Need ideas for #Christmas pressies? #adidas Originals, baby!

I wandered past the adidas Originals store on Melrose. Trouble in the making. I found a pair of Jeremy Scott three-tongue Attitude sneaker. A cool $220 and not even in my size. But I tried them on! ;)

I first saw them a year ago in the adidas concept store in West Soho, London. And here they are again. Were they really 150 quid back then? I guess so. But converted into U.S. dollars makes it seem pricey.

Jeremy Scott, three-tongue Attitude $220

The adidas Century white on white never go out of style and are more stylish than the Superstar shelltoe IMHO!

adidas Century $80

adidas Campus

adidas hi-tops with gum sole 30% off

Nice to see adidas producing a range of old skool inspired t-shirts. These are only $20 and are adorned with graffiti-style images of the 4-5 hip hop elements.

"Bouncing Cats" at Urbanworld, NYC today!

This weekend the BET Urbanworld Film Festival is showing Nabil Elderkin's "Bouncing Cats," a film that captures how powerful hip hop can be. And how global it is.

The film about the Breakdance Project Uganda (B.P.U.) founded by Abraham “Abramz” Tekya is narrated by rap heavyweight, Common, and also features K'naan, Mos Def and Will.i.am. One of the most uplifting quotes from Tekya is: "I think music and dance can help us find peace."


BOUNCING CATS  film trailer from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

"Uganda has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child. In the South, children face the threat of poverty and disease. In the North, these threats are enflamed by a brutal, mindless war inflicted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (L.R.A.) that has divided families, displaced millions, and led to the abduction and mutilation of tens of thousands of children resulting in the deterioration of identity and culture.

Bouncing Cats is the inspiring story of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of
Uganda using the unlikely tool of hip-hop with a focus on b-boy culture and breakdance. In 2006, Abraham “Abramz” Tekya, a Ugandan b-boy and A.I.D.S. orphan created Breakdance Project Uganda (B.P.U.). The dream was to establish a free workshop that would empower, rehabilitate and heal the community by teaching youth about b-boy culture. Based in Kampala, Uganda, B.P.U. has recently expanded to include permanent classes in Gulu, Northern Uganda. Abramz teaches classes three times a week to more than 300 kids from all parts of the country. Many of the children are homeless, victims of war and poverty, and few can afford proper schooling yet they walk from miles away to attend the B.P.U. classes. As Abramz says, “This is where many people’s pride is. It’s a skill that no one can take away from us.”

Crazy Legs, one of the founding members of the seminal Rock Steady Crew visited Uganda after receiving an invitation from Abramz to teach b-boy classes. What he discovered upon his arrival was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Traveling throughout Uganda, from the southern slums to the war-torn North, Crazy Legs encountered a passion for hip-hop and desire to learn amongst the most squalid conditions.

Bouncing Cats follows Abramz, Crazy Legs, and Breakdance Project Uganda on a journey to use hip-hop culture for positive social change." Nabil Elderkin

The trailer features Crazy Legs holding workshops for the kids. To hear him in interview you can find a (poor quality) audio interview here at Boston's "The Phoenix" blog.

Down under Elderkin is an Australian who lives in the U.S. now. He's one of the respected film makers who is a judge for the "Vimeo Festival + Awards." You can see his work for Kanye West, K'naan, Common, Black Eyed Peas, Seal, Nas and Damian Marley and others at his page.

Jeremy Scott adidas experimental video


And a word from the sponsor The film is supported by Red Bull Media House who has been promoting hip hop events around the world for years and has built a platform that has enabled hip hop to be experienced farther and wider than before.

London greets a weak US dollar

London was hospitable to my weak US dollar so I didn't want to be rude and avoid the stores, but I did manage to restrain myself from entering Uniqlo which is a rare sight in the US since it's only in New York at the moment.

I stumbled upon the cool adidas concept store called No.6 (or #6 in American ;) ) which is only overshadowed by its Berlin-based sister store. Nice! If you're looking for the (Vivenne Westwood rip-off) triple-tongue Jeremy Scott adidas Attitudes this is the spot!

Paper magazine is coming to LA!

PAPER Magazine is throwing parties next week. For the 3rd-year running, PAPER Magazine is coming to LA from NYC and organizing a series of art events, concerts, dance parties and dinners to celebrate Los Angeles life. Its also opening its temporary, 24-hour LA Project store filled with various brands.

That's cool, but the amazing news is that Colette, the uber-chic Parisian store, and Jeremy Scott, the mullet-coiffured fashion-designer, will host the 'Colette Dance Party' in Hollywood. And it's open to the 'public'. The LA Project store will be open for 24-hours only (from 6pm 11/10 to 6pm 11/11) and will have stuff from Colette, Levi's, Supreme, Cobra Snake, etc.

Keith Haring...still #1

I noticed that the Keith Haring store on Lafayette had closed when I was in New York in June 2007. It was a real landmark for me as it's always there, from my first visit to NYC in 1988 till my previous visit, may be in 2004.

Videos
Here are a couple of videos I hadn't seen before as a tribute to Haring.



I drove down to Long Beach to buy these adicolor Keith Haring/Jeremy Scott sneakers. There was a jacket too covered in Haring characters. Too loud to wear, but when did that ever stop me buying stuff?! ;-)