THE WALLS BELONG TO US pt2 (East meets West)

Just when you thought it was safe,.... we are takiing back the walls in VEGAS! Come one come all to this event to be Wednesday August 29th the second installation of "The Walls Belong to Us (East meets West).... This for for Alan Ket super graffitti aficionado. Please check the site to support KET ( http://www.supportket.org/)





If you missed the first installation in NY check here!!!

Tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

the EST according to FATCOP XXL

1) screw song you've heard?

Phil Collins ‘In the air tonight’

2) non-streetwear brand to watch?

Hmm, I heard Scott Langton just sold Artful Dodger, watch out!

3) saturday morning cartoon show you watched as a kid?

Transformers

4) socks in the draw right now?

Polo

5) work experience?

Smoking a blunt with the RZA

6) sauce to use when BBQing some pig?

Stubbs smokey mesquite

7) video game system?

Wii

8) reason to visit the Lone-star state?

Tex mex food

9) book you've read this year?

Cajun men cook (it’s a cookbook)

10) one night stand?

I cant remember

the EST according to Rhandy from IN4MATION

The coolEST according to Rhandy from IN4MATION...

1) pick up line that a girl hit you with?

"I wanna eat your face"

2) trick that you landed and thought the outcome was going to equal
missing teeth?

Backside Five-O down a handrail. I acually fell on my face couple tries in.

3) job you had before becoming an IN4MANT?

Full Time Art Director for an Advertising firm (Day Job), Full Time Valet
(Night Job), Freelance Designer for Action Sport Clothing companies (Part
Time)...I always had a two job schedule when I lived in Hawaii and worked
for 7 days a week for a very long time. Lord have mercy!

4) flick that you have recently seen (old or new)?

I watched this movie called Ken Park by Larry Clark who made the movie
Kids and Rockers. Movie is pretty craze and raw and heard its not gonna
make the big screen or DVDs. Hope it does. It's real like that! Also
watched The Dead Girl and The Departed on DVD which i really enjoyed. And
Stomp the Yard for the 5th time. Love that movie! Transformers and Die
Hard 3.

5) sunnies that you copped for the summer?

Found these dirty as white framed glasses with Blue lens at the Army
Surplus store. They're actually for the shooting range.

6) graphic on your skateboard that you have ever had?

Tommy Guerrero - Powell Perelta
Natas Kaupas - SMA Skateboards
Ray Barbee - Powell Perelta

7) denim brand that you think is out there other then IN4MATION?

Levis

8) album that your younger brother hipped you to?

Soul Syndicate.....Peep his Reggae show every wednesday on KTUH.org..."The
Peep Show with Easy AL"

9) advice that your former employer ever gave you?

"You're FIRED"

10) dance that you have yet to perfect?

The Last move in "STOMP THE YARD"

tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

Grapes courtesy of FATCOP XXL

Hey get fresh with this plush leather hoodie courtesy of your neighborhood FATCOP XXL.



Goes great with Grapes.....

the EST according to Todd from Shmack....

dopEST according to Todd from Smack....

1) kicks in your collection?

2) Garment packaging you've seen (outside of your brand)?

I got a pair of Paul Smith cuff links that came in some teched out packaging

3) Red Bull mixed drink?

On the rocks

4)accessory in you wardrobe?

Dad’s vintage navy flight suit

5) spot to skate in VA?

“P’s” house ramp

6) VA skate shop?

Sole Brothers/ Cardinal

7) spot you visited abroad?

Hatteras

8) collab you've seen?

Commonwealth X NASCAR, they raise the bar on that one!!

9) non-Streetwear brand?

Helmut Lang

10) Live performance you've seen?

Toss up:
Ramones
Slayer seen ‘em 9x’s



tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

A touch of class with Alex of HOMEROOM

We got a chopped it up with Alex of HOMEROOM. He broke down the balance between graphics and cut & sew with a worldly eye.


(hard at work as usual)

You have a strong tailoring back ground on your mothers side of the familly having a generational occupancy in the garment business. Did
you always know that this is what you were going to do?

Growing up I wanted to make money, that was about it. We were so broke. All I ever cared about was having a room that I didn’t have to share with someone. I had fantasies of being a WWF wrestler or a Jet Pilot. In High School I went and took the ASVAB test (which determines your job qualification in the military). My score was high enough to be accepted into the wings program, but unfortunately I didn’t pass my eye exam. So, I went the college route and got a double degree in Finance and Marketing. Through out all this I was always designing and making my own clothes. I never thought of having my own brand. One day the opportunity fell into my lap and homeroom began.

What did your mother do in the garment business?

Mom’s is a “G”. She did everything. A full fledge designer: from illustrations, to pattern making to sewing. She has a great eye for color and always pushed me to be brighter and take more risks. She always said “the world has enough darkness”.

Did you learn from family prodominently of did you take on any formal tautlage?

I don’t feel like I learned formally. From what my mom tells me I used to try to draw clothes onto my stuffed animals with markers, cut off the sleeves on my jackets, and practice threading needles at age 3. Which I guess leads to where im at. So, its been a natural progression I would say. Haha

What do your father do for Adobe, and how nice is he graphically?

My dad worked on the Adobe team from 1996-2000. He was one of the programmers on the Adobe photoshop teams. Graphically he’s a “G” too. His work is amazing in my opinion

Does he ever give you any tips and tricks?

I got Photoshop when I was 12. I started playing with photoshop everyday like it was a video game. I made all my class report’s and presentations on it. I was the only kid in school that knew how to ess with PS. Everyone would hit me up for album, covers and fliers. 8 years later pops was going through my room trying to find shoes that I had borrowed and ran upon my graphic folder. He had no idea that I had been playing with photoshop for 8 years. After that time, he has showed me a million and one things to do with Photoshop. Illustrator though I have learned on my own.

What do you think is more important for a line strong cut and sew or
strong graphics?

Cut and sewn all day. I think that’s a lost art. It near impossible to learn the techniques of sewing now. With graphics any body with dedication and a computer can pick it up. It’s an art the now mostly exists over seas and not in America.

What part of Europe were you born in and what other parts did you
live at?

I was born in Ukraine, I lived in Vienna, Austria, then we moved to Roma and Milano, Italy.

What prompted you to move so much through out EU?

It was a number of things. One of the reasons was my mom Jumping from job to job.

At what age did you move to Brooklyn and how much was it different
from living in EU?

Brooklyn was a SHIT HOLE to me when I first moved. A shit hole that I came to love. I went from playing soccer at 2am in the streets to being home right after school. I went from farmers markets to bodegas, un supervised to supervised, black sand beaches to Manhattan beach, gelato to frozen pops, smiles to frowns, Italian to English, playing sports to watching TV. I had a hard time adjusting. I thought Americans were missing out. Still do.

How would you measure up living in San Francisco to the other spots
that you have been to?

San Francisco for me is the best place to draw creativity from. New York is the best place to get business done and LA is a mix of those. Europe is on the other side of the spectrum in regards to everything.

What sports do you play/ love to watch?

I ride track bikes, snowboard, skate and play soccer. My favorite thing to watch is the Warriors at the Oakland coliseum. Live B-ball is the best

How would you describe your personal taste level and what is the tale
that you wish to tell when you get dressed?

Im all over the place, I dress like my mood. I like to mix and match with textiles. Gauze like loose weaved cottons with nylons; layers. That’s what I’m tasting right now.

Where did you come up with the name HOMEROOM

?
There’s a deep meaning to that, one day I’ll reveal it.

When did you know that you had something worth building upon with
the line?

The day I made a 21 jumpstreet hoodie. The first day I wore it, I was stopped everywhere I went. That day I got stopped by a stylist that gave me my first styling job and a scout for complex magazine. Right there and then I stopped focusing on my financial career and started focusing on what I love to do.

What do you think will be the next evolutionary step of the market as
we see it?

We live in the post-post modern time. Everything shall be reborn again until we come up with a new technology. We are only as creative as our tools let us be.

Drop a jewel for the designer that wants to get a good down and dirty
crash course on garment construction?

The best advise I can give is a story.

Picasso.

A woman was working at a café and saw Picasso come in. She runs up to him and says I love your work, I have been following you for years, and can u please draw something for me.

He says sure no problem. He takes 10 seconds to draw on the napkin, gives the napkin back and says that will be 5000 dollars.

She say’s 5000 dollars? For what? That only took you a second to draw!

Picasso snatches the napkin back and says, “That did not take me seconds to draw…That took me my entire life.”


(peep the HOMEROOM X MIGHTY HEALTHY piece int the back)

tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

the EST according to Michelle from GOLIATH

The bEST according to Michelle of GOLIATH...


1) medium to paint kicks with?
Leather paint and skills

2) Marvel character?
I don't like Marvel. DC. Batman is the best.

3) kicks in your collection?
My Sea Crystals & Koinobori pack Court Forces

4) none Nike's in your collection?
Um. I got one, but it ain't a favorite. It sits dusty in the corner behind everything else.


5) best one offs that you did?
A pair of white on white Nike Legends. I made giraffe print and dyed the stitching red
Even added Metallic Gold. They're a fan favorite. =] Also the Air 180s I did for my Boss
that caused an uproar with customers demanding to buy em.


6) place in the city to get creative inspiration?
Jim Hanley Comic Book Store. I can be in there for hours going
thru books and finding new styles from new artists and learning different
techniques. Plus I get to stand around and read more Batman.

7) advice your art teacher gave you?
Don't Suck. My Cartooning teachers gave me hell and I love them for it. They treated me the worst out of all the boys and I excelled over all of them because of it. They taught me not to stop and quit and to scrape and claw my way to the top, because its worth it... Also when you make a mistake, just use opaque white paint to cover it. haha.


8) Marvel artist?
Actually my favorite artists are those who don't really belong to any company and just do mostly freelance. Frank Cho, Greg Horn, Adam Hughes, Alex Ross, Jim Lee, Josh Middelton, I can go ON and ON.

9) Marvel movie adaptation?
None. They weren't good. Now if I had to pick my favorite COMIC movie adapation. It would be
[you guess it.] BATMAN. Yes, I know, I loved everything about The first two Batmans, and I'm such an avid fan, I enjoyed the other two [even though 95% of the nation to this day, hates it] and I loved the Batman begins. Also, Frank Miller's Sin City.
And when 30 Days of Night comes out, I'm going to have another favorite.

10) Best accessory that you have that represents you?
3 piercings in one eyebrow. I know its weird, but its the one thing that stands out
on me [other than my wildly colored hair] that everyone always compliments me about.
I love my peircings and I don't see myself getting rid of em any time soon.
Also my rings. Each ring on my finger tells a story about my past and they represent a big part of me.

tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

the EST according to Mike T

The bEST according to Mike T...

1) tunes on rotation when painting?

Slum Village, Fantastic vol. 2

2) digital painting program?

Corel Painter 9

3) analog paint brushes?

Red Sable 00

4) book read?

"What it is... What it was!"

5) advice from a friend?

You don't have to win every battle to win the war.

6) movie?

The Matrix(first one).

7) project (that shows your full potential)?

Haven't done it yet.

8) way to take in a lazy sunday?

XBox 360 and a sandwich.

9) sunglasses?

John Paul Gautier

10) form of inspiration?

Looking at other artists.

tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

FAT COP XXL....Texas style (lean not included...)

I had a chance to chat with the creative brains of the brand FATCOP XXL (Phantom and Hek). These two Texans don't pull any punches when explaining why we all need to shoot a cop!!!!

How was it growing up in TX (pros and cons)?

Texas was a lot of fun growing up. For most of my life Houston was the number one drug import city in the US and we took advantage. Also being from Houston as a yungin’ you get the best of both worlds of having exposure to nature while still living in a big city.

Houston is definitely a city to be in what brought you to NY?

During high school we always had our sights set on new york. We went to an advanced arts high school with classmates like Beyonce and Brian Michael Cox and others. Everyone was real serious about their craft. I think about 90% of my graduating class ended up here at one point.

How is the graff scene in Texas?

Haha, the graff scene was cool. Coming up in the mid 90’s there wasn’t too many people to look up to in Houston and there were only a couple of graff mags at the time but there were some real dope writers down there and we were doin our thing. It was a very well rounded scene- everything from bombing to burners.

Are writing on freights more popular then walls and how do the two differ?

Back then we did both. Our yard was right in downtown Houston so its not like that countryside fr8 scene you might be thinking of. I probably painted more fr8’s in Brooklyn than anywhere else now that I think about it.

How often do you go home?

Once or twice a year

Texas has the largest reciprocity with there license to carry. How hard is it to get a license to carry in TX and are you for gun control?

Anyone can have guns in Texas, the license you refer to is for concealed handguns. As long as you got it on the passenger seat in plain sight its legal. Gun Control means using both hands.

Chopped and screwed or crunk and snap music?

What’s crunk and snap? R.I.P Robert Davis aka DJ Screw

How did you and your partners meet and how did you guys come up with FATCOP XXL?

We met in high school and we reunited up in New York a few years later. I was at sva with my boy gage who came up with the name fatcop and did it as school assignment. I really liked the name and after that amadou diallo incident I felt like we had to do it for real.

(our first shirt)

For the most part people want to be entertained and not educated. FATCOP definitely seems to have a message behind it. Could you explain what the message is and the goals you hope to achieve?

I agree, we’re not here to preach, we just wanna make dope fashions and stay true to ourselves and our community.

Are the any other themes that you are planning to explore?

Yea, every collection is gonna have new themes relating to this system that we live in. one theme we wanted to explore this time but didn’t was the idea of surveillance.

What events and/or organization are you affiliated with that carry the theme of your brand?

Check out http://www.myspace.com/peoplesjustice we’re really feelin what they’re about. We also support the Stolen Lives Project which is an ongoing list of all the names and stories of all those who were killed by law enforcement. There’s also this organization we recently came across called Cop Watch

What if any run ins with the police in the past has influenced the brand?

We’ve done dedication tees to the amadou diallo and sean bell murders but every little run in or stories we hear influences us.

Do you think that the police are being policed enough, and truly serving to protect?

We just did a shirt that says “Police the Police” and our motto is “ To Collect & Serve” need I say more?

What is the most haneous police brutality case that you are aware of that got swept under the rug?

The cops have a license to kill and get away with it. I’m not going to say that the murder of one man is worse than another but the details of some accounts definitely seem to stick out and stay with us more that others. My homeboy in high school was shot in the back face down by a cop. The cop was acquitted. R.I.P Travis Allen

How does having your own brand balance with working in the corporate world?

Actually the two go hand in hand. Being a designer for one of the top urban brands I learn a ton and it’s really helped me to grow my own brand.

Drop for the people on some ways that you think they can make an immediate difference in the community?

Shoot a cop.


tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

Fam-Lay drops "Da Beeper Record" ft. Pharrell

A banging video for a banging song. Check out Fam-Lay ft. Pharell in "Da Beeper Record"!!!!


tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

Time flies with Todd from Shmack!!!!

I got a chance to kick it with Todd Askins of Shmack. We chopped it up a bit, check out what he had to say.....

Above pic from left to right Frankie (Shmack head designer), Todd (Shmack), Leland, Chris (both from Garage Works/ Made by Monsters in HK)

What did you want to be when you grew up as a child?
Grew up in the slums of Lynlier, (The hardest upper/middleclass neighborhood in VB) we had to walk to school up hill both ways.

What was it like for you growing up in VA?
It was good. It’s a melting pot of rednecks. Nah, since we have a huge navy base here we get influences from all over. Most of my days after the womb were spent in the back yard on the mini half or at the beach surfing. I was never a team sport dude, so I gravitated to the individual sports.
I was lucky to have that in my life it kept me out of trouble until 12. Then I went on a tirade of court cases, institutions and treatment centers.

How was it to grow up with a pilot as a father?
It was dope. I got to go around the world and see all of the things I read in school. I was a lucky kid until I had my flying privileges revoked when I was 18 for……….(that another story, saving it for my memoirs)
Being able to travel at a young age I was able to broaden my perspective on things. It let me see how lucky we are to live in the USA were anyone can start a tee-shirt brand.
Naw, but my pops was cool father and a great role model. (The smartest guy I know)

What are some of your favorite spots to hang out in VA?
Virginia Steak house. (Best meal in the world
Chicho’s on 22nd and Atlantic; A dude just got killed there the other night? Crazy shit
Her bedroom
Flipper McCoy’s
1st street

What was your major in college and what is your degree?
BA business administration

I remember when you had the little Red Bull truck zipping all over the place. How did you land the Red Bull job?
Fresh from college, my friend hooked it up. Easiest job around. All the people I worked with were funny as hell. I would dip from work for like 3 hours to go surfing, pick up tees form the printers or deliver some Shmack. It gave me tons of freedom to work on my side hustle. Oh and it’s the only job I’ve been fired from. But I got a severance package and unemployment= a Tacoma truck.

How long have you been doing Shmack and where did you get the name?
It’s been around for 5 years now. But Josh Malbon and I started another brand while we lived in D.C. called Haute. We made some shirts and deconstructed jeans but never sold anything. I was trying to finish school and josh was busy selling him self on the corner.
While we were going over names I was in Daytona at the 500 necking out. I called josh to do some Logos or treatments for Smack. In his drug induced state he thought I said Shmack…….And there you have it. We checked the Trademark site and no one had that as a mark. So we stuck with it. Josh is much better now thanks.

How do you feel the brand aesthetic has grown and what differentiates it from other brands?
(The only thing that is constant is change) Man it’s changed from the start. Shmack is a reflection of me and my environment. We try and never reuse the same designs (we do have a few that we run more than once). I know some companies do it often and it helps to reinforce your message to the customer.
For us we just try to keep evolving to keep things interesting.
We always try and give the customer more than they ask for. Some of these companies should be wearing masks, cuz they are robbin people blind. But that was then and this is now. The Hype is over and customers are getting back to there sense. From the start we always wanted to be at a reasonable price point and offer the best fabrics, quality and packaging we could for a fare price. We have to be conscious of this because a good portion of our accounts are skate/surf shops. Most of those type brands are doing dope shit at a reasonable price.
Another thing that separates us from the pack is for the past 2 years we have been making lifestyle products. We started with denim in ’05 then now we make shoes, watches, bags and whatever else that makes sense.

How does VA beach influence your design style?
We have a nice life down here. Yall city folk wouldn’t understand. Lol But for real I have this debate often. We are pretty much by our selves down here and so we don’t have other influence (good or bad). I think by being away from the cities we can percolate on other subject matter. But I will say we don’t have the level of style or fashion the major cities do. We travel often to get perspective. But I love VA and I love the fact that at lunch we go surfing for an hour then come back to the office and grind.

What is your prize pair of kicks in your collection?
A pair of Keds that are painted like the old #43 NASCAR

Who will you be 10 years from now?
Still in my parents house

Drop a jewel for the people that want to start their own brand.
Just start. Everything else will come


Tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

We are...... in NYC!!!

I had a chance to chat with Greger Hagelin, the founder and CEO of WeSC the Swedish based street culture brand (that has some true roots). He happened to be in town ad stopped by the Museum/ Vanguard Group showroom (his eastcoast brand managers). For those not in the know Greger is not brand new to the skate and streetwear market. He has skated with Tony Hawk and Dave Andress in the 80's. This guy is cool and down to Earth. Below is a pic of him (peep the WeSC X Pepsi collab (first collab Pepsi has ever done for bottle redesign)).



Check out Greger skating at the end of the video for all you nonbelievers....

Great way to start of the weekend right!!!!

Getcha' grub on FREE BBQ with drink purchase of $2 BUDS & $3 PINTS from 4 to 6.... I think that is a good way to start the weekend off right....


I HOPE 2 c u @ New York Fuckin' City

NOTTZ shows us how to keep it RAW

I got a chance to check out NoTtZ RaW at the his studio the Durte Factory when I was down in VA. His tucked away sanctuary has been the production headquarters for some of some of hip hops greatest including Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Scarface, Snoop Dogg, and G-Unit.

What does VA mean to you?

HATER'S REALM! PEOPLE DON'T WANNA SEE U MAKE IT GUD HERE,BUT WANNA
BE INVOLVED WHEN U DO!! AIN'T DAT SUM SHIT?

How was it growing up in VA and how do you feel it has impacted who
you are?

I HAD A GUD CHILDHOOD GROW'N UP!! PARENTS GOT ME ANYTHING I WANTED &
NEEDED!! THEY WON'T RICH BUT FAR FROM POOR! MY FATHER DEE JAYED BACK
WHEN I WUZ A KID SO I GOT ALL OF HIS OLD RECORDS! ALL MY BRUTHAZ MADE
BEATS!! THEY GOT OUT OF IT,I STAYED IN IT!!! NOW I'M HERE!!

Explain the feel of the Durte Factory?

REAL HIP HOP COMES OUTTA THIS PLACE!!! MY LAB & HOME AWAY FROM HOME
WHERE I CAN TAKE HOW EVER I'M FEELIN' DAT DAY OUT ON THE KEYBOARDS!!

That wall that you have with all the woman on it is very original,...
what prompted you to do that and what is the wildest response that
you got about it?

WHEN I LIVED WITH MY PARENTS,THAT'S HOW MY ROOM LOOKED!! CEILIN',WALLS
& DOORS WERE COVERED WITH POSTERS!! MINUS THE CHICKS!!! DA STUDIO WALL
STARTED OUT BEING JUST RAP SHIT TIL' I CUT A PICTURE OUTTA MAG!! IT
WUZ A SNOW BALL EFFECT FROM THERE!! THE WHOLE IS COVERED! PEOPLE LUV
MY WALL! IT'S TALKED ABOUT ON THE NET! THEY SEE IT N GET BLOWN AWAY!!

Where do you like to go in the seven cities when it is hang out?

NOWHERE! I'MA LAB RAT!! HANGIN' OUT DON'T MAKE ME MONEY! BESIDES, U
SEE DA SAME PEOPLE! IT ALSO SUBTRACTS DA TROUBLE!

How much has outlook of VA changed for you have traveled so many places?

VA.'S SLOW! WE NEED 2 CATCH UP N STOP HATE'N ON EACH UTHA!! LETZ ALL
COME 2GETHA IN GET DIS MONEY! ITZ NOT AS MUCH HATE N UTHA SPOTS I'VE
TRAVELED 2!

What if any instruments do you play?

KEYBOARDS! 2 A LIMIT 2 WHERE I KNOW WUT I WANT!

When did you know that you were going to be a producer?

WHEN I SEEN MY BRUTHAZ & MANAGER DO IT! SHIT LOOKED SO DOPE 2 ME!!

What was your first peace of equipment that you used for production?

7 SECOND YAMAHA KEYBOARD!

What are some hobbies that you have outside of music?

HOBBIES? NO HOBBIES! FAMILY GUY IF I'M NOT WORKIN'! FAM KEEPS ME GROUNDED!

Where did u get your name from?

MY GRANDMOTHER GAVE ME DA NAME NOTTZ! SHE ALWAYS WOLD ME 2 COMB MY
SHIT! MY HAIR WUZ REAL NOTTY BUT I KEPT A CLEAN EDGE UP (LOL)!! SHE
GAVE ME DAT NAME BEFORE SHE PASSED!!

What is going on with DMP?

WORK'N AS USUAL!

Which one of y our tats is the most important to you, why and where
and by who did you have it done by?

ALL OF THEM ARE!

Who is your favorite producer outside of hiphop?

CURTIS MAYFIELD!!

Drop a jewel for the kid that is trying to make it in the business?

READ MORE BOOKS ON HOW 2 GET IN,STAY IN & PLAY THIS DIRTY GAME CALLED
MUSIC!! GETCHA SMARTS UP ON THE BUSINESS SIDE! ITS MORE BUSINESS THEN
MUSIC!

MYSE JACKETS

I had to post up the artwork of my homeboy Lawrence Hosannah (check his artwork at http://myseone.com). He completed some tyvek jackets. Check them below:
JACKET 1





JACKET 2





JACKET 3








Ohhhhh yeah he is also my trainer... got me up to leg pressing 1/2 a ton!

FRIVOLUS GOODS party

This weekend I found myself getting my last fill of VA for the summer (visiting friends and family). It was hot and humid but filled with good times and southern hospitality. Nonetheless I found myself cooling down at the FRIVOLUS GOODS (www.frivolusgoods.com) party in Norfolk. The location and setting instantly transported me out of VA and I felt like I was in a cool NY lounge. The vibe was good and the open bar made it even better. I had a chance to sit and talk with Joe Cherry for a minute,.... more to come on that later. Check the pics below:

Good vibes...

Room 1...

Room 2...
Music provided by Jay-0ne, with a special appearance of 103 Jamz own DJ Bee......

1-2,1-2,... on the 1's and 2's

Patrons getting their fill at the bar area....



I guess that it is GOOD to be FRIVOLUS!!!




Tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

K.R.E.A.M.

Kicks Rule Everything Around ME...





Tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

THE WALLS BELONG TO US @ POWERHOUSE BOOKS

LAST NIGHT ALL WERE OUT FOR KET'S EVENT "THE WALLS BELONG TO US". IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE GROUPS OUT AT ONE EVENT ALL TRACING THERE WAY BACK TO KET IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. IN MANY WAYS IT WAS LIKE A BIG FAMILY REUNION AND SEEING AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS THAT YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT BUT HAD YET TO OF SEEN. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENT THAT NEED TO HAPPEN DISPITE THE MOVEMENT BEHIND IT. ALL IN ALL PEOPLE SHOWED THEIR SUPPORT ONE OF GRAFFS GREATS..... (ohhhh did I mention that the detects were out clicking pics of the patrons,... but we still partied on without incident and open bar)!!!!
















the man of the hour..

PLEASE GO TO WWW.THEWALLSBELONGTOUS.COM TO GET MORE INFO AND BID ON SOME OF THE PIECES THAT WERE DISPLAYED.

Shout out to all those that came out to support and to all those that will continue to support the cause....

Tell a friend to tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!

MIchelle X Goliath X Custom Painted Kicks

I got a a chance to chill out with MIchelle from Goliath and chat about the store, art and sneakers (...custom that is). She definitely on her NY grind for a DC girl.


What is your position at Goliath and what are some of your responsibilities
there?
I'm pretty much the technical person. I mess with computers all day.
I run the website, the blog, the myspace. Etc. Plus I design all
the hot fire Goliath is comin' out with!

How did you get your job at the Goliath?
I met up with a friend over there. He was beggin' the owner for a job.
I was just cooler than him. And when I was asked to come in with a resume,
I came back with a stack of paper; resume, portfolio, line sheet, etc.
I even brought a pair of customs that won me a couple of titles at the
last Female Sneaker Fiend competion.

How does working there differ from your last job (atmosphere and industry)?
The atmosphere is alot nicer, even though its more hectic. My last job, I designed
for a screen printing company, but it was a horrible job. All the money and
kicks in the world could get me goin' back there. My work now is alot easier
and I understand what I'm doing here more. Since it's all about what's in, I couldn'
ask for anything better.

Do you feel that being in Harlem benefits the store versus being in the
downtown hipster scene?
Oh yeah. First off, downtown is TOO saturated. Every store is about 2 blocks away
and they all share the same things and keep real tight with eachother. You just
stand out more and do bigger and better things when you differentiate yourself
from all that. You get noticed more, and you bring more to the community
instead of shunning it like the others. In a time when its all about being different,
thats what Goliath is all about.

How big is your sneaker collection?
I don't like to count. Mostly because it urks me to see how much I have and think, "hey I probably need more." But as of right now, I'm doin' ok. About 150? I need a freaking shoe rack!

I understand that you are and avid artist, where did you go to school and
what was your major?
Oh yes, I am a big comic book geek. I went to the HS of Art & Design and I majored [and excelled]
in Cartooning & Animation. I was one of the only girls drawin' Joker rippin' guts out of people
where as all the other chicks were either in fashion, or photography. I ran with the big boys.

What is your favorite style and medium to use?
I'm very sketchy. I've tried to advance and minimize the messy look, but I can't help it.
I'm an avid pencil person.[mechanicals all the way] but now I'm starting to skip all that, and go
straight to Pentab on Photoshop.

Tell us about Marvel and your exploits there?
There wasn't much to exploit there. I was some kid in HighSchool who didn't know what
I was doing. I didn't meet anybody and didn't do a thing. It was short lived because it wasn't
meant for me. Besides, I'm a DC girl anyway. =]

How long have you been doing one-off kicks?
About 6 years now. I only messed up probably one pair of kicks in my time. I took fine arts one year, so I'm pretty good with the brush. I do it for me, and I'm very selective
of who I do work for. Mostly because I'm sick of hearing someone ask for Tweety Bird with a durag
on and baggy pants, to be painted on the side of a shoe.



How is working at Goliath helped you with painting on kicks?
It's probably given more experience with all the pairs I wind up doing for my friends, staff, and
selected customers. But I've gotten more fame from it.
One time I had a pair sitting on display, and Reps from Nike came thru and one stopped and asked
if the pair on display was a Over Seas edition, because he liked them and had never seen 'em before.
That's a pretty good feelin' knowin' that my work could be in a store and even a rep couldn't tell the difference.

What celebs have you done kicks for?
Other than a local celeb by the name of June, I shy away from doin' celeb's kicks. From what I've seen, alot of these celebs who get customs done happen to have some of the crappiest jobs done on their air forces. I mean, just about every rapper has had that horrible glitter fest on their airforces to match their glitter hats and shirts. There's even some customizers I know personally who use markers and glitter to do work for artists. Are you serious? I'm not going to shove my work into anybody face, unless they come looking. I hear alot of people tell me "Your work is alot better than what this dude did for Fabolous, or Nelly, or any of these rappers"

I'm here to work for my fame, not get famous because I was known as "the person who put swirls of glitter on Nelly's shoe."


What is the average turn around for doing kicks?
I can finish a pair in 2 days. 1 day if its for someone real important and
if its asked for in a short amount of time. But with the waiting list I have
most people are on the list for 3 weeks, simply because I have too much
to do! Currently, I have 15 pairs being worked on at the moment.

Drop a jewel on the kid out there that wants to freak there kicks?
Don't.Use.Marker. For the love of art, it's horrible, it comes off and it
just sucks! Leather paint all the way. All that createx and Pearl Art Shop
paint is good for the moment, but step your game up as soon as you
can with leather paint.
And for the girls: if you have a work name, that people can identify you by,
don't pick anything girly. Guys are the biggest haters and always play the girl
with the "you ok, but my boy is better" It's always the best when they think
you're a dude and give you crazy props, then you shock em with the knowledge
that you're a girl. =]