Pic of the Day - Salvation

-john-

Bape London 8th Anniversary Tees

To celebrate the 8th anniversary of the London shop, Bape has teamed up with Skatething for an interestingly done tee...



Not the usual graphic, but it depicts London's statue of Eros along with the words "APEACIFIC APPAREL WORKS" in a seal as well as the address of the store, all within the ape head silhouette. To be released today (October 30th) exclusively at Bape London.


-john-

Pic of the Day - Deuces

-john-

Clippings - MIA in Marc by Marc Jacobs Ad

This weeks Clipping is a Marc Jacobs ad from an old GQ UK from a few years back that features MIA...



At first I thought it was just cool that MIA was in this ad in the first place, until i noticed that she was rocking a Dee & Ricky belt buckle also! As you may or may not know, Marc fell in love with their Lego accessories a few years back and used them in one of his NYC fashion week shows, however I didn't know they ever made it onto his ads that season also. Pretty good look there.


Previously: Clippings: KiD CuDi and Vashtie in Mass Appeal #50


-john-

Pic of the Day - Wayward Boys

-john-

Eats: Ling Kee Jerky (NYC)

Yeah, yeah, another Asian spot in Chinatown/ LES, I know. But what can I say, I spend a lot of time there and I'm always looking for good cheap eats. So if you're done whining, check out why Ling Kee reigns supreme amongst jerky enthusiasts in New York...


Ling Kee is tucked away in an awkward corner of Canal St. right off of Essex St. in downtown Manhattan. Another place where the awning doesn't stand out one bit from the rest of the block so pay attention if you're in the area.

Ling Kee serves up nicely cut slabs of delectable jerky in about 8 different flavors. The traditional beef jerky has a nice smokey taste and perfectly chewy texture, while the pork jerky is much more sweet and fatty, and comes apart like butter. Both are pretty fantastic depending on your taste buds, and the spicy versions of both are my personal favorites (the "spicy" isn't actually spicy at all, just a little more flavor so don't be scared). However I haven't had the pleasure of trying the chicken jerky or shrimp pork jerky, so those might be even better! Each flavor is about $4.50-6 for 1/4lb, which is a pretty sizable snack for two people.




Ling Kee Beef Jerky
42 Canal St.
New York, NY

Previously - Eats: Prosperity Dumpling (NYC)


-john-

Rocksmith x Wu-Tang Capsule Collection 2010

Secretly, every Wu-Tang fan wishes that Wu-Wear would make a comeback, and while that just ain't happening, the hip-hop heads over at Rocksmith have teamed up with the legendary Wu for a small capsule collection this Holiday season to appease that wish...






Overall small but strong, and I'm sure any Wu fan would approve. That 36 Chambers shirt is mad gully (sorry I had to take it back for this), and I can already see those CREAM beanies and hoody selling out quick.

Available at select Rocksmith accounts this holiday season.


-john-

via hypebeast

Pic of the Day - Welcome Mat

-john-

Artist Profile - Mr.

Kaikai Kiki artist Mr. is one of my very favorite artists out today, however with a name like "Mr." it isn't exactly easy to search for him or his work. However I recently stumbled upon a ton of his stuff online, so I can now show you the innocent yet bizarre and slightly perverted world of Mr. ...

'Corn Dogs are the Best When Hot' 2008

'Glancing at Your Cheeks, I Can Start to Feel My Heart Changing, Just Like the Leaves' 2009

'Making Things Right' 2006

'V' 2005

'You Girls' 2007

'15 Minutes from Shiki Station' 2003

Untitled

'I Have a Headache, Oh 10 Yen!' 2006



'The Boy Who Came to Like Bukuro' 2006

'In the Late Afternoon at the Convenience Store with Big Sister' 2008

He also does these huge installations of anime children heads that you can actually walk into from the back, and there is a rediculous room inside as if you are in their mind.

Mr. is a true Otaku artist (peep this Murakami lecture to learn more about Otaku culture), who paints in worlds of anime fantasy and alter-ego. He is often portrayed in his own work (he's the creepy dude with glasses) in very awkward situations as he said he paints some embarrassing dreams that he has. He is also a multi-faceted artest, recently doing photography, film, and live performances at his art openings (where he has been known to show up in Japanese lolita costumes O_o). Told you he was far from normal.

But alas I LOVE this man's work, it flirts with such an awkward like that it almost makes me cringe, but love the visuals even more! And impressively enough all of his work is acrylic on canvas, even though it looks so smooth and computer rendered in some pieces. Only seen some of his stuff twice in person, but the size of some of those canvases is amazing.

Huge thanks to La Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin for all of the archives so that I could finally do this Mr. profile!



Previously: Artist Profile - Shuichi Nakano


-john-

Pic of the Day - Àodàlìyǎ (澳大利亚)

-john-

Store Profile - Nike Bowery Stadium (NYC)

Nike Stadiums are creative platforms, customization stations, and retail boutiques all rolled into one space. There are currently 6 around the world (Berlin, London, Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo), the only one in the US being right in downtown Manhattan on Bowery...


The front is pretty hard to miss, as there are now about a thousand "NEW YORK AGAINST" the world stickers plastered on the store front. The current theme is running and customization, which comes after months of the initial soccer initiative. There are are massive photographs covering the walls inside, as Tim Barber’s 'Burning Bridges' show is on exhibit...



There is also a full apparel customization station in the back of the space with countless varieties of NYC patches and embroidery available...


lastly a small capsule collection of running footwear and apparel that's pretty hard to find elsewhere in the city...





Nike Stadium (NYC)
276 Bowery
New York
NY 10012


-john-

Nike - Lebron 'Rise' Commercial | Video

Lebron addresses the haters and speculators in this new Lebron damage control Nike commercial...

My views on Lebron went from bad to worse with his recent move to Miami, but honestly after this commercial I have the utmost respect for the man. Because in the end it's just a game, and who are we to judge this man on his career moves? Really great commercial at a very pivotal time in Lebron's life and career.

And I'm sorry but does Nike double as a PR firm now?? Because they are succeeding as one, especially after the Tiger Woods commercial last Spring. Guess they just realize that when their athletes 'win' then win.


-john-

Stone Island - Thermochromatic and Liquid Reflective Jackets

Yeah, so the title sounds like a chapter out of a science text book, but Stone Island has done some crazy things with fabrics on their jackets this year, and that is exactly what the technologies are called. 1st up, the thermochromatic 'Ice Jacket', which does just what it sounds like, changes colors as the temperature of the material changes between warm to cold...

Basically a brown jacket that turns into an icy blue/grey when hit with the cold. Also comes in a different cut as a camo version.

Next up is the 'Liquid Reflective Jacket'...



Unlike most reflectives on fabrics which are evenly screened on, this reflective was hand applied through a liquid spray and then oven dried, leaving a natural and uneven looking finish. The results are pretty stunning.

As you already expected, the prices are kind of high, but you can be pretty damn positive that you will have the most interesting jacket for some time. You can grab all of these jackets from the Stone Island online shop, but sadly the reflective jacket is almost all gone.


-john-

Pic of the Day - Zhōngguó mǎnyuè (中国满月)

-john-

Kanye West - 'Runaway' Short Film | Video

Guess this is my obligatory post on Kanye's short film, 'Runaway', which premiered last night on MTV and is currently available to stream on Ye's site. And even though it's been out for less than a day, this film has the internet going nuts, with some hate, but mostly lots of love... which is the beauty of art.





My personal breakdown of the elements is that the overall art direction was very well done, stage and costume design were fucking impeccable, story was average, acting was poor, and the visuals were absolutely stunning. I went into it expecting pretty much exactly what I got and was satisfied (not blown away but very satisfied). Definitely most impressed with the cinematography and references to fine art though, especially if Kanye really did direct it all himself as it says. And aside from the small acting parts, the only thing that was off at moments to me was the music not really fitting the visuals. At points I wanted to be hearing an orchestra or opera performance, not a Beyonce hook.


So yeah that's my all over the place thoughts on what I just watched. I'd love to hear some more thoughts in the comments (where you can actually use more than 140 characters). Oh and g'looks to Zockon for the tons of screen caps.


-john-

Pic of the Day - Nanjing Rd.

-john-

TI$A x Stampd' Shoe Collection Commercials | Video

These shoes are receiving lots of love and lots of hate at the same time, and I'm personally stuck somewhere in the middle; BUT I'd be lying if I said these commercials for the TI$A x Stampd' LA shoe collection weren't dopetastic. The 1st one features a Big Sean track, the 2nd, a Major Lazer remix, and both are visually enjoyable...

Here's the full song, incase it's hitting your brain like it hit mine and you need more.


Taz's shoe collection with Stampd' consists of the Get $, Double FF'$, and the Go Hard'$ each coming equipped with a matching shoe bag/ hood. The first 50 pairs releAsed will come signed numbered and stylized by Taz.







-john-

via zockon

Pic of the Day - Gyeongbokgung (경복궁)

-john-

UNKLE - The Runaway | Video

UNKLE is back with a second video, this time for 'The Runaway', off of their latest "Where Did the Night Fall" album. Same abstract dance vibe and same directors as the 1st video, peep...

Directed by James Lavelle's longtime associates Warren du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones, the film is an extension of the moody artwork the photographic duo created for the group’s recent album Where Did the Night Fall, and the sensuous promo (starring Liberty Ross covered in silver body paint) they shot for lead single “Follow Me Down.” “Between takes on ‘Follow Me Down’ we thought it would be interesting to see what performance we could work towards with this other track, 'The Runaway'. Its star, Shannon Tillery, a model and trained dancer, teamed up with British choreographer Russell Maliphant to create improvised movements that play with light, diffusion and shadow against a mysteriously shifting, semi-opaque surface.

Peeped it on nowness, but good looks to highsnobiety for getting it up on youtube.


BONUS: Lupe got on this track and killed it.

Previously: UNKLE - Follow Me Down | Video


-john-

Pic of the Day - NOWHERE

-john-

Clippings - KiD CuDi and Vashtie in Mass Appeal #50

Clippings is going to be a new segment on SwaggerDap where I give some shine to the forgotten world of print. I seem to amass a decent collection of magazines and catalogs so i'll be posting 'clippings' from these mediums, both new and old.

To kick it off, the 1st clipping is a throw back from one of my very favorite magazines, Mass Appeal. In issue #50, they introduced KiD CuDi as an underground artist to look out for, back when he was still on A-Trak's Fools Gold label...




The picture and issue are from early 2008, before the 10 Deep mixtape, way before GOOD music and before anyone had really heard of the man. He was on tour with Fools Gold, still spreading the word about Day n Night and partying his ass off. I remember when I saw Cudi rocking this angry face Bape crew neck in the mag, I instantly had to hear his stuff, and even tho Day n Night was pretty much his only song at the time on his MySpace, I was instantly hooked and a fan from there on.


And on a sadder note, this was Mass Appeal's 2nd to last issue, they had to shut down operations, so don't kill yourself trying to find one.



-john-

Nike 'Just Experience It' (Concept Work by Access Agency)

Access Agency is a creative firm that might actually have more fun with their conceptual work then they are able to with actual clients. Here they got guerilla with Nike's iconic Swoosh by turning it into some larger than life attractions...


... like a huge Nike Swoosh snow slope, with Swoosh toboggans to speed down on...




... a giant Swoosh slide into the ocean at a beach resort...




...and lastly a hot air Swoosh to get the best view of Central Park.


While none of these are real, they are pretty crazy ideas that can only really work with an iconic logo such as the Nike Swoosh. And although the beach slide doesn't exactly fit Nike's sports identity, I can definitely see a Swoosh snowboard jump or halfpipe being made... and the Nike hot air balloon should be flying over stadiums already.

Peep more of Access' concept work here.


-john-

via coolhunter

Pic of the Day - Shoemaker

-john-

Eats: Prosperity Dumpling (NYC)

Oh so you saw the first Eats post and thought everything on here was gunna be puppy dogs and lollipops!?? Nah son! We in these streets, we broke, and that's exactly why we hit up Prosperity Dumpling in NYC...



Walking down Eldridge St. it's pretty damn easy to pass right by Prosperity Dumpling; the outside blends in with the rest of the Chinatown neighborhood, the inside is about the size of a walk-in closet, and well it isn't exactly the most clean and inviting place. BUT if you've experienced Prosperity, you know that walking in there means $4 can get MORE than enough food for one person to get full off of.

The menu is pretty basic (maybe 20 choices) but everything is under $3 and tasty. Personal favorites being the staple 5 pork and chive dumplings ($1), and the sesame pancake ($.75 by itself or $1.75 with beef/pork inside). Add a drink on top of that and you come out to $3.75 for a scrumptious (although slightly greasy) meal that will no doubt leave you satisfied. However if you're more than one or two people, don't plan on eating inside, since there are only a few stools and some counter space to throw your soy sauce and Sriracha on.



Our pal Jamison introduced us to Prosperity one fateful night in 2009 and ever since then it's been a cheap and greasy love affair. So if you're in the Chinatown area (near LES) on a budget, waiting for a Chinatown bus, or just need some food on the go, I would definitely suggest this place.


Prosperity Dumpling
46 Eldridge St.
New York, NY



Previously - Eats: Hello Kitty Cafe (Seoul)


-john-

Undercover Women's s/s 2011

Tying into the men's Underman theme with the backdrop and heroine, let's take a look at the s/s 2011 collection from Undercover...








The skirts, jackets, and knit tops stick out most to me, as well as the bags, which Undercover always does beautifully. However, gotta say, this collection is played pretty damn safe and almost every piece is an easy ready-to-wear. I've seen some complaints that Jun has lost his inspiration and conceptual vision, but honestly for a smaller fashion house such as Undercover it is important to produce wearable pieces in economic times like this so that the company can stay afloat. I think that's why Undercover had so much fun with their Underman lookbook for instance, so that they can still keep some creative outputs without sacrificing a line that sits on the racks.


Previously: Undercover 2011 s/s 'Underman' Campaign

Undercover x Nike 'Gyakusou' Campaign in Milk


-john-

via stylezeitgeist