Could you pick two more sought after Japanese labels to get together for a collaboration? The list of brands doing things on the same level as A Bathing Ape and COMME des GARÇONS PLAY is pretty short, so you can definitely expect their forthcoming collection together to be massive. Announced via BAPE on Twitter, all we have up to this point is this ominous amalgamated logo featuring familiar imagery from the respective brands. Stick with Freshness to get full word on the A Bathing Ape x Comme des Garcons PLAY collaboration, one which will no doubt involve massive lines and wild second market prices.

Setting up shop in the third largest city in Germany means its going to be tough for a brand to differentiate themselves from the competition. That is, unless you’re as bold as creative agency Full Contact, who facilitated a cross-industry collaboration between sneaker retailer AMEN Store, Nike Sportswear, and artist Paul Snowden to showcase their new office in Munich, Germany complete with  a custom Lotus Evora sitting in their front window. Unlike most artist-car collaborations that remain in the virtual world, Full Contact’s Lotus is road-ready and, thanks to Snowden, its shell has evolved into a highspeed projection of AMEN’s logo simulating the effect of driving under a swarm of their signs along with red hot flames flying from the front fenders. In return, AMEN has re-tuned the Nike iD Lunar Glide+ 3 to match the clean lines of the car, with the main influence being on its red, black and white colorway. Lucky guests who attended Full Contact’s launch event in Munich received the only 25 pairs created, but you can still catch a glimpse at this unique collaboration after the jump.

Clothed in luxurious python skin with a layer of lambskin as under brim for good measure, the customized New Era snapback by STRAPBACKS have garnered much acclaims. And that was even before Jay-Z fashioned it throughout his “Watch The Throne” tour with Kanye West. Now, the same premium construct can be your as STRAPBACKS releases 10 of these special edition. Hand crafted and all genuine down to the gold buckle leather strap, each retails for $300 US and available for a limited time only via STRAPBACKS online store.

The Land Rover Defender lives for the great outdoors and it has built a strong following of hunters and outdoorsmen who share the same passion. So it comes as no surprise that Land Rover has teamed up with the German hunting rifle company, Blaser, to craft a limited edition Defender to fit this niche. Slated to include only 60 units, this special edition vehicle is based on the Defender 110 SE double-cab painted in a nature-neutral Keswick Green. It comes outfitted with an expedition roof rack, trailer hitch, electric front winch, grille gaurd,  and rear spot light. The insides of this Land Rover also received some upgrades with the addition of the snorkel air intake, black leather seats outlined with green stitching topped off with Argali branding on the headrest. The Blaser logo is also prominently featured on the spare tire cover and on the front doors. The icing on this mud cake is obvious: the custom fitted gun case placed just behind the front seats, built to hold 5 rifles as well as their ammo and gear. Expect to hear more about this limited edition Land Rover when it hits the showroom floor at Europe’s largest hunting and fishing trade fair on January 31st.

Usually the one avoiding the spotlight, the KAWS Partners statue marks the second time artist Brian Donnelly, aka KAWS, publicize himself as the subject of his work. In the likeness of bronze sculpture by Tom Otterness, the odd yet whimsical piece features Donnelly reaching skyward while his all-too-familiar caricature, Companion, evade in embarrassment. Like all other KAWS’s creations, there is something fantastical and strange about KAWS Partners. And while words can convey the theme behind the status, it can certainly be yours now as kawsone.com opens for sale at Noon EST.

Release Date: January 27th, 2012 (TODAY!) | Noon EST

This is not the first time COMME des GARÇONS partnered up with The Generic Man to produce exclusive footwear, although it is probably safe to say, this will not be the last time these two brands will be work together either. The Hunting Lo model possess a clean aesthetic, and its uppers are made from premium leather materials dyed into green, brown and black colors. Complemented by white shoe laces, silver metal eyelets and tan leather lining, the upper is carefully stitched onto the white vulcanized soles. Head over to end clothing to pick yourself a pair.

end clothing
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Japanese menswear magazine SPADE is a relatively new magazine, published by the same company that makes EYESCREAM magazine. To commemorate their second issue, SPADE teamed up with TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloIst and UNDERCOVER for a collaboration. As the main feature of the issue is on Takahiro Miyashita and his brand, a special capsule collection was produced. UNDERCOVER was also invited due to Jun Takahashi being a good friend of Miyashita, as evidenced in the recent openstrings video from UNDERCOVER where Miyashita was invited to play in the video.

The collection uses 14 white garments as blank canvases, printing monochromatic photos on top of it. These rare photos of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were taken by acclaimed Japanese photographer Kenji Kubo. Apart from the capsule collection, there is one t-shirt made for SPADE and one t-shirt made in conjunction with UNDERCOVER. The total of 16 pieces are currently available as pre-order at EYESCREAM online shop and the delivery is scheduled for late April to May.

Previous collaboration projects between Maiden Noir and PORTER proved to be a success, so the winning partnership is back again for the Spring/Summer 2012 season. In this collaboration, there are four key pieces created in black, red and green tones. Amongst the three Day Pack Hiker backpacks, there is an inclusion of a woodland camouflage fabric but the rest of the bags are made from solid colors. All of the accessories – wallet, coin case and key chain – are unified in black leather body with dark green panels and gold accents. Expect these to drop around early February at Maiden Noir dealers across the world. via: houyhnhnm

Thanks to its unconventional approaches to design, the Originals by Originals from adidas Originals enjoyed was immensely popular among both sneaker aficionados and the fashion conscious demographic. In looking to bring back some of that momentum, Hong Kong-base creative label CLOT will re-issue its KZKLOT Superstar 80s once again this Fall. Identical throughout to the original collaboration designed by Kazuki Kuraishi, including the unique lightweight mesh construct, this third iteration will feature royal blue upper with sky blue accents color scheme instead. Be on the lookout for these during late summer as part of adidas Originals Fall 2012 Collection. via: EUKicks

Similar to much of the Y-3 semblance, the Honja Low Denim sneakers include design elements that bridge East and West influences. It features a raw denim upper with quilt-like pattern in the form of adidas 3-stripe, a luxurious leather trim fully lined the interior for comfort.  The leather accents continue onto the sneaker’s exterior, with an addition of bronze colorway for good measure.  Finished with four hidden hoop eyelets and a contrast white rubber outsole, the Honja Low Denim is now available as part of Y-3 Spring/Summer Collection at select retailers such as Park & Bond.

For Spring 2012 SOPHNET. gets together with Barbour, the brand that practically invented waterproof outerwear. Barbour‘s Bedale jacket is an English country classic, featuring extra room for layering and traditional zip-front styling with snap front placket. Additional details include two front flap pockets with snap closure plus two hand warmer pockets, as well as contrast collar with studs for an optional hood. Double vented back and patterned cotton interior round out the details. Finished in an attractive dark navy colorway, the SOPHNET. x Barbour Bedale Jacket is expected to land soon at select SOPHNET. retailers.

From “Detroit Lives” with Johnny Knoxville to the most recent “Tokyo Rising” film with Pharrell Williams, the intrepid videographers at VICE have follow their counterparts from Palladium Bootsto capture the raw nature of modern urban terrains. As an affirmation to their long-standing partnership, Palladium designed the VBS Pampa Tactical Boots for VICE personnels, who often venture fearlessly into regions off limit to most. Colored in a very distinctive navy blue with a durable layering of ballistic nylon and waterproof nubuck leather as upper, the VBS Pampa Tactical Boots also includes a Dri-Lex lining on the inside, all to keep the wearer dry and comfortable from the harsh elements. Limited to only 100 pairs with majority of them going to VICE crew members, some along with the general release version of Pampa Tactical Boots are now available at Palladium retail locations and online store. via: Antenna