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Showing posts from 2015

Rebels Alliance Yard opening

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Despite being extremely hungover, I am looking forward to stopping by the opening of Rebels Alliance Yard tonight in Shoreditch. Join me there for a free beer, mulled wine or coffee and cast your eyes over custom bikes, apparel and artwork by Will Barras . I can't string any more words together, all the details are on the flier below. - Bossman75

Room101 Jesus Skull pendant

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I am very excited to share the news that this limited edition pendant is now available to order. I saw this in the flesh at the London Tattoo Convention this past September and was blown away. I love Chuey's work and Room 101 have excelled themselves by converting his Jesus Skull design into such a striking piece of jewellery. This is the first in a two part collaborative series between tattoo artist Chuey Quintanar and Room101. The Skull Jesus pendant is available in both Gold Vermeil over stainless steel and a two tone Gold Vermeil and polished stainless steel variant. Each pendant will come on corresponding rope style chain in 24in.   Sold in Gold Vermeil and Two-tone separately, or at a discount when purchased together. Perfect as a gift for a friend and yourself in one hit. The image of Jesus as a skull with the crown of thorns initially gave me pause when I first saw it on Chuey's t-shirts, but my feelings have long since changed and I've placed my

WAHL x KENT handmade Barber Comb

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Whilst not all lifestyle product collaborations make a great deal of sense, this one most certainly does. Wahl (UK) Ltd, in collaboration with Kent Brushes have created an exclusive, hand-made barber comb. These combs are limited edition, only 1000 have been made. Between them the brands have some 300+ years experience with strong reputations around the World for their quality and craftsmanship. “ We are proud to be working alongside Kent Brushes to bring exceptional quality combs to the barbering community. Kent Brushes are recognized for their dedication to detail and exceeding of expectations, and this is an ethos that Wahl identify with. This is a great collaboration as Kent Brushes and Wahl both have long standing heritages ”. Simon Shaw, Wahl European Artistic Director The combs are completely handmade using sheet acetate. The comb shape is cut by hand on a jig and then every tooth is hand cut and polished, this means there is no mould line which can scratch and damage

Happy Thanksgiving

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Today we give thanks for the blessings of the year. Thank you for reading and supporting. Love from me to you, my family to yours. - Bossman75

Reflective jackets from Addict and Spiewak

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Addict Reversible Wind Cheater VS Spiewak Golden Fleece Reflective Fishtail Parka I'm a big fan of reflective materials on clothing, footwear and bags almost entirely because it just looks awesome. As for practical reasons, w ith it being dark when you leave for, and from work, now is the perfect time to be seen. For AW15 the best looking affordable jacket I have seen so far comes from one of the UK's longest running streetwear brands  Addict , in the form of their Reversible Wind Cheater . The jacket is fully reversible with one side made from thermal fleece and the other a reflective shell. I caught sight of this piece some months back at Jacket Required and was very impressed by the look and feel of the jacket overall. The question will be how it stands up to actually being worn. I brought this up at the time and was told that tests had been positive and they were all too aware of issues faced by producing a jacket with a completely reflective outer shell. At the

Three Wick Holiday Candles by Square Trade Goods Co

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'Tis the Season [Part 3] I guess I will run with the 'Tis the Season topic as long as I keep finding seasonal items or until Christmas day. Somewhere among the butts, beards and tattoos on my Instagram feed I came across  Square Trade Goods Co  who offer a truly exceptional looking collection of candles. Brands offering authentic lifestyle and homeware products are commonplace now, but that doesn't mean they are all of equal quality. Instinctively I go to a brand's 'About' page before allowing myself to get excited about their products. Inspired by and designed for individuals who want to be connected to the process, ingredients, and people behind the goods they purchase, Square Trade Goods was founded on the ideals of authenticity and craftsmanship.  Our lifestyle goods are collaborative projects between American manufacturers, independent artists and designers, and the Square Trade Goods brand. We aim to elevate design and art by providing a su

Midnight Studios x Steve Emberton

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For the uninitiated like myself Midnight Studios is an American-based fashion label founded in 2012, that combines music, art, and youth culture into a classic black-and-white aesthetic. For AW15 the label presents a collection made up of t-shirts, a twill shirt, a rider jacket a hooded sweatshirt and a poncho all of which feature images by punk-era photographer Steve Emberton . Though Emberton’s name may be unfamiliar to some, his images surely are not. Label designer Shane Gonzales has chosen Emberton's most famous and frequently used work for the collection, photos of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen taken at their Maida Vale home in January of 1978. Images from this shoot were notably selected for Rolling Stone Magazine's  50th Anniversary Of Rock, Fifty Greatest Portraits Issue  and the Met's  Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibition, the correlation between music and fashion reinforcing the ethos of Midnight Studios.  The collection is available directly from 

VNA Issue 31 X CYRCLE Limited Edition screen-printed box set

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With Winter well and truly upon us, I remember with great fondness seeing out the last days of the Summer with a BBQ, Beer and Buddies. I had the pleasure of attending the VNA Issue 31 launch at Stolen Space Gallery this past September with the guys from CYRCLE who were happy to hang and talk about some of the things they've been up to. VNA Magazine pulled out all the stops with great food, beer and music and the mood was one of celebration, contentment and reflection as the sun set over London. On the night copies of VNA Issue 31 were available alongside the Limited Edition Box Set. Included in the set is a front & back screen-printed magazine, signed by CYRCLE, complete with 2 photo-prints and a set of 4 stickers, all wrapped in a matching protective screen-printed sleeve. The centre piece to the set being  a hand-cast Pewter ORDER/CHAOS Lenticular ring. Looking at the ring diagonally, it reads CHAOS one way and ORDER the other, reflecting the nature of duality th

Friday the 13th at The Circle London

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The date is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition, but has been adopted as a day to celebrate within the tattoo community. In recent times a growing number of studios have begun offer customers the chance to mark the date with a special tattoo. Special in that you not only get one of their resident artists to work on you, but also in the symbolic cost of the finished tattoo for just £13. Normally if anyone claiming to be a tattooist doesn't add a zero to the end of that figure followed by the words "per hour" you should probably walk away. A cheap tattoo isn't good, and a good tattoo isn't cheap. "Tomorrow is FRIDAY 13!!! Don’t forget to bring a valid photo ID with you, £13 worth of new national lottery scratch cards, your manners and patience! No exceptions, no buts and no maybes or cry babies (at The Circle)" The flier gives you the official details. What you are getting is the chance to sit with one of the extremely talented cr

Ben & Jerry's Limited Edition Winter Flavours

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' Tis the season [part 2] My long time favourite flavour  Cherry Garcia  , famously n amed for Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, is no longer available in tubs in the UK. Although this appears to have happened a couple years ago, I'm only just accepting it. Adding insult to injury the Frozen Yoghurt range looks to have been replaced by a Greek Yoghurt range. I'm sure the guys have their reasons, but a scoop is not nearly enough and I cannot survive on tubs of  Phish Food  alone. But with Christmas around the corner I'm reminded of the lyrics to Sir Cliff's ode to the holidays ' Mistletoe and Wine ' - A time for giving, a time for getting, A time for forgiving and for forgetting.  Christmas is love, Christmas is peace,  A time for hating and fighting to cease. So despite my hurt and disappointment I'm giving the guys another chance to redeem themselves with these limited edition winter flavours. Concocted with warm and cosy nights on

Avant Savant by Ly Moula

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I'm going to come right out and say it, I don't like new rap. My era of rap was the 90's and I have great appreciation for the pioneers, but this new generation of rappers doesn't do it for me. I have an issue with rappers  trying to sound unique whilst mimicking the same shit I've been listening to for thirty years. An original tone in their voice and updated perspective just makes it sound tired.  I guess it's not really all their fault. If you were to ask anyone under the age of twenty what music they listened to they'd most likely say  all  music. Bearing that in mind it's no wonder rap doesn't sound like the rap I love anymore. I would expect some originality to stem from this and this doesn't happen enough for my liking. However, there is one rapper that's changed my opinion and gives me hope for the new generation and that is Ly Moula .  I've been listening to him for some time now h aving long ago cut his teeth as one

Chunky Crossbones Ring and Crossbones Wallet by The Great Frog

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I've celebrated a milestone or two with purchases from The Great Frog in recent history, and the chance to do so again is on the horizon. In a little over three weeks I will leave my thirties behind me, and what better way to commemorate this than by visiting the shop and leaving with something badass.  Worn by rock royalty the likes of  James Hetfield, Slash, Ozzy Osbourne and Josh Homme  and boasting nearly two hundred products online,  i t's extremely difficult to choose just one or even two pieces.  When you consider the entire range including band ( Anthrax, Slayer, Motorhead, Iron Maiden ) and artist collaborations ( Wes Lang ), as well as their growing range of exceptional apparel and accessories it's damn near impossible.  After careful deliberation, and considering my budget the  Chunky Crossbones Ring  and  Crossbones Wallet  would be top of my list .  http://www.thegreatfroglondon.com/product/chunky-crossbones-ring/ http://www.thegreatfroglon

Talking About The Abstraction AW15

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For AW15 Talking About The Abstraction offer what appears to be an unusually small but typically diverse selection of apparel for men (based on the SS15 collection I previously viewed on Zozotown). This is my first real look into Talking About The Abstraction after happening upon their Summer collaboration with Tommy Boy Records and   I have picked out the most compelling pieces to me. First up are two contemporary outerwear options. The 'Twist Hood Parka' has an exaggerated neck, irregular hood and its cuffs and hem removed. This change in shape gives it a comfortable yet extraordinary look and a welcome deviation from the normal sportswear aesthetic usually associated with hoodies. Followed by the 'Military Patchwork Knit' which is made using sections of second hand military combat sweaters (from a variety of different countries). The nature of this method ensures the uniqueness of each individual sweater. What I appreciate most about these pieces in part

JÓL Beard Oil by First Olympian

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'Tis the season [part 1] For the next fifty days everything you see, hear and even  smell will be about Christmas. For any guys out there dreading this the answer to a stress free approach to the holiday is right under your nose, literally*. Released as a seasonal product meaning it's only available until stock runs out, First Olympian once again brings you " Christmas in a bottle ". Jól made it's debut three years ago and is already a favourite for many, including myself.  http://www.firstolympian.com/home/25-jol-beard-oil.html Jól is Old Norse for Yule, a delicious, warm, earthy beard oil with hints of cinnamon and chocolate, spiced orange highs and nutmeg base notes. It is Christmas in a bottle. Jól Beard Oil looks almost as good as it smells, decoratively hand stamped with Yggdrasil, the sacred World Tree of the Old Norse Gods. The perfect stocking filler for the potent, bearded Asgardian in your life. Or treat yourself to a beaut

Rebel8 "Hellaween" Collection

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There's a lot to be said about a brand that can still find the time to have a little bit of fun. Rebel8 are particularly adept at this and prove my point with two straightforward graphics on this small three piece collection entitled 'Hellaween'. Consisting of one short sleeve and one long sleeve t-shirt alongside a cap, all depicting a crew of recognizable monsters in typical Mike Giant style. And nothing says Halloween like Black and Orange. From a UK point of view you could regard the demand for this kind of release as minimal, with Halloween never really achieving the kind of holiday status is has in the States, but older heads should appreciate it having come from a time when anything from the USA was still considered cool in the playground. These are already selling out on Rebel8.com so peep the spooky look-book images below and treat yourself before it's too late. Something fun to wear whilst enjoying a bowl of Count Chocula and Frankenberry cereal on the

TALKING ABOUT THE ABSTRACTION / Tommy Boy Re-UP

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" I tell the story of bags with Tommy Record " - Naoki Ichihara of Talking About The Abstract I somewhat fortuitously discovered this collaboration between Talking About The Abstraction and Tommy Boy, consisting of a unisex Clutch Bag and Shape Memory Bag bearing the legendary Tommy Boy logos and the slogan "Listen To Hip Hop.". That a Japanese brand came up with the idea of collaborating with Tommy Boy didn't surprise me. That the collaboration so successfully engaged me and encouraged me to revisit the music and relive the memories most certainly did however. Talking About The Abstract is a brand using the concept of adding various elements to casual wear to produce something altogether new. That is not something particularly new considering many Japanese brands' passion and excellence for reproduction and reappropriation. Where TATA fit in amongst the likes of Sasquatchfabrix and FDMTL is something I'm eager to explore in more depth. Follo