Yohji Yamamoto Interview on CNN

I discovered CNN Asia's recent interview with Yohji Yamamoto, a Japanese designer whom many consider a fashion icon. His name is commonly recognized by his successful partnership with Adidas for the Y-3 line. It's an interesting piece highlighting Yohji's view on feminine style, designers as craftsmen, and the importance of silhouettes and movement in his collections... the primary reason for his regular use of black.

watch the interview here.

IAN KIM

So, in my ongoing effort to help spread the gospel of other young creatives, I gotta give some shine to an old friend and a super talented artist, Ian Kim. Based out in LA, he illustrates primarily in pencil, watercolor, and acrylic which he then digitally refines. His personal subjects span a wide range from Asian diaspora to current events to everything cultural in between. He also works in motion graphics, like that crazy HP magic hands shit. Get up on my mans Ian. Peep the site. Respect the skills. Chuuuuch.




images via www.ikplay.com courtesy of ian kim.

TRADESHOWING

Twice a year, the fashion industry converges in Las Vegas and New York to link designers, big and small, with retailers from across the globe. Larger shows like Project and Magic curate thousands of brands and designers, while smaller, niche shows help promote smaller independents. As a tiny operation, we are still waiting for the right time to show, but as for now, we walked a few shows to visit some brands and see what's on the horizon for Spring and Fall.


We first hit up United, a tradeshow geared towards the street scene and smaller, independent brands. We stopped by the Reason booth, and kicked it with Phil and John Reason again, super chill doods who are always down to chop it up with us. Most of the cats at United seem to be the typical streetwear hustlers, who wanted to get down with buyers. Maybe I am a bit jaded, but most of the lines looked like the same, loud stuff ad nauseum. That's not to say there weren't some winners, with Green Apple Tree and Homeroom offering some dope cut-and-sew items that showcased both quality and original design.


The second show we hit was LAT40, a Japanese tradeshow aimed at penetrating some Japanese labels into the American market and vice versa. Held in a penthouse loft, LAT40 was definitely on point, stressing a minimalist, super clean aesthetic and showcasing some very unique lines, predominantly Japanese designers with a mixture of a few high-end American lines.


We met with our Japanese distributor, Mizuho, who is working on getting Vane into Japan. She introduced us to Combo, this super chill ass Japanese cat who owns a boutique in Japan called Nubian, who will be the first distributor of Vane in Japan. Everyone at the show was mad respectful, bowing politely when they presented a business card with two hands, watching from a fixed point as we perused the various lines. Maybe it was just a matter of cultural difference, but the Japanese show just had a much calmer atmosphere, where it was less hustlers and more artisans proud of the craft.

I think the biggest thing we took away from the tradeshows was that although the American market might be suffering, internationally it gave us a different perspective on the game. It reaffirmed our belief in the direction of the line, of where we see the fashion and street markets converging. Despite working in a creative field, no person or industry is immune to the recent global economy woes, and fashion is no exception. We have been in a mild crisis mode, but seeing firsthand the Japanese market was like a breath of fresh air. Until then, I feel like we had gotten a glimpse of the small-time hustle and we had mistaken it for the whole game. Now that we understand things in perspective, although the work ahead looms much larger, it helps us forget about the small trips we make along the way. The end game is much bigger, and ultimately more important.

Website Updates

The website is going through a huge update, nothing changing in terms of design but we are adding a bunch of new content. Bringing back the "Everyday in Vane" photo gallery, interviews, articles, etc. For now I have updated our Press section and am working on bringing you the lowest/last sale of the season, so be on the lookout for that this week. If there is anything you would like to see on the Vane site just send me an email, also if you have images of you rockin' Vane gear, def. let us see.

Museum Raps

Its hard to think of an age-old institution of science and research as capable of putting on a "cool" event that outshines many young, edgy, trendy organizations' attempts at entertainment. Fortunately this is NYC. This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the American Museum of Natural History not for its exhibits, but rather for a crazy hip-hop show featuring The Cool Kids, Kid Sister & DJ A-Trak (Kanye West's official DJ).

It went down on the main floor of the planetarium, so it was basically a ton of people drinking, dancing, going nuts right there among exhibits like a scale model of our galaxy and a 15-ton meteorite. It was a perfect example of why I love this town and its variety of backdrops for art and creativity.

The Cool Kids & Kid Sister joking about tight jeans

Kid Sister & A-Trak



A-Trak

Highlights include dancing with A-Traks mom, Kid Sister crowd surfing in a dress, and a surprise appearance by Kanye West himself during Kid Sister's "Pro Nails" before hanging around to perform 4 of his songs in a huge fur coat!

Kid Sister & Kanye

Linked Up

Here's just a peek in our jeweler's workshop, Christine, who handles the casting and finishing for our jewelry. Not only is she super chill and fun to work with, but the woman knows her shit. She has been doing her thing for a minute now, and her client list reads like the credits of Vogue, crafting custom pieces for the likes of Jill Sanders, Oscar de la Renta, and Giorgio Armani.



Needless to say, after working with some of the illest high profile clients, you tend to accumulate a bunch of cool shit. A visit to Christine is more like treasure hunting or vintage shopping, as she is kind enough to let us rummage through piles of her old and vintage chain pieces, in search of a few gems. All I have to say is be on the look out for real ill vintage chains, we're always trying to think out of the box and bring you some freshness, even when fresh is old, ya dig?

REASON

Within in the street and independent clothing scene, there is an underlying common denominator that all brands and companies share. More so than style, design aesthetic, or background, it is a world populated by young, creative, and motivated individuals. As Vane has been growing and we have been grinding to get our name out, we have started to meet and link up with many of the New York-based entrepreneurs that share our vision and hustle. It is always good to meet cats who share the same passion, especially those who are driving the scene forward.


This week we dropped by to holler at John and Phil of The Reason Brand, the founders and operators of one of the most respected New York streetwear labels for almost five years running. Starting, like all independents usually do, by screenprinting tees and slanging them out of their basement, Reason has grown into a full cut and sew line complete with New Era Fitteds, backpacks, and some ill collaborations, all designed with a Downtown New York aesthetic and swag. We shot the shit in their East Village office, copped some Winter gear [check out their Closeout Sale if you haven't already!], and peeped their new line dropping for Spring. Shit is definitely on-point, Reason is definitely a brand doing things, and their gear will only continue to get better.

The Holiday Grind

Holidays usually mean a time of relaxation and reflection, to catch up with family and take a breather from the stress of work. Well, when you run your own business, unfortunately that stress never goes away. So, while everyone was enjoying their eggnog and such, I was on the grind out in Vegas (work and pleasure for sure, ha!) and in LA, shopping the new Spring Line and trying to open accounts. The biggest obstacle while I was out West was my lack of a vehicle. LA and Vegas aren't exactly known for their public transportation.....

While I was out in the City of Sin, I had to see Fruition, which has gotten a whole bunch of press for it's celebrity clientele (namely Mr. West). The spot was super fresh, and Samantha, the owner/partner, and her sales crew were really cool and kind enough to chop it up with me for a minute about what they're trying to do on the hip-hop-inspired vintage tip. With all the homages in the street scene to 80's and early 90's hip-hop, it was refreshing to see someone out there actively finding and curating an entire vintage collection from these eras. Sometimes old can be new, ya dig? I felt that there were a lot parallels in what they were doing in terms of bring back items that were authentic and old-school to what we are trying to do with the old-school production style that we have been trying to cultivate.



Also I gotta give some shouts to Cyndy and Rico over at Cloth and Canvas for the love they showed to me and the line. I wish them the best of luck as their store continues to grow.





When I made it back to LA, I got to see the fam and enjoy the non-frigid weather of sunny Southern Cal, but stayed on the grind, where I spent two days on the road dropping off line sheets and showing samples. I got to sit down with Corey who owns a small boutique called Rescue out in Silverlake, which is an emerging area near Los Angeles (think an LA version of Williamsburg or the LES as the artists and hipsters started to occupy the area and you get the idea of what's happening there.) Luxury spots will be soon to follow, promise. One thing I definitely don't miss about LA is the commuting, the endless driving back and forth all over the damn place. I couldn't wait just to jump in the street and hail a cab or grab a train to dinner. But, the best part was that I made all my sales calls middle-school style, as my moms drove me from place to place since I no longer have a vehicle or any insurance (thanks Ma!).

But all in all, the trip was definitely positive, as I learned a bunch and got to meet some super cool boutique owners, and peep the fashion and street scene emerging in Silverlake and Vegas, where cats are definitely doing their thing. But, no rest now, this is just a sliver of the work still to be done and places needed to visit. Next up, Boston, DC, and Philly!

VANE AFTER XMAS FRIENDS & FAM SALE!

In the holiday spirit of buying shit for everyone else, we think it's high time you copped some gear for your damn self. The Pre-Spring Collection is 30%-50% for all our Friends and Family, giving you basically wholesale prices. If that wasn't enough, we will also throw in a FREE TEE with any purchase of 75 bucks or more! Click the link to shop now while stock and sizes are still available, because inventory won't last long....

Happy New Year

-Vane

Goodbye 2007