Liberatum Hong Kong International Festival of Culture

Thom Browne Man 2012/13 F/W Collection

Description tokyodandy

I’m not sure if there was a jock member of the ‘Adams Family’, or indeed if there was a sporting character on ‘The Munsters’. If there had been Thom Browne’s F/W 2012-13 collection would cater to their hentai sartorial wardrobe. Browne has found a niche in producing an interesting and surprising collection without sacrificing top tailoring and quality. Despite the grandeur of the show there are so many wearable pieces, blazers, ties and sweaters in blacks, grays and pastel greens. What a fantastic show.

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Canyon Castator and the Brooklyn Night Bazaar

Description coolhunting

A featured artist talks music, food, fashion and skateboarding

Founded by Aaron Broudo, Brooklyn Night Bazaar brings the inspirational energy and madness of Southeast Asian night markets to a 40,000 square foot former carpet warehouse on the Williamsburg waterfront 15-17 December 2011. Broudo partnered with Ken Farmer, creative director of Nuit Blanche New York, to bring their Brooklyn audience a few evenings of beer, music, artists’ wares and skateboarding with the holiday season in full swing.

We caught up with one of the bazaar’s featured artists, Brooklyn-based Canyon Castator, whose work spans oil on canvas to human tattoos. At the bazaar he will be showcasing his selection of DIY tattoos in his new zine “Ink on Skin.”

Can you tell us a little more about “Ink on Skin?”

It’s a 64-page book, conceived and designed in a collaborative effort, documenting my un-surveyed works. The images presented come from four years of tattoos by my group of friends and me. The book at once exposes a clandestine culture of DIY tattooing, and the evolution of technique and subject matter.

Can you elaborate on what’ll be in the zine?

I bought the original tattoo machine back in Boulder, Colorado. I lived with five dudes at the time in the quintessential skate house. I think we all threw in like $12 or something. No one knew what to do with the thing. We just kinda went for it. The first couple were really rough. The machine would break down and you would be left with a half way done Bart Simpson or a banner reading “skate and des”. Really good stuff. The brief stories in the zine touch on that original uncertainty. I’ve always drawn, and these silly tattoos were just another medium to experiment in.

When I was invited to participate as a vendor in the Bazaar, I wanted to display the recently completed zine, but I also wanted to set the tone for the person passing by. I’m not a tattoo artist, I’ve never worked in a shop or gone through the proper channels to apprentice or study tattoo arts. The environment I was most accustomed to during this time was the essential dingy basement, full of trash, half eaten pizzas, beer cans etc. I’m using my vendor space as an installation that pays homage to that original aesthetic. Come in, have a drink, watch me give Stick and Pokes to willing friends and pick up a zine.

Were you involved in last year’s bazaar?

There was a Bazaar in October earlier this year at the DeKalb Market . I wasn’t involved, but it was crazy. Amazing turnout. I’ve never seen that many people in downtown Brooklyn.

How has it evolved since then?

Essentially, it is extending the forum for growth and marks a confluence of Brooklyn’s cultural vitality. The use of Williamsburg’s fleeting waterfront warehouse space is the perfect setting for this cultural collaboration.

How will you be involved this year, what is your connection?

I recently participated in the Carsten Höller installation at the New Museum, an unbelievable and ambitious project which came together due to the hard work of some incredibly talented people. Afterwards I was put in touch with Ken Farmer, the creative director of Nuit Blanche New York. He was interested in getting some of Brooklyn’s finest to skate the half pipe each night before it was transformed into the performance space. I’m more or less organizing who will be skating.

Who are some of the vendors joining you at the Bazaar?

There’s a wide array of participating artist and vendors, anyone can apply for a space, but the majority of the participants were pulled from the organizing teams creative network. You’ve got design from Windowfarms, curated classics from Kill Devil Hill and original works from local artists like Anton Zolotov and Colin Snapp.

Skateboarders can be a rowdy bunch. Are you prepared for the debauchery?

I’ve always recognized skating as a form of artistic expression. It’s rad that the Bazaar is utilizing an art piece, as a shared space for skateboarding and music. Its always been unclear to me where the line is drawn between the three genres anyway.

Why at night?

Part of the motivation for the night market is the desire to make room in the city’s nighttime cultural landscape for a little innovation. The Bazaar runs from 5 p.m. to midnight, giving you time to head to the bar afterwards.

Each night of the Brooklyn Night Bazaar will feature a different live act including James Murphy, Fucked Up and The Hold Steady. For tickets visit the event page.

‘Reethym of Lite’ VERBAL as Creative Director for Reebok Classics Asia

Description tokyodandy

On Thursday night Reebok Classics Asia Pacific Creative Director VERBAL played host to the launch of the ‘Reethym of Lite’ campaign in Tokyo. This campaign is the first project in the multi-talented Creatives partnership with the Reebok Classics brand. On the night the forces of music, fashion and street wear came together providing the perfect example of multi-media, cross-cultural synergy.
Verbal and his creative teams hands on approach ensured each element of the night was a reflection of where he sees the future of the brand. It kicked off with a track by the Trippple Nippples, fresh off a plane from their European tour. Next up was Mademoiselle Yulia wearing a bodice ree-made from Reebok classic sneakers by GARTER. Verbal then joined the Nippples and Yulia on stage for a track from his debut album VISIONAIR. Wearing a neo-samurai armor of Reebok sneakers that had been created by RUNURUNU (the same designer that the models are wearing together with REEBOK in the campaign) VERBAL whipped up the crowd into a frenzy as DJ TAKU took to the decks to drop M-FLO’s new track, ‘RUN’. At this point, the already stunning back drop of 3D projections kicked into overdrive, bringing to life the campaign imagery as a mystery female vocalist took to the stage wearing an S&M mask made from REEBOKs, again recreated by GARTER. It was a performance like no other taking not only REEBOK but everyone else there to a totally new place. REEBOK Classics Global Creative Director Swizz Beatz was up next, bringing a completely different flavor of Hip Hop dropping Ruff Ryders hits as well as newer tracks such as ‘Reebok’s Back’ and ‘International Party’.

This event was like nothing seen before and that was reflected in the type of crowd it drew, from M-FLO fans to High Fashion editors, hip-hop fans to Art Directors, Street Fashion superstars, models and VIPS including supermodel Tominaga Ai and (the very rarely seen at events) NIGO.

All event photos by Dan Bailey
except Verbal & Nigo, Verbal Swizz and Ai courtesy of Reebok Asia)
REEBOK ‘Reethym of Lite’ campaign photos by Koichiro Doi