Kao Pao Shu in Denimology

Check out this amazing article about Kao Pao Shu in Denimology!

http://www.denimology.com/2011/11/brand_to_watch_kaopaoshu.php

The Hunger

Twenty years after founding Dazed & Confused, Rankin is launching a new biannual music, fashion, culture and lifestyle magazine; The Hunger. Check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/TheHungerMagazine

From Here To Eternity

"From Here To Eternity" brings together a collection of unique artists and designers, working in a variety of mediums. While the focus is design, the show emphasizes areas of concept, process, and production. Some of the featured creations are functional products themselves, where some artists actually use products within their art pieces. The artists draw similarity by way of individual discipline; acute methodology and idiosyncratic composition.


The featured designers are: Charles Hollis Jones, Kenny Scharf, Wes Humpston, Josh Abraham, Robert Larson, Kantor L.A., Alexandra Becket, Arkitip Inc, Henry Vincent, Lisa Schulte, Bill McMullen, HoBo, h.wood.beauty and Kenton Parker 

Introducing the Absolut Limited Edition Bottle.

Introducing the Absolut Limited Edition Bottle

YRB Magazine:
http://yrbmagazine.com/2011/11/absolut-limited-edition-crystal-pinstripe-bottle/

TheLifeofLuxury.com
http://www.thelifeofluxury.com/absolut-crystal-pinstripe-bottle-by-absolut-vodka-and-skogsbergsmar/

LA Confidential:
http://la-confidential-magazine.com/channels/home-page/insights#gift-idea-absolut-crystal-pinstripe

Duran Duran vs Supermodels

The greatest kind of cliche, all hail Duran Duran.

Roark Apperal Insiders

A group of artists living and working together, celebrating individuality. A nice read on Roark Collective  

Apparel Insiders

 

 

Damien Hirst & Rankin Intense Visual Collective

NSA invites you to watch an intense visual collective to celebrate and coincide with the release of Rankin and Damien Hirst's book 'MYTHS'. Featuring model Dani Smith. 

212 Productions Marilyn Manson Art Show

NSA are proud to be working with 212 Productions on this amazing show.

http://www.marilynmansonmexico.com/

Orta Blue Event

ORTA (one of the world’s largest denim manufacturers) introduced ORTA BLU, their sustainability division in celebration of LA market week this past Tuesday, 10/19/11.

For the event Orta Blu not only flew Brooklyn based band She Keeps Bees to LA for a special live performance but also featured DJs AJ English ad Chris Holmes. The End Result? People were dancing all night long... and singing on top of their lungs.. But there's more to it, than just that.. 

The invite only event brought together like-minded individuals to raise awareness of Orta Blu’s worldwide philanthropic initiatives, which aim to identify and address global humanitarian issues at the community level by leveraging environmental and sustainable technology solutions.

Orta Blu strongly believe that making significant improvements to the environment and resolving social issues can only be achieved by establishing strong partnerships with other companies and people that share their passion. The partnership with Roark for the Orta Blu Gene Project is a clear example on how to achieve this.

Menswear label Roark have designed the jeans for the recent ‘Jeans and Pizza Exchange’ for the homeless youth of Covenant House of NY and LA; one of many “social missions” in which Orta Blu collaborate with NGO’s around the world, connecting communities and helping them solve each others problems in a ‘proactive and productive way’.

'The time has come for companies to reach out and explore what it means to lead by positive example. Orta Blu is on an elevated platform of brand awareness and is a leader in sharing new and important information regarding the progression of an agenda that demands accountability and good will.” Andrew Steiger, Roark Designer

Rankin and Damien Hirst "Monsters Myths and Legends"

Nova®Cinemateca Brasileira, Sao Paulo, 2011

RGB Stalagmites, acrylic and wood, dimensions vary, Nova®Cinemateca Brasileira, Sao Paulo, 2011

Mick Rock Rocks Some Rockin' Photos - Pink Floyd Week - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Mick Rock Rocks Some Rockin' Photos - Pink Floyd Week - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Silver Jeans Ad

Standing Strong

Check out the The Stand & Deliver article featured today on stylesectionla.com

"Standing Strong"

'Lighting People'

Check out this stunning and very cool short film featured on nowness.com.

'Lighting People'

Kirsten Dunst, Chloe Sevigny, Rufus Wainwright narrate an excerpt from the debut novel from Interview Magazine's Christopher Bollen

Samsara completed

Posted by Dan | Posted on 20-07-2011

Our friends over at Samsara have been developing their mens oriented silver accessories line over the last year or so.  We’ve been privileged to have been privy to that process and so we’re all the more delighted now that the first phase of the Samsara collection is complete.  Each piece is inspired by a different element of Asian philosophy (whether it be a money clip that attracts wealth and abundance, or a pendant that promotes wisdom).
Friends and fans already  include Russell Brand, Deepak Chopra, Danny Trejo and Slash.  Take a look here for a gift that is more than just a timeless, treasurable, wearable work of art.

Diddy Dirty Money

Posted by Dan | Posted on 09-06-2011

Everyone, at some time or another, thinks about starting a magazine.  The thing is, those that do, quickly find that it ain’t that easy.  However, when you put Diddy and Warren Noronha together, you get something a bit, well, special.

This is a very slick magazine that gives a real insight into who Diddy, and this group really are. You probably wouldn’t have guessed Glam rock superstar David Bowie was one of Diddy’s idols, contrastingly so was Frank Sinatra.  He goes on to describe his Rat Pack as ‘me, Jay-z, Ashton Kutcher and Beyonce!’   Good for Kutcher.
Refreshingly we hear from Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper who chose an edgy Alexander McQueen spread from Flaunt Magazine and some other rather unexpected pieces that change the way I look at the rap group.

Saying I was surprised how much I enjoyed this magazine would probably be an understatement; it is cool, well-made, and makes me wish every celebrity followed suit and showed me a side of them that I didn’t know about before.  It really wasn’t what I expected at all.

Think you know Diddy?  Think you know all about Diddy Dirty Money?
You could do worse than to pick up a MYMAG to find out what you didn’t know.
Diddy Dirty Money MYMAG is available at mymag.com, amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and select news stands nationwide.

Open Rankin

Posted by Dan | Posted on 30-05-2011

The official opening of Rankin’s new Gallery in Los Angeles, hot on the heels of one of his best ever shows in New York at Milk Gallery, was another great night for the creative worlds of Los Angeles to collide in one place.   The film, music, fashion and art communities headed off the holidays with a stop in at LA’s latest gallery opening.
And what an opening it was.

Firstly, due to kinda crazy (well crazy in my eyes at least) Fire Dept. regulations on capacities.  Rankin opened up the whole building and the car park in the back for the 500+ invited guests for the show on Thursday night.
It mattered not that the Fire Dept. sat at the corner of the street with a clicker counting people in and out, as everyone seemed to understand Rankin’s intensions for this space:  A little bit more than just a gallery, with a bit of private members club vibes thrown in.
Even the celebrity guests and good times (thanks Belvedere and Perrier) couldn’t outshine the work though.  One can forget just what an extraordinary body of work Rankin has, and Open Rankin celebrated just a tiny fraction of it.  If you already haven’t invested in a Rankin, now would be a good time.

If this is how things are going to play out, then a lot of people are going to be very happy that Rankin’s here, with us, in Los Angeles.  I’m first on that list.
Visit Rankin’s website here

Ben Sherman VIP - Own a piece of music history

Posted by Dan | Posted on 29-05-2011

It is such a pleasure when you work with great people at a great brand for a worthy cause.  This is such an occasion.  Please visit this site and bid on a signed plectrum (or guitar pick for everyone stateside).  All proceeds go to charity.
Click here to visit the site or go straight to the auction… http://www.ebay.co.uk/benshermanvip
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P.S.   You could go down to the Ben Sherman Store in the Beverly Center this weekend for more cool stuff (spend $200 & get $50 off and a free tote bag with a donation to LifeBeat).

Roark

Posted by Dan | Posted on 10-05-2011

The Roark family is a collective of designers and filmmakers who work and live together in a huge mad downtown LA space called, Hunter Street Studios.  They’re part of a resurgence of creativity that is emerging from downtown Los Angeles, which is generating much interest both here and internationally.

What is most interesting about them is the fact that they are the most uncompromising and talented design led company that I have come across in LA.  As a brit, it is refreshing when I find something that reminds me, stylistically, of something that might have come from London or even Berlin, and Roark really, truly have that effect on me.

“ This collection is really a study into the evolution of ones self.  Learning to take the natural and combine it with the technological.  It’s about finding the balance”. Chris Allison, Designer.

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Roark is also surrounded by some pretty influential supporters who have managed to ensure that the brand is already making waves on the international show circuit (including White and Tranois).

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Roark sees in the fall/ winter season with a progressive collection of functional pieces in soft, light woven fabrics such as cashmere knits, fleece pants, hooded jackets and woolen overcoats that envelope and drape on the body.  The look is effortless yet the design ethic is conceptual, merging together utility and style.

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Outerwear includes larger, structured proportions like the heavy hooded overcoats, creating the illusion of a protective exoskeleton - an outer shell or body armor necessary to survive harsh outdoor conditions.  Joints bend with the strategic use of ribbing that help improve mobility; these garments are durable unique pieces which blend with the environment but look equally at home on the runway.

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Overall, this is an impressive design company.  They’re winging their way across the U.S. and Europe over the next few months, but they have given us the permission to present a sneak peak of their Fall’11 collection.

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For further info…  click here.

Who’s afraid of Ai Weiwei?

Posted by Dan | Posted on 04-05-2011

Saw this… Hong Kong stencil.  

God save BritWeek!

Posted by Dan | Posted on 29-04-2011

What a week for the Brits eh?  We do love a good wedding.
Well, not to be outdone (okay, maybe outdone just a little bit, but you get the idea), Los Angeles is celebrating BritWeek for the next month (I know, slightly misleading title, but a fantastic month of events never the less).  BritWeek is SoCal’s celebration of all things… you guessed it… British.
It includes an amazing program of events that span across the entire spectrum of the arts, from concerts with (coincidentally) our good friends Echo & The Bunnymen and Dirty Vegas, to the display of the Magna Carta at LACMA.  LAX is even changing the colors of the lights on those pole things to Red, White and Blue too.
Ben Sherman are in the thick of it all, as official fashion partners with BritWeek on the Art Program in association with LA Art Machine and The British Council.  Anyone interested should be hanging around the Ben Sherman store in the Beverly Center, as we hear that they might have a few exclusive tickets for these VIP events.
Art Highlights include:
Beyond Time - William Turnbull (film by Alex Turnbull and Pete Stern),  Speed Dreaming - Marcos Lutyens, Pomp and Ceremony - Tobias Keene, Recognition - Matt Small, and of course Rankin’s Rubbish by Rankin (see last post)




Go to BritWeek’s website for further details.
God Save The Queen.

Rankin’s Rubbish.

Posted by Dan | Posted on 29-04-2011

Legendary British Photographer - Rankin, who is perhaps best know in certain rather  topical circles as the photographer who made Queen Elizabeth II look 30 years younger by using photoshop to adjust her image, and also for his incredible career as a portrait and fashion photographer, is presenting a new show at his soon to be open space on Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles.

Queen Elizabeth II by Rankin

RDJ by Rankin

With ‘Rankin’s Rubbish’, Rankin instead turns his lens to rendering more beautiful the detritus of everyday life.
“I have always wanted to call an exhibition ‘Rankin’s Rubbish.’ I love the humour in the title – it’s not what people expect, especially as the opening show to a new venture. I always approach my work with a sense of fun. I want to amuse people with my photographs, and I try never to take myself too seriously. This is a very British character trait and, in this sense, this is a very British show! I was very inspired by Irving Penn’s still life images of cigarette butts and other discarded items; his images are beautiful. He elevates the mundane to almost become objects to admire. I’ve always been obsessed by minute detail, and the patterns that emerge when you look at something so closely. I see faces in everything.” Rankin
The private opening reception of ‘Rankin’s Rubbish’ is May 3rd, from 6:30-10:30pm at the Rankin Gallery located at 8070 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. The event is a special preview of the new gallery, in honor of BritWeek 2011. The gallery officially opens on the 26th of May.

Photographer and director, Rankin, lives and works in North London. Over the last 22 years he has earned a reputation for his exceptional portraiture and commissions for global advertising campaigns, editorial features, with his work exhibited in galleries around the world. As a director, he frequently shoots music videos, commercials and documentaries as well as directing anaward-winning feature film, The Lives of the Saints.
The opening is in association with Britweek, Ben Sherman, LA Art Machine and Belvedere Vodka.

The Muddy Reds

Posted by Dan | Posted on 25-03-2011

These guys are going to turn up in your near future.  You might be surprised where and when.

The Family Silver

Posted by Dan | Posted on 14-03-2011

Western Glove Works have been making workwear since 1921.  Last time I checked, there was only one other company making workwear longer… but their name escapes me.  Anyway, WGW’s flagship brand - Silver Jeans Co. is about to shoot the FW’11 campaign.  Last time we took off to shoot in Big Sur (see movie below).  This time we prefer to be somewhere that we can order from a pizza restaurant that doesn’t have squirrel as a topping option (I’m nearly vegan for goodness sake) and where we can show just a little more of the edgier side of SJC.  I’m hoping it will be equally as much fun though, and as we’ve worked with these guys for a while now, something tells me it will be.

Rankin by Jarvis (or is it the other way around?)

Bachelor’s Ball 2011

Posted by Dan | Posted on 01-03-2011

The Bachelor’s Ball has been going on for over 100 years.  What’s for certain is that this year’s ball was as good as anything that could have gone on before.  Why?  Well apart from the fact that Warren Noronha and I were there, it had to be the most unreal group of fancy dressed crazy assed individuals this side of… well… Wonderland.

Guess which one is me...

That was the ’secret’ theme you see… Alice in Wonderland.  What was rather odd was the fact that Sameer, our friend who was the member of this elite group of bachelors, without knowing, also got each of his 32 guests to dress as a character from the very same surreal book/movie.  Coincidence?  Well…aparently yes, but what a coincidence it was!
As Sameer owns a tea company, he, of course, went as The Mad Hatter, whereas I was the rabbit and Warren, the Cheshire (pronounced Cheshuh!) Cat.

How was the night?  Well, I don’t remember so much, but I do know that I can’t remember a better sight than 1000 people dressed in every outfit you could imagine going crazy to Billy Jean played live by the amazing house band.

And it is always the sign of a good night when it is light when I got home.  ’You’re very late’, said me missus (who herself had been at the Diesel/Purple party).
I was indeed very late.  But I was the rabbit after all.
Thanks to Sameer and the ‘32′.  You’re all top drawer!!!!!

Tyler The Creator

You probably know him by now but…

Crocodiles & Heaven Up Here

Posted by Dan | Posted on 30-01-2011

At long last, here are the North America tour dates for Echo & The Bunnymen performing Crocodiles & Heaven Up Here.
9th May Boston – Paradise Club
11th May Washington – 9.30 club
12th May Philadelphia – Trocadero
13th May New York – Irving Plaza
16th May Toronto – Phoenix Theatre
17th May Chicago – Vic Theatre
19th May San Francisco – Warfield Theatre
20th May Las Vegas – Red Rock Casino
21st May L.A. – Club Nokia Theatre
22nd May Anaheim – House Of Blues