NO. 03
magazine
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR DREAMS
BY ALVARO NOVARO CLOTHIER FOR MEN & WOMEN 704-332-0230 143 brevard ct, Church st btw 3rd & MLK Charlotte, NC 28202 www.limjerbou.com/myspace.com/
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who is blü founder/publisher/photographer nico amortegui nico@blu-magazine.com fashion editor/creative director camila amortegui camila@blu-magazine.com fashion editors carleen shankle mckinna hahn copy editor laine dedmon contributing writers kamila darling ?MYK art assitant/street correspondent sofia bukin contributing photographers anouk morgan _ www.anoukmorgan.com drexina nelson _ www.drexinanelson.com enid valu _ www.myspace.com/enidvalu alex o'neill _ www.alexjoneill.com contributing artists chris watts intern natasha duarte cover credits Photography: Drexina Nelson
Blü Magazine is published quarterly in Charlotte, NC. There are only limited quantities printed of this magazine. We are an independently run magazine, so please show your support by giving us feedback and advertising so we can stay alive. If you would like to be part of our team or submit work, please visit blu-magazine.com for more information. Blü Magazine’s content may not be reproduced without written permission. Issue no.3 _ July - September 2008 3644 card st. charlotte, nc 28205 www.blu-magazine.com www.myspace.com/bluimage
contents
10 art_bloo empire 12 art_oksana badrak 16 fashion_local street wear 18 fashion_beads and kittle-kittenese 24 beauty_summer love 25 fashion_nailed 26 fashion_desert rose 30 interview with dave collier from saturday skateboards 32 street life 33 i like the way you work it... no diggity, bout to bag it up 34 the way you sound 36 fashion_tennis, what? 43 cool kids_blĂź issue no.2 release party at hĂśm please recycle me
contributors
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.01 name: drexina nelson where do you live? atlanta, ga favorite city? new york what are you listening to? stevie wonder cocktail, beer or coffee? cocktail do you recycle? sometimes are you registered to vote? but of course! top 3 favorite clothing brands? d&g, miu miu, and j&co jeans early bird or night owl? early bird how did you contribute to this issue? the swimsuit editorial describe your dream life in one word? happy how would you define passion? passion is something you love do you ride a bike? if so how many times a week? heck no :-) best place to beat the heat? the refrigerator lol... .02 name: enid valu where do you live? concord favorite city? spencer, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like travelling back in time what are you listening too? the tallest man on earth cocktail, beer or coffee? coffee,
saves my life on the road do you recycle? daily are you registered to vote? of course top 3 favorite clothing brands? goodwill, value village, time after time best place to meet people in charlotte? house shows at chalet 2000 worst place to meet people in charlotte? library what is charlotte lacking? roller disco early bird or night owl? i donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what sunlight is how did you contribute to this issue? photos how would you describe your look? lazy and repetitive describe your dream boyfriend or girlfriend. not having one describe your dream life in one word? scotland how would you define passion? fresh strawberry shortcake best place to beat the heat? movie theatre if you could change one thing about charlotte, what would it be? how far apart everything is what wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you change? the diversity of good people.
.03 name: elisa shankle where do you live? brooklyn, new york favorite city? london, baby! cocktail, beer or coffee? beer def (preferably belgian) do you recycle? unfortunately not are you registered to vote? um, no but i will be registering very soon just for obama top 3 favorite clothing brands? philip lim, chloe, jeremy scott best place to meet people in charlotte? house parties worst place to meet people in charlotte? rowdy ass bars what is charlotte lacking? culture from every dimension early bird or night owl? both how did you contribute to this issue? i donated my hand modeling skills how would you describe your look? hot mess describe your dream boyfriend or girlfriend. honest, cool as shit, bomb in the sheets describe your dream life in one word? living how would you define passion? passion is undying persistence
contributors do you ride a bike? if so how many times a week? nope bikes are for wankstas...just kidding more power to bikers best place to beat the heat? camila’s pool if you could change one thing about charlotte, what would it be? the sucky people what wouldn’t you change? the charming people. .04 name: kc where do you live? charlotte, nc favorite city? san diego what are you listening too? emarosa cocktail, beer or coffee? none of the above. do you recycle? yes are you registered to vote? yes top 3 favorite clothing brands? altamont, vans, american apparel best place to meet people in charlotte? through friends worst place to meet people in charlotte? bars what is charlotte lacking? better transportation early bird or night owl? night owl how did you contribute to this issue? photos and what not describe your dream boyfriend or girlfriend. trusting describe your dream life in one word? chill how would you define passion? if you can't live without something do you ride a bike? if so how many times a week? yes, daily best place to beat the heat? pool if you could change one thing about charlotte, what would it be? less traffic what wouldn’t you change? the fact that it's in the south. .05 name: anouk morgan where do you live? amsterdam favorite city? nyc what are you listening too? the breakfast club soundtrack cocktail, beer or coffee? coffee do you recycle? some models i shoot twice are you registered to vote? i will once i hit 18 top 3 favorite clothing brands? balenciaga, k-mart, chloe early bird or night owl? both how did you contribute to this issue? photography of a fashion editorial how would your describe your look? like a boy, random. layered. asexual, un-ironed describe you dream boyfriend or girlfriend. all mine
describe your dream life in one word? www.anoukmorgan.com how would you define passion? www.anoukmorgan.com do you ride a bike? if so how many times a week? yes, every day. i am dutch best place to beat the heat? alaska. .06 name: chris watts where do you live? queen charlotte favorite city? san diego what are you listening too? arizona crickets... cocktail, beer or coffee? naked juice do you recycle? consistently? sure are you registered to vote? it's time for change best place to meet people in charlotte? drunk or sober? worst place to meet people in charlotte? unc-charlotte frat party what is charlotte lacking? more of it's own culture early bird or night owl? i rarely sleep how did you contribute to this issue? making tennis look bad ass how would you describe your look? original describe your dream boyfriend or girlfriend. a girl who was too good for me describe your dream life in one word? interesting how would you define passion? its an act, not a description do you ride a bike? if so how many times a week? a few days a week best place to beat the heat? trestles if you could change one thing about charlotte, what would it be? better public transportation what wouldn't you change? rad happenings like blu mag. .07 name: mckinna hahn favorite city? copenhagen what are you listening too? the ride cocktail, beer or coffee? hot tea do you recycle? of course are you registered to vote? yes top 3 favorite clothing brands? tibi ysl mike and chris best place to meet people in charlotte? harris teeter worst place to meet people in charlotte? cluuubs what is charlotte lacking? condos early bird or night owl? both how did you contribute to this issue? styled nailed, tennis, what? and i like the way you work it, no diggity' bout to bag it up
describe your dream life in one word? carefree describe your dream boyfriend or girlfriend. trustworthy, adoring, fun, eats ice cream and always loved the beatles describe your dream life in one word? freedom how would you define passion? yikes. this just got real do you ride a bike? if so how many times a week? yes. not enough. best place to beat the heat? dq if you could change on thing about charlotte, what would it be? run a river through it what wouldn’t you change? how clean it is. .08 name: little krys (krystin blakemore) where do you live? charlotte, nc favorite city? brooklyn, ny what are you listening to? taken by trees cocktail, beer or coffee? black coffee do you recycle? yes are you registered to vote? yes top 3 favorite clothing brands? d.i.y, kidrobot and volcom. best place to meet people in charlotte? parties, shows, gallery crawls worst place to meet people in charlotte? uptown what is charlotte lacking? an artistic culture early bird or night owl? night owl how did you contribute to this issue? modeled street wear fashion how would you describe your look? i don’t have one particular style, i like to mix things up, especially colors describe your dream boyfriend or girlfriend. someone that’s actually worth my time with generally similar interests, someone that can teach me things and share intelligent conversations describe your dream life in one word? successful how would you define passion? a strong willed love towards something whether it be a person, goal, or career do you ride a bike? if so how many times a week? nope best place to beat the heat? sleeping in past noon or swimming if you could change one thing about charlotte, what would it be? the blandness of uptown what wouldn’t you change? the attention to nature.
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personal showcase
bloo empire Bloo Empire is the art that comes from the lively, vivid, and cartooned imagination of Keeley Carrigan. Still refusing to ‘grow up,’ Carrigan’s art is full of colorful characters featuring animalistic creatures, robots, and even fire-roasted wieners. Check out his work including original prints, t-shirts, and books at www.blooempire.com Was there a defining moment when you decided to become a visual artist?
I think the thing that would come closest to a “moment” was when I took my SAT’s and then talked to my mom about what I had chosen as a prospective career. I chose aerospace engineering because I’m good at math and I figured I could make good money. She told me I shouldn’t choose something based on how much money I would make and that I shouldn’t give up on my art. Yea, I know that’s not something most parents say to their kids, but my mom is cool. Which artists or people do you admire most for their work?
I really like ancient Japanese art, although I’m not big on most modern Japanese stuff. They had the original animal comics. Hokusai is the man. I also really like Jeff Soto, Joe Ledbetter, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup and others in that genre. I like the “illustrator turned painter” types where their art takes on an illustration-type feel. That’s pretty much how I see myself.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your illustrations?
Do you feel that the charlotte art scene is growing? What would you change about it?
Most of the time I get a picture of something in my head and then draw it. Sometimes I will work compositional problems out on paper, but most of the time it goes straight from my head to the paper. I will sit there and close my eyes and see what comes up. After I sketch it, what I do next depends on what the final outcome will be. Most of the time I will redraw the image and then ink it with a brush, scan it, and trace my lines in Illustrator if I plan to do something digital.
That’s hard to say. I actually got my start in the gallery world here at a place called Dig Dug’s Pop Art Emporium. I never painted before, but Lee, the owner, asked me to do a show and I started to paint. I sold some stuff; so I just kept it up. As far as changing something to have a successful art scene, you need people willing to support it on both ends. A lot of times people come (out to shows) and then just hang around outside drinking the free beer and not buy anything. That’s not to say that I haven’t met some great people who are very supportive of the cool things that people try to do here. I guess my art just doesn’t go well with people’s couches or something…yipes!!
What kind of commercial work have you done?
I’ve done A LOT of t-shirt design lately. I’ve done various works for local companies like Muzak and Studio Banks. I’ve done some things like t-shirt and toy design for companies overseas. I think my favorite job was when I got to illustrate some of my robots for some kid’s Nike shoes. That was really fun. Is there a difference between the commercial work you do and the personal?
Yea, a little. Much of the difference is content. I try to market myself as an illustrator with a specific style. I usually turn down jobs that won’t let me do what I do, but normally people come to me to let me do my thing. I try to model myself after people like Gary Baseman in that respect. They don’t hire him to do a portrait of their dog in another style.
What feeds you for inspiration, ideas?
My main source of inspiration is my screwed up imagination. My work generally comes from things I see in my head while going about my day. (Al) though everything around me makes me think of things, so I guess the world around me feeds my imagination. I also think my reluctance to “grow up” has a lot to do with it as well.
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What styles do you most identify with?
Probably “cartooney” styles mostly. I have become more interested in some abstract styles like Franz Kline’s, but I always relate those back to the cartooney stuff. Do you have a favorite character from your designs?
I enjoy drawing my animal type characters doing crazy things. I don’t know. I really like drawing all of my characters.
What shows or projects do you have coming up?
The biggest project I’ve got coming up is my Bushido Bots project. It’s about samurai robots living on a robot planet, but it’s nothing like any other robot planet you’ve seen. There aren’t any cogs or springs on this planet. I read a lot of articles from this MIT magazine, so it incorporates a lot of things like nanotechnology in completely fun and whacky ways. It started out as a pitch to Cartoon Network, but then another company optioned it and it’s starting out as a web property. I just completed my first comic book for it, and I’m hoping it will expand into toys, clothes, and more comics. At least that’s what the plan is. It’s supposed to be a creator driven project, so my hope for it is that I can keep a more personal, “handmade” feel to it even though there is a large company behind it.
art
art
Oksana Where are you from? Moscow, Russia
Where do you live now? Los Angeles, California What does your name mean? I’m not sure exactly. According to one name etymology source, Oksana is a Byzantine name, which apparently means “hospitality”, or “gracious host.” According to another source, it means “a guest” or “a traveler.” What is your (artistic) background? Both of my parents are creative people: dad - a choreographer, mom - a theater designer. They have fostered my artistic path since I was a child. I received my formal training at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Ever since graduation I’ve been working as an illustrator. How did you get involved with Thumbtack Press? Tony Blair, the founder of Thumbtack Press just wrote me an email one day inviting me to be a part of the project. I happily joined, as this has been a great way for me to make the work available. Do you mainly do illustration? Yes. The majority of my work is editorial illustration, some advertising. Even when I create personal pieces for gallery shows, I would still call it illustration. What is your process? What media and programs do you use? I think I’ve used everything in my art bin to create the work that I do, although my main technique is oil painting on treated digital print. My #1 digital tool is Adobe Illustrator. Sometimes I use Photoshop and Maya to build 3D elements. How would you describe your style? It’s a schizophrenic monster born of various inabilities. When I was at Art Center I had a hard time deciding if I wanted to paint or
make digital work, so my teachers encouraged me to find a way to incorporate both in my illustration. What leads you to your color choices? Hours and hours of staring at the screen. Do you do any industrial design? Have you designed any toys yourself? I have been involved in bringing new toys to the market, but the initial concepts were not mine. One super fun toy I was involved with is Pixelblocks. I did some extensive R&D on it and created packaging illustrations. I’ve also had a chance to put my graphics on a Qee Toy, which was a blast as well.
Do you work differently when a piece is commissioned versus you creating it for “art’s sake”? I try not to, but when I have to take someone else’s art direction, there is a little less room for happy accidents. When I work on my personal pieces, I feel like I can take more risks and that’s a very liberating feeling. Based upon the client, the creative process is the same. Each end of the spectrum requires just as much thought and integrity. (It seems) you have some photographs mixed with illustrations. Are you the photographer? What could be mistaken as a photograph in a small reproduction is actually an oil rendering, except maybe one piece I can think of (Great flood #3) in which I am making a reference to an actual family photograph. I try to take my own photo reference to paint from, but sometimes I end up buying stock footage if I am unable to take a photo myself.
Badrak
You make nature supernatural. Tell us more (please). Nature is supernatural at times -- at a certain hour of day, or in a certain light, or in a very special corner of the earth. It just freaks out sometimes; makes me stop and analyze what exactly makes it appear that way. I just try to reflect those instances I’ve seen. What are your inspirations and influences? Traveling to distant lands, snack packaging I can’t read, weathered objects, white walls and empty spaces, animals and plants, sleep. Japanese prints, Russian animation, Flemish paintings, and vintage advertising posters (are influences). Who are your heroes? Yuri Gagarin in the company of Laika, Belka, and Strelka (the first dogs in space), my teachers Rob Clayton, Jason Holey, Tony Zepeda and Jeff Smith, my grandma, my assistant Tim Coultas. The list can really go forever, as I am in constant awe of human beings. Is there anything else you wish our readers to know? I break for my darling chinchilla named Guinness and my Pomeranian, Lola. Oh, and I am also having a solo show, which opens on May 31 at a Los Angeles gallery called Black Maria.
You have real objects/people in unexpected venues/situations. Tell us more about that. I like to create pieces that have friction between its inhabitants and their surroundings. I think that way the narratives become more open to the interpretation of the viewer, which is important to me.
For more information go to www.badrak.com
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art
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bl端 picks style
local street wear
1.
Dress: Petal. Shoes: Lotus
3.
Shirt: Hong Kong Vintage
Dress and shoes by Lotus
5.
American Ap-
Shirt: Boris and Natasha
1. Boris & Natasha. 704.375.0079 2. Lotus. lotuslook.com. 704.332.2047 3. Hong Kong. hongkongvintage.com. 704.334.0538 4. Petal. shoppetal.com. 704.516.2010 17 blĂź magazine
Photography: Alex Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill. Models: Krys and KC
fashion
bead and kitt 18 bl端 magazine
ds d kittletenese Photography by Anouk Morgan www.anoukmorgan.com Makeup: Imke Zuidema Hair: Imke Zuidema Clothing/stylist: Sophia van den Hoek
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fashion
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beauty
One hot summer, 5 hotter essentials Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Wash & Wear, $22, Limited Edition only at Sephora and sephora.com. As much as we all love summer, the heat can be the cause of some pretty gross (and I mean gross) hair situations and there’s not always time for the long, hot shower you know you need. Enter Frederic Fekkai’s Summer Hair Wash & Wear, a slim shampoo spray that can easily fit into your bag or your car’s glove box. Water is absolutely unnecessary for the spray to give you shower fresh hair, so you can fool everyone around you to think that you’re way cleaner than you really are. Another plus: Summer Hair Wash & Wear contains a UV ray blocker that fights off the summer sun’s intense rays. Don’t get too comfortable though, Summer Hair Wash & Wear is limited edition which means when fall rolls around you’re going to have to start washing your hair like a normal person again. Damn. Philosophy Pure Grace Foaming Bath and Shower Cream, 16oz, $22, Sephora and sephora.com. After spending time in the summer heat, nothing feels better than taking a long, hot shower. All of Philosophy’s bath and shower products smell amazing and pretty much any of them would make you feel amazing but the one I’d like to draw attention to is Pure Grace. While I love all the creative bath and shower scents on the market, sometimes I just want to feel a simple, old-fashioned kind of clean. Remember being a little kid and how taking a hot bath would make you feel like a brand new person? That’s what Pure Grace is like. To add to its quaint charm, Pure Grace can be used as a bubble bath, a body wash, or even a shampoo. DDF Organic Sun Protection SPF 30, $28, Sephora and sephora.com. Let’s face it, sunscreens and sun
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By Kamila Darling
blocks can be annoying. The greasy feeling, the rubbery fake coconut smell, it’s just plain gross. However, we all know how important sun protection is and thankfully DDF has created a sunscreen that’s actually pleasant. The sunscreen provides a high level of protection and is also organic which means it's better for your skin (and is also probably the reason it doesn’t stink). The DDF brand is renowned for providing products that are safe for sensitive skin and the sunscreen is no different. It’s also safe for children. DDF is the dream sunscreen. You have no more excuses not to protect your skin this summer. Clinique After Sun Rescue Balm, $18.50, Sephora and sephora. com, Belk, Nordstrom. The sun just seems to hate some people. Seeing as how the sun doesn’t really change very often (except to get hotter), sometimes sunscreen is not enough. Clinique has created an awesome after sun balm that soothes and calms sun exposed skin. The balm prevents sun damage and aging and feels rejuvenating. It’s also oil free, so it won’t break you out. Calvin Klein Eternity Summer, $52, perfume & cologne for women and men, Limited Edition, Sephora and sephora.com, Belk, Nordstrom. Calvin Klein’s Eternity is a scent that’s been loved by pretty much everyone since its introduction years ago. Both the perfume and cologne have a crisp, green scent that evokes feelings of youthfulness and timelessness. For a limited time only, Calvin Klein has introduced Eternity Summer for men and women. Like the original, Eternity Summer is green and fresh with more floral notes for women and more woody, citrus notes for men. Light and breezy, both scents are perfect for all of those summer days or nights.
Nailed
Nails by: Haley at Polished Nail Bar and Spa. www.ipolished.com Photography by Enid Valu. www.myspace.com/enidvalu Styling by Mckinna Hahn. Makeup by Elizabeth Tolley. Hand models: Elisa and Sofia
fashion
Printed Swimsuit by Hermes; Printed Kimono by Hermes; Sunglasses by Chloe for Solstice Sunglass Boutique
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DESERT
ROSE Photography by Drexina Nelson/www.drexinanelson.com Art direction: Phyllis Nelson Photo assistant: Carla Brown Styling: Victoria Katsikis. www.victoriaandolive.com Styling assistant: Lila Brown Model: Sonia Daria for Elite Model Management Makeup: Jami Svay for Directions using M.A.C. Cosmetics Hair: Beautii Joseph
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fashion
Swimsuit by Betsy Johnson; Floral swim cap by Victoria Katsikis for Victoria & Olive
Swimsuit by Juicy Couture; Floral vintage scarf for Frock of Ages; Vintage swim cap for Frock of Ages; Ring by “Made Her Think” for Blue Genes 28 blü magazine
Swimsuit by Juicy Couture; Floral vintage scarf for Frock of Ages; Vintage swim cap for Frock of Ages; Ring by “Made Her Think” for Blue Genes
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stoked on
Saturday
An interiew with Dave Collier, from Saturday Skateboards and Ink Floyd As a young kid growing up in California, I can remember having all day to focus my time on my second true love – Skateboarding. As I got older, with family, school, and girls, I only had a few hours to ride my skateboard. Saturdays were the best days. All my friends skated with me, most businesses were closed, and my curfew was mad late. It was the best time growing up and skateboarding. I was expressing individuality doing my own thing with my crew and loving Saturdays. Back in 2003, I went to a launch party for a local skateboard company by the name Saturday Skateboards at Stateline Skatepark. The launch party was a good time with support from the locals and the positive things Saturday was starting up here in the Queen City. Now with 5 years under their belt, Saturday is putting out quality domestic produced decks, original art graphics, a skate team, and a side hustle printing company by the name of Ink Floyd. I got to catch up with Dave Collier, the head honcho at Saturday Skateboards, and got to know more about the brand. Also, taking me back to when I was a kid and things were simple again. Two words: Saturday and Skateboarding.
for someone else and feeling unfulfilled. I started Saturday because when I wasn’t working, I was out skating with all the local rippers who I respected for their crazy skills and commitment to skateboarding. Their talent and drive inspired me to come up with a skateboard company that they would be stoked to ride for. Luckily they were all down with the name and the logo and wanted to get behind it.
How did Saturday get started? It was early 2003, and I was getting increasingly bored with the corporate jobs I took after college. None of them were all that fun or satisfying. But I learned a lot and developed a lot of skills along the way – marketing, branding, graphic design, web design, etc. Eventually though, I just got tired of working
What is Saturday’s mission statement? The “official” mission statement is: Saturday Skateboards is a skateboard company owned and operated by actual skaters. We aim to produce the highest quality skateboards and apparel while striving to support and grow through ‘core skate shops around the world. Through everything
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What made you start your own company? I guess I was just crazy enough and passionate enough about skateboarding to start a brand. But also just not wanting to look back on my life, thinking about all the things I wanted to do or COULD have done, but decided to be a corporate guy instead. That would suck. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with a corporate life, it’s just not for me. But now, if I dropped dead tomorrow, I’d be stoked on my life. We get to push all our friends who are so talented in so many different ways - the skaters, the artists, the photographers, the filmers, and all the other people who wanted to get involved and get their names out there at the same time. That’s one of the best things about running this whole gig.
we do, we promote the enjoyment, adventure, and growth of skateboarding. The unofficial mission statement is to be original, stay positive, keep skating, and never stop. I remember the launch of the brand at Stateline Skatepark...where have the five years gone? Yeah, I remember you rollin’ up at the first one! It’s been nothing short of total madness these first five years. I used to think my life was pretty hectic, but now it’s like a Marshall amp with a volume dial that goes up to 14. We’ve learned so many lessons along the way, especially business lessons. But it’s all good. It’s part of the process. I’ve heard you have a snowboarding background, can you tell us a little bit about it? I got into skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing over 20 years ago and it’s been a love affair ever since. My brother and I got snowboards back in 1985 and got way into it. For me, it was just an extension of skateboarding. I grew up in Banner Elk, NC, so there were ski resorts nearby. This was back when Burton Snowboards was a fledgling company trying to get ski resorts to even let people ride snowboards on their slopes. By the early ‘90s I was competing professionally and traveling the globe. In ‘96 I lived in Japan for a year to compete in the Nippon Open Boardercross Series. I also got to coach snowboarding in the summertime on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Who else is a part of the Saturday daily operations or chaos? Mark Brooks has been an integral part of Saturday’s development since the beginning. He is production manager, brand ambassador, team manager, and ramp builder.... so skilled in so many things. Bill McRight had always collaborated with us from the get-go. Now he is the Art Director and creates all the illustrations for boards and apparel. Richie McCorkle is our head photographer and always captures amazing images. There are a few other close people that we pull in periodically, but it’s a pretty tight crew overall.
Who does the graphics? Bill [McRight] is the art mastermind. He came on as Art Director last summer and we’ve since developed a cohesive aesthetic for the brand. We collaborate really well and I totally dig his original, organic style. He just got a write-up in Juxtapoz, so we’re really stoked for him. What other companies are run out of the Saturday warehouse? Back when I was working out of my loft, I invested in screenprinting equipment to have more creative freedom and faster turnaround for Saturday apparel. Eventually it got to the point where other companies, non-skateboard related, were asking me to print their apparel, so it made sense to roll it out from under the Saturday umbrella. Ink Floyd was born and we run it out of our warehouse. Now we get to print shirts for a lot of rad companies we might never have had the opportunity to do business with. It’s worked out well. I hear a video is dropping soon. Our first promo video “Brodeo” actually dropped last year. Where you been? [Ha-ha] It was so fun putting it together and we still enjoy it when we watch it now. It captured the “fifteen minutes of fun” kinda’ vibe we wanted, so we’re stoked on it as our first video offering. Hopefully we can put another one together soon, but it takes a lot of time and travel to develop a video that you want to stamp your brand name on; so we’re not going to rush it. What’s next for Saturday Skateboards? More steady cultivation. It takes several years to cultivate a brand in the skateboarding industry. You can’t rush things and you can’t force it. So we’re stoked to just keep enhancing what we’re doing with the brand on all levels - dropping more original, art-forward graphics, traveling to meet more of the core skateshop folks who buy our boards.... doing more trade shows.... and continuing to have fun doing what we love. www.myspace.com/saturdayskateboards
interviewed by ?MYK
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street life
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City Supply Company. 704.625.3586.
Susan Bijl www.susanbijl.com Pura vida. www.puravidaart.com
Pura vida. www.puravidaart.com
I LIKE THE WAY YOU WORK IT, no diggity, 'bout to bag it up
the way you sound
an interview with five of the best dj's in Charlotte
shawn aka blngxbdgt
cody thomas aka buckmaster
1. where are you from? the twin cities/land of 10,000 lakes/ minneapolis, minneasota 2. years in charlotte? living here for two years...but have been coming to events here for five years. 3. give us a brief rundown on your djing experience? djing for five years. i have a residence at tutto mondo’s every other sunday for slzy sundays, along side your dirty habit and buckmaster, and every second saturday with your dirty habit and buckmaster..i help put on street value( http://www.myspace.com/streetvalueclt), a monthly at jarrell affair, and slzy prsnts at prevue 4. where did your dj name come from? a magazine article...but ultimately its a way of life..doing what you do with what you have and coming out on top basically is what bling on a budget means. 5. who are you listening to? switch, solid groove, proxy, laidback luke, la riots, ocelot, designer drugs, treasure fingers, crookers, shinichi osawa and my headphones. 6. favorite clothing brands? fuct, fresh jive, american apparel, so tragic, supra, nike, rocksmith, wesc, stussy, street local, kill dozer, levis, the joneses 7. do you still use vinyl? yes, the classics are on vinyl. 8. how do you feel dj tools such as serato skratch live have impacted the artform? it’s turned djing on its ass. it’s a gift and a curse...now every person with music and a laptop thinks they’re a dj. but it’s good because now my record box is way lighter. 9. what do you do when you’re not djing? how about work, play nintendo wii and xbox and find new music. 10. what do you think charlotte lacks? a good touring band schedule...i’m tired of seeing good bands and indie hip-hop acts go to chapel hill and asheville and never come here. also a proper venue for smaller shows. 11. do you go out much? got any favorite bars, lounges, or clubs? if i decide to go out it’s to...tutto mondo, dolce vita, liv, sanctuary. 12. who or what inspires you? music, friends, family.
1. where are you from? rock hill, sc 2. give us a brief rundown on your djing experience? i was always a drummer, since i was nine. i ended up going to college for it and playing in various hardcore and metal bands. then i met a lot of people and started going to parties and wanting to control the music and getting into new music. now i’ve gotten to travel most of the east coast and midwest and have a blast doing it. 3. where did your dj name come from? a good friend of mine and i wanted to start djing together and he always kept a buckmasters neon orange hunting hat. he got back into making awesome art and skating and it stuck with me. 4. who are you listening to? holy ghost!, lifelike, bart b more, pnau, alan braxe, hercules and love affair, ladyhawke, fred falke, tons of others but i’ve really been in love with the softer side lately. 5. favorite clothing brands? corpus, cheap monday, pegleg, creative recreation, surface2air, mishka, apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur 6. do you still use vinyl? nope but i learned on it and i can! 7. how do you feel dj tools such as serato skratch live have impacted the artform? serato is great! carrying records around is not! i’m not a strong guy... lots of people that can’t dj try to dj with software, but i also have a dear friend that pretty much is limited to software because of his condition, but he’s still an awesome dj. 8. what do you do when you’re not djing? sleep and make a mess. try and hang out with old friends. try to make music, but i end up checking myspace a lot. 9. what do you think charlotte lacks? nothing really, it’s keeping the momentum that i’m more concerned about. the fun is here but a lot of people just haven’t found out about it yet. 10. do you go out much? got any favorite bars, lounges, or clubs? i try and make it out to as much as i possibly can really but i’ve been pushing traveling lately. tutto mondo, jarrel affair, and prevue where i have residencies. i enjoy hom and am beginning to warm up to the forum. 11. do you plan to live in charlotte forever? not at all. 12. who or what inspires you? everything
www.myspace.com/blingbudget
www.myspace.com/thebuckmasters
stephen warwick aka dj wiiz kid 1. where are you from? charlotte, 2. years in charlotte? all my life except for a brief stint in los angeles...very brief!!! 3. give us a brief rundown on your djing experience? i’ve been djing for thirteen years. i was always fascinated with the hip-hop and breakdance culture of the 80s, so when a friend got a set of turntables, i picked up djing pretty fast, got a job at a record store, started getting booked around the southeast, and it’s grown from there. 4. where did your dj name come from? it came from how skilled i am on the ones and twos [laughs]. and yes i misspelled it on purpose. get over it. 5. who are you listening to? nicole atkins, the parlor mob, french kicks, vampire weekend, mgmt 6. do you still use vinyl? only when i’m at home listening to the classics. 7. how do you feel dj tools such as serato skratch live have impacted the artform? not sure how to answer this. i guess the simple answer would be that it makes good djs great and great djs awesome. it doesn’t take any of the talent out of djing, it just gives djs a whole new set of tricks. but how they use them is a reflection of their skills. 8. what do you do when you’re not djing? work out and sing/play guitar in the band secondhand stories. 9. do you go out much? got any favorite bars, lounges, or clubs? i have my moments. you may catch me partying or djing or both at the forum, alley cat, phil’s, snug harbor. 10. who or what inspires you? the old school, the middle school, the new school.
www.myspace.com/djwiizkid
arthur henry brouthers IV aka arthur bros.
diarra mayfield aka d.r.
1. where are you from? charleston, sc 2. years in charlotte? 5 years 3. give us a brief rundown on your djing experience? deep, sexy, funky house early on. electro, tribal, and progressive house during peak hours... with some good vocals thrown in here and there. 4. where did your dj name come from? dear old dad i suppose. 5. who are you listening to? sonic youth, pixies, radiohead, fugazi, interpol, deadmau5, booka shade, john dahlback, joey youngman... 6. favorite clothing brands? j steger, modern amusement, 7 diamonds, english laundry, do, diesel 7. do you still use vinyl? about a quarter of the time. 8. how do you feel dj tools such as serato skratch live have impacted the artform? djing is much more convenient with serato. it’s what i use primarily; however, the digging experience and the value of hard-to-find tracks is almost non existent now. my grandmother could find choice tunes these days. 9. what do you do when you’re not djing? eat, drink, paint, graphic design, frolic outside. 10. what do you think charlotte lacks? unity, more enthusiastic dancers, better sound systems, colorful dressers, a good art school... fingers crossed we’re on our way! 11. do you go out much? got any favorite bars, lounges, or clubs? sure... hom, loft1523, pravda. 12. do you plan to live in charlotte forever? no. 13. who or what inspires you? family, friends, music, road trips, motivated people, success.
1. where are you from? philadelphia, pa 2. give us a brief rundown on your djing experience? i started a residency at fat city in 2000. from there i began branching out to other local lounges and clubs at that time (cafe cafe, liquid lounge, tonic, cafe da da, the moon room). great places that are no longer here. you newcomers missed it... 3. where did your dj name come from? it came from my real name which is diarra. i got tired of breaking down the pronunciation of my real name and just used d.r. now that people know, please stop calling me dj doctor. i hate that. augghhh! 4. who are you listening to? i listen to everything really. i’m a big j-dilla fan (r.i.p.). his production is just on another level that no producer can touch. period. 5. do you still use vinyl? of course. that’s all i use. probably the only one out of everyone here who still does. i’ll get serato eventually. until then it’s vinyl all day baby! 6. how do you feel jd tools such as serato skratch live have impacted the artform? well, it’s helpful for the pros and people that understand the art form. it cripples the newcomers who don’t have a clue about djing. how are you going to get someones hard drive of music and have thousands of songs but only have knowledge of about 20% of the music? that’s what’s happening, and it makes for a bad experience in the club or lounge for the listeners. 7. what do you do when you’re not djing? making beats. actually i’m a producer/ beatmaker first, and a dj second. i’m the producer/ dj for my group the others. 8. do you go out much? no. got any favorite bars, lounges, or clubs? if i do go out i’ll go to feast/ hom/ liv whatever you want to call it. i like the vibe there.
www.myspace.com/brouthers
www.myspace.com/themightyd
36 bl端 magazine
Photography by Nicofoto Styling by Mckinna Hahn Hair: Sparkle Hill Makeup: Crystal Clark Models: Kate, Logan, Hannah, Rachel, Jordan and Mike at Wilhemina/Evolution Type treatment by Chris Watts Women's bathing suits by Old Navy unless stated otherwise 37 bl端 magazine
Sneakers by Nike at Niche. www.thenichemarket.com
38 bl端 magazine
Top by Forever 21; bottom by Banana Republic
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blĂź magazine party at hĂśm. may 1st, 2008
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