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.
Leading up to Wood Wood‘s Fall/Winter 2012 fashion show at MADE, Karl-Oskar Olsen, the co-founder, co-art director and menswear designer of the Copenhagen-based brand, sat down to discuss Wood Wood and his own inspirations. The video interview, part of MADE’s “Visions of Visionaires” series, reveals that it was a trip to New York in 2001 that was the impetus for Karl and his crew to mix art, design, sneakers and toys, along with their own T-shirt brand, into a dedicated retail space in Copenhagen. Karl envisions bigger and better things for Wood Wood in the near future, drawing his experiences from the world of graffiti to keep working and creating. Check out the video after the click.
Get ready for some exciting new feature articles from Freshness. If you’re a regular reader of the site, you know that our features have a deep set of visuals and an in-depth breadth of knowledge that we think is unique on the web. With our latest feature, we’ve detailed what may be the best-known name in non-baseball cap headwear – KANGOL. You’ve seen the kangaroo logo on the likes of the Notorious B.I.G. and Samuel L. Jackson, but we’re confident that our readers will learn a thing or two about the rich history of the brand that has roots that go back to the 1930s. Click through to read our interview with Nic Harris, the brains behind many of KANGOL’s ongoing collaborations, including one with Freshness that we will detail in a feature of its own quite soon.
» Freshness Feature: Deep Roots, Broad Horizons: A Conversation with Nic Harris of Kangol
We’re back again with Part 2 of the exclusive Freshness mini documentary The Three Kings, an in depth look at the powerhouse team of Rev Run, Rasheed Young, and Solomon Dabah. In Part 1 we showed you the foundations of the partnership, documenting how these three men came together to form the Run Athletics empire. Part 2 focuses on the wildly successful offshoots of Run Athletics, the lines like Pastry and Chiv Culture that are being lead by the next generation of Simmons. Even those young brands are already doing crazy numbers, a testament to the business acumen of the Three Kings and to the creative approach taken by the likes of Angela Simmons, Diggy Simmons, and Vanessa Simmons. Check out the full video exclusively here at Freshness to see how it all came together.
Nearly three decades after Rev Run first started smashing the hip-hop charts and setting precedents for the rest of the rap world to follow as a member of Run DMC, he has remained a relevant figure and a powerful brand. In this exclusive Freshness mini-documentary, we follow the rise of Rev Run and the devoted team members that helped him get to where he is today. Rev Run, Rasheed Young, and Solomon Dabah, are “The Three Kings”, the men who were there from the ground up in building the Run Athletics empire. This two part series delves into the lasting business partnerships that helped turn these New Yorkers into moguls.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Three Kings…
Rev Run may be the most influential non-athlete sneaker endorser in the world. In the late 80′s, as part of the legendary Run DMC, Rev Run and his group mates released the hit “My adidas,” which led to the group signing a $1.6 million dollar endorsement deal with adidas. That endorsement lead to the adidas Superstar sneaker becoming a pop culture phenomenon with sales that reached the hundreds of millions – or perhaps even into the billions. Then in the late 90′s, when brother and mogul Russel Simmons started working on the Phat Farm Phat Classic sneaker, Rev Run was once again called to be the celebrity endorser. The Phat Classic sneaker became another successful pop culture mainstay, and it enjoyed sales nearing the $1 billion mark. Now in the 2000s, after a chance meeting, Rasheed Young was introduced into the ‘Run’ family, and from this meeting Run Athletics was born. And from Run Athletics, the next generation of footwear endorsements was created under the ‘Run’ family. Daughters Angela and Vanessa Simmons, and son Diggy Simmons are now the face of and run sneaker brands Pastry and Chiv Culture. Pastry also became a huge hit with revenues grossing in the $200 million range; the latest brand Chiv Culture is poised to become another promising run away hit. With the Phat Classic, Run Athletics, Pastry and Chiv Culture, one man can be credited with getting them off the ground: Solomon Dabah, the President of the Vida Group. Freshness recently caught up with Rev Run, Rasheed Young, and Solomon Dabah, to talk about building this footwear empire, in the two-part mini-documentary “The Three Kings”. Check out the trailer above, a few behind the scenes photos below, and be on the look out for Part 1 of The Three Kings.
Often times, the definition of a friendship is a subjective matter for those involved. This isn’t one of them. Though officially introduced by Hiroshi Fujiwara, Japanese designer Kazuki Kuraishi and CLOT’s Edison Chen already knew of each others’ work. Their mutual admirations meant that the “wave length” of their creativity were quite similar, and often times, the same. Yet, both held back on various opportunities to collaborate for obvious reason, both view their partnership through a lens of objectivity where the focus should on both of their talents and not just on one person or brand only. To that effect, the most recent collaboration of CLOT x adidas Originals by Originals Kazuki Kuraishi and all other from previous years are truly emblems of their friendship. Ahead of the latest launch, we had the opportunity to speak with both…
» Freshness Feature: Emblem Of Friendship: CLOT x adidas Originals by Originals Kazuki Kuraishi
For those of you who follow sneakers, you might have come across the art of Gabriel Dishaw, a full time Finishline employee who’s crafted 19 sneaker sculptures out of discarded electronic parts. We caught up with Mr. Dishaw to talk about his latest sculpture inspired by the Nike Air Max 2011+ and the process of crafting it. Learn about his passion for his art and the strange parts he used in this sculpture including one that came from a 747 airplane.
Freshness Features: Junk Art Air Max 2011: An Interview with Gabriel Dishaw
Suave and unapproachable, with portrayals by countless tabloids, at home and abroad, it is hard to think of Edison Chen as otherwise. The truth is the fictitious profile by rumor starved beat reporters is nothing like the real Edison Chen, who sometimes go by the acronym EDC. It is true that he is a celebrity in a multitude of mediums. The part time actor, occasional crooner peruses all avenues of creativeness, like majority of his counterparts in the enfolded world of stardom. So what is different about what some in the gossip world named “The Boy Wonder”? The answer is CLOT – an affiliation of retail spaces, creative workshop, and fashion label EDC runs with friend Kevin Poon. Need another facet most dubious reporting will not highlight? EDC oversee all aspects of CLOT’s operation, in person with Poon and other managers. Still need one more rebuttal? The self-mocking nature of Chen’s design concepts, especially for the new Spring/Summer 2011 season, all are conceptually solid but with a humorous, silly twist, of all will see in our brief conversation with the man himself.
» Freshness Feature: CLOT’s Upcoming Collaborations – A Conversation with Edison Chen
In a world often defined as “no guts, no glory”, the participants of Formula Drift at polar opposite of the spectrum. In their realm, there isn’t much glory except for the occasional wins. The prizes are mere pittance when in comparison on the cost of team upkeeps. The risk factors to bodily harm amplified by ten-fold. So if there is no glory involved, if it takes more than just guts but everything else they have, why would they keep on competing? Are they on a fool’s quest for the unattainable? Or a suicide pact with the devil himself? It is neither. For the drivers of Formula Drift, their crews, and fans, it boiled down to one emotion – the love of it. But this “love” is not the same rosy one you will find in romance novels or at a theater near you. It is much difficult to categorize this version. And still, without a clear definition, this emotion draws countless people to the world of drifting. So at this conundrum, we start our conversation with Rod Chong, the Creative Director of Need For Speed franchise and website SpeedHunters.
Downtown New York– a place where the hip and cool congregate, where those dressed with insouciant chicness exhale a slow drag of smoke on the sidewalk, tipping their Panama hats and Wayfarers effortless to portray a disheveled perfection; where everyone opt to dine al fresco at the first hints of sunshine or spring, sipping Bloody Marys and Mimosas like it’s always the weekend. Eating, drinking, shopping, and occasional gallery perusing dominated the lower portions of Manhattan, until Saturdays came around and offered a wave and a breeze and an option– a place that perpetuated the weekend, 365 days a year, and rallied for the surfers. Since Saturdays was incepted a few years back in the rare quiet corner in SoHo, just a few blocks away from the bustle and madness of Canal Street, on the calmer stretch of Crosby Street, it has become quite a destination for both the native and new. Saturdays had also gone ahead and expanded from a quaint store carrying surf goods and advice served over La Colombe coffee, to a label in its own right and partner to several collaborations. Even though the weather might be slightly daunting at the moment, and leaping into the ocean doesn’t seem quite appetizing, the surf is always up for those who live by the creed of Saturdays and the sea, so we have caught up with the three men behind the sweet spot, Morgan Collett, Josh Rosen and Colin Tunstall, to talk about, quite literally, everything under the sun.
The Packer release of the Fila FX-100 was a celebratory event for all the parties involved. Packer and Fila are both commemorating 100 years in the business, and Larry Johnson’s 4-point play to beat the Pacers brought it all together for the in store-appearance of the baller who wore the FX-100 for a while during his career. The shop was mobbed and LJ took time to talk and yuk it up with the people whose shoes and boxes he autographed. Before he began bantering and entertaining, he sat down with Freshnessmag to discuss his career and his feelings about the current state of the N.B.A., including this past off-season’s most high-profile free agent, LeBron James. Check for the interview after the jump.
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