Quite a solid newsweek, including a slew of notable stories in fashion, sneakers, art, business, and technology. First up is the AW2011 movie from White Mountaineering, which shows that for the coming season, the label is taking some of it’s strongest suits, and giving them season-appropriate updates. And a potentially huge win for retailer Karmaloop was announced this week too: that Pharrell Williams will take the role of Creative Director at the retailer’s Karmaloop TV media channel. And in a week filled with sneaker news, one takeaway story might be the release of a new colorway of the Swizz Beatz-designed Kamikaze by Reebok, which sold out in 10 minutes. Another sneaker designer (with a bit more pedigree) was featured in video trailer this week; Mark Ong (SBTG) is the subject of a forthcoming video done by film crew Vita Brevis. Supreme released a new model of sunglasses this week, the Alton, with vague resemblance to the slightly horn-rimmed frames of Kurt Cobain circa early 1990′s. This week also saw the second release in the boundary-pushing collaboration between BAPE and Daiwa, plus the first event held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of seminal skateboard magazine Thrasher, which included new art by Neckface. And in technology news, Samsung released it’s Chromebook this week – providing a solid consumer product platform for Google’s bid for dominance in the operating system wars. Finally, a classic collaboration, involving some usual suspects: the first drop in the PHANTASIA capsule, done by CLOT, PHANTACi, and Disney, was released this week, showing shamelessly playful designs. Check out details on all of these stories after the jump.

There’s obviously one story that defines this week, but for a round up of the happenings the in worlds of streetwear, sneakers, gear, art, and culture, read on. First up was another welcome charity effort, this time by marquis European retailer Oki-ni, who stepped up with a charity raffle featuring some extremely nice prizes. And another chapter in pre-Summer SB mania was revealed this week, with the Brooklyn Projects-designed Reign in Blood Dunk Hi. Other Nike news included a rare appearance by Phil Knight – on the Oprah show. And Nike Sportswear China kicked off the Summer 2011 publicity push at an event featuring some of China’s up and coming artists. visvim dropped a few nice pieces from the SS2011 collection this week, including nice Spring versions of the Juneau Weld shirt. A favorite among the Vice magazine set, Sasha Grey, released her book Neu Sex with an event at the Martha Otero Gallery this week. A major figure in the streetwear, skateboarding, and art community, Benny Gold, opened his new boutique in the Mission District this week, to a virtual who’s who of the SF streetwear world. And from Porsche, we got a glimpse at the upcoming Cayman S Turbo Black Edition, which features a sleek makeover and a performance upgrade. And finally, adding to the mainstream moment that street art is enjoying currently, was the is the CARBON show, at which FUTURA held a live painting demo this week. Read on for details on all of these highlights of the week.

Among the overwhelming number of stories we covered this week, it was great to see the release of several projects benefitting victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, from organizations with ties to street art and streetwear; the coalition included Bedwin & the Heartbreakers, Deluxe, Beams, the Ace Hotel – all of whom devoted their creative talents to charity projects. Two other companies with strong Japan ties, Visvim and SOPHNET., also got together this week with two new footwear releases. Obligatory coverage of Supreme also continued, as the Clarks Originals x Supreme desert boot was released (along with a few other choice items). News also broke this week of a Uniform Experiment-inspired collection for Nike, which brings two classic UE influences to the classic All Court. Original Fake made news with a project commemorating the label’s 5 year history by revisiting past collaborations. We also saw an interesting collaboration between Jam Home Made and Stussy this week, two labels that are both staying quite busy, and got a look at the comprehensive B.B.U. collection, which brought together Bedwin & the Heartbreakers, Beauty & Youth, UNDFTD, and adidas Originals. And two marketing stories rounded out the news this week: first, the rare publicity blitz from Lamborghini, to promote the new Aventador, included a video spot which was well executed, but perhaps poorly timed for it’s earthquake theme. Finally, Apple released the latest item that proves their consumer product genius: the iPhone 4, in white. Check out the details of all of this week’s highlights after the jump.

Busy as ever this week; here’s a roundup of some of the notable happenings in sneakers, cars, gear, and art. First off, streetwear cartoon collaborations are a classic, and the this week Stussy and Marvel – two of the giants in their respective fields – got together for “The Ultimate Teamup.” Kanye West turned heads at the 2011 Coachella festival this week, with interesting style choices (per usual), and for debuting the Air Yeezy 2′s, which signaled that hype for the shoe is now on for real. Another Nike ambassador, Manny Pacquiao, was behind a capsule of products released this week, ahead of his May 7 battle with Sugar Shane Mosley. Nike also gave a nod to the global fanbase with the Nike Free Run+ 2 City Pack, paying homage to NYC, Tokyo, London, Rio, and Shanghai. This week saw the latest installment in the ongoing collaboration between The North Face and Supreme, which moved quickly, but was to most fans somewhat disappointing. A major European Supreme account, Slam Jam, marked it’s own 20th anniversary this week with a commemorative Rolex Submariner this week. We also reported on the 5th anniversary T-shirt collection from longtime partners Original Fake and BAPE. And in automotive news, two ostentatious new vehicles were released by Bugatti in conjunction with the Shanghai Motor Sow, catering firmly to the nouveau riche in China. Finally, we’ve been reporting on the major exhibit of street art at MOCA since it opened, but this week brought a curveball as one member of the art collective Space Invaders was arrested for art done outside the museum. Check out all of these stories in detail after the jump.

As always, much to discuss from the week’s news; we have a familiar theme this week: sneakers – with an interesting collaboration between Nike SB and artist Goeff McFetridge, plus the unique Black Cat, Good Luck-Bad Luck pack, which includes some highly unique Footscape Woven models, two of which are collaborations with Boston boutique Bodega. Nike also released the Spring 2011 collection from the Jun Takahashi-designed Gyakusou line, which is as amazing as the first one from last Fall. In a Massachusetts-centric project, Boston-based Concepts got together with New Balance to release a nautical-themed version of the 999, along with a few sailing inspired accessories; we also got release info about the Converse x Givenchy shoe this week, which is just the latest in a series of collaborations with couture fashion houses. Rounding out the sneaker news, we offered a recap of SneakerCon DC this week as well, in a video put together by adidas Originals. Supreme released a collection of shirts this week, which as always, merits at least a mention (though the product wasn’t as quite as quick to sell as some releases). Staying with the New York theme, Freshness recapped the opening event for the new flagship Oakley store in Times Square. And finally, this week brought episode two in The LeBrons, the animated series created in part by LeBron James. Check out the details of all of these stories after the jump.

Another busy week, with Spring collections from all over the globe, A-list parties, art events, audacious cars, and of course, lots of sneakers. First off in the summary of the week’s news is a look at the new BAPE store in Causeway Bay. As with BAPE flagship stores, the build out was done by Wonderwall, ensuring a highly conceptual retail shrine that will catch the eyes of BAPE fans and retail scientists alike. Next up is a look at the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection from fellow Japanese streetwear label PHENOMENON. Those who have been tracking the label’s aesthetic trajectory in recent seasons will not be surprised by the amount of flamboyance, which is both whimsical and dark. Nike, behind dozens of headlines this week, released new options for customizing the Air Max 90 and 95 at the iD Studio, and related, the Air Mett 90 video that is making wide internet rounds. And from the Jordan camp came the official unveiling of the Jordan Fly Wade, the Dwayne Wade signature sneaker that channels classic Jordan lines into a thoroughly modern shoe. Another of Nike Basketball’s marquis stars, LeBron James, debuted his cartoon series this week too, with episode 1 of The LeBrons. A sneaker story of a different type comes from the partnership between Canon and SBTG; the collaboration has produced nice camera accessories, but the best part is a video that offers a look at the creative process and inspirations that have made Mark Ong such a deeply respected figure in sneaker culture. We also covered some of the events being held by Puma and UNDFTD, to celebrate the Undefeated x Puma Clyde “Stripe Off.” And finally, the automotive world is prepping for the opportunity to showcase to an exploding market in China, at Auto Shanghai 2011; one interesting offering is from BMW – a “Security Plus” edition of the X5. Check out all of these stories after the jump.

It’s been another busy week of collaborations, art, design, cars, shoes, and everything else that makes up our world. We can’t touch on everything here, but here’s a recap of a few of the bigger stories of the week. First off, the trailer for the soon-to-be-released Freshness-exclusive mini-documentary The Three Kings was released this week. Supreme also made news, with the release of a suit done in collaboration with Adam Kimmel (and announcing a Japan benefit T-Shirt). And in Miami, sneaker boutique Sole Fly featured an in-store event with legendary Jordan designer Tinker Hatfield, which was a testament to the man’s integral role in sneaker culture. In other Nike news – from the SB department – was the release of the new Eric Koston One, in three colors. And from the Sportswear division, Nike unveiled a remodel of the Bowery Stadium space into an installation devoted to the 1970′s era basketball, titled the Spirit of 73. An interesting collaboration between bagmaker SAGLIFE and FUTURA was announced this week too, drawing on the artist’s history with cycling culture. And arguably the most notable bag collection this week came as part of the new Indigo capsule collection from Onitsuka Tiger, which includes two beautiful bags. Takashi Murakami, who has transcended categorization as simply an artist, was the subject of a new vinyl figure done by sneaker artist Mike Leavitt. And finally, Freshness covered the opening event of the newest visvim F.I.L. location in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, which showcased the store’s artfully done buildout, as well as the attendees and new product. Check out details of all of these stories after the jump.

Yet another week overshadowed by events on the geopolitical stage, but we’ll try to focus a bit on what happened within our own cultural circles. First off, a good old-fashioned Sneaker Con took place this week, with a good old-fashioned sneakerhead lineup stretching from Sullivan Street to Houston and Thompson Street. And a Freshness Feature offered an in-depth look at the adidas Originals project that brought together Kazuki Kuraishi and CLOT’s Edison Chen. Another footwear collaboration that made news was the upcoming Nom de Guerre × Timberland boot, with a hyper-futuristic/militaristic look. Nike is always in the news, but one notable Swoosh story this week was the Be True campaign being brought to cricket. The sport represents a gateway into a multi-billion person market, but Nike’s campaign also shows a nice new flavor. Those speculating about the business direction at BAPE got a hint at retail-level strategy this week, as the brand opened a new flagship location on Hong Kong’s Hysan Avenue. In other HK retail-related news, visvim opened a new F.I.L. store in Wan Chai. Porsche was the subject of one notable story in the automotive world this week – dealers are now taking orders for the 918 Spyder Hybrid “green” supercar. In music, the Fear of God mixtape from Pusha T was a nice gift to Clipse fans, and those awaiting the upcoming Fear of God album. And finally, the New York Times T Magazine offered a look at the Los Angeles outpost of the OHWOW gallery – which is quickly becoming a marquis force in modern art – courtesy of Aaron Bondaroff and Al Moran. Check out details of all of these stories after the jump.

Our attention this week is still very much on the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan last week, as the country now faces nuclear radiation, food shortages, and mourns the casualties. Fittingly, a number of stories this week centered on our involvement, along with Stussy, fragment design, and ZOZOTOWN, in relief efforts. And while all other news pales in comparison, we did have a lot to cover, including: two new shoes from Supreme x Vans, which true to form were quick to disappear. Also, new shoes and new apparel for Spring 2011 from ALIFE – including interesting new footwear models. Hiroki Nakamura has also been busy: we covered the release event for the Visvim women’s line at On Pedder, and the trunk show in L.A.. A more “pop” fashion story this week was the behind-the-scenes look (courtesy of Cobrasnake) at Jeremy Scott and Katy Perry, as the two worked on the new Adidas Is All In campaign. Nike showed that it’s keeping an eye on trends by announcing round two in the collaboration with Liberty – the pedigreed British fabric maker that is having something of a moment right now. And a pretty big surprise came when a new Reese Forbes shoe was released this week – not made by Nike. G-Shock announced a collaboration this week with artist KRINK – for which we have images and a video. Finally, a musical bonus from Kanye West, featuring some fellow current reigning champs of mainstream hip hip. Check out the details of all of this week’s news after the jump.

Everything is overshadowed by tragedy on a massive scale this week, as northern Japan was hit with a devastating earthquake, and a resulting tsunami. It’s not yet clear how many lives were lost, but by any measure it is an incredibly sad event. With our sympathy to anyone affected by the event, or whose loved ones were impacted, we’ll do our best to offer a look at some of the other events that made up our week. For a start, we saw the first streetwear foray into stamp collecting, as CLOT released a stunningly beautiful stamp set. And in Mainland China, Nike held a media summit press event this week, which Freshness was on hand to cover. In domestic Nike news, a new batch of Nike iD options was unveiled for customizing the Air Max. And an Air Max creation far more radical than anything created at 21 Mercer was covered in a Freshness feature this week highlighting “junk artist” Gabriel Dishaw. In non-Nike news, Puma released the incredibly lightweight Faas sneaker collection this week, and the collaboration between Supreme and Playboy kept the label in the news for another week. In streetwear news from the West Coast, we saw a strong Spring/Summer collection from Undefeated this week, and in art and design, we saw a video interview conducted by Jeff Staple featuring tattoo artist Scott Campbell, who is quickly becoming a darling of the more traditional art world. And finally, just to keep things light, a black magic marker collection this week that set a new Guinness World Record, from design and branding firm B.I.B. Check out all of these stories after the jump.

The focus this week depends a bit on perspective; there were a number of notable announcements, spanning a number of themes. For the Cult of Mac, the biggest event this week was obviously Tuesday’s unveiling of the iPad 2, by Steve Jobs, who came off a leave of medical absence from Apple to emcee the event. For fans of Nike geekdom, the week’s top story was the announcement that an old rusted waffle iron was found. Which happened to be the very same waffle iron that Bill Bowerman used decades ago to create the iconic Waffle Racer sole, which defined Nike running shoes for decades. On a more contemporary note, Nike also released the second installment in the collaboration with Roots drummer Ahmir Thompson, better known as ?uestlove; fanfare included an launch event at 21 Mercer with music by ?uestlove himself. Nigo, who has been front and center in the news for weeks after the much-publicized firesale of BAPE, was back in the news, with an interview conducted by BEAMS, focusing on Nigo’s efforts to keep moving forward with the HUMAN MADE project. Fellow Japanese designer Hiroki Nakamura deserves a mention this week as well, with the release of the Spring/Summer women’s collection from visvim, in which the native theme is very strong, but not cliche. There were a few notable art stories this week too: KAWS stealing the show at Armory Week 2011 in New York, and the 2011 Ted Prize being awarded to street artist JR. With the Geneva Motor Show in full swing, it’s hard to not take notice of at least a few of the over-the-top cars; two of our favorites were the BRABUS Biturbo 700 and the new model from Lamborghini. Fans of Supreme who don’t live in LA or NYC – and who don’t want to pay the exorbitant eBay markup – got their chance at the Spring/Summer 2011 line when the webstore opened this week. Jeremy Scott, another name much in the news lately, got more Freshness coverage this week as the lookbook for his Spring/Summer 2011 collection for adidas Originals. And finally, Lady Gaga released a new video this week; it’s as insane as anything the artist has released to date, which is to say, quite insane. For the complete recap of the week, check out all of these stories in detail after a jump.

Two weeks ago, it was all about Fashion Week’s haute couture and the basketball hoopla of All Star Weekend. This week, the shoe focus was on off-court models, and fashion came back to street level: we saw lookbook updates and videos from some of the main players in streetwear: Mischka, Stussy, 10.Deep, and Kangol. The Kangol video featured a windswept Montauk break, and as Saturdays Surf NYC announced a bag done by Porter, New York surfing was itself a minor theme. Stussy, for their part, didn’t stop with the lookbook video; the venerable label also announced two collaborations: First, a capsule done with Melbourne-based Perks and Mini (with a lookbook by Peter Sutherland, and featuring Ari Marcopolous, Julia Chiang, Keegan Mchargue and Clara Cullen). Stussy also lent a hand to Timberland, to produce a phenomenal leather loafer. One very casual sneaker that has managed to serve as a springboard for a lauded Italian couturier got a refresh this week too, with the announcement of the third round of collaboration between Missoni and Converse. Nike pleased some fans of classic athletic sneakers this week, with the release of the Hachi, which is both brand new and old at the same time. We got more behind-the-scenes New Balance footage this week, after SNS went to Flimby to create a short film about the famous factory. No recap of this week would be complete without touching on the biannual event that is the release of a new Supreme collection; while the KAWS box logo T-shirt was probably the only thing making fans crazy, the devoted were, of course, still camped out on Lafayette. Supreme also began the Lada Gaga promo at the street level this week too, as posters from the Terry Richardson shoot started showing up around Soho. Streetwear news came from Asia this week too: we got a look at the capsule collection of Bape x Original Fake apparel, which accompanies the Baby Milo x KAWS figure; we also saw the new collection from Futura x Descente, again strong in technical details and functionality. Capping things off, Apple made a few announcements this week too, and chief among them was about it’s contender in the tablet wars. See all the details of the week’s stories after the jump.