The Urban Feed

“Bathing Ape; In Lukewarm Water”
“Excuse the little ape in your face, his name’s Bathing”, says Detroit rapper Big Sean in his single “Getcha Some”. By year 2010, the Bathing Ape clothing brand has become more than a household name, in fact, it’s become as known as razor scooters in the 90s! But let it be known, there is more to BAPE than just tee shirts within an ape on it. The Japanese clothing company was founded in 1993 by Tomoaki Nagao, known to most as Nigo. Not only are there Bape locations in Japan, but there are also locations in London, Hong Kong, Taipei, Los Angeles, New York City, and a new location will be opening shortly in Singapore.

Bathing Ape is an acronym for A Bathing Ape In Luke Warm Water. This concept is based off the lives of the Japanese who bath daily in water above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and to bath in luke warm water is in a sense, over indulging; relative to those purchasing Bathing Ape clothing.

In January 2005, the creative geniuses, known as the Neptunes opened the Bape store in the Soho section of New York City and unbeknownst to most, the name of the Bape store still goes on to be called A Bathing Ape in Lukewarm Water by the associates.

Although Bape has become a recent crave and has dominated the minds of our male youth, the craze began with celebrities sporting the brand because we all know, celebrity outfits never go unnoticed, whether we are familiar with the brand or not. Aside from Pharrell Williams, and Chad Hugo of the Neptunes constantly sporting the Japanese brand, artists such as Kanye West, Fabolous, Teriyaki Boyz, Big Sean, and Kid Cudi all consider Bape to be a necessity in their closets.

Some may think because the Bape is so well known that the prices are pocket friendly, but this is not exactly true. Bathing Ape tee shirts start at $80 and go up to $200 and their other merchandise runs to up $1,000s (referring to the varsity jackets and particular Bape sneakers).

The success of the Bathing Ape brand can be noted as one for the books. A brand in which both celebrities and regular individuals can indulge in is rare, simply because the prices are most of time outrageous. If one chose to splurge and purchase an $80 Bape tee shirt, there is a chance that they may be wearing the same shirt as Kanye West and/or Kid Cudi and how cool is that?

Aleia Woods
Fashion Writer
The Urban Feed

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Brand: Duro Olowu

Isoke Davis
Fashion Writer

“I think fashion should be joyful, it shouldn’t dictate to women, but should invite them into the fantasy of the designer,” so believes the Nigerian born and London based designer Duro Olowu. Women who take Duro up on his invitation delve into a vibrant world of hybrids; perfectly put together mixtures of Nigerian prints and bold florals, and needless to say colors galore. Olowu’s signature “Duro dress,” which placed him among England’s fashion elite and premiered during London’s 2004 fashion week, is a high- waisted, patch work, free flowing mixture of floral prints in complimentary colors. Fast forward to his Spring 2010 line, Duro paid homage to the item that helped launch his career. The line featured, among other garments, an evolved Duro dress. The dress is still extremely feminine, but more structured than its first appearance. It is still constructed with a wrap belt, but this time with more frills and a neck line that evolves into a hood.

The designer’s collections consist of many gorgeous, flowing dresses; however they are not limited to them. Duro’s separates are as intriguing as the dresses he creates. An a-line emerald and black block floral skirt paired with a pink floral button up shirt is a favorite in the line. And where most looks completed with two printed pieces can look unpolished and overload an even uncritical eye, Duro gets it just right. He focuses in on a complete polished look. Vintage couture fabrics aid in differentiating each Olowu outfit from the typical boho-hippie finish of other looks in its arena. And Duro knows from personal experience how to dress his clients. Olowu designs for his wife, an art gallery dwelling, intelligent culture indulger. What he also knows is how to complete and update a garment or outfit. When his prints and bright colors should have been left in the spring, Duro brought them through to his fall lines with black stockings and heavier fabrics.

What also makes Olowu’s designs different from the typical colorful frenzy of London’s fashion week is his inspiration. The designer’s line features prints and color from his native Nigeria which makes it all the more interesting, creative, and personal. Many of the looks in his newest line were completed with sandals similar to the ones that are hand crafted in his native country. Although this newest line was said to have been inspired from the late artist Picasso’s color pallet, the designer stayed true to his heritage and current environments.

Duro Olowu has proven to be a major and permanent fixture among London’s fashion elite. Although his clothes have been featured in American fashion and culture, hopefully his innovation and knowledge of and ability to dress a woman’s body will secure his spot.

Duro’s clothes are accessible at Barney’s New York and Jeffrey’s New York. He is also available for appointment at his Portobello road office by appointment. Peep more of collection below.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Married to the Mob

Street Gear, For Our Year; Married to the Mob

Aleia Woods
Fashion Writer

Typically, a female’s style could be described as sophisticated with a floral tight fitted dress from Michael Kors and plat formed square heeled pump by Marc Jacobs. Idealistically, many may feel this particular style is the definition of a woman. Fortunately, this conventional image has been altered over the past few years. Married to the Mob was developed in NYC in the summer of 2004. Creator of Married to the Mob, (commonly abbreviated at MTTM) Leah, felt there was an abundance of male street wear brands, but the females have been left out of the equation. The initial purpose of Married to the Mob, aside from recreating the urban clothing era for women, was to also create a clothing line different from others that reflected the lifestyles of women; from opinions towards the opposite sex, to self-confidence in oneself, Married to the Mob covers it all!

Aside from the paradigmatic tee shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes, Married to the Mob brings vibrancy to the casual side of clothing; from hot pinks, purples, and lime greens, to the subtle black and white tee shirt, which gives one an array of choice.

For the 2009 collection, not only is there a fall line, but also a holiday line. The Fall 2009 collection consists of various types of tees, colorful shirts with female relative sayings, stripped and checkered hoodies, leather and satin jackets, stripped v-neck sweaters, checkered blouses, sweat suits, jeans, as well as fluorescent colored leggings, which can work with any type of boot, including UGGs or sneakers.

The Holiday collection also consists of an array of radiant tee shirts, but these are only available during the holiday season. Nor are any of the prices reduced, unlike the fall collection. The apparel for the Holiday collection is more intricate. The v-neck tee shirts are designed with stones along the neckline, in addition to tee shirts, there are long sleeved, stripped, earth toned shirts, stripped rugby shirts, as well as lumber jack patterned collard shirts with cuffs. The leggings for the Holiday collection are also season appropriate because they are made from a thicker, ribbed, insulating cotton, similar to long johns. The designs on this particular collection are very festive and can serve as an ode to Native American ancestry. The also have hats with their signature, MTTM.

Over the years, Married to the Mob has transgressed from a tee shirt haven, to a diversified, dynamic, clothing brand that has abolished the conventional dress and heels avenue of fashion. The prices vary from $22.50 for a tee shirt to $148 for a winter jacket, so they are also wallet permitting! To purchase clothing or to inquire more information about Married to the Mob, visit www.mttmnyc.com. Check out more the designs below.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Brand: Kevan Hall

-Aleia Woods

Earth tones, shades of blues, grays, sparking rhinestones, sheers, and silks are all merely basic description of the clothing created by African-American clothing designer, Kevan Hall. Having clothing appear on award programs such as the Emmy’s, SAG Awards, and The Golden Globes, Hall is a rising star at the pinnacle of the gown game. The styles Hall specializes in are exquisite and mature, yet sexy and sleek, opposed to colorful and scantily clad.

Detroit native, Kevan Hall knew he was destined to be monumental in the fashion world from an early age; his creativity sparked from the tender age of seven. He attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit, where he was later awarded first place as the “Designer of Tomorrow” from the Los Angeles Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in addition to being awarded an “Outstanding Fashion Design” award after graduation. The signature line, Kevan Hall Collection was launched in 2002.

Although many of the designs in Hall’s archive are elegant and bring back reminiscence of senior proms and formal company galas, his collection displays a vast amount of versatility, from plaids and patent leather waist belts, to fashion forward jockey attire. “I enjoy the process of design from concept to execution, but the most gratifying part is seeing a design come to life on a beautiful woman,” explains Hall. On www.kevanhalldesigns.com, where his latest collections can be found, Hall discusses his inspiration for his design, when and how he developed his love for fashion, and lastly the satisfaction he receives with every design.

His designs have been seen on celebrities such as Vivica A. Fox, Garcelle Beauvais, Renee Zellweger, Vanessa A. Williams, and Katherine Heigl. He has also appeared on the ABC television show, Extreme Makeover as a fashion consultant.

Look out for Kevan Hall on a runway near you!

Formal

Ideal for any ball or formal evening event, these strapless gowns add shape and form to one’s body. Accented with rhinestones, sheer skirts, and tails these two gowns are the epitome of elegant and chic.

Casual

Who said silk and plaid did not go together? Not true! This semi formal, sleeveless lumberjack look is perfect for a night on the town, in the office, or shopping with the girls. The patent leather belt adds a notch of elegance to the look making it suitable to any formal occasion.

Check out more of the collection from Kevan Hall below…

Popularity: 2% [?]

THE BRAND: Ralph Lauren

-Kiera Manison
Fashion Editor
The Urban Feed

Although the brand has been around for years and the industry has changed drastically since start of his career, Ralph Lauren has been able to remain firm in his position in the fashion realm. Many people may have the notion that the brand is solely casual wear consisting of only khaki, jeans, and polos, but essentially Ralph Lauren has more looks than one, with the emergence of his many labels over the years under one name he is proving that Ralph Lauren is here to stay.

The American designer Ralph Lauren from Bronx, New York is the founder and creator of the label Ralph Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren. In 1968, Lauren began to sell neckties under the name “Polo,” which he then went on to make a men’s fashion line. It was at this time that he released his popular short sleeve mesh polo, with the ever so famous horseman logo on the right of the shirt. The shirts came in a variety of colors and became a classic piece to most wardrobes. Although Ralph Lauren was established as a male line, he has expanded his brand drastically and has built a high end fashion name for himself and his label.

In the current fashion world Ralph Lauren is a must see under the white tents at Bryant Park during New York Fashion Week. Editors, directors, and celebrities look forward to seeing Lauren’s contemporary pieces walk down the runway each season. Surprisingly, most of his collection consists of only woman’s pieces. The clothing does not include the basic polo and pant either. The collection’s Lauren create are feminine, tasteful, and sometimes and even elaborate.

Ralph Lauren has branched off into many different labels under the name Ralph Lauren. Collection, Blue Label, Black Label, Lauren, Pink Pony, RLX, Golf and of course Polo make up Ralph Lauren’s clothing lines. Each label offers something different to the fashion world. The Collection, Blue, and Black Labels are his more upscale lines where you find pieces consisting of anything from a dressy classic black blazer to a gorgeous silk gown. Pink Pony, RLX, Golf and Polo cater more so to the casual look, of which Lauren is most famous for.

Most recently, Lauren started another line Rugby by Ralph Lauren in 2004. Rugby is also very casual but with a young, fresh twist. The signature line was made especially for young women and men to where around campus or just hanging out downtown. Rugby pieces have many stripes, plaids, and unique patchwork. The collection can be purchased online or in stores. If you shop online, there is an opportunity to create your own threads by customizing shirts, jackets, cardigans, etc. Rugby stores are located in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Ralph Lauren is one of the few designers that have been able to successfully keep up with the ever changing trends in the fashion industry. Lauren has consistently come up with fresh innovative ways to dress his customers in clothing that is not only fashionable but comfortable as well.

For more information or to shop Ralph Lauren’s labels visit his website www.ralphlauren.com or to purchase Rugby by Ralph Lauren visit www.rugby.com.

Check out the best of the Lauren Collections (and Ralph Lauren in one of the pictures himself again) below.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Brand: Alicia Keys creates new jewelry line.

Accessories can sometimes make or break an outfit. It can show self worth, or just simply be a way to show individuality and explain who you are without words. However, it can also be inspiring like songstress Alicia Keys’ new jewelry line The Barbers Daughters. This year, Ms. Keys has decided to focus on more than the December 15th release of her new album “The Element of Freedom”; she will also be launching AK Worldwide which consist of everything from fashion to feature film productions.

In her recently released video “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart” you can see the songstress showing off one of the necklaces from the new jewelry line that she has co-founded with designer Gisѐle Theriault. “They remind me of things I want to hold onto every day,” Key’s explains. She felt this particular line caught her interest because the words engraved on the jewelry were encouraging; and we all know that Ms. Keys is more than an artist, but also an incredible humanitarian. Theriault credits her work after Dr. Masuru Emoto, author of “The Hidden Messages” who says that ““poetry and prayer” are what you can find on silver pieces of this artful line of accessories.” The name is an ode to her late father who was a well known barber in her hometown.

At a recent Black Ball Charity event for the Keep a Child Alive Foundation, co-founded by Alicia Keys, one of the necklaces from The Barbers Daughters collection sold for $25,000 dollars, and didn’t neccesarily have to add diamonds on to the accesory to make it worth more.

Gladly, if you’re on a bit of a budget, you can get pieces for under $100. The collection will be premiered Monday and Tuesday November 23rd and 24th at the Collette Blanchard Gallery, 26th Clinton St, New York, NY.

To learn more about The Barber’s Daughters or to check the prices visit www.thebarbersdaughters.com.

Stacey Meadows
Contributing Writer
The Urban Feed

Popularity: 3% [?]

With the economy having a major impact on the retail industry, many high in designers such as Vera Wang and Isaac Mizrahi have created more practical affordable lines. Jimmy Choo has now joined forces with clothing store H & M to follow in these designers footsteps.

Women all over the world crave a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. Everyone from Mariah Carey to Oprah Winfrey own at least one pair. Even the first lady Michelle Obama wore a pair of green Jimmy Choo pumps for the inauguration. The problem is the average woman doesn’t have the money that these mega stars do and are not able to afford this high end brand of shoes and accessories. With Jimmy Choo’s running from five hundred to a few thousand dollars, it is not realistic for everyone to just go out and buy five pairs or even one for that matter. Now that Jimmy Choo and H & M stores have collaborated to make a reasonably priced line women can look good without breaking the bank .Jimmy Choo for H & M will include a collection of shoes, bag, and accessories for both men and women. The collection is more than 50 percent less expensive than the prices of the original Jimmy Choo brand.
As one can only imagine, the collection is in very high demand. For this reason H & M stores have come up with a system of allowing only the first 160 people to shop the shoes and accessory section for jimmy choo for H & M. The 160 people who are there at the open of the store will receive bracelets allowing them to be in the designated area for the Jimmy Choo collection. After the first 2 hours, H& M will open the store for everyone to show the entire store.
Of course the line is only for a limited time so it is crucial to take advantage of the prices while they are available. The collection will be in stores November 14. Jimmy Choo for H & M will only be in select stores which are located in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. For more information on the H& M and Jimmy Choo collaboration visit www.hm.com/us/jimmychoo.

Kiera A. Manison
Fashion Editor
The Urban Feed

Popularity: 5% [?]

Alexander McQueen’s Spring Line Brings The Arts Back To Fashion
-

Many get lost in the fit and style of clothing that they forget about the actual art form that makes fashion. Indeed, fashion has a creative edge that is most definitely considered art and Alexander McQueen reminds us of this with his “Ready to Wear” spring 2010 line.

McQueen’s fashion show took place in Paris, France at the Carrousel du Louvre, October 6. Every aspect of his show was very elaborate from the structural styles, to the hair; right down to the crazed chunky shoes his models wore. Most of the line he displayed at Fashion Week consisted of short dresses and only a couple of pant ensembles.

The collection started with bright vibrant colors that are much appreciated in the spring months. Color schemes changed into browns, gold, and greens and he finished the collection with cool blue colors and black. There was a distinctive change in the collection, yet McQueen was still able to keep cohesiveness to his clothing.

What made McQueen’s collection so unique was the fact that he used patterns and textures in all of his pieces. His dresses looked as if someone sculpted and hand painted each one. All of what was a part of the show could have easily been shown in an art gallery. Although, many of the pieces were very architecture like and bold, they never failed to keep its femininity.

The clothing was exceptionally creative but what’s causing the most buzz is the grotesque shoes that is said to have looked like “the armored heads of a fantastical breed such as a sea monster.” It seems almost impossible that his models were able to strut down the runway in the bulky ten or more inch heels. The shoes were truly something someone could buy and display as a piece of art in a home. Every shoe that came down the runway was statuesque. This was an aspect of his show that has not been seen before, at least not to this extent.
McQueen’s collection may not be so “ready to wear,” but it is fresh and innovative. While it is very hard for designers to consistently keep up with constant change in trends, he doesn’t hesitate to take a risk to make it possible. He also stays true to being an artist, something that many designers this day and age have failed to do. Although many women wouldn’t realistically wear some of these pieces, his creativity and artistic ability shines through his work like no other.

For more of Alexander McQueen’s fall and spring collections, visit his website at alexandermcqueen.com.

Kiera M.
Fashion Editor
The Urban Feed

Popularity: 12% [?]