On a narrow stretch of Mosque Street in Hong Kong, a trench-coated man and his dog step through the wall like they own the place. It’s not graffiti, exactly. It’s not street art in the stencil-and-slogan sense either. It’s a mural—but it hums like a comic book, shot through with punk energy and melancholy. Behind it is a Czech artist known only as ToyBox. And she’s standing nearby in a white paper-mâché cat mask, hand-tipped with red and black marks, watching people stop and stare.
Read MoreSingapore isn’t a boring place. If you know what to look for, know where to look, and look hard enough, you’ll find yourself in a world full of different subcultures and passions hiding in plain sight. In the words of Jeffrey Koh, creative director of Singapore-based creative agency Flab Slab, “Almost everyday, there is something going on. Boredom is a state of mind.”
Kayo and Jeffrey talk about this and more in this episode of All Things Creative, while surrounded by toys in Flab Slab’s studio. There’s a little bit of everything here, from assorted ones that you can buy in local toy stores, to limited edition figures that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kayo Cosio speaks to Paolo Narciso, aka Parasonic.
They talk about the roll out, the plans for a Distort Monsters game, and Parasonic addresses Kayo’s concerns regarding crypto-culture’s environmental impact.
From the Monster Mayhem Virtual Launch Livestream.
Recorded live, sorry for the audio being less than our usual quality. Will get it right next time around!
In this video, we unbox:
Kung Hei Fat Choi! Welcoming in the Chinese New Year with some new mail!
You may notice that we have the Kinto 4 Cup Metal also on the table. Something went wrong with the video recording for this section and we had to cut it out. But we promise to do a video about this brewer and pour over system soon!
Last week, rumours started swirling that Filipino graffiti artist, Quiccs was lining up an official collaboration with the three stripes brand. On Tuesday, the artist put all speculation to bed with photos of his contract signing with the brand and graphic designs of his collaboration lockout side by side with Pharrell and Jonah Hill collaboration lockouts.
Read MoreNow on its third year, #NPSD2020 or National Philippine Streetwear Day 2020 is being celebrated across three dates: one for Davao, one for Cebu, and one for Manila. The concept of the movement is to promote your local, Filipino apparel brand. Simple enough, right?
But are we still in a market where we need to tell people to “support local?” It’s a question worth asking, especially since support this year seems to have somewhat dwindled. Compared to last year’s 1000 posts using the #NPSD2019 hashtag, the #NPSD2020 hashtag haas only managed to pull a tenth of that number on Instagram.
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Air Yeezy 2 Red October Vibes, or is that just me? Actually, now that I have it in hand, the Kyrie 6 Pre-Heat “Manila” is actually more of a deep orange than it is the red hue that it seems to come across as in other photos. But do you get what I mean? That bumpy heel section and midfoot strap, it really does remind me of that famous Kanye collab with Nike.
It really raises the question about performance shoes not being for “lifestyle” anymore. Because this is both, and still a classic Kyrie model. The toe is round and has fuse overlay protection for toe-drags and other guard position movements. Zoom Air unit in the forefoot and a firm heel counter to keep you locked in. Of course, Irving’s all-seeing eye is present across the entire design, and there are subtle nods to his philosophy, with tiny text embroidered in the tongue reading “humble” on one foot, and “hungry on the other. But I 100% think that this would look great wearing them casually with jeans! I just shot an episode of our YouTube show, Opening Act for adjima.com, where I’ll be showing it on-foot for lifestyle.
The other thing that really becomes apparent in hand is how interesting the lenticular panels of this design are. Swipe to the end to see the videos. In this Manila colorway, this area is supposed to pay tribute to Manila’s streetball courts, so it has a very “barangay court” vibe to the graphic underlay. I would say that the lenticular on this particular Kyrie 6 is done exceptionally well.
True to size? I’m not sure. I got a size 9, but that’s only because the shoe is limited and that’s all that was available for me. But on foot, they fit fine. Especially compared to my size 9.5 PG3 “NASA,” which at first were almost too snug in the arch until I broke them in. The Kyrie 6 has a nice distribution of tension across the entire foot and I do feel like this would be a shoe that responds well to quick movements. The minor concern I have about going a size down is aesthetically, the midfoot strap not going all the way down bothers me a bit.
Watch my entire unboxing and review here:
Thanks to Nike for sending this shoe over. If you want a pair, they are limited and are only releasing in Nike Park Fort and in Titan. They drop on 11/11, which is “Singles Day.”
— Kayo Cosio, Editor in Chief.
The exhibition is Nada’s fifth solo show, coming off of a hiatus of six years since his fourth. So the title “Homecoming” is fitting, marking his return to the gallery setting. Those familiar with his personal street art style and murals scattered around the San Juan and Quezon City area will be interested to see how his style has evolved. And evolved it has, revealing a secondary meaning to the show’s title: come into the Nada household.
RJ Wolfgang is a one-man-band. Photography, design, layouts, casting, location scouting—he handles it all, combining these mixed media compositions into mini-photo zines that could be considered art projects in themselves. His most recent work has been a tech-heavy style, leaning on futuristic imagery, high-density locations, and Japanese lettering. While it may appeal mostly to fans of techwear, it’s hard not to appreciate the level of work and attention to detail that goes into each series.
