An advanced degree in “material culture” has some disadvantages. It turns one into an “archivist,” or more sadly a pack rat.

The antiquarian urge to preserve the past… and remnants of my youth… results in boxes and boxes of unfiltered crap. I unearthed one of these boxes this weekend (while in DC) and found a small cache of music t-shirts. They range in graphic quality and in genre. Some are quite good. Some, as you’ll find, border on the embarrassing.

Enjoy.

R. Kelly as “Mr. Showbiz” from The Light It Up Tour.

Pause.

Rawkus promotional t-shirt for Pharoahe Monch Internal Affairs.

Def Jux promotional t-shirt for Murs The End of the Beginning.

Mark under – Why do I own this?

I originally ran this on Highsnobiety as an editorial at the end of May, but wanted to share it here as well. My take on the current crop of Nike Tennis shoes. Tennis is what made me love sneakers, and as such the excitement of a new court shoe can (just barely) trump that for basketball sneaks. I’m very hyped about the new Hyperfuse, which has a fit and feel similar to the Challenge Court LWP (which I wore for tennis and hoops) and as I’ve just come home from wear testing those thought ‘hell, why not re-post the tennis piece.’

Nike Tennis is Back.

What’s that? Hasn’t Nike recently clothed the now legendary carrier of Roger Federer, furthering a legacy of brand success, Grand Slam victories, and bringing the blazer back into regular tennis rotation? Yes, of course. Nike Tennis hasn’t exactly fallen off the map, but it has been sometime since a shoe from the lineup had the glorious street potential of the Air Courtballistic 2.3.

Last week we showed the kit Raphael Nadal is sporting on the Parisian red clay. The color and styling of the outfit harken to Andre Agassi’s rebel days. Days which put Nike tennis on the map and on the feet of folks who’d perhaps not even thought about swinging a racket.

Tennis and Nike have a long tradition. John McEnroe began working with the swoosh in 1978. He appeared in the “Rebel With a Cause” ad campaign and later championed the original cross trainer. Phil Knight’s choice of McEnroe beginning a legacy of tennis with personality at the swoosh.

Agassi, quite clearly, extended this vision (his rebelliousness featured heavily in advertisements by Cannon). He was the face of the Challenge Court series, one that perpetually challenged tennis norms in terms of aesthetic and color. Some even thought it was the all-white rule of Wimbledon he was avoiding when he sat out the tournament 3 years in a row.

Rebellion.

Nike Tennis had for a time a swagger that translated beyond the bounds of the court. It rebelled against the traditional refinement of European looks that had found favor on British terraces and on American street corners. It was brash and it was distinct.

Nike’s tennis heyday was undoubtedly the 1990s. Save for Michael Chang’s Pumps, it was Agassi’s models that were the most stylish. Two other American’s also figured in the mix – Jim Courier and Pete Sampras. Both were equipped with models fitting of their personality. Courier’s scrappy play generated extraordinarily durable trainers and his love of baseball found shape in pinstriped polos. The Air Resistance had a six month guarantee (to be fair, Adidas also placed a similar guarantee on one of their models), and was dubbed a future classic by Bobbito Garcia in his Where Did You Get Those?. Sampras’ shoes might have lacked the panache of his homegrown rivals, but certainly didn’t fail. Shit, they were fitting of his pure business style.

Still, those tennis shoes from the 1990s have remained (with the exception of Challenge Court models) a touch under the radar. Nike Basketball hits rule the retro roost, and while contemporary hardwood footwear still presents a tide of interest, the tennis shoe remains relatively quite.
With the Air Courtballistic 2.3 Nike quietly raises the profile of its tennis department once again. We can’t miss the nods to Agassi. With its DragOn X toe tip, those of us with a ‘90s lust can’t avoid thinking of Mr. Courier. And, in its white, black and medium gray incarnation, they might still work for the sartorially subdued Sampras.

Much like Agassi’s original climb, the bold shoe challenges stylistic notions of “classic.” We live in an era when odes to tennis past aren’t unfamiliar to street style. Canvas uppers and rubber soles – those duel facets of the traditional court shoe – are on the feet of just about everyone.

Can Nike tennis shake things up again? [I] sure think so.

The man that made me love Arsenal.

For most readers, the mention of tattoo inspired clothing will do little to inspire. In fact, many might think it cringe worthy.

Over the last decade two American master’s have had their work translated to less permanent moving canvases. The work of Sailor Jerry Collins, discussed on these pages before, provides the graphic base for a virtual empire – spanning drink, bath, house, and even jewelry. Not surprisingly, given his stature, a disciple and ultimately a revered leader in the tattoo community, Don Ed Hardy, too has had a line pulled from his aesthetic.

The nature of the two brands – Sailor Jerry and Ed Hardy – is quite different. But, they are the most successful “tattoo” inspired outfits, and as such the obvious comparison points for any line that crosses into the sphere.

They are, of course, not the first or last to profit from good drawings and a recognizable name. In the 1970s Lyle Tuttle, famous for tattooing Janis Joplin and appearing in Life introduced the “Lyle Tuttle Body Shirt.” Unlike the brands we know today, this shirt did not appropriate Tuttle’s art. Instead, it literally made available the tattoos on his person, making any wearer an exacting replica of Tuttle’s torso.

Many tattooists have provided graphics for t-shirts (I mentioned Mahoney earlier this week), sneakers, and even wine bottle labels. The three above happen to be very big names in the industry and all contributed greatly to the development of the art (just an example, Tuttle played an instrumental role in establishing health regulations for tattoo shops).

This is all both a long winded introduction and an incredibly rudimentary start to a discussion of tattoo clothing. My intent here is really to just make mention of a new line of tattoo inspired clothing from Japan – Horiyoshi The Third Clothing & Accessories.

A connection to Hardy ties Horiyoshi the Third closely to the three main figures of tattoo garment history. Like Hardy, Horiyoshi is a tattooist with enormous reverence for tradition and history. He tattoos by hand, creating lavish body suits bold in color and remarkably consistent in line and shading. For some, he is the last great master of full body Japanese tattoo.

I can never lay claim to be an expert in Japanese tattooing. I focus on the United States, and keep to an rather defined time period. But, I recognize the influence of Japanese tattooing on the West. This began quite early, both American and English practitioners being particularly fascinated by the construction of Japanese needles (Louis Morgan spends some time on the subject in his The Modern Tattooist of 1912). Collins was fascinated by Japanese color, and corresponded with his contemporaries to learn more. Hardy followed suit, learning first from Collins and later traveling to Japan to meet with the master’s.

Horiyoshi the Third met Hardy in 1986. He was on his first visit to the States and spent some time at Hardy’s Realistic Studio in San Francisco. Of the Japanese artist Hardy writes, “As an inheritor of a great tattoo family lineage, he possessed a style that exuded great power coupled with a willingness to integrate newer artistic aspects” (taken from Juan Puente, Legacy: The Horiyoshi III Tradition, 2006).

That inherited style rooted in traditional story telling leads to tattoos heavy on narrative. Translating this to garments has some difficulty. American tattooing is about singular images. These two are full of narrative meaning (just think about the Rock of Ages), but are more easily scaled.

Horiyoshi the Third, simply put, is one of the most influential living tattooists. His work reverberates around the globe and has been exhibited throughout Europe and the United States.

Horiyoshi the Third, as a clothing line, takes elements of the body suit. Elements deep with spirituality, strenght, beauty, and the like. And, most importantly, rich with graphic integrity. Like the tattoos that inspire the garments, the pieces are bold. They are not for everyone.

All of the garments are produced in Japan, either of loop wheeled cotton or merino wool.

With that a few examples of the sweaters in the fall collection. (Three pieces, each shown front and back).

Gilbere Forte is gearing up for his debut release, 87 Dreams. I’ve had the great pleasure of watching the project develop, and to watch Gilbere grow as a man over the last year. He’s taken a huge risk in 1. making a go of the music industry and 2. offering up an impressive collection of originally produced songs when most people just opt to come out over popular beats. The result is an open and varied selection of songs – a collection that showcases Gilbere’s range as a rapper and as a singer.

The above trailer gives a little taste of the sound of 87 Dreams… and even a look that I helped “style.”

Give the kid a go. He’s a man of passion, and his first release proves him a man of talent as well.

Best of luck homie.