I went to Berlin for the Art, streetwear and kicks…and boi did it deliver with a cherry on top!

Each morning started off with Museli and Nutella Latte’s…

I knew the Street Art scene was big out there, but was mad overwhelmed at the sheer scale of it, im talking near enough every surface was covered in either artwork, posters, stickers or cool installations…was practically hard to spot a clean, untouched surface…the posters were layered over the old ones, so imagine how thick they’d appear after several coverings, so thick you could use them as a punchbag…the East Side Gallery was quite a sight too…

The transport via the S-Bahn / U-Bahn was kinda easy to use and whipped around the city with ease, thought it would have been more complex…

Pit-stops…

If you didn’t already know, Dali is one of my fav artists of all time and imagine my surprise when I found out that he had a permanent exhibit which showed several of his original works from sketches, paintings, sculpture and video…I was all over it! From viewing his works, it showcased Dali’s mad skill as a painter, illustrator and branding genius…I was in the exhibit for near enough 3 hours!

My fav craft shop…

Went to the world’s first sticker art museum, yep, they have a museum for stickers, called Hatch, put together by owner Oli Baudach…defo something different and pretty cool to see stickers represented on an art type platform…

Dunkin Donuts was big out there as Krispy Kreme’s is over here, but after scoffing down a box full, have to say KKreme’s wins on taste and overall flavour, but Dunkin wins on the coloured icing…

Aint really a pork man, so didnt touch the famous Curry Wurst etc, but did find a boom Chicken spot called Huhnerhaus, where you get a roasted half chicken with chips for 3.75 Euros…when I tell you, this was quite possibly the best chicken I’ve ever had in my young adult life…crispy, tasty and kinda healthy, what more can you ask for in a munch…hit this up almost everyday…they even had their own wet wipes which were larger than the one’s in KFC, so weren’t a thing getting stuck in n messy!

I was on the lookout for some fresh AM1′s and was looking to go to Dusseldorf for a day n hit up Afew store (glow in the dark sneaker store) but cos of the last minute dot com flex, the train ticket costs were at some bump prices and thought i’d allow it, and reach there a next time…

The amount of streetwear and sneaker stores they have over there is ALOT! Overkill was my fav store which incorporated both Graffiti and Sneaker culture by selling an insane amount spray paint/markers/books, fresh kicks, deadstocks, streetwear from the likes of Stussy, Carhartt, Adidas, plus more and these really cool miniature models of kicks which I HAD to buy…this place was practically heaven minus the hot chicks…

Other cool stores included Big Brobot (Cool Toys, Arty books, Streetwear) Titus (Streetwear), Solebox (Footwear), STAB (Streetwear, Sneakers), Seleceted Store (Streetwear, Sneakers), Sneakerspot (Snekers)

Clever use of post-it notes…

The overall vibe was chilled, arty farty and random…

There were cycles all over the gaff, and you can hire one for around 10 euro’s a day n whip it around…they take cycling so seriously that half the pavement is a cycle lane, nearly got knocked down by cyclist’s on several occasions, so thought i’d step it up n get one…

Carrying a beer bottle in broad daylight is the norm, whereas if you do that here in London, your considered a ‘WASTEMAN’!

Some goodies…

Couldn’t leave without adding some donuttyness…

PINS

Streetfest…if you dont know, your late…but if you do know, then great…

StreetFest is the first and only live art street festival in UK. StreetFest performers are drawn from a collective of creative painters, architects, designers, illustrators, skaters and writers who live to express themselves during the day through live demos, screenings and shows. Our niche festival pulls together design styles and crews from all over the UK making the day a real nice interactive event.

There will also be a traders market for selected clothing brands on the day, including myself, selling freshness at some sweet prices…peep some of the other brands on the below flyer…

So if you love your freshness, moosic, art, and a general vibesy atmosphere, reach down n come say elo…its Bank Holiday the next day, so no excuses…heard theres gonna be a handful of after parties so kinda makes sense…

Check out the event page HERE

Tickets are selling out fast, so get yours quick fast HERE

Big up Ollie and the whole of the SF Team for putting this together…

Ps. This will be a cash only event, and would suggest you bring a healthy amount!

PINS

BOXPARK 08/2011 from Roger Wade on Vimeo.

‘Streetwear is essentially dressing from the trainers up; and it developed out of music – both hip hop and the rave scene,’
Roger Wade

I remember reading this quote back in the day when I was applying for a design work experience position at Boxfresh…didnt get the opportunity, but it stuck with me, and I adopted it, the dressing up from the trainers, it just made sense to me…

Roger Wade, owner of UK streetwear brand Boxfresh, brings us BOXPARK, the world’s first ever pop-up mall based in uber cool n trendy Shoreditch, the heart of East London.

Dope concept, with a mash up of retail units including art galleries, cafes, retail etc, im sure the space will provide even more culture/diversity to the area, as if it wasn’t diverse enough already…more the better I say! Will be interesting to see which brands/retailers get selected for the first round, as with the 2012 Olympics just round the corner, the footfall in East London is going to be a madness, thus creating a sweet opportunity to sell, sell, sell!

With short leases and flexible terms, I’m sure BOXPARK will be a success, especially for smaller, independent brands who want a platform to get there stuff out there amongst other established brands without the major commitments…hint hint…

PINS

…All this, PLUS live moosic…

…PLUS freshhhhh donuts cos im nice like that!!

Gonna be plotting up and selling fresh bits alongside the established (Nike/Supra/Supra/Vans/The Hundreds etc) and up n coming heavyweight brands in the game such as Ask Your Girl/Player (big up Jules for the hook up!), Crepe city (Big up Ron for link up), Benjart, Trapstar, DTA, plus more…

Will be selling fresh exclusive colourways of certain tees which aint even up on the website and only available at the event….I cant stress this enough, but this is an event not to be missed, with so much freshness under one roof, its gonna mos def POP OFFFFFFFFFF THE RADAR!!!

For facebook info on event, check out HERE

PINS

Ps. This event is set to be a road block affair, so come early-ish to avoid missing out on your sizes in bits as everything is mad limited n once they gone, they gonnnne>>>>>>>>

Ps Ps. CASH ONLY event, so bring a healthy amount if poss, you gonna wanna buy everything trust me!

10.DEEP Killin’ Time from 10.DEEP Skateboarding on Vimeo.

Ive been a fan of 10 Deep for a while now, and have to say its one of my fav US streetwear brands out there…

Driven by the same personal strength and energy that bore hip hop, skate, punk and graffiti subcultures, 10.Deep, a cornerstone street wear brand for over fifteen years, communicates the bold power of individuality.

Established in 1995 by native New Yorker Scott Sasso, 10.Deep remains equally vital from streets to the boutiques (including stints at Colette, Union and Fred Segal) and the music community that it came up alongside of. As one of the original New York streetwear brands, our motto is simple: forget everyone and listen to yourself. Strength lies in the hands of an individual (10 fingers), not in the approval of one’s peers.

Now thats deep, and I like it!

The vid is spot on in reflecting the brand and its ethos, and the skating is sikkkk! Proper wish I could skate too, but after my first waste attempt n nearly twisting up leg piece will leave it to the professionals and stick to my car!

PINS