About a year ago I let ya’ll know about Sarah Williams, my very talented friend and the designer behind Free People’s Rebellion accessories. To finish off this season’s NY Fashion Week with a bang, Ms. WIlliams presented a collection that is at once modern, stylized and full of craftsmanship. See more evidence below and hit me in the comments if you like what you see . . . video footage coming soon!
Designer Sarah Williams (right) with stylist
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The latest Madlib invasion: the man of 1,000 aliases just released In Search of Stoney Jackson, another ridiculously sumptuous, beat-filled collection with Phonte and Planet Asia rapping over the top about stupid shit like junk food and bailouts. Listen to a couple samples below; obviously it’s a favorite of our other favorites: Rae, Shafiq, etc etc. It’s funky, just like 2010 should be.
Opening Track “Best of Times” feat. Phonte
“Cheeba Cheeba”
“Chittlins and Pepsi feat. Planet Asia”
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Silent Thunder, 1981
Gifted graf artist Lee Quinones has been ahead of the New York art scene for several decades now - beautifying the subway system, collaborating with Basquiat and Fab 5 Freddy and starring in cult fave Wild Style - and last week the NY Times Cityroom Blogs started hosting some Q & A with the man himself. To make a long story short, hilarity ensued. Read below for my favorite part of the latest session, and check out some of Lee’s classic works.
The Allen Boys, 1982
Question:
I would like you to come to my neighborhood and see the horror that graffiti is: messages and branding for drug dealers, thugs & other criminals. Young working-class and poor people are being mislead by individuals such as yourself. Would you please provide your home address so I can send a team of threatening young people to spray paint ugliness all over your house? Then let the tax payer foot the bill for the city to clean it up? Then have them put it on again and again?
— Posted by Sherpa Garang
The God Piece. Earth is Hell, 1977
Answer:
I would like you to come to my neighborhood and see the horror that negative advertising is: messages pushing liters of beer that make you more of a man, liters of sugar that make you sweeter and lower if life is bland. Young out of working class and poor people are being misled by bigger individuals such as your local dark side of capitalism. Would you please provide your home address so I can send a team of lazy, obese young people over for a fast food dinner on your dime? Who is going to fit the bill for that societal cost? Then they’ll put up on us again and again.
The God Piece. Heaven is Life, 1977
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Damn I was actually going to buy tickets for this joint! Though Doom was probably never planning on showing up, the thought of Mos getting onstage with a would-be idol of his . . . the nerd in me was looking forward to it. Since it’s been on my mind, I’ll do like my Height Five Seven sister and post some Doom lyrics for ya’ll.
“It ain’t nuthin’ like a fistful a cash/or a blissful of the hash/that twist like a mustache/from end to end spreadin’ like a rash/talkin’ through your walkman or at your disco bash . . .”
” . . . cocoa butter on a very ashy day fam/raybans out on the islands of cayman/or i break it down for the layman/ban de soleil for the san tropez”
Back from when he was still MF, from the oft overlooked MM . . . Leftovers.
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2010 version via Kanye’s blog . . . Jean Paul Goude originally did some serious pre-photoshop collaging to get this ill ‘85 album cover . . . 2.5 decades later Amber Rose does a redux for the unveiling of Ye’s new all-white blog. Amber emulating Grace is nothing new - her recent Complex shoot was pretty much a toned down Grace Jones compilation, just as the top picture is a less extreme physical pose than the one below it. Since there’s no point in comparing talent, suffice to say that Ms. Rose’s modern, confident sex appeal successfully channels Ms. Jones rockstar androgyny. Love? Hate? Hit me in the comments . . .
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The boys model for Burberry Trench
A couple months ago, SvG designs were featured in an LES pop-up boutique alongside the fashion-forward wares of Dee and Ricky. The pair of Staten Island twins (of triplets, they have a sister) dropped out of high school to start designing innovative toy-based accessories, suddenly the toast of the town when Marc Jacobs commissioned a LEGO set for his 2008 runway show.
Marc Jacobs 2008
Soon, the lego brooches, belts and bowties adorned the likes of Kanye and Rihanna, while the boys modeled for famed local painter Kehinde Wiley and the Burberry Trench campaign.
Most recently, they have teamed up with Max and Maggie for a Barneys collection which casts legos in silver and gold. As for the future, anything is possible. Keep reading to find out about their style icons (George Jetson anyone?) and what the theme of their own lego playset would be. Chea!
SvG: What are you wearing right now?
Dee: I am actually wearing the same outfit I wore the day before. I’m stuck in L.A. YEAH!! Dickies-E for Effort shirt, those crazy colorful toe socks, Hanes boxers and an army and navy beanie.
Ricky: Stingy fedora abc 123 tuxedo vest, t shirt bearing bill gates 1977 mug shot, some tailored slacks, tube socks, black chucks and a premium leather DeeandRicky waist bag.
SvG: Whose style do you admire the most?
Dee: Mostly fictional characters, the real world is just too much alike.
George Jetson
The Gonz
Tony Soprano
Robin Williams (He can’t be real)
Johnny Quest
Richie Rich
Soulja Boy (He can’t be real)
Mandark
Ricky: No one really…
Pop Artist Takashi Murakami rocks D&R
SvG: Where do you go when you’re not on Staten Island? Where do you hang
out when you are?
Dee: If we are on the island we are in my hood. If not, everyplace else.
Ricky: We’re usually in the city . . . never in the spot, always moving around.
SvG: Did you play with LEGOS a lot as children? What other toys did you play with?
Dee: Yeah they were around. We mostly played With Mighty Max, Ninja Turtles action figures, NES or Sega.. CHEA! 90’s FTW
Ricky: Yeah .. Had some Legos around here and there . . but we also played video games like Genesis , and Super Nintendo.
SvG: If you could create a Lego play set what would the theme be?
Dee: Staten Island. The highlight of it would be my hood . . . haha yeahhh.
Ricky: The death of Lègo.
SvG: Who do you think can rock a Dee and Ricky design the nicest?
Dee: A toddler
Ricky: I don’t know . . . anybody . . . its makes you look the nicest.
Dee and Ricky makes you look the nicest
SvG: What is the soundtrack to your work time? play time?
Dee: Jeezy: Trap star
SvG: What’s up with the Barneys collabo with Max and Maggie? is it a big deal and can I get a piece?
Dee: Hell yes its a big deal, and yes, you can get a piece.
Ricky: Yeah its kinda like a big deal . . . they’re in Barneys now . . . get ‘em while they hot.
Pop-up boutique with Dee and Ricky x Max and Maggie goods
SvG: What are the most exciting projects you are working on now or have coming up in the future?
Dee: Casio Watches, Max&Maggie, a bunch of stuff. TOP SECRET STUFF.
Ricky: A lot . . . you just gotta wait and see . . . it’s a surprise!
SvG: Is New York the best city in the world? How do you gather inspiration from your surroundings here?
Dee: Hands down the best city in the world. Inspiration from other people’s mistakes. Waking up . . . eating a sandwich. Its whatever.
Ricky: Yeah its a cool city if you want to live the fast life . . . I get inspiration from my surroundings . . .
Kehinde Wiley's captures their swagger
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New York artist Stephen Powers has been working on an urban mural series in his native Philadelphia, collectively entitled “Love Letter”.
Formerly the ’80s graffiti artist known as Espo, Powers has come around to the legal side of things, showing in a gallery and now beautifying his own native city of brotherly love.
His amazing text-based pieces cover entire sides of buildings along Market Street, all visible by the elevated subway line and recently even featured as a Valentine’s Day tour.
Shouts to Fresh for the tip-off.
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Check out my new online Straw vs Gold boutique, where you can purchase my hand-painted designs! Mens, womens, shirts, dresses, accessories . . . Hit me up in the comments or at chloe.leichman@gmail.com if you have questions about anything in the catalogue! xoxo SvG
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My homies at NYLON got the first look at a collabo between brit-hipster princess Alexa Chung and awesome American designer Madewell. Loving the results. Masculine, casual, sexy, cosmopolitan . . . all the things you would want in a modern woman! See pics below . . . props to the NYLON sharks for swooping this one up!
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Many of us have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day, whether for it’s commercialization or just for the fact that it excludes those without a significant other. Never fear, I will spare you the drivel in favor of what really matters: SUGAR. I want to dedicate this year’s holiday to my very favorite bakery and local coffee shop, BAKED. Located on Van Brunt street in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, BAKED was started a few years ago by former advertising homies Renato Poliafito and Matt Lewis.
These days it’s a booming business inside the orange doors as well as across the country in distribution. Known for inventive and delicious recipes (chocolate bourbon pecan pie squares! sweet and salty brownies!), it’s no wonder they have a popular cookbook and a loyal following that includes Oprah. After personally sampling just about every in-house delicacy, I thought it was only fair to get owner Renato’s perspective on the correlation between sweets and the annual day of love. Read on and learn more about the perfect Brooklyn’s newest signature V-Day treat and why it’s just as good if you get the eat the whole thing yourself!
SvG: What were your Valentine’s Day traditions growing up?
R.P: I have to say, Valentine’s day wasn’t really on my radar as a kid. I
must have thought it was a grown-ups holiday. I guess I also wasn’t
popular with the ladies. Sad face.
SvG: Gotta have that tennis bracelet! Ok, so last question: What is your favorite BAKED good at the moment?
R.P: Well- right now, its our newest item, the ‘brookie’- its a chocolate chunk cookie baked inside a brownie shell. its amazing. I’m vying to make it Brooklyn’s official dessert.
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