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Supreme S/S 2016 with The Gonz

Brands usually collaborate with others in order to stay relevant. In terms of streetwear royalty’s Supreme, their 2016 collab with Mark Gonzales a.k.a Gonz doesn’t have such the cause for one reason: it doesn't apply to them.

Supreme launched their S/S 2016 lineup with the skateboarder and artist's butterfly piece. There was no separate release for it. They all come together as one release, which is a great trick. People will have no choice but to line up when everything drops.

His lack of seriousness is a trademark that works well with “Supream” and this is something people can easily enjoy. 

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Do It For The Gram: PH Edition

@bam.barcena 

Bam Barcena is "an old-fashioned soul in modern times.” He easily makes it up the list. I just chose his latest photos, but there’s more in there. You got to follow this dude. 

Being one of my biggest style icons, Bam founded the menswear brand GPPR, which means "Gentlemen by Day. Philosopher by Night. Pervert by Choice. Rebel by Fate.” After a few releases, the brand seemingly took a more mainstream design approach. It’s a shame their pop-up here in Manila didn’t last long, but his influence is beyond. 

Currently focused on streetwear full time, he’s working on a brand called ROKIT.

@dedicated2idiocy

This Filipino reps all the way from London. He’s got that Cav Empt meets Neighborhood vibe. 

@mararrrr 

I had the pleasure to meet Mara for a shoot. When she was mentioned at the office, we stalked her IG. It was filled with photos of family, Japan, and streetwear #ootd posts, which I naturally gravitated to. 

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Created by Justin West and Alex Rivera, the Frank Ocean Blond Tribute is a “tumble down the rabbit hole into sight, sound, and color.” 

Since I’ve been watching animated films from Hayao Miyazaki, this one really tugged at my heartstrings. His way of creating vivid landscapes paints a bittersweet picture to accompany Katsuhiro Otomo's Neo Tokyo. 

As the director mentioned, these worlds breathe new life into Frank Ocean's symphonic soundscapes. If you’re not convinced, watch this other translation. Enter The Void meets Ocean’s Nights, a track also from Blond.  

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Bates Motel, Forevermore

When this American drama series premiered last March 2013, I was hooked. Surely, I was just one of many who wanted to see how the famous Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho would play out in a TV setting. 

Freddie Highmore played the infamous Norman Bates. Fans thought Anthony Perkins lookalike Nestor Carbonell (who played Sheriff Romero) should’ve gotten the part, but when Highmore continued to portray Bates in numerous phenomenal scenes, it was inevitable. Casting him was not a mistake.

At the fifth and final season of Bates Motel, they picked up where they left off. 

I won’t make this blog post long, since there are others out there that have the same ideas. 

There’s even an auction going on. I’ve been browsing it and am tempted to buy something, but auctions were never my thing. I’d rather buy things from a steady and reasonable price.

So instead, I’ll leave you with this, the finale promo of Bates Motel. 

Some of the seasons were dragging, but I’m thankful we got to see more parts of this newly crafted Norman Bates. Freddie even got to direct in some episodes. Through a generous number of setbacks, we got to extend his character’s capabilities, and that will forever be the greatest thing about Bates Motel.

Cheers to five years, Norman. 

My favorite comments:

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Music Lately (042117)

This week’s new drops are a mix of newcomers and familiar faces. These came right in time after another grueling week at work. 

Since Riverdale is not on tonight, sit back and unwind. Here are my picks as of April 21: 

PARAMORE - HARD TIMES

“Hard Times” is the most hyped track on Youtube locally this week, but with good reason. Although, the blonde hair doesn’t make her look distinct anymore, I’ll be sticking around. There might be more to this new evolution of her’s. 

ZAYN - STILL GOT TIME ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR

I don’t understand how people can compare Harry Styles’ new material to Zayn’s. They’re different and I’ve been a fan of his ever since the departure from One Direction. We’re seeing individuals do their own thing and that should never be frowned upon. “Still Got Time” is my guilty pleasure.

LANA DEL REY ft. THE WEEKND - LUST FOR LIFE

He’s been with Bella Hadid and now Selena Gomez. The likes of Kiko Mizuhara and Lana Del Rey have made appearances in his videos. Screw the music. What a lucky man.

Other new songs:

REJJIE SNOW - FLEXIN

Rejjie and his branding is 100%. From cover art down to sense of fashion, everything plays a part in this Irish native’s music career. You also have to mention the Lily Rose Depp co-sign from way back. 

THE DRUMS - BLOOD UNDER MY BELT

Maybe it will grow on me.

RJAY TY - FADED ft. ANKHTEN BROWN

It’s a slow kind of musical growth for Rjay Ty, but a promising one. He’s just adapting to the country he’s in, but I’m rooting for this guy. Check out the video here.

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NHIZ S/S 2017. Classic Neighborhood x Izzue design. No frills. 

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Highsnobiety Magazine 14 features Big Sean. The other highlights of this issue seem less interesting, so I gotta pass.

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Opening Ceremony NY x Vans “Club USA”

The “Club USA” shop-in-shop concept by Vans and Opening Ceremony took place in the latter’s New York location on 35 Howard Street last July 2016. 

Industrial designer Max Lamb redesigned Opening Ceremony’s third floor splitting the room into a grey and pink color scheme. I especially like how their clothes blended in perfectly with the installation. Eyeing on the navy souvenir t-shirt already.

Coinciding with the launch of their collab slip-on part of the “Qi Pao” pack in celebration of Opening Ceremony’s Year of China, expect this to only be around for a limited time. The Club USA collection also includes tank tops, tees, and souvenir pins.

Address: Opening Ceremony New York. 35 Howard Street, New York, NY 10013, United States

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My best friend shoots in film. If she and I were Korean and I knew how to skate, these are how her shots would look like. Wah.

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Under The Asian Influence

The souvenir jackets were just the beginning.

Sasquatchfabrix was introduced to me 2 years ago, but it’s only now that I’ve seen the real beauty in the Japanese brand. As a whole, Japanese fashion has stayed relevant because of careful detailing in my opinion. But more than that, each piece is an investment. They individually have a story to tell. 

A kimono is the perfect example. You wear it with certain pride. I find it hard to pull off. There are only specific times when it feels “just right” and that’s when I take the opportunity. 

It’s not like the usual sweatshirt where any occasion deems fit. Even on your worst days, you can throw your sweats on. 

Asian streetwear to me has meaning. Not to belittle others, but this is one which I resonate with the most. Plus, it helps that strong fashion sense comes to mind when you’re thinking about anything Japanese or Korean. It’s out of the box, but still remaining humble.

These slip-ons from Vans are wonderful. Surely a collector’s item. I’d stare, but that’s just about it. Still not ready for them.

As seen on Popeye Magazine:

Take note. Published in 2017. So it’s acceptable to wear flip flops now and still look decent?! What great relief. My feet can take a rest...

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Pharrell and Helen for you. Layer when you can. Accessories are a must. Go bright with color or pattern. 

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Exploring with Josh

I’ve been spending my pastime on Youtube. There’s just a lot of content out there waiting to be noticed. One of the channels I would applaud is Exploring with Josh. Let me count the reasons:

He goes to Japan a lot

Inspired by Walt Disney’s Disneyland theme park in California, Nara Dreamland is an abandoned theme park near Nara, Japan. Nara is located less than an hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Knowing that now, I wish I could’ve taken a day trip here.

Dreamland opened in July of 1961 and closed in August of 2006. Maybe this is where Banksy got the idea to do Dismaland in London. 

Address: Japan, 〒630-8108 Nara Prefecture, Nara, Horensahoyama, 二丁目1番1号

Josh of Exploring with Josh goes around the world to check out places you’ve never been to before. 

This one above features the infamous Aokigahara, also known as the Suicide Forest or Sea of Trees. Dead bodies are rumored to be seen within this area due to many suicides in Japan. 

Josh really ups the ante with this one and braves it out for his viewers. I like how there was a serious disclaimer about suicide before his trek. 

Address: Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture 401-0300, Japan

China

In my opinion, China isn’t a frequent tourist destination. If you’ve visited the place, you’d probably have climbed the Great Wall first. Josh actually has a video wherein he visits a different side of the Great Wall and slides down like they do in Australia and New Zealand.

Anyway, the beginning of the video below is just hilarious. You see a local driving them to the abandoned spot. She’s probably thinking “Why on earth are they doing this???” But the shots in this video are intense. They remind me of Jamie XX’s video for “Gosh” which was also shot in China. 

Really, once you learn about stories like these, it’s just impossible to not be in awe. This is why brands like Adidas appeal to the masses. I bet some of their inspiration from clothing design with their new Equipment and White Mountaineering ranges come from the Asian architecture and culture. 

And finally... ALABAMA, USA!

One of the treasures in movie history, if you ask me, is this spot in Alabama, a state in the southeastern region of the United States. It’s on an island. 

Just outside Montgomery, Alabama sits the imaginary town of Spectre. This appeared in Tim Burton's exceptional film Big Fish. Everything was custom built for the movie and its star Edward Bloom. Despite only little being left from the original set, Spectre looks still so beautiful! 

Address: Jackson Lake Island, Montgomery, Alabama, USA

The top videos from Josh’s channel are of old banks, drug dealer’s mansions, and a plane. I’d have to admit, the last one is pretty cool. Maybe I’ll check them out personally soon! 

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Get You by Daniel Caesar

When you hear an excellent track, you’re instantly best friends with the Replay button. I think I’ve talked about Daniel Caesar in excess, but just today, I found out the history behind his song “Get You.”

This single features Daniel Caesar with Kali Uchis. Both are accompanied by BADBADNOTGOOD. It’s just a triple whammy.

In an interview with Genius, Daniel shares a little backstory on the track. Looking like a young Basquiat, he says “Kali Uchis reached out on Instagram. I wrote the outro. I sent it to her. She liked the song. She sent over two verses.” 

Kali slid in Daniel’s DMs with good reason! Her lyrics blended well with Caesar’s vocal abilities. I feel like this song wouldn’t have been what it was if it weren’t for the collaboration. Everything just came together. It’s amazing.

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Korean Goth Streetwear by Chris Choi 

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Crazy Over The UT

The Uniqlo UT lineup is nuts! I like how the brand has made streetwear accessible to us, but honestly, our wallets and closets can take a break. 

It started with the Nippon Omiyage line. Futura followed. Right after, Baron Andre. Kaws x Peanuts drops in 2 weeks. Michelin is coming soon. Who knows what will come next? 

Anyway, here are my top picks:

These designs are my Top 4. I gotta have ‘em OriginalFakes. If they run out, I’m heading for the ff:

Do I get yet another Kaws design or wait for a sale? If Omiyage and Futura go on sale and it’s P290-390 a pop, here are my options. They’re a lot, I know. 

Sneaking in a Bobby Hutcherson album cover should it rise to the occasion...

By the way, an omiyage is a gift or souvenir you give to friends. That said, can we wait until Christmas time?

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Music Lately (041017)

We’re in music heaven this first half of 2017. Although, it seems a bit underwhelming. Maybe my way of listening to tracks hasn’t adapted to the times. 

New Drake or Coldplay doesn’t seem to impress me at all. Here are my picks as of April 10:

MOUNT KIMBIE - WE GO HOME TOGETHER ft. JAMES BLAKE

Mount Kimbie was a previous collaborator of King Krule’s, so when Archy Marshall (a.k.a King Krule) posted this video on his Facebook page, it came as no surprise. What really excited me was that it included hints on his new LP!! No release date yet though, but it’s coming.

Yeah, I know. Nothing to do with this track.  

MURA MASA - 1 NIGHT ft. CHARLI XCX

Hate her or love her, Charli’s spunk and vocals mix well with Mura Mara’s production. They’ve been doing it right, especially after that A$AP Rocky remix of “Lovesick.” You just need to know the right people, eh?

KENDRICK LAMAR - HUMBLE

He’s far from humble. I find his marketing confusing, but the visuals are commendable. Kendrick Lamar knows how to paint a picture. (Shout out to that similar “Yonkers” beat in the background!)

Other new songs:

FRANK OCEAN - BIKING ft. JAY Z & TYLER, THE CREATOR

Frank is taking a different direction with his latest material. I appreciate this.

HARRY STYLES - SIGN OF THE TIMES 

Will I regret promoting?

CALVIN HARRIS - HEATSTROKE ft. ARIANA GRANDE, PHARRELL WILLIAMS & YOUNG THUG 

He may have 2017′s best summer album at the palm of his hands.