www.deerosa.com
THE PERFECT POISON COCKTAIL
FILL TO RIM WITH ICE
REPLACE LID AND SHAKE FOR 5 SECONDS
ADD STRAW AND DRINK
PREFACE
As much as MR ALLEN is a new online menswear retailer, this digital magazine will demonstrate how serious we are about the media side of our business. We will always be product focused, but we also want to bring you the best other lifestyle topics, including music, art, tech, cars, girls, and other topics we feel may be of interest.
The highlight of the issue is of course the feature story on Barcelona street art. Not only did we take the photos ourselves whilst on a recent trip to the Spanish city, we’ve laid it out as our main feature in the magazine - be sure to take a look at it.
Not forgetting the work we put in to uncover some of our favourite new We didn’t one the magazine to be just about streetwear brands, too. Check that the brands we stock at MR ALLEN, nor did out at the front end of the magazine. we want it to be about cross-selling products we sell either. With that in mind, we have created In terms of interviews you can look fora magazine that covers all the topics we do in ward to an in-depth conversation with Juliet #TheJournal online. However, the magazine Nwekenta, founder of streetwear label Dee really allows us to expand our visual focus and Rosa. We also caught up with a talented ilbring it to you in a more visually pleasing format. lustrator from Brighton called Scott Nellis, his work is certainly worth checking out. We have a huge feature on Native Youth’s new Spring/Summer 2014 collection, that As you can see, we have packed our debut looks pretty amazing set back on a white issue with a mixture of editorial and visual background. Henri Lloyd and their brand treats for you. As always, feedback on the ambassador Sir Ben Ainslie also play a part issue would be greatly appreciated as we in our debut issue, this time showcasing the continue to work hard to improve ALLEN. heritage brands new lookbook. We’ve also got a footwear edit from WeSC, Filling Piec- Cheers es and more, which again is a must look. Ash
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CONTENTS
LOOK 18 Patta x Diadora
34
Filling Pieces SS14
36
99
WeSC Footwear SS14 Edit
READ
40
Wreck London
48
20
Jilted Royalty Spring 2014
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Henri Lloyd SS14
Lift The Veil Clothing
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85
22
Starter Black Label x MTV
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Native Youth SS14
More Than an Indie Brand
99
28
Other UK Bloodline Collection
What Happened to Streetwear? 30 Reebook Insta Pump Fury 20th Anniversary 44 Starter Black Label Spring/Summer 2014
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78 Dee Rosa Interview 78 Scott Nellis Interview 120 The History of Facebook
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regret nothing.
all the flavour. half the fat.
CONTENTS
TASTE 14 Editors Choice 24 Brutus Trimfit x Dr Martens 61 Barcelona Street Art 98 Surf Liquour x Satta 122 Gadgets
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128 Cars 130 Girls on Instagram 134 VR Tapalpa House 137 Music
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Available online now at MR ALLEN
EDITORS CHOICE
HUF Dog Ear Woodland Camo 5 Panel Cap www.noteshop.co.uk
NIKE AIR MAX 1 www.jdports.co.uk
Martian Watches Passport Smartwatch www.martianwatches.com
Vans Spicoli Folding Sunglasses www.size.co.uk
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EDITORS CHOICE
UPPERCUT DELUXE POCKET COMB www.uppercutdeluxeshop.co.uk
Obey The Infamous 3/4 Sleeve Raglan T-Shirt - White/ black www.urbanindustry.co.uk
Stussy Colour Block Long Socks www.stussy.com
ASOS JERSEY SHORTS - GREY www.asos.com 15
EDITORS CHOICE
JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN IPAD CASE www.johnstonscashmere.com
ACER C720 CHROMEBOOK www.pcworld.co.uk
OTHER AUTHENTIC FOOTBALL JERSEY www.otheruk.com
A BATHING APE EX “MILGAUS” TYPE www.eu.bape.com 16
TORINO LAMORGHINI PHONE www.lamborghinimobile.com
The Modern Magazine: Visual Journalism in the Digital Era www.laurenceking.com
Monkey Shoulder WHISKEY www. thewhiskyexchange.com
XCVB Eastern Black 5 Panel www.zimzilla.com
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IN FOCUS
Patta x Diadora N9000 Dutch boutique brand Patta are the kings of the collaboration. For their latest project, Patta has teamed with Italian heritage brand Diadora. Taking the classic ’80s N9000 model as the base, the brands have gone premium, choosing to make the shoe in Italy with the finest of textiles including Japanese suede and subtle nylon mesh. Boasting a scheme of muted blues blended with grey and white, little red touches help to make the sneaker stand out more whilst Patta branding can be found sitting proud on the heels and tongues. With collabs like this, we are tipping Diadora for a pretty spectacular year so stay tuned for more news from the Italian running revival front. As for Patta, with this drop and the 10th anniversary collaboration with famous streetwear brand Stussy, it’s exciting times for the Dutch label. The Patta x Diadora N9000 is launched exclusively in store at Patta on January 25 and is now available from Patta’s web store.
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IN FOCUS
LIFT THE VEIL CLOTHING LIFT THE VEIL Clothing is a UK based fashion label that was established in December 2012. The brand fuse streetwear with provoking graphics to bring a stylish aesthetic to their pieces. For their 2014 spring/summer collection, the UK label presents this lookbook of the upcoming collection. With comfort and functional aesthetics at its core, the lookbook showcases the label’s ready-to-wear style via a range of shots taken on the street and inside. This is as much as we know about the collection so far, but expect to see pieces such as tees, zip-up hoodie and sweaters that will include the brands typical graphics. Keep an eye out for the collection to hit LIFT THE VEIL’s web store in the near future.
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IN FOCUS
STARTER BLACK LABEL X MTV Premium American athletic brand Starter has released a headwear collaboration with MTV which is available now. The Starter Back Label MTV headwear collab sees the two popular brands fuse their links between music, fashion and street culture. The connection between Starter and hip-hop goes back to the 90s and likewise with MTV and its hit series Yo! MTV Raps. The 2014 collection sees the coming together of these two brands once again, this time in a collection of Starter MTV branded headwear pieces including staple colourways that all feature iconic logos such as MTV Classic, Yo! MTV Raps, MTV Unplugged and Pimp My Ride, through to silhouettes which celebrate hit MTV shows and make vibrant use of MTV-relevant patterns and textures. The end
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range will independents
be stores
available to and from
buy from Starter’s web
various store
mid for
to ÂŁ25
higheach.
IN FOCUS
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BRUTUS x DR MARTENS
BRUTUS TRIMFIT x DR MARTENS PART III
A true meeting of minds and subcultural icons sees iconic family-owned Brutus Trimfit team with global footwear giants Dr. Martens for the third consecutive season to present a brand new capsule collection for Spring/Summer 2014. Following on from the overwhelming success of their previous partnerships, this collaboration is anticipated to be their biggest and most popular to date. To raise the bar for the new season, part III of the Brutus x Dr Martens collab will encompass two Brutus Trimfit shirts in classic Dr. Marten colourways - classic oxblood and yellow check patterns. Each shirt will come uniquely presented with a perfectly pressed, 4-point, coordinated checked handkerchief, paying homage to the suede heads of the 1970’s and their fanatical approach to pin sharp dressing. Still incorporating all the famed detail of the original Trimfit shirt; the three-finger collar, double button dart vented sleeves and darts to the back of the shirts to give a superior sharp and tailored fit.
“The success of this collaboration has yet again surpassed all expectations. For the first few hours we were selling 4 shirts every minute online! This just goes to further prove that Dr. Martens and Brutus’s shared fan-base are some of the most switched-on, dedicated and active subcultures in existence,” says Brutus Trimfit owner Jonathan Freedman.
www.brutus-trimfit.com 24
Available online now at MR ALLEN
At MR ALLEN a big part of what we do is discover and break new independant brands. It is something we take great pride in and take a lot of enjoyment from. Whether it be a UK brand, or a label from the States, we don’t believe in snobiety when it comes to exciting fashion brands. For our debut issue, we’ve selected a few of our favourite new brands at the minute.
MORE THAN AN INDIE BRAND
DAYDREAM SUPPLY COMPANY Early February 2014 saw the release of Daydream Supply Co.’s highly-anticpated new lookbook. Called “Playing God Collection,” the UK streetwear brand prides itself on offering quality goods with limited quantity to buy each release. Focused on 90s skateboard fashion and hip-hop cultures, the brand is at its most comfortable in the urban market. Simple graphics and typography make for staple pieces from Daydream Supply Co. www.daydreamsupply.com
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KOUNTAFIT CLOTHING Birmingham streetwear brand KountaFit was founded by an aspiring designer along side his brother just over a year ago. Using music, urban culture, and artists from around the world, the label has a pretty provocative name in KountaFit. Clean, bold prints on bright silhouettes with the brands label on make most pieces, including sweats, tees and beanies. The brand has already made its way over across the globe to the US, Canada and more, and we know West Midlands KountaFit will only grow and grow. www.kountafit.bigcartel.com
NICCE CLOTHING 2013 saw the launch of East London label Nicce Clothing, and it quickly went on to become a much talked-about brand. With its focuses on clean design, whilst working with a mostly black and white colour palette. The brands latest collection takes inspiration from college style, with badge logos and baseball text being printed across a range of sportswear apparel, that includes baseball tees, sweats, hoodies and more.
www.nicceclothing.com.com
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WHAT HAPPENDED TO STREETWEAR? Whatever happened to the “street” in streetwear? You know, the edgy, urban side to a fashion that started way before people can even remember? As interest in street style continues to grow, it seems that putting a simple, logo motif on a t-shirt is now called “streetwear”. There is a lack of inspiration in such brands, and one that we need to stop producing day after day. Too often or not, they are hypekids that want to own their own fashion label. With this in mind, they construct tees that merely reiterates how saturated the streetwear market is, from the industry to consumers, at the expense of true streetwear pieces. When legendary designer Shawn Stussy formed Stussy in Orange County, California, in 1980, he aimed to capture surfers of his local area. He began using the now iconic Stussy logo tee - the signature was that of his uncle, Jan Stussy - shorts and caps that he sold out of his car around Laguna Beach, California. But in todays market, where an increasing number of streetwear brands are are now launched, these so-called brands are just mimics of the likes 28
of Stussy, Supreme, Huf and co, in the hopes that they will be noticed because they look like their own favourite labels. Indeed, many of these “streetwear” are now so constructed that it feels like the only thing missing are the copyright sign in the lower left-hand corner. What’s more, these brands then want to land themselves on influential streetwear blogs, much like the brands they want to be, and websites begin to show them love and then people begin to buy them because they think they are cool due to them being on the blog. We often look out for new streetwear brands that are true to the market they are aimed at, and, indeed, new brands that continue to make streetwear that isn’t streetwear with an embarrassing onslaught of snapbacks, 5 panels and crew sweats with straight logo’s across the middle. But as this trend continues to become more popular, we get to see less of real streetwear brands, the likes of Grind London, Other Clothing and HYPE, for instance. Can we bring back real clothing that was made for the street, please?
To be honest, what we now call streetwear is just plain style. While style addicts will know that over the past two years or so editorial content that appears in their favourite monthly publications, websites or blogs, was influenced by advertisers, or freebies, with less and less space for actual streetwear brands. That’s why we remain fans of The Daily Street as they have stayed true to their streetwear roots and continue to push these brands.
brands have become stale — and, ultimately, see through — as the editorials found in most fashion blogs. We have the internet and cheap t-shirt printers to blame for this influx over the past two or three years, without a doubt. The Internet provides instant access to anything, and anywhere you want it, meaning streetwear is now to populated. We’re drunk on cheap printed tees and hoodies, whilst true brands like The Hundreds continue to produce more and more impressive lines. When you go through your Twitter timeline, how many so called “streetwear” brands do you see? Too many is the answer.
What’s more, when these new streetwear take their camera out to shoot their lookbook, you know what the end results will be. A BMX or a skateboard that they don’t own and don’t know how to ride, maybe a graffiti wall? This is a dangerous place for The types of photoshoots that are style to be in, as it’s in this time killing off the legendary shoots that stagnation becomes to occur. from many streetwear brands. Perhaps it’s personal opinion, but I’d argue that true streetstyle, at its best, is about the black on black, the baggy tees, the baseball tees? In contrast, the new wave of brands seem to try and copy this route, but don’t do it too well. For me, the majority of streetwear 29
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REEBOK
Reebok’s Insta Pump Fury 20th Anniversary It is regularly said that the Reebok Insta Pump Fury is a ‘futuristic’ sneaker. So much so that the Pump Fury’s enduring popularity is forever growing and growing. Rarely has a new runner shoe come along and succeeded to this extent by thoroughly dismissing conventional thinking in favour of such a unique new approach. The Pump Fury is both a time capsule piece and a design whose future-tech appeal has arguably yet to be surpassed since the sneaker made its debut over two decades ago.
ine what makes this particular running shoe so special, after its re-release on January 31 2014. First up we have the The Reebok Insta Pump technology that has the ability to instantly inflate via CO2 canister. The OG Firecrackers appropriately came with a Citron charger.
Then we have the Insta Pump Fury’s external bladder construction that is built with a novel tongue. Under the Pump shell, and bracketed by With Reebok Classics about to celebrate the 20th the same kind of polymer clip that adds support at anniversary with the OG colourway, the MR AL- the heel, this is not seen on any other runner shoe. LEN team took it upon themselves to explore some of the details and heritage that make the In- Not forgetting the exposed bladder featured on the sta Pump Fury such a standout silhouette for more shoe. Last year’s GarbStore collaboration took it to than two decades. Let’s take a moment to exam- a new level, but the 2014 Insta Pump Fury already
It is regularly said that the Reebok Insta Pump Fury is a ‘futuristic’ sneaker had a sort of inside-out design. The relatively mini- Many people are calling it carbon fibre, but it is actually mal design placed the personalised fit Pump bladder graphlite that holds together Reebok’s arch bridge deright out in plain sight as the shoe’s uppermost layer. sign on the Insta Pump Fury. This feature allows the shoe to lose 30% of mid-sole volume. This only furthered Another standout on the Insta Pump Fury is the proof that the Insta Pump was a space-age runner. the slip-on design with the Pump finishing off the perfect fit. Along with Puma’s Disc Blaze Graphlite not only made the Insta Pump Fury lightthe year before, these iconic new running shoes er. It also informed a distinctly two-part sole design made for one of the era’s most staple looks. that not only retains its future shock technology, too. With only 48 parts needed to construct the Insta The shoe is most famous in Japan, probably due to Pump Fury, the sneaker comes off the production its futuristic appeal, with sneaker heads over there line and is built like a robot using high-tech machin- celebrating the shoe’s 20th anniversary in great style. ery, meaning the manufacturing process behind the Fury was certainly unlike any other before its time.
www.reebok.com 31
DIADORA B.ELITE III Diadora present a new model of its signature shoe the B.Elite III for SS14. The B.Elite III takes influence from Diadora’s past, utilising premium materials and clean branding in two new exclusive colourways. Available in black suede or white leather, the B.Elite III features a perforated toe box and patent branding on the side panels, finished with the Diadora name stamped proudly on the tongue and heel. The classic silhouette sits on top of a textured white cupsole with embossed Diadora branding and contrasting darker outsole. Wearing the B.Elite will help you showcase the heritage, style and character behind Italian label, Diadora. The signature shoe of eleven time grand slam winner Bjorn Borg, the B.Elite III trainers feature a unique lacing system, with plastic lace loops to add the finishing details to a clean and classic silhouette.
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DIADORA
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FILLING S
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www.gsr nnfillingpieces.com
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WRECK LONDON
WRECK LONDON LUXURY STREETWEAR
BLACK ON BLACK, WHITE ON WHITE AND BOLD PRINTS. IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT WRECK LONDON WAS FOUNDED BY A 17 YEAR-OLD BY THE NAME OF GEORGE GIGNEY. INSTEAD OF WASTING TIME DOING THE THINGS NORMAL 17 YEAR-OLDS DO, GIGNEY AND A FEW OF HIS CLOSE FRIENDS INSTEAD LAUNCHED AN INDEPENDENT STREETWEAR BRAND THAT BEGAN AS A LABEL FOR LIKE-MINDED COOL KIDS, BUT HAS QUICKLY EVOLVED INTO A BRAND WITH MORE THAN YOUR TYPICAL LONDON STREET STYLE AESTHETIC.
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STARTER
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STARTER SPRING/SUMMER 2014 www.starterblacklabel.co.uk
American athletic brand Starter Black Label has released its Spring/Summer 2014 collection. The label, established in 1971, has played a big part in the combining of music and streetstyle fashion and they continue this aesthetic with their latest drop. Available to buy from various mid to high end independents and from starterblacklabel.co.uk. For the Spring/Summer season, Starter new offering is a distinct collection. Taking reference from three influences, the Veteran Summer is fused from post war counter culture, Egyptian astrology on their Hydrometric collection and classic TV hits from the 90s on the Philly Fresh release, Starter has successfully merged pop culture and history as it reveals several pieces that are staples for the gradually warmer season.
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STARTER
Our favourite pick from the new release is the Philly Fresh silhouttes. Starter Black Label brings the 90s back to life with popular with Jazzy Jeff, Biggy and ‘West Philadelphia born & raised’ - the Fresh Prince’s theme song - to produce a loud and proud summer collection. Snapbacks designs include homeage to the 1992 classic movie, White Men Can’t Jump and FIFA’s forthcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Another highlight from the Philly Fresh lookbook is the Coogi x Jazzy Jeff Starter Aztec pattern jacket, vest and hook-up snap featuring all over prints and logo infill. Available May 2014. The Starter Black Label Spring/Summer 2014 collections are available now from stockists and from the brands web store.
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Available online now at MR ALLEN
JILTED ROYALTY
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HENRI LLOYD “MODERN DAY PIONEER” SS14 COLLECTION FEATURING SIR BEN AINSLIE
United Kingdom should be proud to be able to call Sir Ben Ainslie on of our own. After Sir Ben completed his most successful sporting achievement ever sailing in the 2013 America’s Cup in September last year, the sailer returned home to support the brand he calls “family”. The “family” brand he refers is to is menswear heritage brand Henri Lloyd. Chosing to honour Ainslie’s vast amount of achievements, Henri Lloyd celebrates a true “Modern Day Pioneer” with the release of their Spring/Summer 2014 campaign. Inspired by the brand’s rich marine heritage, Henri Lloyd have crafted a beautfil visual campaign shot by esteemed fashion photographer Steve Harries that features brand ambassador Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful sailor of all time - achieving 4 Olympic Gold Medals, 11 World Championship titles and 9 European Championship titles in his career to date.
www.henrilloyd.com
BARCELONA STREET ART
ART
As recently as ten years ago, the Spanish Mediterranean city of Barcelona was known as the “Mecca of street art,� but ever since then police officials there have tried to implement a strict law against graffiti, however, this hasn’t exactly slowed things down. Police may have stepped up enforcement, issuing exorbitant fines for unauthorised tagging on public property but walking through the streets of Barcelona, the number of shops and properties covered in the highest class of graffiti is endless. To the government and most of the older generation, graffiti is vandalism, plain and simple; but to the artists and their admirers worldwide, it is so much more than vandalism. Films produced by Mapping Barcelona Public Art and the indie company, On-Ist Film have attempted to map out the most impressive street art in the Spanish capital.
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London based designer Juliet Nwekenta founded Dee Rosa in 2011. The label takes a pattern approach to streetwear and art to present its beliefs in self expression and individualism. Read our interview with Juliet to find out why she set up the brand and where she looks for inspiration when designing her pieces.
What Does Dee Rosa stand for? Dee Rosa is named after my mum and grandma. Dee is short for my mum’s name and Rosa is my Grandma’s name. You are the owner of Dee Rosa. Do you have a team of designers working with you or is it just yourself? At the moment it is just myself doing all the designs, although I hope to collaborate with other designers in the future What does a “normal day in the office” usually contain for you? I’m not sure that a normal day actually exists? The day varies. Usually I begin checking and responding to emails. I then get cracking on the to-do-list, which could be anything from working on the website, fulfilling and shipping orders, designing, looking for new ways to promote the brand, taking care of the business/financial side of things, answering customer queries. Where do you look for inspirations for your new collections each season? My inspiration generally comes from my love for pattern. The style of my pattern designs are heavily influenced mainly by Nigerian Heritage as well as other cultures. In terms of inspiration for each new collection, I just go with the flow really and just delve deeper into my Nigerian culture and pay more attention to other cultures . I also pay close attention to outdoors and architecture, that gives me a lot of inspiration for pattern designs, too.
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DEE ROSA
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What lights
are of
your highthe collection?
I think highlights of the collection are definitely the Lines Lines t-shirt and the logo tees and sweatshirts. A lot have people really like the Dee Rosa logo. How would you describe the typical Dee Rosa shopper? I think they appreciate good quality and unique design that is wearable. I also think that a Dee Rosa shopper likes to have fun and express themselves in a fun but stylish way. What is next for Dee Rosa, is there anything special we should look out for? What’s next for Dee Rosa are some new releases of the T-shirts, Sweatshirts and Art Prints. We will also be introducing some new accessories and products so watch this space for that.
www.deerosa.com
RADII FOOTWEAR Based in Southern California, US, Radii Footwear - pronounced ray-dee-eye - brings an unprecedented passion for art and couture to the world of high-end footwear and sneakers. Launched in 2008, Radii set out to show people and brands alike that there is no limit to fashion, creative styling, and opportunity. The American footwear brands goal is to exceed the expectations of the current consumer climate by offering quality products, creative concepts, comfort and value, and the popularity of their products show that they do just this. Radii Footwear’s team gets the creative buzz off the principles of functionality and fashion forward ingenuity - whether it be from futuristic designs and materials, to classic styling and detailing, each shoe exudes confidence for the ambitious forward-thinkers of the world. www.radiifootwear.com
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Native Youth Spring/Summer 2014 Collection www.native-youth.com 85
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SURF LIQUOR X SATTA
SURF LIQUOR X SATTA SKATES CRUISER DECK The UK’s Surf Liquor crew has teamed with Brixton’s Satta Skates for this exclusive cruiser deck release. Built by Satta’s renowned wood workers, the hand crafted deck is available in limited numbers. Crafted in a unique wood grain finish, with Cadillac wheels, each of the Surf Liquor x Satta Skates cruiser decks are shaped and stamped with a number from one through 10. www.thesurfliquor.com 98
OTHER
BLOODLINE COLLECTION 99
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www.scottnellis.com 110
AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT NELLIS
How tration I have probably
long and been since
have how
you did
drawing since I knew how
been doing illusyou get into it? I was very to use my
young; hands.
Drawing aside, I have always loved creating things. Whether that be through messing around with computer graphics, writing short stories or banging out some chords on the guitar, creativity has been important to me. For me it’s very much a package rather than just one aspect. Having said that, most of my time these days is spent producing visual imagery over other creative endeavours. At school, I don’t really remember the term “illustration” being used much. It was either drawing, painting, ceramics or graphic design a term which was, in my opinion, very limited in interpretation. It was 2009 when I graduated from the University of Brighton with a BA (Hons) in Illustration, but I guess I have always been an illustrator. 111
Your drawings seem to have a similar theme from project to project. Would you say this is your unique style? Yes. My style has developed naturally over the years and since studying and graduating it has very much become distinctive and recognisably mine. I think some people see styles that they like and then forcibly adopt them. Personally I tend to absorb ideas from things I see and like, before merging them seamlessly, with my own style evolving as I do so. Hopefully this keeps things fresh for the viewer as well as myself. 112
Tell us about the thought process behind your work. Where do you look to find inspiration for your pieces? Sometimes images will just pop into my head and give me a starting point to work from. Other times I may choose a single element or theme and work from there. Music is definitely a massive source of inspiration for me. I love to work whilst listening to music and hearing just a short burst can cause a massive explosion of imagery to erupt in my mind. Sometimes, when I find I’m lacking a bit of motivation - those moments when I have to force myself to pick up a pen - just the slightest touch of the nib on paper; when the first small mark of ink scratches the page, can be inspiring enough to get my gears running and the creative juices flowing. 113
You’ve just ic Minotaur.
launched a What’s the
new site called thinking behind
I wanted to get my teeth into some fresh give myself and my work a new lease of
Manthis? and life.
I wanted to create a brand with a broader commercial appeal compared to the work I’ve been doing over the past few years. Something separate; something where I could lead a double life almost; a new identity! Escapism, if you like? Manic Minotaur gives me a place for my brighter, more jolly work, allowing me to use scottnellis.com as a repository for my darker, more obscure scrawlings. 114
The products on Manic Minotaur seem to have a playful colourful nature to them. Where did the idea for this approach come from? Probably an antidote to the dark, intensely detailed drawings I have produced. It’s really nice to be doing something different and to be working on multiple images rather than labouriously slaving over one wrist-debilitating piece. I have lots of ideas for more products: t-shirts, badges, fridge magnets, homeware, giftware, that kind of thing. And of course I still work tration across both of my
on freelance illusinternet platforms. 115
Finally, if you could do a project with any person, brand or organisation, what would it be? and why? If the surviving members of the Floyd ever reunite and release another album I would definitely make myself available to do the artwork. Hell, I’ll do that for free! Apart from that, album artwork and music orientated work in general will always be something I want to be majorly involved in. 116
www.manicminotaur.com 117
THE HISTORY OF
FACEBOOK On Tuesday February 4 2014, Facebook celebrated its 10 anniversary. It has 1.23 billion users. Think about those two simple facts. A company that did not exist a decade ago now boasts more users than the whole of India has people.
When Facebook began to grow, it was at a time when it’s nearest competitor, MySpace, was thriving. MySpace was addicting, annoying and crammed with a lot of crap – partly because it allowed users to decorate their pages by adding customised HTML code. Facebook on the other hand was a lot plainer and easier on the eye - or dull, depending on the way you look at design. And it was exclusive – you had to be a student at Harvard University, one of America’s most elite universities, to be a member. MySpace was for the cool kids, Facebook was for dorks.
If you wanted a to study in how the internet enables “disruptive innovation”, then Facebook, along with Wikipedia, Skype and the web itself, is a great example of this. Facebook was basically the creation of a single gifted, visionary, who goes by the name of Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg was able to launch the social network back in 2004 because of the way the internet facilitates That soon changed and Facebook triumphed for a what one scholar calls “permissionless innovation”. number of reasons. One of them was simply down to the founder and his insane technical skills and And to think that at the time of Facebook’s launch, visions; not forgetting its early staff, too. To market it wasn’t the first and only social-networking service and helped its growth at launch, the site was fuelled around. The social-networking industry in fact had by the fact that the main preoccupation of Harvard the likes of MySpace (although it has re-launched sev- undergraduates is getting laid; and it used its early eral times since), Bebo, MSN Messenger and more. exclusivity as bait, gradually adding less elite universities before eventually opening up to the world.
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Once it opened up to the world, we began to see the effect of Metcalfe’s law. What this means in todays language, the more users there are, the more attractive it will be to people who are contemplating becoming members of the group. From when its ridiculous fast growth began, Facebook has been the object of debate as to whether or not its a sustainable business from both the financial and media industries. Before its initial public offering (IPO, or flotation) it was mostly about valuation and that valuation was sky high. Since the IPO, it has since slowed and more questions have been raised such as whether it would be able to master the mobile market as it had the desktop world, whether its worldwide growth could continue, and where the nature of its business model would take them.
ple that helped Facebook grow into this mammoth social network and influential business, these particular people are often known as “teens”. d just entered the abandonment phase and that its user base would soon decline rapidly. Facebook didn’t let this get to them, as three of their top researchers, who first skewered the methodology used by the academics, before applying it to online data about Princeton. “In keeping with the scientific principle ‘correlation equals causation’,” they concluded, “our research unequivocally demonstrated that Princeton may be in danger of disappearing entirely.”
Today though, the most relevant question is not whether teenagers will abandon Facebook, but whether its recent adoption by adults will result in Zuckerberg reaching his vision of owning “the world’s social graph” – the network of humaniThe media frenzy tends to come from the peo- ty’s online social connections. Only time will tell. ple that helped Facebook grow into this mammoth social network and influential business, these There’s no doubt that Facebook’s monitoring of its usparticular people are often known as “teens”. ers is paying off, and in big bucks – as evidenced by its quarterly results, released at the end of January 2014. Since its launch, it’s no secret that Facebook’s growth The company had revenues of $2.59bn (£1.57bn GBP) had been driven by only young people – you know, for the three months ending 31 December – up 63% the type that quickly get bored and move onto new from the same time last year; and for 2013 as a whole it things. The latest figures however, show that it isn’t had revenues of $7.87bn (£4.78 GBP), up 55% yearjust “teeny boppers” fuelling its growth, in fact, most on-year. Its profit last year was $1.5bn (£911m GBP). of these teenagers in question find their parents and even grandparents are now getting into Facebook. Considering an outcast Harvard student created this social-network in his dorm room just 10 years In a technical paper by Princeton University, US, ago, the achievements of Facebook cannot be quesresearchers claimed that joining a network was a tioned. We can’t predict what will happen over the phase towards an addiction, while abandonment next 10 years, but that is because of the unpredictwas a big step to to recovery. They concluded that able nature of the internet. On the one hand, perFacebook haOnce it opened up to the world, we missionless innovation might spring another surprise began to see the effect of Metcalfe’s law. What this on the world. After all, software designing is real means in todays language, the more users there clever-stuff and there’s no shortage of new startups are, the more attractive it will be to people who are in the profession. This is why many online platforms contemplating becoming members of the group. make use of Andy Grove’s motto – “only the paranoid survive.”. Put simply, the future of Facebook From when its ridiculous fast growth began, Face- depends on a mix of Metcalfe’s law and the ability book has been the object of debate as to whether of the internet to create another disruptive platform. or not its a sustainable business from both the financial and media industries. Before its initial public of- To many people, both young and old, they considfering (IPO, or flotation) it was mostly about valua- er Facebook to be the WHOLE internet. Some tion and that valuation was sky high. Since the IPO, people have the internet just to use Facebook. it has since slowed and more questions have been raised such as whether it would be able to master the This is Zuckerberg’s achievement and mobile market as it had the desktop world, wheth- the effect he has had on the internet. er its worldwide growth could continue, and where the nature of its business model would take them. The media frenzy tends to come from the peo123
GADGETS
STELLA AUDIO COUTURE PILLAR
Another addition to the increasingly growing high-end stylish wireless speaker family. This cylindrical creation from Califorinian tech firm Stelle Audio is a standout from the average, however. With its 2.1 system, twin 1.5 inch acoustic drivers and one three-inch subwoofer, a built-in microphone, the Couture Pillar is packing some serious heat. Coming in at just 30cm high with an 11cm diamater, the 15 hours playback you get from each charge is an honest offering. The chassis of the speaker comes in four colourways white, black, silver and bronze. www. stelleaudio.com
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GADGETS
LG 55LA740
This 55-inch Smart TV might not be the cheapest on the market, but with its looks, narrow bezel and sculptured pedestal, it’s one of the best looking on the market. Boasting a fully geared up TruMotion processor that keeps fast motion crisp and gives impressive HD images. There is also the option to stream content from compatible Android devices using NFC. Gamers are also treated to LG’s DualPlay viewing for simultaneous full-screen, two-player player. www.johnlewis.com
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GADGETS
PANASONIC TZ60
Small in size but incredible big in terms of performance. This Panasonic TZ60 compact camera packs a 30x ultra zoom. Switch to Intelligent Zoom mode and that stretches to 60x, with no less of photo quality. It’s 24mm wide-angle Lieca lens comes with a high-sensitivity 18.1 megapixel sensor and rapid autofocus. www.panasonic.com
SENNHEISER HD8 DJ USA’s Sennheiser present their flagship fold110 able headphones aimed at DJ’s and producers. With a sturdy low end that makes good use of beat-matching, the soft cushioned ear pads keep any externail noise out. No release date has been annouced, but we’ll keep you in the loop www.sennheiser.com
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GADGETS
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE PRO This 12.2 inch stylus tablet from Samsung is something out of another world. The Samsung Galaxy Note Pro boasts a 2560x1600 higherthan-HD display, this dwarves another of its competitors, a 1.9ghz quadcore processor with an impressive 3GB RAM to outpace others, too. It runs on Android’s latest OS, 4.4 KitKat so it’s got plenty of impressive UI features. www.samsung.co.uk
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CARS
BMW 4 SERIES COUPE New BMW series’ don’t come around all that often, so when they do, rightly so they get people on their feet. The 4 Series is no exception. BMW has added improved steering, more responsive suspension and a lower centre of gravity to its latest model. The 4 is a step away from the 3 Series in terms of appearance, too. A much wider car than its predecesor, visual improvements such as the “glasshouse” tapers to the rear make the the wings appear even broader, whilst the channel along the sides fades nicely into the wing.
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CARS
ENGINE 420d is powered by the same 181bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel as the 320d. Its peak power comes at 4000rpm. BMW claim it takes 7.5 seconds to reach 0-62mph and a top speed of 149mph. The six-cylinder 3.0-litre engine is the most impressive with its 7000rpm range, although the fuel consumption would cost silly amounts.
STYLING The 4 Series Coupe is a style statement. The new swept-back lights and flowing proportions make for a much better looking model than the 3 Series. SE models come with 17-inch wheels, xenon lights, black vents and the BMW kidney grille. Buyers of the car have an option of ÂŁ3000 ‘s worth of upgrades to make it stand out even more on the road.
DRIVING Sitting 3mm lower than the 3 Series saloon, the 4 Series has the centre of gravity of any BMW model made. The 4 Series comes with added rear track, plus springs and dampers that have been tuned specifically for the Coupe. Sharp, fast and accurate steeering is matched with a high quality rear-wheel-drive handling balance.
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GIRLS ON INSTAGRAM
Amy Willerton missamywillerton
Thanks to selfies and Kim Kardashian with her raunchy photos, Instagram has become the ultimate places for girls to show off their assets. We bring you a bunch of new hotties who are going to bring your phone back to life for 2014. Lucy Mecklenburgh lucymecklenburgh
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Ashley Sky ashleysky
Alyssa Arce miss_alyssaarce
Emily Ratajkowski emrata
Charlotte McKinney charlottemckinney
Sam Faiers samanthafaiers1
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Billie Faiers billiefaiersofficial
Denise Schaefer deniseschaefer
Mirgaeva Galinka mirgaeva_galinka1
Anna Herrin annaherrin
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Jasmin Walia jasminwalia
Claudia Dean claudjdean
Lauren Loretta laurenloretta
Luiza Freyesleben lulufreyesleben 133
VR Tapalpa House by Elías Rizo Arquitectos
Located in a secluded area near the town of Tapalpa, Mexico is the VR Tapala House. Built by Elías Rizo Arquitectos, the design of the house was driven by the desire to allow it to connect with the outdoors and to converse with its regional context using a contemporary vocabulary: the building affords ample views and is accessible through various entry points, while its stark geometry is expressed with local materials and rustic finishes that were executed with precision. The house appears as a horizontal element inserted in a forest that is surrounded by pines and oaks. The building’s front façade is an opaque one that has few openings. At the back of the house, however, the walls become windows to allow natural daylight in and to take in the views of a large turf lawn and the landscape backdrop beyond that. A long circulation axis that runs north to south bisects the house’s rectangular footprint, while a wide entry vestibule splits the building transversally and mediates between the private and public areas of the house. The construction of the building consists mainly of a series of masonry walls built from stone of local extraction. The north side of the house is roofed by a concrete slab while the public areas are sheltered by a tiled roof atop wood decking, supported by a series of wooden beams. Aside from the ceiling on public areas, wood is also used on cabinetry, on window frames and as sheathing for the master suite block. Steel accents are visible in various places throughout the house, like the stair railings, the roof planter-parapet, and the frame at the open end of the second floor volume.
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MUSIC
SAM SMITH - When it comes to picking the annual BBC poll, the Next Big Thing, BBC has a pretty impressive record of hand-picking future stars. In the years since its launch, the poll has predicted big things for a handful of major artists, including Adele, Ellie Goulding, HAIM, and more. For 2014, industry figures and music critics placed their bets on a 21-yearold singer-songwriter who is best known as the voice featured on Disclosure’s breakout single “Latch,” that voice belongs to Sam Smith. Smith can also be credited with providing the vocals to Naughty Boy’s 2013 hit “La La La.” Smith is signed to Capitol Records and released his debut EP, Nirvana, in October 2013 via PMR Records. He has since released his debut single “Stay With Me” and the infectious “Money on My Mind.” Watch out for Smith’s debut album In the Lonely Hour, which is set for release on May 26.
CHLOE HOWL - Making her breakthrough in the closing months of 2012 with “No Strings”: Chloe Howl’s teen rant about one night stands that combined everything we used to love about the social, cheeky upbeat pop music that we used to look to Lily Allen and Kate Nash for. Howl then followed up with her Following the success of her Rumour EP, which lead to her being asked to support the likes of John Newman, Bastille and Alex Clare. Huw Stephens, Zane Lowe and Annie Mac are amongst her fans, and so are we. The Maidenhead singer released another EP titled”Paper Heart” which is a must download.
MUSIC
ELLA EYRE - Rudimental’s number 1 single “Waiting All Night” helped to introduce Brit School gradute Ella Eyre to the world. The 19-year-old spent the most of 2013 on tour with Rudimental, and claims this gave her a “head start” as she released her Deeper EP. A bunch of willowy blues-infused songs built around Eyre’s distinct husky vocals. The Londoner’s music is inspired by Motown, but influenced by the twisted soul of the likes of Gnarls Barkley, it has already picked up plays on Radio 1, 1Xtra and more. Mistajam says “Ella’s voice is so soulful and powerful, she could sing the contents of the phone book and it would still move you. She’s the truth!”. The Virgin EMI Records singer has also just announced her first headline tour for March 2014, she will play Manchester, Birmingham, London and more before finishing up at Nottingham on March 18.
SAMPHA - Hailing from South London, Sampha has already racked up an impressive list of collaborators that include Drake, SBTRKT and Jessie Ware. His distinctive vocals are like no other, although this hasn’t stopped people comparing Sampha will legends such as Michael Jackson and Tracey Chapman - two artists he has claims are influences on his own music. As a solo artist, Sampha has recently released his first official EP, Dual.The six track offer ing quickly recieved rave reviews from the music industry. The 24 year-old also released his own version of Drake’s “Too Much,” much to the delight of all of his fans.
IMPRINT
EDITOR IN CHIEF Ashley Allen
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO Laura at Rich London PR
PUBLISHER Ashley Allen
Camilla, Terry and Olivia at Cube Company PR
ADDRESS MR ALLEN 50 Richmond Avenue Ilkeston Derbyshire DE7 8QY
Craig, Lucy and Kerrie at Radiator PR
FEEDBACK & CONTACT editor@mr-allen.co.uk
Mark, Jordan and Chris at Haddon PR and all of the brands that advertised in this issue.
Thank you to everybody that made this issue happen.