Release Date: January 28th, 2012 (Saturday)

While the economic downturn has certainly been tough on the streetwear market, it has served to weed out the excess a bit. In this day and age only the strong survive, and Japanese giant A Bathing Ape is certainly one of the strongest, with their pioneering brand of high end apparel and gear still chugging after all these years. Coming down the pipeline for 2012 from Bape is a range that is split between their signature camo print, one of the tasteful remnants from the days of all-over print madness, and more straightforward minimalist pieces. Judging from this early look, the Spring/Summer collection leans heavily towards the cut and sew realm, with a surprisingly light showing of their usual graphic tees. Follow us after the jump for the full breakdown of the lookbook, and stick with Freshness for more info on these upcoming goodies from A Bathing Ape.

Fashionistas in Tokyo will have something to rejoice about come this March. Dover Street Market, the hugely popular retail concept by fashion designer Rei Kawakubo and her advent-garde label COMME des GARÇONS, is finally coming to Tokyo. Surprising, the new store will not be at the expected shopping district along the eastern part of Tokyo, where you have familiar neighborhoods like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Omotesando, Aoyama, and Harajuku. Instead, COMME des GARÇONS will take advantage of the newly revamped Ginza Komatsu Department Store in Ginza on the western side of the city. Taking up approximately 6 floors of the West Wing, the new store be in good company with the world’s largest UNIQLO flagship right next door. And like its mammoth neighbor, Dover Street Market Ginza is also set to open on March 16th, 2012.

Dover Street Market Ginza
Ginza Komatsu – West Wing
6-9-5 Ginza | Map
Chuo-ku, Tokyo Japan

Opening Date: March 16th, 2012 (Friday)

It seems like fans of Carhartt WIP will enter the odd realm of photographer Alexander Basile once again this coming season as the workwear-inspired apparel label unveiled a bit of the collection lookbook for Spring/Summer 2012. In a brief video by Janosch Pugnaghi, with music from Lino Gaul, Basile repeat that sensibility of in-completion and work in process with his unedited imagery, much like what his did for this season’s Carhartt WIP lookbook. To gauge for yourself, however, simply see the video after the click…

“…more than anything, UNKNWN is a modern educational platform…”

Just ahead of its highly anticipated opening, netizens get the opportunity to see (and hear) the story behind UNKNWN courtesy of Creative Control. A retail effort by Samantha Jo Alonso, Chris Julian, both of FRUITION Las Vegas fame, and last and least the man himself, LeBron James, UNKNWN is more than just a retail destination. As told by Julian, the new storefront is essentially a catalyst of “edgy positivity”, an interpretation on fashion, art, design, trends, and more… A way to return to the original intent of consumerism, to own and appreciate something of value. In the meantime, you can visit the new store in person this weekend at Aventura Mall just outside of Miami, Florida.

UNKNWN
Aventura Mall
19501 Biscayne Boulevard | Map
Aventura, FL 33180

In few months time White Mountaineering will start to deliver their Spring/Summer 2012 pieces into retailers around the world. Included in the Dune Rover collection are some collaboration items with PORTER. We took a glance at them in their runway show, but here we can take a look at it in more detail. The collection is inspired by desert landscapes and cowboy culture, therefore these accessories were made from used denim materials. All three bags are constructed from indigo colored denim and shows a distinct character of wear and tear. Brown and cream leather details refer back to the cowboy theme and adds color to the monotone items. Expect these items to reach White Mountaineering stores and dealers next year.

Once the darling among catalog merchants, J. Crew started its expansion beyond the glossy pages with a series of brick & mortar storefronts in the late 1980s. The hope was to capitalize the already well known name to a new set of customer base, and it did just that. However, in the midst of this growth, the stores themselves became much like any other retail chain, with cookie-cutter designs and lackluster atmospheres. To transform each of them into more than just a storefront but a destination, the label’s new Creative Director at the time, Jenna Lyons, and Head of Men’s Design Frank Muytjens went back to the fundamentals. Both curtailed the usage of “one size fits all” and instead created a space most suitable for each location’s demographic, starting with the now iconic Liquor Shop in TriBeCa. Hear Lyons and Muytjens talk of re-designing the J. Crew’s Men’s Shops in their own words on this latest episode of Complex Cut & Show video series.

There is something quite masterful about dressing well, and we do not mean a dress shirt, a tie, and a suit. Anyone can pull that off. But to incorporate something like a Junya Watanabe jacket effortlessly with a pair of Visvim or just a baseball cap, you literally become the poster boy (or girl) of what many are seeing fashion is heading into, an amalgamation of street wise style and high fashion. But don’t tell that to Chris Gibbs of UNION Los Angeles. He’s been the leading advocate of this front for over a decade now.  Recently, street style photographer Tommy Ton (of Jak & Jill fame) stopped by the shop on South La Brea to capture Gibbs, along with wife Beth and associate Ryan Eccles, in their element. via: GQ

There will be plenty to celebrate come next year when Billionaire Boys Club launches a full-fledged line for women, aptly named Billionaire Girls Club. When first conceived by Pharrell Williams and A Bathing Ape founder NIGO back in 2005, the goal was to offer Billionaire Boys Club-related merchandises to female fans of the brand. But demands have become such that it was only natural to create a complete collection with the ladies in mind. As a prelude to the collection’s official launch, limited supplies of BGC t-shirts, vests, and tank tops are now available, exclusively through BBC’s online store and selected retailers worldwide. Each item is to branded with the new BGC “Space Girl” logo, a design by iconic Japanese artist SK8THING and a twist on BBC’s astronaut emblem. More info is to come as the BGC collection launch nears.

Billionaire Boys Club | Ice Cream New York
456 West Broadway | Map
New York, NY 10012

Its been quite a hectic year for Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama, or simply known as Matzu among his friends. After a succession of exhibitions, the Brooklyn-based painter ended the year with a new collaboration, this time with denim giant Evisu in celebrating the label’s 20th anniversary. Billed as “Make The Rules” project, Matzu created the “EVISU-Kirin” based on the mythical dragon-like creature and a sign of prosperity. A dash of East in subject and a hint of West in its acrylic execution, the painting will be a precursor to the limited Tomokazu Matsuyama x Evisu denim collection, set to launch in Fall and Winter of 2012. Meanwhile, Matzu is getting ready for a solo exhibition at Katzen Arts Center in American University next March. That will be follow by one in San Francisco’ Frey Norris Gallery in May and Los Angeles’ Mark Moore Gallery in September.

Made and designed for urban cyclist, Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket isn’t just a mere denim jacket with a tapered silhouette. Rather, it comes with numerous “bells & whistles” like a ventilation system, NanoSphere water repellant system, Sanitized anti-microbial coating, and adjustable tabs with 3M SCOTCHLITE reflective. Now, you can add Affinity Cycles’ designs to that list. Created at Levi’s home office in San Francisco, the special Levi’s Commuter Trucker Jacket, with Affinity Cycles collar lining and “A” logo print, was made for Affinity Cycles team members only. But the Brooklyn-base bike maker is offering one away as part of its holiday giveaway contest. Runner-ups will receive prizes. For how-to-enter instructions and contest rules, simply visit Affinity Cycles’ web site here for more details.