In an effort to stir excitement, t-shirt maker Johnny Cupcakes has released a video announcing the opening of a new store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. The store sounds like it could be a lot of fun but Johhny’s delivery is pretty dry. What really blows my mind though is that by selling t-shirts for 30 plus bucks a piece he could actually afford to decorate and pay rent for a store on Melrose Ave. I had no idea his shirts were that popular. As a matter of fact I thought the whole t-shirt craze had kind of reached a saturation point. Guess not. It made me consider selling t-shirts though. I just need some kind of gimmick like a monkey or cupcakes or something of that nature. Hmm.
Three great brands to keep your eye on. Poets & Thieves,Ludwig, Exact Science. I’m a big fan of these brands. Each has a clear mission statement/narrative and a distinct aesthetic. Available at DigitalGravel.com.
Acclaimed London illustrator Hellovon has stocked his store with some new goods. He has a simple tote bag and a t-shirt available now if you are interested in supporting him through rocking his wears. You can find them, along with his art prints for sale at his Shopvon online store. I am a big fan of his work which you can view at his site. His work keeps appearing in a lot of the magazines I read and he has collaborated with some of my favorite art and designers lately.
CNN.com added a new feature to their popular news website today. I’m sure you’re thinking “oh, they must’ve added something for the Pennsylvania vote” or something like that. Well, if that’s the case, you’re far off.
Today, CNN launched CNN Shirt Beta, a new feature that appears as a t-shirt icon next to some select Latest News articles. Click the icon, and you’re taken to a page that lets you purchase the headline, along with the date and time the story ran, and the tagline “I just saw it on CNN.” You can choose from a grey, white or black America Apparel shirt and have it shipped to your door for $15 (plus taxes and shipping). The catch is that you actually want one of these shirts, you have to purchase it when you see it, since these shirts only last as long as the headline does. So if it’s a busy news day, the shirt can last a matter of minutes.
I’m not really sure what to make of this. It’s an interesting concept, but really, is this something CNN needs to be doing? Lately CNN has been trying to be a bit hipper with their iReport, various blogs, and another new feature I just learned about tonight called The League of First Time Voters, a sort of “how-to” vote site. But do I really want to wear a headline?
I guess it’s supposed to be a souviner of an exact moment in time…and since you have to purchase these shirts before the headline disappears, I guess you could say that CNN Shirts will be limited editions. So get your headlines while you still can, and be sure to sell the good ones on eBay.
Just got back from NYC. Thumbs up all around. I had a great time visiting The KDU homies and seeing the incredible Williamsburg, Brooklyn Studio and SVSV/Savant BK Showroom. So dope! Gensler and Lex are looking for a few interns for the summer… If you are a young uber-talent, you should not sleep on this opportunity. It is a dream internship, trust me… The KDU is making mega-moves right now. I also had the honor of attending the PSFK Conference today at the NYC Art Directors Club. It was rad to hear the top strategists, creative superheroes, trend forcasters, and innovation specialists speak on their experiences and inspiration. A great conference for sure.
In honor of the 10th anniversary of the NBA Store’s flagship location in Manhattan, the NBA has unveiled a list of the top-selling basketball jerseys from the past 10 years. The list is as follows:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Allen Iverson
4. Lebron James
5. Shaquille O’Neal
6. Tracy McGrady
7. Dwyane Wade
8. Jason Kidd
9. Vince Carter
10. Tim Duncan
Number 1 is Michael Jordan. Of the past 10 years, he only played in the league for three of those years, and yet his jersey still is # 1. Other thoughts about the list (both my thoughts and those of Darrin Rovell’s from CNBC); Shaq has played on 3 teams since 1998 (and a year or so earlier the Magic, which makes 4) and he comes in at #5. Lebron has only been in the league for 5 years and is already the #4 selling jersey in the past 10 years. And Kobe and AI (#’s 2 and 3), despite run-ins with the law, still sell well.
In other MJ news, Nike iD now lets you customize your own pair of Jordan’s - the Jumpman Team Elite iD. They’ll cost ya $140 but are fully customizable. I’ve never been a fan of any of the Jordan sneakers (I prefer the Nike Dunk Low CL Pantone-inspired kicks) and other non-Nike brands, but the fact that you can now customize your own J’s is pretty cool. Although at that point, you can’t really call them Jordan’s anymore since he really didn’t wear or design your customized kicks.
Everyone in my circle knows that I’m never caught wearing Nikes. It’s just too easy, like cheering for the Yankees. I’m also not a sneaker fiend. I like fresh kicks (literally) and I try to have a 7 day rotation to keep the funk at bay. But I don’t collect sneakers, I rock ‘em. And when it comes to brands that stay true to their “timeless” vision and make superior products, New Balance gets the gold medal. Check this Hypebeast - New Balance Feature.
I was asked last year by the notorious Threadless Team to design a Vectorfunk T-shirt for the Threadless Select Line. The rules… “Push it to the limit” (hence the 7 spot color palette and big “glow in the dark” back print). This is a huge honor. Threadless is legit! Much thanks Dustin and crew. MWM - Graphic Endeavors Tee.
Clae is regarded as the pioneer of the ‘athleisure’ footwear movement. Clae launched in 2001 with its hybrid collection combining the comfort of a street-ready sneaker with classic footwear styling resulting in a new kind of casual. The brand was awarded the Sportswear International Fashion Award (SIFA) for ‘Best Men’s Footwear Collection’ in 2003. After a brief 3 year incubation, they have returned with some new cult classics and revamped models.
If you like to keep your clothing simple, timeless yet stylish, Clae is a strong contender in the shoe department. You can purchase their wares directly from their website.
There are some beautiful things for sale for the aesthetically inclined at Greener Grass Design, including the Cube Clock featured above by Constantin Boym. Be sure to spend some time digging through their catalog because it is a treasure trove of well designed clothing and gadgets. There is even a little something their for the design-conscious pet owner.
The affair offers up t-shirts referencing issues and ideas that are a little more high-brow then your average pop-culture savvy trend-whoring consumer might be interested in. Especially in a trend-whoring pop-culture savvy industry like ours (design and advertising). So, if you like the idea of sporting something that ‘looks’ trendy but references an issue, idea or book that you might feel strongly about then the line of t-shirts at The Affair were made just be for you. If you want to know even more about them, you can also read up on their blog. Is it just me or does anyone not have a blog these days?
There is some seriously sweet duds for grabs by the underground fashion brand +41 at their website. The problem is, they are asking for Euros not dollars and that doesn’t exactly make them cheap for those of us who have the misfortune of working in the Bush economy. If you feel like springing for and expensive t-shirt on the other hand, you could do a lot worse. Their new 42 Hubble Serie of tees are a particular standout, especially if you are a sucker for Hubble space telescope imagery like myself. If only I had thought to screen those images onto a t-shirt.
05/14 EDWARDS BACKS OBAMA A pleasant surprise for the Obama campaign today came in the shape of an endorsement from John Edwards. Do I smell a new VP on the Obama ticket?
05/12 EARTHQUAKE KILLS 9000 A terrible earthquake measuring 7.9 on the richter scale rocked Chengdu, China yesterday. Authorities are claiming it is the worst in decades and the death toll may now be close to 9000.
05/10 100,000 DEAD I am sure by now you have heard all about this but the scale of human tragedy is just shattering. As many as 100,000 may now be dead in the wake of the Myanmar cyclone. Please Myanmar, let foreign aid workers help you.
05/06 SDSU DRUG BUST Nearly 100 people, most of them students at San Diego State University have been arrested as part of a drug investigation. I am sure there will be plenty of room for them in the California Penal System. I think they are running short on inmates the last time I checked.
05/02 HEPARIN TAMPERING This case of what is now being called ‘deliberate’ tampering with the drug Heparin in order to substitute a cheap alternative and save money is deplorable. We have to hold the FDA to higher standards.
