product archive

TUMBLR

2011-07-21T18:06:00.001+10:00

http://jackfrommbase.tumblr.com

goro's #4

2010-06-24T21:45:00.002+10:00

A small piece like this one really demonstrates the craftsmanship behind goro's. There are nothing else in the market that comes even close to this. A lot of imitations have emerged in Japan as well as the rest of the world, americana is "in", but this is truly original.

Fragment x Neighborhood leather varsity

2010-06-24T21:34:00.002+10:00

Favourite item for this winter, leather varsity from fragment and neighborhood. Its the warmest piece I own, and the leather inner pockets just show how detailed it is. A real gem that I found in px-megastore.

Tenderloin Jacket

2010-06-16T22:48:00.002+10:00

Tenderloin's definition of underground in Tokyo is what Nowhere was of Ura-Harajuku period. Now that winter has arrived, this jacket is one of my favourite outerwear at the moment. So easy to take on and off, goes with everything, and the extra details make the jacket.

chinese

2010-06-10T23:20:00.001+10:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvLu9Nfd_SU&feature=autofb
skip to 1 min ... beast dude.
chinese stylez

visvim 22L ballistic

2010-06-06T17:58:00.003+10:00

paid way more than necessary for this ballistic backpack. My 20L liberty patch was getting wrecked in Tokyo, and I had to find a substitute. The whole outlook of the backpack is pure richness. Cordura material, RiRi zippers throughout, premium leather, dope subtle colour.

And while looking it up on honeyee, the bag was only released via a draw online!

こちらの商品は抽選での販売となります.

Levi's Fenom Oxford Shirt

2010-06-05T18:46:00.004+10:00

Sizing fits perfect medium. Not too heavy, easy to wear for layers. Extra detail such as pearl buttons and stitchings make this a perfect shirt.

Supreme Rizzoli

2010-05-11T18:08:00.003+10:00

I pre-ordered it straight away on Amazon. Supreme announced they were going to do a book late last year. Rizzoli publishes rad books... But this one seems to be a bit of a disappointment. Other than a Jebbia interview, everyone else is stolen from CoolTrans, old catalogues and recycles of old material.

w-base hoody

2010-04-29T10:59:00.001+10:00

while i was at w-base, i picked up this black hoody for winter riding. so far it has served its purpose, its warm, extra neck protection against the wind, and thick as hell.

Mechanix gloves

2010-04-23T13:08:00.003+10:00

pulled these out recently as winter is approaching and the bmx grips are finally taking a toll on my hands. Having never worn gloves, they're a hassle to put on and off, especially if you want to purchase a drink etc, but otherwise, great for riding !

CHOCRO cafe

2010-04-16T12:13:00.001+10:00

visvim x affa x fragment logan

2010-04-11T09:49:00.004+10:00

I am the biggest fan of visvim logans. This is truly the best find in tokyo. I was looking for it on my first trip but with no luck. Another year passed, and I never seen it pop up anywhere, especially in size 8. The beige colour is a nice change to all the black pairs, and is perfect for summer weather. The collaboration itself is definitely a selling point and true to harajuku scene.

Supreme beanie

2010-04-04T19:07:00.001+10:00

the other item that I bought from Harajuku store. Warm, hugs to your head, fits perfect, classic supreme beanie.

ROIST

2010-03-29T22:20:00.002+11:00

the brand is ROIST. Haven't really take notice of it before, definitely off the Hype radar. The style complements the HTC belt really well. Reasonably priced, definitely one of the better buys in Tokyo.

Supreme snapback

2010-03-21T19:18:00.001+11:00

Bought a Supreme snapback at the Harajuku store. 100% made in USA.

goro's #3

2010-03-21T19:14:00.002+11:00

the other piece i picked up was this simple silver feather. It is actually the cheapest for around 19,000 and the biggest as well. You can choose the same feather but facing in a different direction. As my other one faces to the left, I naturally chose the right-sided for complement.

Vans

2010-03-17T15:31:00.002+11:00

While walking around Tokyo, I encountered epic rain and soaked my visvim logans which already had holes from years of wear. Needless to say, a quick stop was made to the ABC Market. I always loved the Vans signature checkered pattern, but could never pull off slip-ons. Seeing these on classics model sealed the deal and I was rainproof for the rest of my trip

Tsukiji Fish Market

2010-03-11T22:12:00.006+11:00

Tsukiji fish market is a must-go destination in Tokyo. The most amazing sashimi you'll ever taste. This time I went overload and spent about a good 4,000 yen trying way too many dishes than I can handle.

goro's #2

2010-03-11T22:08:00.002+11:00

the first piece i selected straight away while at goro's was this iconic gold piece. The price was around 16,000yen and is evident in almost any goro's setup. The delicate detail is something that can only truly be appreciated in flesh.

Visvim Room Spray FIL scent

2010-03-06T00:26:00.004+11:00

I just want to share with you the outstanding packaging process that comes along with every single visvim product. Even with something as small as a spray, the detail is still quite impressive. The use of Erlenmeyer flasks usually found in science labs as well as the Blaise Mautin relationship makes this an essential item to go with my #1 candle.

coke zero

2010-03-06T00:23:00.000+11:00

coke zero is my favourite drink in the world.

goro's store experience

2010-03-04T10:15:00.005+11:00

I had the opportunity and time to lineup to purchase goro's last week. Goro's store open at 11:00am sharp. But closed on Wednesdays. I arrived at 10:30 and there was already a huge line infront of me. The line itself was interesting. Infront of me was an old man wearing head to toe vintage denim, and behind me was a couple with a kid in the pram also lining up. I must say the customer base is the most diverse I've ever seen from any store.

Customers went in by number of 4 people. And the general time spent was 20 minutes or so per group. Which means I ended up lining for 2 and half hours. Thanks to Japanese courtesy, I could at least walk to the nearby Lawson without someone stealing my spot.

It wasn't so bad. The items that I acquired definitely made it worthwhile!

Jam Home Made x Number (N)ine

2010-02-26T01:15:00.002+11:00

currently in Tokyo. The first item i picked up after I arrived is this ring. A good piece of history between the two brands. Especially now that Number (N)ine is over. The detail on the ring itself is amazing in flesh.

2010-02-14T16:04:00.001+11:00

happy chinese new year readers!

tyres

2010-02-05T14:16:00.001+11:00

these tyres means BUSINESS. Loving them at the moment

Locked

2010-02-05T14:14:00.002+11:00

got myself a nice little lock from wiggle. This lock JUST manages to lock my bike to a pole. It is versatile enough to just slide it between the belt.

Pro

2010-02-05T14:12:00.002+11:00

After spilling coffee all over my Toshiba laptop. Its officially dead. There is a good deal for students using mac, so I decided to shotgun the macbook pro 13'. This is my first time using a mac OS and so far its been amazing. Everything has been beyond expectations except for the DVD drive.

visvim seiko #2

2010-02-05T14:09:00.002+11:00

decided to add a few close shots of the visvim watch.

turbo

2010-01-28T19:39:00.004+11:00

all time classic saddle. The surface is a bit too smooth, almost slippery for my liking, thus I'm tilting it more than usual. But otherwise, who can argue at 60dollars

hold fast

2010-01-28T19:35:00.002+11:00

these straps are hands down the best I've ever had. They're cheap, comfy, grippy and feels safe as hell.

supermarket icecream

2010-01-23T23:17:00.003+11:00

this caramel honey macadamia is my FAVOURITE off the shelf ice-cream hands down. I am addicted !!!!

VISUALUPARMORED

2010-01-16T11:48:00.004+11:00

love little things. These lighters are always a great conversation starter. And great for collection even if its all used up. Gotta get some more next month !

Sugino

2010-01-16T11:27:00.002+11:00

pretty much the standard in the fixed gear industry. My last couple of cranks have both been generic no-names. Can't wait to ride the shit out of this!

LEADER

2010-01-16T11:22:00.003+11:00

I've purchased this frame+fork from a friend of mine for a quarter of its market price. Lately I haven't been fussed with clothes etc. as I'm too busy riding !! I've slowly gathered the parts, and the bike should be ready any minute now. I'm thinking of swapping the fork out after my february tokyo trip, to a MKE bruiser fork.

headporter plus flannel

2010-01-16T11:18:00.002+11:00

The only piece of clothing I've purchased in the last month. This flannel is thick and warm, its not made out of 100% wool so when I initially put it on, it kinda itches, but then your skin get used to it and it feels nice. Love the pattern on the shirt, and the subtle headporter plus logo on the chest.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2009-12-31T15:39:00.003+11:00

Products haven't been going strong because of the holiday season. Happy New Year readers, and yes, something is in the works.

Bike

2009-12-20T10:04:00.002+11:00

This is my bianchi pista. I ride it everyday. Another bike is in the works, but the pista is highly recommended for its price and function.

The rest of the photos have been uploaded to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43783732@N06/

goro's

2009-12-17T09:24:00.003+11:00

after years of whinging, I finally shotgunned this feather from y!jp auction. Also bought the string separately for 2,000yen. Have been wearing it everyday, next up is a proper necklace and a bangle, and a few extras when I head over to tokyo in Feb.

essential

2009-11-23T18:50:00.002+11:00

AAA tees. Personal favourite. adding a few more now that summer arrived. If you're in Melbourne, these guys will hook you up.

elk x ∞

2009-11-13T09:16:00.004+11:00

Visvim logan lo's are the only shoe I have actually worn this yr. From last summer to this summer, I probably worn it 95% of the time. The style is perfect, it does not clash with anything. Black never gets dirty, it just gets worn. The best part is the interior. When you slip the shoe in, you can really recognise why you spend the extra $100 instead of the vans (which makes my foot sweat like nonstop). So obviously I was going to pick up the elk version of the best shoe ever !

Joy x 2

2009-11-13T09:11:00.002+11:00

I've been on the hunt for this for god knows how long. Finally found a top notch condition in my size. Now for the Black version ...

snakeskin box

2009-11-13T09:08:00.002+11:00

box tees are absolute classic. I think this tee has re-activated my love for Supreme. Tee fits like a perfect M, unlike the 07' box tees' size M which was more S etc.

Supreme Book Vol.5

2009-11-06T20:31:00.002+11:00

They come once a yr or rarer. So I decided to put up some favourite pics. The best part is finally an English version. Thank God. Interview on Puffy and RZA is great.

GR

2009-10-24T20:26:00.003+11:00

finally got myself the GR!!! I've been looking at a fancier digital camera to replace my canon ixus 90. Love the fact that there is no zoom, and right now i feel there is no limit to this camera! Very pleased with how the pictures turned out so far, and that was only from auto function! Can't wait to learn after exams are over. Will also look into making some custom fish eye lens etc.

Ink

2009-10-24T20:23:00.002+11:00

got my first ink this week. Tattoo artist was a very chill Hungarian. Struck up a convo regarding Mr. Cartoon ( of course) and Banksy. Very pleased with the result, although almost had a little accident when he was getting drowsy from catching flies (long story).

Visvim FW 08-09 Nautical crew L/S

2009-10-12T18:40:00.002+11:00

Continuing with the crew theme, this is a lovely piece that I decided to pick up for winter, even though it is almost summer. 100 % wool, a perfect layering piece. I would suggest sizing down for this particular item.

Note: visvim sizing is truly its biggest weakpoint. Almost as bad as loose neck hole from supreme tees.

Visvim henley

2009-10-05T15:12:00.002+11:00

i could do with 100 of these, except I can't afford that many. The nicest feel ever, best laying piece ever. But with the price tag, I can only wear is sparingly. But it is definitely a complete different feel on the skin compared to the harsh material on the AAA tees.

HP plus

2009-10-01T20:38:00.002+10:00

really nice plaid flannel from hp+. There are so many similar ones for under 10,000 yen in Japan 2nd hand stores. Picked this up for a bargain, but never seem to wear it as it fits a little big. Japanese irregular juggle between size Small and Medium is getting on my nerves.

Effectors

2009-09-29T11:48:00.005+10:00

YES! Finally got my hands on a pair of neighborhood effectors. Received them off a friend of mine who preferred the all black version. Wanted to get a pair at Tokyo but ran out of funds, the same story with Goro's. They're currently sitting at home because I can't afford the crazy price tag to get the lenses fitted!

MULTITUDE

2009-09-15T12:06:00.005+10:00

Also picked up a Japanese fixed gear book called Multitude. Which I was aware of for a while, but never got around to purchasing it. Enjoy the harajuku scene in full effect.

Personal

2009-09-15T11:57:00.005+10:00

my amazon.jp package finally came in! I was contemplating whether to purchase this book or not as I can guess almost all the items thats going to be featured. But because it is actually bilingual, I decided to chase it up.

Hiroshi's collection is nothing short of amazing. The customised goro's by Goro himself is a highlight, as well as the number of leather jackets & watches. I'm still after a goro's necklace after a year, hopefully that will be accomplished soon.

A definite standout is the Hiroshi's visvim FBT model customised with Goro's !

New Flavor

2009-09-11T16:59:00.002+10:00

I'm not the biggest lolly fan, but I LOVE chocolates.

And new favors always bring out my inner hypebeast nature!!!

How does it taste? I haven't tried it yet.

Tshirts

2009-09-11T16:56:00.002+10:00

would really love to wear all 3 of them. But the Larry Clark was a gamble, and size L is way too big. The other 2 tee's quality are less of what I expected. Quite disappointed.

classic

2009-09-04T21:47:00.003+10:00

i've been avoiding vans for a while now. Mainly due to personal taste/experience/opinion. However, this pair came as the perfect candidate for new riding shoes as I was searching for alternative footwear to replace my visvim logans . So far, they've functioned as expected, but socks are definitely compulsory!

logans

2009-09-04T21:44:00.004+10:00

the logans are the mostly worn shoe for the last year or so. The deck was an old favourite as i spent most days (winter included) wearing it without socks. It just saves the extra few seconds before you rush out the door. The logan lo canvas' pattern on the side really stands out, and is more wearable than the lo elks.

The decks are dead now after going through a huge rain, and now is hard as fuck. rip.

visvim g-res

2009-09-04T21:42:00.002+10:00

my favourite design out of the whole fbt bunch. Love the sole in comparison to other models, as well as the visvim logo sign on the side of the tongue. Comfort factor is ok, but it is a little on the heavy side.

wiggle uk

2009-09-04T21:39:00.003+10:00

probably the best website for your online bike needs.

2 x gatorskin

1 x vittoria rubino

5 x vittoria tubes

1 x bar end

= 100 aud

received in 4 days.

HTC belt

2009-08-29T21:08:00.002+10:00

one of my favourite from Japan. The infamous HTC belt. Detail is simply amazing, pair it off with some neighborhood denim and you're set. Good luck finding one outside of Japan though.

KIDS

2009-08-24T18:02:00.002+10:00

random found in a DVD store. Every hypebeast will tell you why Kids is their favourite movie so there you go.

Parts

2009-08-21T21:50:00.004+10:00

just some essential bike replacements. Soma double leather straps and MKS pedals.

Macaframa

2009-08-21T21:44:00.002+10:00

i've waited countless days for this dvd to come alive. Finally received a copy 3 weeks ago. To be honest it didn't live up to my expectations. Having said that, the supplementary dvd was pretty decent, and mindblowing parts from Keo.

delays

2009-08-10T17:41:00.000+10:00

just alternating bike parts and costing me a fortune. Will update later

New World Order

2009-07-27T18:39:00.005+10:00

picked up the slamxhype mag for my recent Sydney trip, was a good read overall.

Ari Marcopoulos

2009-07-27T18:28:00.002+10:00

most legit photographer, ever. One is a Someday reprint of Ari's classic photos, and the other is a special on Beastie Boys, a present from my boys.

Tokyo

2009-07-27T18:16:00.003+10:00

Received this book as a present from a couple of close friends of mine, who also went on the Tokyo trip with me. Thanks Duc & Tommy ! Thought it was one of the many tokyo cultural books, but it turned out be right up my alley!!! Features include MR, Murakami, Wonderwall, Comme Des Garcon etc. What a way to remember the trip which created many fond memories.

Richard Prince

2009-07-27T17:34:00.003+10:00

passing by someday's sale and saw the board in the front of the shop!!! It was the last day of sale, and noone picked this up !!!

Everyone knows Richard Prince's work is legit as hell !!!! The white deck is more preferred, but at the price I copped, I simply cannot complain.

Still waiting to put the boards up as relatives are over for a month

San Marco Rolls

2009-07-27T17:02:00.003+10:00

what can i say. Rolls Royce of saddles. Beautiful made in italy vintage series. Loving the feel, and complements my bike perfectly !

Carhartt Down Vest

2009-07-18T14:03:00.002+10:00

Carhartt Sydney is always very promising as most of their stock, if not all, are always 50% off rrp or more. Picked up this much needed vest for under $100aud.

Tenderloin

2009-07-18T14:01:00.004+10:00

plain Tenderloin pocket tee.

SAGLIFE messenger bag

2009-07-18T13:56:00.004+10:00

also picked up a messenger bag that recently arrived at Supply, talk about perfect timing! I've been searching for something to substitute a Visvim E-cat 28L for a while, and this seems to be perfect ! Made in Tokyo pure messenger bag goodness.

Size:	H:28cm×W:50cm×D:22cm
Material:	Fake Suede Nylon Twil (PVC)
Parts:	Messenger Metallic Parts, UTX-Duraflex

The bag, when filled is the same dimension as an e-cat or even bigger, and at a third of the price!

Visvim Fluxus Raw 04 Cut

2009-07-18T13:49:00.002+10:00

04 cut is definitely the preferred visvim fluxus cut. Spotted this at Supply in Sydney for a heavily discounted price ! Finally something to rock everyday for winter, hopefully the quality is not as bad as expected. This will replace the neighborhood jeans for the time being.

Sydney

2009-07-17T10:11:00.003+10:00

been away to Sydney for the last couple of days with the missus. Good to get away from the daily environment and just enjoy the weather.

KAWS

2009-07-10T17:15:00.005+10:00

Along with the board, she also bought me a very rare Supreme x Kaws tee. Box tees are always classic, and I haven't seen many kaws box tees at all. THANKS SO MUCH

Joy

2009-07-10T17:12:00.002+10:00

my better half got me this Joy Division board for my birthday. Can't describe how thrilled I am, as I've looked over the world for the same graphic on Supreme tee (SIZE M) for the longest time, but always missed out!

M&M

2009-07-08T11:45:00.003+10:00

one of the gems I found while in Ueno. All the collaborations work out to be perfect. Very symbolic of the old harajuku scene.

Stussy World Tour

2009-07-08T11:39:00.003+10:00

definitely the two of my favourite Stussy World Tour series. Tet's tee is right on point with his bikie culture minus the philosphical side. Kaw's detail is amazing! peep the X X on the fingerprint !

Neighborhood narrow raw

2009-07-08T11:35:00.003+10:00

As you can see, I'm cleaning out my wardrobe so I decided to snap some pics. This was my last year's only denim. Fits great.

OG Fragment x NBHD x Base Control

2009-07-08T11:31:00.003+10:00

This was the first collaboration between fragment, neighorbhood and base control. It consisted of a l/s tee, spring beanie and track pants. The logo has been faked everywhere, and the real deal is quite rare. Included the REAL logos so you can compare.

headporter plus jumper

2009-07-08T11:27:00.003+10:00

finally! Been after this exact jumper for quite awhile, highly endorsed by Hiroshi. I don't know who was responsible for the original design, but it's been copied by many respectable as well as local brands. For me personally, this has to be one of headporter plus' iconic designs.

Visvim Buckminster

2009-07-05T09:54:00.004+10:00

DETAILS:

- schism-based footwear engineering model
- Visvim chimeara chassis
- SupFort2 tongue-to-sidewall stretch mesh gore
- pigsking leather lining with natural bristle-perfed ventilating patterns for breathability
- drysole moisture annihilator footbeds with leather heel pads
- superlight and cushioning EVA Pylon midsole

I have often wondered how much the description of Visvim sells the shoe. Its much more stronger than "made in japan" or " made in italy". Eg. isn't most sneakers breathable as well? but Nike does not focus on such points, however, here we have a company that relies on "bristle-perfed ventilating pattern for breathability". Well I'm sold as of now.

I've actually been after these chukkas for a good year now, finally found the sand colour in my size. Although if you were a us 9 in nike, i'd recommend a us 8.5 or us 9. This us 8 is a bit tight, but can still squash in with socks ! Hopefully it will stretch.

Clippings

2009-07-05T09:49:00.004+10:00

finally got myself some metal clippings for the bike. Not the best of the best, but it will do for now. Loving it at the moment, finally riding with clippings ON, hopefully the habit will continue!

Monocle

2009-06-29T20:54:00.003+10:00

excellent magazine, but doubt i'll pick up every issue. This one had a little feature on Hiroki Nakamura and the F.I.L kyoto, as well as a feature on Porter bags. Melbournites can pick it up at local Mag Nation.

Hiroshi Fujiwara

2009-06-29T20:40:00.005+10:00

Hiroshi Fujiwara is one of my favourite Harajuku personality.

Yet there are great mysteries surrounding such character. Very fortunate of me to find 3 different magazines. Tokion's magazine had a "all about hiroshi" feature which was quite insightful of Hiroshi's daily life.

ENJOY.

visvim cords

2009-06-25T15:52:00.003+10:00

finally got a pair of visvim corduroys. No idea what season it is from. lovely pants, probably the best fit from any kind of cords that I tried on. Length, width all perfect. Its size S though, quite weird as I thought it was gona fit too small. Visvim sizing is indeed very irregular.

check out the detail on the buttons! love how the buttons go all around the pants, contrasting really well.

Illega Business

2009-06-22T22:03:00.002+10:00

Was very fortunate to find one of my favourite supreme tees !

In mint condition, one of my three must-have from 05 Spring/Summer.

Also need the Joy Division and Menace II Society (one of the my favourite movies) tee. The search continues.

IDIOM GRAYSCALE 2.5L JACKET

2009-06-22T15:51:00.002+10:00

beautiful burton idiom jacket. IT TOOK 2 MONTHS TO ARRIVE. and now i found out it fits too big. probably the worst transaction i have dealt with. But nevertheless, it is a beautiful jacket, and now I'm on the hunt for a size S.

EXAMS

2009-06-22T15:47:00.003+10:00

exams are doing my head in, sorry for lack of update.

and now the toshiba notebook has broken down.

things are looking bad.

Art Basel 2009

2009-06-13T10:37:00.001+10:00

Art Basel 2009 in Switzerland. This is one of those times when internet can be so great. I'd love to see it in person, but with the kind of income I'm getting, thats pretty far off.

Mash SF

2009-06-03T10:30:00.003+10:00

my Mash SF has finally arrived. Watched the whole thing in one go, the extra footage was pretty awesome. I must say I'm a big fan. The free magazines seem to be something else that Mash is involved in. However its all in Japanese, which i cannot read.

Mayhem & Mischief

2009-05-25T17:06:00.003+10:00

While i was in Japan, I missed out on the launch of the Mayhem & Mischief mag, however the employees at blackflag were nice enough to print me another copy straight away! The magazine contains numerous movies that were possibly inspirational to tet's work. And an introduction to the LAMF slogan.

BAPE STYLE MANUAL

2009-05-25T17:00:00.002+10:00

got my hands on some free bape style manual by general. Amazing to see how much japan brands put into promoting their product lines. Not only do they have seasonal catalogue, but also Bape paper, and now the style manual.

F.I.L

2009-05-25T16:58:00.001+10:00

another two great cds both under Hiroki production.

Hiroshi live @ F.I.L and soundlogy 1.

soundlogy is full of amazing natural music, i guess the kind that Hiroki WOULD play at FIL if he didn't make it soundless.

honeyee magazine

2009-05-25T16:53:00.001+10:00

my favourite magazine of all time. fragment x visvim x sophnet cannot go wrong.

Supreme x Miles Davis

2009-05-25T16:38:00.005+10:00

Miles Davis, brings back the memories of sitting at Don Dons eating curry chicken with extra rice. Purchased this at a very unpleasant price, but is undoubtedly a fine listen.

fragment fixed gear bike

2009-05-18T17:35:00.002+10:00

Lately I have been surfing alot, and digging up some gold stuff !

made in 2007.

TET x ID interview

2009-05-18T17:19:00.003+10:00

a while ago i read the TET interview on id,

the whole interview is here:

Placing Things Where They Should Be

BEHIND THE CORNER of the notorious Harajuku rossing, behind the flood of kids in crazy colour costumes, there is the headquarters of W-Taps Visual Uparmored in an old building on the ground floor. When you walk through the heavy metal door, you'll see the sanctuary of street culture. Covered in industrial lights, lines of Harley and Triumph bikes, and piles of CDs, books and analogue videotapes line the walls. This is the atelier of Tetsu Nishiyama aka TET, the co-founder of Neighborhood, one of the leading streetwear labels in Japan, and the designer of his own label W-Taps. W-Taps (pronounced Double Taps) unique approach to military clothing, blending them with his love of skate and bike culture earned him a global reputation as one of the most talented designers in street fashion. His followers are not only the kids on the street but also world-renowned artists, stylists, msicans and even huge compamies such as Nike and Vans. Having grown up in Shibuya, the center of Tokyo, unlike most designers who come to the captial from all over Japan, he was able to experience every part of underground culture that happened there. He is the golden child of Harajuku Street fashion and one of its finest products. Here Tet talks exclusively about his history, his influences about the 4 main elements in his career. This is the story of how street brands have survived and where they are heading. Weclome to the world of Visual Uparmored.

MOTORCYCLE

"Motorcycles and skateboards are my main cultural backbone and creative resource. My first bike was a Steed, Honda's version of a Harley Davidson - an American style bike with a laid back seat and a relatively long fork. Soon after, whilst I was in high school, I bought my first Harley, a Shovelhead, form Shinsuke Takizawa aka Takishin, my old friend who is the founder and designer of Neighborhood, parent compay of W-Taps. I think Harleys are the kind of bikes you can grow with. All American cars/motocycles are manufactured at the end of the 70s are like that. Manmade, no computer chip bullshit, you know? I learned that there is a saying in AMerica, 'Motorcycle Makes A Man'. I guess it means that men learn how to fx and work things out through building and maintaining a motorcycle. You definitely learn so much when owning a bike. You basically learn the process of how to find a problem and how to fix it. I love this way of thinking. As I said, any motorcylce or car made in the 70s, you can usually fix on your own 'cause they're analogue machines. My '79 Shovelhead is the first and only Harley that I've rebuilt from scratch. I mean, from head-totoe. I even placed the piston ring by myself. I've been riding this bike since I was in high school and I don't think I would ever consider letting this bike go and buying another. This is the bike I'll grow old with. The reason why I got into Harleys was because of my interest in B class biker movies from the 60s and 70s. My first love of American culture was with skateboarding and BMX, and then it somehow led me to bikes. Nowadays, it's pretty common to find ex-skaters who are into bikes. Riding Harley with Vans sneakers, Dickies etc. Back then there was nobody who was into both. I somehow got into them and am still doing it. For me, skatboarding is the creative use of terrain. Have you ever seen the famosu photo of the legend Julien Stranger ollie-ing over a crack in the ground after an earthquake in San Francisco? That's the essence of skateboarding you know? It's about working things out on your own and finding your own path. It's an abstract creation in a way. Motorcycles are a more direct and simple creation. Build things up. Very DIY. Ilearned the meaning of craftsmanship through motorcylces. Makin gthings with your own hands. I think that becaome the foundation for me. Maybe it's hard to see from my products because it's not obvious. It's more like my approach towards things. I've never learnt fashion formerly, I just learnt by doing. Just like I did with motorcycles. I don't know why I was so attracted to motorcycles and skateboards Maybe because they are considered as otsider cultre made by outcasts for outcasts. Skateboarding is neither a school activity nor a team sport. It's an individual expression, a ways of life. So too is the motorcycle. You ride your bike the way you want to, you don't have to deal with anything else. I was an outcast in school and all my friends were like that too. That made a huge impact on my developing tastes. Punk, skateboarding and motorcylces. As you know, my generation was so interested in American cultre, which was at the centre of everything bakc then. Movies, music and fashion. I was born and raised in Shibuya, the centre of Japanese youth culture so it was natural for me to get involved."

SILKSCREEN

"Silkscreen printing was my first foray into creating something that I could produce on my own. When I was in high school I used to hang out with SkateThing, the brain behind the whole of the Tokyo subculture scene and the man behind A Bathing Ape. He comes from an illustrator background and at his studio he had all kinds of tools and toys. He xeroxed his hand drawings and then scanned them in to desin on the computer. It's cut and copy in its original form. Watching his doing this made me want to do the same thing. He was one of the biggest influences I had and I owe him so much for whom I am today. Without him, I don't know if I would have been interested in things to do with design. We went to the same high school but that's not where I met him, as he is 6 years older than me. But I kinda knew him not because he was a legend at school, but from where he worked which was at the legendary skate/punk shop Violent Grind, in the underground district Shimokitazawa where I used to hang out. I got to know him actually by skating at the same spot and eventally we became good friends. SO I started to visit him after school, making collages and then silkscreening prints out of them. It cost roughly 100 dollars for one screen so we split the cost. There was an American daily wear import shop where you could get blank T-shirts at wholesale prices around the corner from the Stussy Ebisu chapter, where I worked part time back then. So after I finished up at work, I would go straight to his studio and screen print on to tthe T-shirts, and thosse were basically my first pieces of designed clothing. I used pictures of various supermodels from around that time like Christy Turlington; I pretty much cut and pasted those images. I was like, 'It's a piece of cake!' That was my first experience of making T-shirts. I was so excited to discover how eay it was. They looked like clothes sold at the store! I was so amped that I started to produce them and wore them with my friends and they became something like our team shirt, a uniform. SkateThing named the brand '40 Percent'. We were so proud of ourselves for being kinda visusal bootleggers and since he heard that if we only copy less than 40% from the original image, it woldn't violate the commercial rights law, so the name 40 Percent sounder perfect to represen who we were. We cut and copied images and phrases from everywhere. We didn't understand really what they meant most of the time, but if it sounded right, we sampled them. We also sampled lines from our favourite movies. Around the same tme, Tomo aka Nigo of A Bathing Ape started his first retail store called Nowhere and he decided to start caryying our line. It was around '93. Do you know the sone 93 'Til Infinity by Souls Of Mischief? It's one of my favourite tracks and explains som ch for me! SkateThing was doing all sorts of things back then, drawing and designing etc and I started to dream about doing something similar. 40 Percent did well at Nowhere. Nowhere started as an iport clothing store but quickly evolved into a place which carried doesmtic brands, such as the newborn A bathing Ape, Undercover, and 40 Percent. Soon after SkateThing suggested that I start my own line. He is the kind of guy who gets bored quickly when things start rolling, that's why I like him though. I started Neighborhood with my motorcycle mate Takishi, We knew nothing and had no experiecnce in making clothing. Our first products were of course printed T-shirts and hoodies,, just like 40 Percent. We only made what we wanted to wear. If we came across somehting that looked cool, we made the graphic and printed them and then sold them at the strore the next day. It was a time when everything started to boom in Harajuku. The explision of sales happened suddenly and I didn't really understand why things went so crazy in such a shirt period. I was just designing in the office and iddn't pay much attention to what was happening. When this Harajuku thing really started to heat up, I was scared. I didn't believe tha tmy products were worth that much. So to aviod the attention from the market, I decided to change the brand name from 40 Percent to W-Taps Visual Uparmored. The concept was to uparmor any viual graphic, but when I look back now, maybe it had another meaning - it somehow represented my subconscious way of being self-defensive. It was around 96, and the sales dropped soon after I changed the name of hte brand but that was a good opportunity for me to think serously about making real clothes. I started discussions with a pattern maker, researched textiles and learnt the process of prodction. I exhibited about 6 seasons of collections. But then I stopped in 2002 as I felt I wasn't capable of doing it anymore.

from stilista.xanga.com

Chef

2009-05-18T09:14:00.002+10:00

one of the classic supreme tee.

wu tang clan aint nothing to fuck with.

and elmo>kermit

KAWS "I CANT FEEL MY FACE" EXHIBITION

2009-05-17T11:39:00.002+10:00

Photos from Kaws' I can't feel my face exhibition held in Los Angeles.

Kaws x EYESCREAM

2009-05-17T11:36:00.002+10:00

Got my hands on some KAWS x Eyescream scans.

enjoy

MASH interview

2009-05-11T22:01:00.003+10:00

and heres a MASH interview that i found.

big props to actual website.

sick read !