Featuring some the more respected and familiar names in the industry, the Cool Cats blog roll is now in full effect. The new site plays host to a nice selection of Parisian personalities including the head of Ed Banger records Busy P, artist So Me, Michael from La MJC, graf legend Fafi and DJ Mehdi. Check it out here!
Scheduled to release this coming Saturday January 3rd, 2009, we get a closer look into Nike’s project alongside Japanese heavyweight’s Undercover and fragment design. Utilizing a seldom seen model, the kicks combine conservative tonal uppers with minimal detailing including brand logos on the outer midsoles. Coming in three different colorways, the Nike Sportswear store in Shibuya and Undercover stores in Japan will hold an exclusive release on January 3rd, 2009 will a price tag of ¥16,800 (Approx. $186 USD) each.
Coming on the heels of the original color-version of the FrankenFink between Johnny Ace Studio and Made by Monsters, another ultra-limited 50 piece release is slated. The “BlackOut” version features the same figure albeit in total black form. To round off 2008, the “BlackOut” FrankenFink will release on December 31st with a suggested retail price of $225 USD. For information on ordering, email 
Two years ago back in 2006 A Bathing Ape’s first collaborated with Disney on a Winnie the Pooh x Bape plush toy. Then they did it again the next year releasing a Mickey Mouse x Bape plush toy. Now, A Bathing Ape will utilize the characters Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck for their third series. Like the previous plush figures, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck will feature a subtle Bape camo. Look for these cute and cuddly plush toys to drop at Bape Stores very soon.
Porter Classic is a new line created by Katsuyuki Yoshida (the founder of Yoshida & Co.) and his son Akira Yoshida. Their first collection took two years in the planning because Katsuyuki Yoshida and Akira Yoshida wanted to create products that they really liked. On December 25th, they opened their first Porter Classic store in Ginza, Tokyo at the International Arcade. If you have a chance, be sure to drop.
Having just finished the UNDERCOVER’s Grace photo exhibition, Jun Takahashi will be keeping busy by creating some interesting items by meshing knitwear with leather jackets and shoes. Only 10 custom leather jackets were made. These products will be available starting January 1st at the store UCHI.
Having been the subject of various collaborative efforts which follow a similar style to what is seen here, Levi’s Vintage Clothing takes matter into their own hands with the creation of “The Journey” and “The Ragged Point” 501XX 1966. The denim as the name suggests for “The Journey”, is a well-worn pair of denim with a number of rips, stains and tears alongside custom patches. “The Ragged Point” is on a similar concept with strong wear on the lap in addition to paint splatter. These are not the most organic and authentic offerings from LVC with most people accustomed to their raw offerings, but something fans of well-worn and distressed denim will appreciate. Available now at Levi’s Japan.
Direct to you from the city of Hong Kong is a look at part 2 of CLOT’s C.S.A. 2008 Fall/Winter Colleciton. Modeled by the co-owner of CLOT himself, Edison Chen, the new lookbook gives you a glimpse of some upcoming pieces from the collection which will be available at Juice as well as CLOT’s online store.
To coincide with the release of mastermind JAPAN’s Majestic photograph collection, they will also be collaborating with fragment design and Burton for the limited-release “Sleeper” hoodie. The Majestic photograph collection book will outline mastermind JAPAN’s runway fashion show held in Paris that gives a detailed look into their line. The book will come in a hard-cover case with a gold mastermind crossbones emblem logo, nicely presenting and protecting the Majestic photograph collection. The three-way collaborative hoodie will come in black and contain each brand’s prospective logos subtly printed on the exterior.
Stussy is set to ring in the New Year with their 2009 New Year Series. This series will feature three tees to celebrate 2009’s year of the ox with the Bulls Shield tee, Year of the Bull tee and Hard Ox tee. Available in black and white colorways, they will be released Thursday, January 1st at all Stussy retailers worldwide.
The year’s nearing to end but OriginalFake has managed to sneak in a previewing of a new release with a Chomper hoodie seen here. Combining some of KAWS’ iconic imagery, we see the Chomper patterns on the side as well as the ‘X X’ on the chest. Stay tuned for a release date which should go down in the near future.
As a tribute to the APC Kita Aoyama t-shirt store which was designed by Wonderwall, the French/Japanese connection renews itself with this commemorative t-shirt. Hand-drawn by Wonderwall head Masamichi Katayama, the t-shirt also bears a reference to the store’s July 2008 opening on the back. Available now at honeyee Store.
Sourcing out traditional Chimayo Weaving techniques, Beams and Porter have teamed up to create a series of patterns on Porter’s well-known collection of accessories and wallets. The traditional New Mexico textile form and its subsequent collection involves two well-known Chimayo Weaving companies including Ortega’s and Trujillo’s. Ortega’s weaves are seen on key cases and both a regular and long wallet. Trujillo on the other hand has their distinct style featured on messenger bags as well as their own version of the keycase. Available now at Beams.
What do you get when you combine Levis Fenom’s most lavish approaches to denim with one of Japan’s most commanding brands in mastermind JAPAN? A line of close to 2,400 people converged on Ometesando for the January 20th denim release involving mastermind JAPAN and Levi’s Fenom on a Disco Crush model. The denim includes a well-washed and treated aesthetic complete with the use of Swarovski crystals on the yoke, left back-pocket and zipper. A pink selvedge line and gold hardware was also implemented. Despite the reseller price tags nearing $3,000 USD, Head-Porter.org was able to sell-out of their allocation.
While most wouldn’t pay much more for a job that your basic Fruit of the Loom already covers, WTAPS’ Skivvies collection of basics and undergarments are sure to follow WTAPS’ penchant for quality with a number of essentials. Undershirts, socks and underwear all come in 3-packs with the trademark flag logo in red and a Skivvies print. Available now at Cliffedge.
Resonate brings us a great addition to their Winter 2008 collection by adding two new styles to their already impressive archive in the form of a zip hoodie and two rev checkerboard long-sleeve’s. The checkerboard shirts come in two plaid color schemes retailing for ¥21,000 (Approx. $233 USD) while the zip hoodie runs for ¥19,950 (Approx. $221 USD). The items are now available at NOS.
Hooking up with renown scent makers KUMMBA International, Stussy cranks out some lifestyle product in the form of a spray can air freshener. Releasing at the end of this month, the collaborative effort will be available at all Stussy chapter stores as well as ZOZOTOWN for ¥3,465 (Approx. $39 USD).
Showing his creativity on a medium beyond his usual sneaker customs, Methamphibian has recently showcased a series of five new 12 inch custom figures. The figures much like Methamphibian’s footwear customs are full of details from intricate accessories to custom apparel. Available now at Methamphibian.com.
As a further facet of multi-dimensional personality Steve Aoki, his clothing brand Dim Mak largely revolves around graphic-based t-shirts which embody the influential DJs lifestyle. The collection is available now at both 11after11 and DimMakCollection.com.
Having seen multiple looks at the Visvim x Supreme collection, Supreme unveils their official look as the two brand’s known for their respective dedication to quality lock horns in this diverse capsule of products. The collection features the Tradesman Jacket, Serrra Ascent Boot as well as a beanie and Camp Cap. The Tradesman Jacket is another technical performance wonder from Visvim based on a 3L Gore-Tex Performance Shell with a cotton twill outer. The Serra Ascent Boot is made of a premium suede upper with Cordura highlights. Rounding out the collection with the two headwear releases are a Japanese cashmere beanie and cotton Camp Cap with adjustable leather strap. The collection will be unveiled on December 29th in New York and Los Angeles with a subsequent Japanese release slated for January 2nd.
Jordan Brand has been launching out colorway after colorway of their coveted Air Jordan 1’s. These colorways have been nothing short of amazing, and they keep it coming with these Air Jordan 1’s releasing in January and February of 2009. Coming in January, we will see a very different Blue Sapphire colorway. The shoes feature a ripstop nylon upper while having an all white midsole. February will be a good month as well because on Valentine’s day we will see two more pairs of Jordan 1’s. The first pair is composed of a black upper, and a black midsole. The only hint of color on this pair would be the red sockliner. The second pair uses the very famous Infrared colorway. The Blue Sapphire and Infrared colorway will retail at $105, while the black pair will retail at $115.
Korean artist Kim Songhe joins Hong Kong’s SiLLY THiNG for the “Kim’s Couplet” series. Constructed with patterned cloth and other materials, being entirely handmade in limited quantities, each toy can also function as a pencil stand. The “Kim Couplet” will be available later in December at the SiLLY THiNG store in Hong Kong. Kim Songhe is known for her oversized puppy chandelier and her work was exhibited at Loveless, H.P.Frace and Hankyu Department Store Osaka Umeda Flagship Store.
honeyee has outlined some of the best items from Visvim’s 2008 fall/winter collection of upcoming releases. Amongst our favorite are the kangaroo leather Lhamo FBTs and Virgil boots which both fall under the highly successful 2008 debuting line, the Folk series. Other items include the Gore-Tex lined Lieutenant Coat, cords and a flannel.Look for these to be available at FIL stores around Japan.
The latest Levi’s Fenom update features the Saddle Stitch collection which includes the usual 505 and 207 cuts alongisde a work pant version. The defining feature of this particular pack is the heavy duty stitching and purple selvedge line. This is arguably some of Fenom’s cleanest work in recent memory with nice strong subtle highlights throughout. Available now at e-levi.jp.
One of WTAPS’ most talked about pieces this season, the Trash 2 Denim features a number of embellishments throughout the jeans. The far from subtle treatments on the front include rips and paint splatters while the back includes a leather back pocket but lacks the same flair as the front. Union Los Angeles is doing a special web-exclusive release of the denim at 11:00 am PST on Saturday, December 20th.
Coming on the heels of their recent CLOT x Medicom Toys x Levi’s Watermelon and Strawberry Denim, Medicom and CLOT continue on with their fruit theme with the upcoming release of both polos and tee shirts. Split amongst both male and female fits, much like the denim, strawberry Bearbrick motifs are seen on the female fits while watermelon Bearbricks are seen on the male side of things. The items will release December 22nd at the JUICE Store and online at CLOTinc.com.
Here’s a preview into A Bathing Ape and Bape Kids catalogs for 2009 spring. The highlights of both catalogs are the inclusion of the Japanese-centric custom of including gifts with these high-profile publications. The A Bathing Ape catalog includes a Bapex wall-clock while the Bape Kids features another timepiece with a Baby Milo flip-up watch. Both will release on December 26th with a suggested retail price of ¥1,800 JPY (approximately $21 USD), but expect it to rise when it hits retailers outside of Japan.
Just in time for the holiday season is OriginalFake’s recently released “Present” t-shirt. The print includes a sketched version of a gift-giving Companion. Seen here are two of a total three colorways. Available at Honeyee’s Store.
As an exclusive NFS (Nigo’s Favorite Shop) release, Bape unveils another varsity jacket for the season. Knowing full well the strong initials and logo designs that are often seen on varsity jackets, the back of the jacket incorporates this feature to make up the brand’s name alongside the brand’s iconic Bape-head. The jacket aside from the colorful logos features white sleeves and a black wool body. Available at Cliffedge.
Here’s one of the best looks to date regarding the unexpected upcoming collaboration between Visvim and Supreme. Each sharing a similar penchant for creating high-quality products albeit it with different aesthetics, the efforts of the two is seen over a comprehensive range of products. Headlined by the Tradesman Jacket in 3-layer Gore-Tex, other items joining the fold include the Serra Ascent, Cashmere Knit Beanie and Camp Cap. The collection will release on January 2nd.
Coming on a very well executed Abington collection earlier in the year, Timberland hook up with Undefeated and WTAPS for a pair of their classic lug. The shoes feature premium leather hand-sewn uppers with an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship. Durable and rugged with a fur lined inner and detailed toe box, this triple collabo is set to release soon at all Undefeated Japan locations.
Wacko Maria take a spin on their favorite shoe model, the classic Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star. Using the basic black/white platform, these sneakers feature a Wacko Maria patch on the outside uppers with special branding on the inner tongue. Retailing for ¥10,500 (Approx. $118 USD) they are now available at DeepInsideInc.
Honeyee has relaunched the blog section of their site adding new bloggers, such as actor ARATA, fashion designer Nigo and among a few others. Make sure you stop and get an insight into the lives of each individual. Check out the new blogs here.
new online exclusive from Neighborhood will release on Friday, December 19th. The hooded sweatshirt features Neighborhood abbreviated moniker NBHD on the chest in black and gray colors. Look for it to be available at Neighborhood.jp/Store.php for 19,950 YEN.
Known for their progressive takes on denim among other items, CLS has officially hooked up with Levi’s on the “Black Diamond” collection. The jacket and jean combo features the use of a special metallic fiber which as you can tell by the images creates a brilliant streaky pattern. Other elements include zippered pockets and leather patches on the denim. honeyee Store will be among the retailers for this collection.
The 10th anniversary of Futura Laboratories’ FL Shop Fukuoka has resulted in small collaboration with Stussy which includes a photo print t-shirt featuring Moscow’s Red Square, a long-sleeve shirt with checkered lining and a co-branded pair of denim which features the respective tags of Futura and (Shawn) Stussy on the back pockets. A release date is slated for Saturday, December 20th.
