopard-printed suede leather material. The smooth leather wraps around the whole sneaker, balanced by cream-colored soles and interior. Beige-colored VANS flag tag and dual brand logos on the footbed finish off the footwear nicely. Unfortunately, these have already sold out on the Beauty & Youth online shop, but they may still be available in their retail stores in Japan, so it might be best to reach out to your Japanese contacts.

Japanese street-style magazine Samurai has gotten together with Swagger on a capsule collection built with a strong foundation of casual menswear essentials and accessories imprinted – both literally and figuratively — with the Swagger trademark. There are denim woven shirts finished with colorful paisley trim and the Swagger logo in tonal block letters across the back, plus matching denim shorts with identical design elements in the same relaxed silhouette. The recurring paisley motif appears on a logo pocket tee in white and navy colorways, as well as the requisite accessories program made up of snapback cap, tote bag and bandana. Check out detailed shots of the entire range following the click.

American heritage brand Filson is apparently looking to up their pedigree with the younger crowd, recruiting Richard Chai as a creative designer for a partnership that will span several seasons. Their gear has been exemplary of quality outerwear made here in America since their inception over a century ago, but recent moves like this and their increased involvement on collaborative projects suggests that they have their eyes on the streetwear set. Chai’s first influences on the label will manifest next week at his runway show on February 9th at 11:00am at Lincoln Center here in NYC. Beyond that, stick with Freshness as the year unfolds to get looks at the latest Filson gear produced under the reign of Richard Chai.

Reebok’s trip around the world to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Workout design continues with a Starcow x Reebok collaboration. In this edition, we get some Parisian influence to the classic Reebok silhouette, which results in a waterproof soft grey suede upper, orange lining, and a sand-colored gum outsole. A pair of Thinsulate inserts were added to boost its comfort score along with a touch of red and black on the top laces, giving this skate-inspired sneaker a a few more hits of color. These Starcow-designed Workout’s will be available at Reebok retailer along with the other global designs on February 15th. via: HS

Usually when the fragment design stamp pops up in the footwear realm it’s on a pair of Swoosh’d out sneakers. Delving a bit deeper into the lifestyle category this time, they get together with uniform experiment and Clarks Originals to crank out two colorways of the crepe-soled classic Wallabee. The beloved silhouette is intact as is the squishy crepe bottom, paired with a suede upper in navy and tan on the two shoes, respectively. The collabo comes through on the alternating logo hits on the heels, with fragment design on the right shoe and uniform experiment on the left. Hit the jump for the full look at both pairs of this upcoming pack, which will be hitting for ¥26,250 at retail.

Founded in 1958, ELKA is a rainwear specialist from Denmark, known for outerwear that can withstand extreme conditions. In celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Parisian creative studio La MJC, they have teamed up with Norse Projects to produce this exclusive jacket commemorating the anniversary. The most noticeable feature of the jacket is the tricolor break up of the panels, representing the French national colors. A slight modification was made to the original jacket – shortening the silhouette, adjustable cuffs, breathable lining, and drawcord hood – for a modern aesthetic. Inside, there is a three brand logo stamped to authenticate the collaboration. This jacket have just arrived at the Norse Projects online store, so grab it while it lasts.