Flawless Hustle – Urban Culture Blog | Hiphop Blog | Graffiti & Street Art

You already know Gucci was going to try to dig in your pockets just like apple by releasing some practically useless shit. I really have no hate towards the ipad, I just cant get over the fact its a big ass ipod touch. Its like then new macbook air with out real laptop capabilities. I cant condemn the strategy behind the release though. Steve Jobs is a genius. Thats really the only reason I shall bash no further. It will be sick when they make wall mounts for it so you can use it in combination as an interactive picture frame.

Welp, at least you got Gucci Cases for it now. Theyll run you $230 and pre orders will be on Gucci.com very soon.

I’ve been following Maiden Noir for a couple years, but it wasn’t until this collection that I was moved enough to splurge on one of their pieces. They’ve always had outstanding quality and craftsmanship, but this season they’ve outdone themselves by crafting the entire collection out of wax coated cotton canvas from the British Millerain Company. I don’t know exactly what that feels like, but I’ll let you know when my jacket comes in the mail. This particular collection is also all muted darker colors, which is right up my alley.

Maiden Noir had always been one of those brands where I peeped their collections each season on the fashion blogs, and I liked them, but they were pricey and I was already doggedly loyal to a few other brands. I would describe their aesthetic as classic Americana meets crazy Pacific Northwest hermit woodsman with Military silhouettes. Sound confusing? Peep some of the pieces in the Maiden Noir Autumn/Winter 2009 “Darken Days” collection.

Select pieces from the Darken Days collection are available now at the Maiden Noir Online Store. The entire collection will be available within the coming weeks at Haven in Canada, DRGN in Mexico City, and Union LA. It’s really a shame that Union NYC shut its doors because they probably would have carried it too.

After the jump check out some more of the eclectic pieces on sale now at the Maiden Noir Online Store.
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Mark Ong aka SBTG is one the most famous sneaker customizers in the world, and Owner and Chief Designer of the Royalefam clothing line. Although based in Singapore, his name is known the world over in the underground fashion, and sneaker enthusiast world.

FH: In your own words, briefly tell the readers who you are and what you do.

SBTG: I am Mark Ong aka SBTG. I run a brand called Royalefam and i am a punk rocker , freedom fighter , a husband, a leader, a voice for Asia and a contributor to the world’s fashion / street subculture.

FH: I know you got your start in the fashion game customizing sneakers; tell us a little about that.

SBTG: I started out patching up my ollie holes throughout the late 80s throughout the 90s. The SBTG name gained worldwide recognition in 2003 when I killed it in a custom sneaker competition. Since the popularity was growing and all the branding elements were ready, Royalefam apparel was born.

FH: Tell me a little bit more about your start as a sneaker customizer, since that is probably what you are most well known for.

SBTG: Its been a crazy ride and a great life experience to be able to have this as a career. I have gone from being on the top, with all the opportunities in front of me to being down and just cashing in. There has been a lot of self realizations and shifts in way of being throughout the past 2 years and now I am back with a strong team and I am recommitting to my craft to contribute to peoples lifestyle. It ain’t just about me anymore u know?

FH: Tell me how you got in to customizing sneakers, and did you have a long term plan to have your own apparel brand, or did you start out just wanting to be a sneaker customizer?

SBTG: Well back in the 80′s when i started skateboarding at about age 8 or 9, i didn’t have a big rotation of sneakers. as a matter of fact i only had one pair. Being heavily influenced by my dads artistic talents, most things around me were aesthetically driven. Patching the holes up wasn’t enough, I cherished what i had so i made sure they were patched up in a way that looked like it was designed that way. It had to look dope! I always wanted to be known for something, and I was very into sneakers all my life. I wanted so much to have my own sneaker / colorway so nothing could stop me. I actually wanted to have a clothing brand but it worked the other way. But the whole point is I basically threw away the key the minute i walked in that door. I told myself that this is gonna be it, I’m gonna be here for a while now.

FH: So your customizing basically started out as a basic desire to design your own sneakers?

SBTG: Yup, very accurate.

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In explaining why he supports banning low-slung, or saggy, pants, Riviera Beach, FLA Mayor Thomas Masters argued that “I think society has the right to draw the line,” and succintly illustrated everything that is wrong about America.

Riviera Beach isn’t the only city that has banned the fashion style – towns across the country, majority white and black, have passed similar laws. The state of Virginia nearly banned saggy pants, apparently deciding against it so as not to become an international embarrassment. In Riviera Beach, the approval rating for the law exceeded 70%.

In Pine Lawn, MO, offenders could be charged up to $100 and their parents thrown in jail – I’m not making this up – for 90 days! For wearing sagging pants! All on the legal reasoning that, to quote Mary Gray, an alderwoman and supporter of the law, “it just doesn’t look nice.” I’d assume that racism plays a large part in this, but Pine Lawn Police Chief Ricky Collins, who is black, supports the law and notes “its not a black or white issue – its a showing your… underclothes issue. Its indecent exposure.”

No, its a police harassment issue. If you’ve ever come to wonder how it is that America has become a nation of jailers, where 25% of the world’s prisoners are housed, despite us only accounting for 5% of the world’s population – an astouning, horrific figure – you only need to look at measures like these. We criminalize everything. Even taste. It is difficult to imagine a democracy that tries to resolve social issues through the criminal justice system, through giving more and more power to the police. Don’t like it that some kids buy chronic and listen to The Chronic? Get the police to fill up our jails with these people. Don’t like kids wearing baggy pants? Give the police the right to arbitrarily decide which pants sagg and allow them to arrest offenders. And remember, no “but, officer, this is the way I like to dress” – thats showing disrespect to an officer of the law.

Maybe in a few months, local governments around America will also ban trenchcoats, visible tattoos, heavy mascara and black leather boots. Also, old women at the beach should cover up. Let’s allow our police to patrol the beaches to ensure this decree is strictly obeyed.

I’ve been living in this country for a long time and this logic – X is distasteful to me, so lets throw people who use/show/wear X in jail – is intuitive to too many people. Lucky or us, we have the Constitution, and we have the first amendment, which clearly allows for Americans to exercise their Freedom of Expression to, for example, wear clothes others might find distasteful. And we have the eighth amendment, which prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment,” i.e. jailing/fining citizens for wearing clothes others might find objectionable.

The more litigints challenge these laws on Constitutional grounds, and the more activist judges overrule narrow-minded legislators, the better.

Theses are all I want at the moment. Supra stays killing it in the shoe game and I can’t hate em for it. They are setting a standard with their stylish footwear many brands strive for. I want the trinity’s specifically which cost about 168. I may make the cash sloppy decision and cop these.

Cop these here

Havs pick of the week is:

To Die For comes with these really simplistic designs with insane handstyles. I’ve got a shirt of theirs, and although similar, I really want to cop this one. But for the sake of the team and all of you readers I’m gonna pony it up to the rest of yall. Just don’t buy it before I do.