CONTENTS 028
Bronx X 123Klan
032
Nyctinasty
036
Center Of Gravity
The french creative studios amazing world of design.
VOLUME 4 2011 contents
Features
022
New Releases
024
Event Recap
026
Sounds
040
Vicente Sisters
Converse Chuck Taylor X DC
The Fashion Academy Manila
A refreshing breath of fresh air in this worlds era of manufactured acts. Nyctinasty keeps it rock n’ roll.
Anticipated follow up albums, old artists in new projects, the turning point approaches in the generations music.
Sister act.Marija & Gail dance with the canvass. Education & their show Bad Manners.
Enter the surf skate lifestyle shop Center of Gravity. Good pocket friendly shop for your surf fix.
Cover Story
072
They Make You Stand In Line
Sneaker designers who made an impact on the culture.
078
Sneakers Dictate the Color Dress like a pro with your sneakers taking the lead.
084
Kaching
adidas ZX 800 Footpatrol
The
Progress
046
Fiona Rochford X Adidas Superstar “Head Porter”
056
088
Sneaker Selection
Sneakers to satisfy the hunger in you. Eat up.
094
Paraphernalia
These gears are as important as your lunch money. Rock em’ right.
103
The Parties You Missed adidas 24. Fashion Week. Energie Press Preview. 3rd Sanuk Sand Castle Contest.
www.msclavel.com
2011 FOUR
Staff and Crew EDOUARD CANLAS editor-in-chief
HANIKO
associate editor
YENTOWNKID & CO. concept and design
DALEMATIC GARCIA design consultant
SAM KIYOUMARSI photographer
EDGAR BANSALE
operations manager
KEVIN CABANBAN
sales & marketing
SOL VELASCO
advertising account executive
BERNIE GONZALES
sales & distribution officer
contributors ARYAN MAGAT NIX PERNIA SEBASTIAN TAY MIKE MENDOZA HECTOR YUZON JOHN ESTOQUE CAMILLE BANZON CHO DANTES
MSCLAVEL 2011 BOYBRIGHTBOY MULTIMEDIA CORP. info@msclavel.com 703-2531
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
surplus / black
the trooper 3-button mic exchange trucker hat fuller bi-fold Zip Wallet the magnacon the 51-30 turf backpack
log on to www.msclavel.com to view the complete nixon spring/summer 2011 collection
manhattan portage is available at ua.
is located at the 2nd level of greenbelt 3, makati city contact no. 501.3274
new release
Converse x DC
What does it take for potential to be recognized in the fickle world of fashion? FFrom the outside, looking in-it would seem that would one require a brightright to be part of this industry; and that’s on top of having the innate talent and eye for aesthetics. In truth, hard work takes more merit in the quest to make it. The high-gloss aesthetic and whirlwind glamour that surrounds the industry is merely a facade to the highly technical and creative industry that requires
026
The Diversity of Fashion
about modeling, design, photography and beauty. Featuring seven specialized curriculums focusing on Photography, Make-Up, Hair Creatives, Fashion, Styling, Modeling, Artists’ lab and Personality Enhancement, the academy provides a platform by which an inherent skill can be developed through practical application.
The fashion world is a diverse industry— and The Fashion Academy intends to bring it all together under one roof to become a springboard for anyone who is passionate
“The classes will equip students with the right tools as well as the necessary knowledge, experience and insights through mentors who are considered to be
those who are serious about it to roll up their sleeves and get in the trenches. But for the first time, aFashion Academy is taking on the task of teaching the artistry behind it, in the hopes of cultivating a new generation of industry professionals.
THE FASHION ACADEMY MANILA professionals in the business,” says Center Manager Cindy Arguelles - Lichauco. More individualized learning platforms are available to help students develop their unique and personal style; while specialized classes in personality enhancement are included in the academy’s Executive Series which is a strong suit not just for fashionistas, but for any serious career professional in any industry.
Where
Fashion
and
Art
Gather
To mark this pioneering initiative, the grand opening of the Fashion Academy Manila has brought together the most prominent names in the industry to launch the artwork of multi-awarded photographer Xander Angeles, with guest creative director, Raymond Gutierrez. The exhibit, a rich showcase of photography, graphic design, light and fashion, will be displayed in The Podium. Sunset cocktails will be served at the culminating night to commemorate the show.
“The evening was a milestone for the Philippine fashion industry—where esteemed names and personalities joined us to celebrate the artistry behind fashion. We hope this serves as inspiration and encouragement for those wanting to enter the world of fashion to come and give it a try. It may just be the best decision of their lives” ends The Fashion Academy’s Creative Director Xander Angeles.
Earth, Angels of Darkness Demons of Light 1 Southern Lord)
Friendly Fires Pala XL
With their reverb-soaked, despondent guitars and dozy rhythms, Dylan Carson's revitalized Earth always seemed the ideal sonic complement to a picturesque through through barren localities. But while the band's previous album, The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull, sang of comprehensive areas and colossal skies, this, their sixth studio album, has a more claustrophobic, funeral feel – Robert Frank rather than Ansel Adams, maybe. The addition of Lori Goldston's cello – her stringed buzz a homage to Carson's drone metal history - is the crucial dynamic, adding intensity, essence and passion to an already lush mix, especially on the unsettling and striking “Father Midnight”. This is Earth's most well conceived body of work to date – dazzling and startling stuff.
Friendly Fires’ post-debut mission statement promised to inject carnival into indie’s desolate guitar-trampled landscape, and it’s with accounts of some of 2009’s most must-watch festival appearances that they are back. This new album sees St Albans’ most booming modern export undertake deeper into their live terrain. Entitled after Aldous Huxley’s book, Island – which is about Pala, a condemned utopia lit up by frivolous drug use, trance conditions and tantric sex - it’s no revelation that Friendly Fires’ new record calls to mind cloud nine from its very core, only the type leaned in festival fields. No doubt, Pala will shed the nets wider for album sales, but it isn’t a standard summer hit that’s adds gravity, sustaining shock even after repeated plays.
Alex Turner Submarine (OST) Domino
“Live Those Days Tonight” is a tempting sample of Mardi Gras percussive electro pop that brings the early 90s rave days down from their platform. “Blue Cassette” has a chorus that explodes through a signature silence and drop - a refreshing chill factor for sun-soaked bodies during the intense sun-soaked times.
With a triad of Arctic Monkeys releases and an commendably exploratory leap into the Scott Walker and Leonard Cohen predisposed music of the Last Shadow Puppets under his belt, it is apparent that Alex Turner is continuously growing as a song writer in an affirmative radiance. He has more profundity, more wisdom, and most significantly, more poise. While Submarine is the complementary soundtrack to Richard Ayoade’s comingof-age film, it’s practically healthier to just regard this as a solo Alex Turner EP. While traditionalists might contend that a soundtrack has to serve as an adequate counterpart to its film, in this case there must be an exception, as Ayoade didn’t even permit Turner to watch Submarine prior and during the songwriting process of these six tracks.
Bragging about being heftily influenced by ’80s teen stars like New Kids on the Block might be a haughty pretense to crash into, but Britain’s Friendly Fires in some way makes it look fine. Even more than their 2008’s eponymous first album, which teased its dance floor hooks with elements of Duran Duran and Franz Ferdinand, Pala seems like a remarkable way to get the party started, complete with wiggly, disco bass lines and undertone-free lyrics like “All I want is to feel true love.” The outlook is a bit clunky, but who gives a crap, when the tracks are splattered with such a clammy, silky application of pop gloss? Not to mention mislead out with enough blink-and-you-miss-it musical arrangements to make past releases sound virtually minimalist by judgment. While those strips of noise are constantly unanticipated - the hat-tips to Daft Punk on “Hurting,” the rebellious “Born Under Punches” rhythms on “True Love” - the gazillion shrink-then-explode instances can feel a little robotic. The title track is impeccably placed, then, both to give a pause from the continually propulsive beats, and as evidence that Friendly Fires can repeat Junior Boys’ sensual brood when it’s necessary.
“Stuck On The Puzzle” and “Piledriver Waltz” are the most upfront tracks. However, by being direct to the point, they should not be disregarded in any way. These are probably some of the most strikingly gorgeous songs that Turner has ever written under any nom de plume. “Piledriver Waltz” (which is rumored to come out in a more predetermined version on the Arctic Monkeys’ forthcoming Suck It and See), is an almost effortless thing, but it’s Alex’s innate aptitude for melody that communicates a vast gist of honesty and sentiments. This is the same recognized flair that made “Cornerstone” so flawless. Almost crooning, he sets up the scenario for a dejected love making reservations at the proverbial Heartbreak Hotel. “Stuck On The Puzzle” sees Turner in an alien state of affairs, his voice meekly drowning over a desolate piano, drum and bass. While it’s alien, it definitely feels at ease; something which can be credited to his indisputably development as a singer. Where Alex Turner used to be a practical mutterer, pardoned by a lyrical proficiency and the allure of his northern accent, he is now an effective singer, able of using his voice to highlight a song.
The Vaccines What Did You Expect from The Vaccines? Columbia Keenly plugging the modern void of distinguished U.K. guitar bands, this London four-piece derives on the Jesus & Mary Chain legacy of charming early ‘60s pop’n’roll merged with acerbic punk squalor: “Wreckin’ Ball (Ra Ra Ra)” is an 82-second lob of adrenaline cast iron to make Billy Idol dance with himself; “If You Wanna” lives up to its Ramones-worthy title with a cesspool of rigidity, while “Post BreakUp Sex” seems designed to embellish a million remorseful mix tapes. Brit rock badly needs a huge new band to win the accepted fancy. Though hyped by the music press and soaring too quickly, this London-based band do not have the farsightedness to correspond that specific status. Yet their first album is straightforwardly wonderful, cooking up an odd half-hour of heart-speeding indierock, with shades of The Strokes and Glasvegas, and captivating songs in large amounts.
Kate Bush Director’s Cut Fish People Despite containing redone versions of songs that initially released approximately twenty years ago, Kate Bush recognizes her Director’s Cut as a new release in and of itself. And she is entitled to: there’s a texture and homogeneity about the 11 songs (seven from The Red Shoes, four from The Sensual World) which is reminiscent of her work on Aerial, and which gives the album an identity completely its own. This is mainly because of her having to re-do all the lead vocals, which has forced a more affectionate, more insightful feel on events. The most noticeable difference is on the album closer “Rubberband Girl”, where she comes off peculiarly stifled: the original out of this world barks are absent, ditto Jeff Beck’s flamboyant guitar, substituted with an inconspicuous harmonica groove that aspires for more spellbinding impact - as too does “The Red Shoes” itself, whose enthralling mandola groove is jolted along by gently throbbing drums. Incongruously, though less gaudily discarded, Kate’s vocals here better bring to mind the feel of control in the dance.
My Morning Jacket Circuital ATO “Power, do you know how it works?” So asks Jim James, alt-rock’s most intelligent mountain poet, in the middle of the turbulent gothicblues progression of “Victory Dance.” If there’s any rock group in the world that is aware of the definition of power, it’s My Morning Jacket, a five-man group that flourishes, more than anything, on the roar of five men playing instruments in unison in a studio. But Circuital, MMJ’s sixth album, is in the main first-rate for all except delight. Recorded in a church gym in the band’s hometown of Louisville, done frequently in live takes with nominal overdubs, Circuital was glorified in previous interviews as a homecoming to their crude, reverb-heavy Southernrock roots - the type of stuff they crafted to perfection on first gems like At Dawn and critically acclaimed breakthrough It Still Moves. But MMJ are in a distinctive mindset here, employing the taut, well-built production presented by Tucker Martine as a launch pad for their most impressive album to date. Sure, it wouldn’t be a My Morning Jacket album without a few showstoppers — the title track is one of their most heroic accomplishments, a Radiohead-ish guitar arpeggio mutating into country-flavored strumming and elongated soloing. But a more archetypal contribution is the meticulous, ornate pop of “Out of My System,” which rises on Carl Broemel’s pedal steel throb and Bo Koster’s transcendent synth bleeps. Their last studio fulllength, 2008’s Evil Urges, was a storm of detached eclecticism - the distorted disco-metal of “Highly Suspicious” and appealing acoustic daydream “Librarian” still come off like odd album mates. Circuital is almost as extensive, merging the eccentric ‘70s soul of “Holdin’ on to Black Metal” with teary piano waltzes (“Movin’ Away”), touchy psychedelia (“You Wanna Freak Out”) and acoustic paradise (the spectacular “Wonderful”). But this time, the fragments essentially come off as one album.
All the new renditions are lengthier than the original versions, some significantly: entirely re-recorded, “This Woman’s Work” has virtually increased by twofold in length in this latest, more subdued version. Originally conceived for the film She’s Having a Baby, and often utilized in TV soaps since then, this unearthly re-envisaging unbinds the song from those links, permitting it to fly free anew. A correspondingly successful reworking has been done to “The Sensual World”, here renamed “Flower of the Mountain”: deprived of the use of Molly Bloom’s soliloquy from Ulysses in the first version, Bush was this time given approval by James Joyce’s estate, and the outcome is astonishing. With her vocals up close and comfortable, the surging echoes are mesmerizingly transfixing, as Uillean pipes glide with recklessness about the softly fidgeting groove, stroked with string-pad synths. Elsewhere, the computer ballad “Deeper Understanding” benefits from a less frail, more amorously arrangement, while the equilibrium between Eric Clapton’s guitar and the flute keyboards and vocal arrangements of “And So Is Love” seems much more finely defined in this new manifestation. That song’s fundamental meaning (“We let it in, we give it out/ And in the end, what’s it all about?/ It must be love”) could endure as the theme for the collection as a whole, which makes up the latest of Kate Bush’s chains of probing of the spirit of love, both physical and spiritual. It’s her strength, and it’s a subject which she has discovered to articulate in music as much as in lyrics. Even when abruptly spitting out “Don’t want your bullshit, just want your sexuality” in “The Song of Solomon”, the concentration to consistency in the arrangement of harp, piano, humming synth and Bulgarian vocal arrangements builds a subtle web beefy enough to convey her wish without breaking the song in half. That recipe of soothing caress and hardiness is an exceptional blesisng indeed.
Girls Who Kick It – Hard and Nasty In a gig scene saturated with hipsters, overbearing druggies, rowdy punks and overpackaged girl-fronted acts, Nyctinasty emerges as one of the few solid, well-rooted bands that continue to create decent music without any gimmicks at all. Nyctinasty keeps it true even when it comes to their appearance- no make-up, no mid-gig touch ups, no outfit coordination. What makes Nyctinasty so inspiring that they don’t care about how they should look. They just want to make good songs and perform as musicians who love the craft more than the fame and the stylings. Producing a well-thought of sound, Nyctinasty proves that a group of girls can level it up with big rock acts without needing publicity stunts to get the sound out there. “Tonight is the height of all the brilliant things that I want to believe in”, writes vocalist and guitarist Noodle Perez in the song Downside Risk, whose lyrics narrate the theatrical adventures of youth’s expressive spring tide. Lead guitarist Pat Garcia also has a lot to offer, with impressive and complex riffs that each tell a different story. Drummer Nikki Cuna’s jazz background adds a medley of layers to their sound. Levi Reyes’ energetic bass lines glue all their individual tones into one refreshing harmonic union. After more than six years of playing in the underground scene and surfacing from undisclosed management issues, Nyctinasty recently released their debut album Camping Indoors. The album was recorded at Tower of Doom Studios where almost all the industry behemoths turn to to immortalize their craft. With a sweet Macbeth-sponsorship deal, a successful debut album and a new single coming up, Nyctinasty’s all-girl arsenal is all geared up for the future- and they’re pretty sure they still won’t be wearing make-up on stage.
Tell us the history of Nyctinasty.
How did you score the sponsorship deal with Macbeth shoes?
NOODLE: Noong 2004 to 2005, kami pa lang ni Pat. Meron kaming two band mates pero hindi nag-work out, tapos dumating si Levi and si Nikki. So parang pagtagal, naging okay yung pagja-jam, pati yung friendship na rin at yung sa iba-ibang trip na music, ang ganda lang ng kinalabasan.
NIKKI: Dati kasi nasa management kami, so sila (ang) naghook-up sa amin. Thankful na rin kami na until now kahit wala na kami sa management, sobrang bait at accommodating ng Macbeth. Hindi pa rin kami nila tinanggal kahit umalis kami sa management. Hindi sila mahigpit eh. Trust-based ang relationship namin. Ngayon sa Macbeth, si Melvin (Typecast) ang tumutulong sa amin.
When did you realize that Nyctinasty’s music can take you places? LEVI: Ngayon medyo hindi pa rin namin nafi-feel na ganun. Feeling ko kasi, underground pa rin kami. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na may exposure na. Ang pinakamalapit na pakiramdam dun siguro nung kinakausap na kami ng mga local bands na pinapakinggan namin talaga, na pinupuri kami sa ginagawa namin. Siyempre kasi, ang mga musicians mahirap i-please, lalo na kung magaling talaga. Inspiration na rin sa amin yun. And your individual influences and group influences are... NIKKI: Iba iba eh. Dahil nanggaling ako sa Hidden Nikki, naaappreciate ko rin yung mga jazz tulad ng Vital Information. Yung mga drum and bass din. Nerve, mga ganon. Nakikinig din ako ng Toe, tapos ibang post rock din, This Will Destroy You. Common influences naming lahat (are) Coheed and Cambria, Lamb of God, Rufio, Poison the Well at siguro, Mae. NOODLE: Gusto ko yung pambatang pop punk. Nung nakinig na ako ng mga Coheed at Rufio, parang medyo naging okay yung paggitara at paggawa ng riffs. Naimpluwensiyahan ako ng todo doon. Nang nakilala ko sina Levi, iba rin yung tinutugtog nila kaya okay rin. PAT: Punk. Pero simula noong nakinig ako ng Coheed, parang naisip ko, pwede pala gawin ‘yun. Hanggang sa nagsimula na ako maghanap pa ng mga ibang banda. Kung ano yung maganda para sa tenga ko, pinapakinggan ko. LEVI: Siyempre, Mae, Coheed, Between the Buried and Me, Copeland, Dead Poetic. Madami rin eh! Pero yung mga ganoong range. What is the concept behind the album Camping Indoors? NOODLE: Pag nakita ng tao yung art, lalo na yung mga drawing katabi ng mga kanta, sasabihin nila, “Ay, siguro ganito kwento niyan...”, so nakakaaliw. Mga 2008 namin nakilala si Pejie kasi gumawa siya ng artwork para sa amin. Kami naman, parang “Ang ganda! Gusto mo ito na lang pang-EP namin?”. So siya rin yung gumawa ng art sa EP. Two years in the making yung art sa album. Hindi pa tapos yung mga kanta, sinasabayan na niya yung paggawa. Ine-explain ko sa kanya yung mga kanta at naintindihan talaga niya. So hindi siya basta-basta lang.
NOODLE: Wala rin silang requirements. Walang “Kailangan mo tumugtog dito para bigyan ka namin ng shoes” o kahit na anong ganun. What are the highlights of Nyctinasty’s career so far? PAT: Pinakagusto ko yung wala na kaming manager. Kasi sobrang free na namin. Hindi kami inuutusan, yung tunog namin hindi pinapapalitan. Dati kasi parang “Dapat ganito, dapat ganun” para magustuhan ng mga tao. Tumutugtog lang naman kami kasi gusto namin, so pinakamasaya itong wala na kaming manager. Sa ngayon kasi, medyo matured na kami, hindi katulad ng dati. NOODLE: Yung mga tours. First time ko makatugtog outside Manila. Paborito namin Baguio. Ang sarap kasi iba yung pagkain, iba yung ugali ng mga tao at iba rin ang reaksiyon ng mga bata. LEVI: Noong nag-release yung album. Kasi sobrang hirap ng pinagdaanan namin in terms of money and other stuff. Naging pressure, muntik na kami mag give-up, pero nailabas. Yun ang peak namin kasi talagang nagtulungan kami, hindi ibang tao gumawa nun para sa amin, mula sa paggawa ng music, sa replication, kami lang. NIKKI: Album launch. Nakakatuwa kasi ang daming dumating, mga kaibigan, mga fans, mga taong natutuwa talaga sa tugtugan. Nagtrigger sa akin ang idea na kahit anong mangyari, nandiyan pa rin ang mga talagang sumusoporta at tumutulong na tao. Advice to all-girl bands who are trying to make it. NOODLE: Malaking advantage na girls tayo, kasi iba ang creativity natin. Dapat siguro take advantage of that, na mas sensitive tayo, na mas marami tayong feeling na kailangan i-express. Gawin niyo sa pamamaraan ng music. NIKKI: Ituloy niyo lang (ang) pagbabanda, wala namang mawawala. Huwag kayong mahiya at kung meron mang manglait sa inyo, ‘wag niyo na lang pansinin at tumugtog na lang kayo. Tumugtog kayo for all the right reasons, hindi para sumikat o para magbihis ng maganda o hapit. PAT: Wag kayo maging mahiyain. Walang mangyayari kapag naging mahiyain. Maaapektuhan ang pagtugtog niyo. LEVI: Siyempre iba pa rin ang babae kahit may equality sa music. Naco-compare talaga eh. Wag na lang nila pansinin yung mga comparison, baka balang araw lalalawak rin mga utak nila. Wag magmayabang, yun ang sisira sa inyo. Stay humble at pag tutugtog kayo, magsuot kayo ng comfortable clothes. Baka masilipan kayo, alam niyo na. Basta dapat ang aim ninyo sa industry ay dahil gusto mo talaga tumugtog at wala ng iba. Kung ang gusto lang ay magpaganda, mag-artista na lang sila. (laughs)
Check out Nyctinasty’s music here: www.Facebook.com/Nyctinasty www.last.fm/music/Nyctinasty www.MySpace.com/Nyctinasty
Street Style from the Center of Gravity
True to its name, Center of Gravity is a store where function and style falls into place and meld together. Located at F-130 Forbestown Road in Fort Bonifacio, the store carries exciting brands which include Nike 6.0, Nike’s official skate brand, Hurley, Converse and the hot new surfing lifestyle brand, Insight51. CoG boasts of lines of exclusive kicks and apparel hot enough to lure one inside the shop and reach for their wallets to make a purchase.
One would instantly embrace the superfluity of vibrant, earthy colors and styles of CoG’s selection that suits the trendy suburban skater’s swag or the tropical surfer’s vibe. From artisan skate shirts to quick-dry Hurley board shorts and denim dresses, Center of Gravity is not only a place for shoes. Their exciting line of exclusive skateboarding and surfing apparel evokes the vibe of an active and stylish lifestyle, on the beach or in the streets. Will Viologo, one of the proprietors, stresses that CoG offers the style of the contemporary skateboarder or surfer, mixed with the sensibility of a budget-conscious shopper.
Why Center of Gravity? We carry Nike 6.0, and one thing I try to find in common among all these sports is for the athlete to perform these tricks and difficult performances, they have to be close to the center of gravity. When you say athletes, which kind do you mean? Skaters, surfers, skiers, BMX riders... those are the sports that Nike 6.0 personifies. All the Nike 6.0 shoes actually cover the six different action sports like skateboarding, BMX-ing, skiing, surfing, wakeboarding and longboarding- anything that has to do with a board and a bike. Tell us the history of the store. The three partners started The Outlet People, where Center of Gravity is under. We have seven other outlets of Nike and Converse stores and we were asked by Nike Philippines to open this concept store that includes Nike 6.0, Hurley and Converse, which is kind of similar to the ones they have in the States, except we added Insight51 to our brand. So basically, we’re a concept store housing those four brands right now. Why this mix of brands?
premiere action sports brand. And we carry a pretty extensive line of Nike 6.0, more than other stores there. Let’s talk about the designs. How do you pick the ones that go in the store? As far as clothes, trends are very important, as well as quality. I think you’ll find our Insight51 apparel are priced very well compared to other similar brands. We have bikinis retailing for PhP1600 for the set, the kind that normally sells for PhP2400 to PhP4000. So, our pricing is very competitive. It’s one of the things that I consider. With Nike 6.0, you can’t go wrong it. They cover a wide range (of shoes) from casual to sporting kinds, for wakeboarding and skateboarding. Our age gap is from 13 to late 20’s. That’s our market right now. We’re getting a lot of people from college and even going beyond college wearing our shoes and our apparel. So that’s a good sign. How do you let people know what’s in store for them? Right now, we’re really emphasizing on our Facebook and our website www.cogphils. com. Pretty soon, we’re going to have all our products advertised on our website.
I don’t think many people know that Nike owns Hurley and Converse. It’s all under Nike- that’s why we’ve been asked by Nike Philippines to see if we’re interested to open such a concept store. As far as Insight51, it falls in the same category of surfing and lifestyle apparel. Insight51’s look is a good addition to the kind of taste we offer.
When do you release new designs?
Do you have products available elsewhere?
Do you plan to carry local brands?
that
aren’t
Insight51 is carried in some stores, but not the whole line. We have the whole line here, and for Hurley, too. There’s no other store that carries the full line of Hurley apparel. Nike 6.0 is a strong brand that we want to emphasize. Nike is pushing it to be a
For shoes, it’s definitely a seasonal thing. Every season, Nike and Converse will come out with new designs. Likewise for Hurley and Insight51, they also come out with seasonal apparel as well. Our store is very up-to-date.
As of now, not yet. Perhaps in skateboarding equipments. There are some local manufacturers of skateboards and longboards and I’m looking into that. But for now, no local apparel or nothing like that. Everything is imported.
Are you sponsoring particular athletes? We’re just starting to. I recently sponsored an employee of mine. His name is Kiko Miley. He’s pretty popular in the longboarding community and he’s placed in the top 3 in the past few events. Other than that, I’m still looking for other athletes to sponsor in wakeboarding or more longboarders and surfers as well. How do you choose who you want to sponsor? It’s how they perform and their character. Kiko Miley has a very good character, goes to a good school, a very good kid. He actually worked for me so that was a good sponsorship. As far as anything beyond that, I haven’t really looked too far yet. Very soon, though. Future plans for CoG? So far, it’s been going very well. Hopefully, by the end of the year we’ll look for other locations to open a new CoG branch. What can we expect from CoG in the future? We’re very happy with the addition of Insight51 because of the cost. Price point, it is very exciting. They also have very upto-trend designs for the ladies. For Hurley and Nike 6.0, they will always be here, being part of the Nike family. You know you’re going to have exciting designs every season without fail. What sets CoG apart from other stores who sell skating, surfing and biking gear? We don’t carry any gear outside of long boarding gear, but most of my apparel is lifestyle apparel for skaters and surfers. Five words that best describe CoG. Active. Fashionable. Young. Adult.
Price-conscious.
Twiggy Ramirez & Cartography It was night time at the UP Fine Arts building. Magazines, art materials, scraps of paper and half-done paintings scatter around the room. We found young visual artist Marija Vicente relaxingly seated at a corner poring over her thesis. Her face was nicely made up, her wavy hair neatly cascaded down her back. She had a dainty voice reminiscent of Amanda Page’s. Like their maker, Marija’s paintings are colorfully and uniquely rendered in neon shades, while portraying mostly subjects of gore, angst and missteps. With her finicky eye for details, her subjects look almost incredibly real, and although they are generally dark and violent, Marija never takes anything too seriously. The important thing, it seems, is to learn to learn to play with the downside of life. Gail Vicente, who is four years older than Marija, is more conventional and structured. Her interest in cartography and grids inspired numerous replicas of what looked like landscapes. Gail’s paintings are more cryptic. A viewer should either take time to apprehend flashes of meaning. Or one could simply opt to randomly stare at the collage of strange images. As she puts it, various events seem to happen in one frame. Gail uses her stint as an art teacher in Poveda to develop and enrich children’s appreciation of visual arts. What anchors the two of them together, no matter how conflicting their styles and views are, is their shared history. Out of the tragedy of their personal lives, they are able to come up with something good through their art, something promising. And it is indeed a rewarding experience to make and talk about art with someone who understands you genuinely. Just like how it is with sisters.
What kind of shoes do you look and go for? Marija: Mahirap, kasi maliit ang paa ko eh. So hinahanap ko kung meron ba sa size ko. Kung may boots, size seven, kaya pa rin ‘yon. Gusto ko bumili ng Doc Martens simula bata pa lang ako, high cut na brown. Leather boots na may sintas. What about sneakers? Marija: (Noong) High school ako, lagi na akong nakaChucks. Nung sophomore night namin na formal, ako lang ang pinayagan mag-Chucks. Pero naging maarte ako nung high school, bumili ako ng high heels kasi nahawa ako sa mga barkada ko. Marija, tell us something about your show “Bad Manners”. Marija: Kasi noong panahon na iyon, nagmi-minithesis pa ako. Una ko siyang solo show. Ayaw ko talaga siyang maging contrived dahil biglaan lang din akong niyayang mag-show noon. Ayaw ko naman siyang gawing sobrang on the spot, yung kaya lang ng brain ko noong panahon na iyon. (laughs) Gail: Naalala ko galing din sa visual diary mo, eh. Di ba ‘yong mga taong nagsusuka, mga kaibigan natin? Marija: Ang idea lang, parang ang itsura ng mga tao (is) like making fools of themselves. Portraits lang din iyon. Natatawa ako sa mga tao na ang wacky lang sa tapat ng camera. Natatawa ako sa idea na hindi nila masyadong sineseryoso ang sarili nila. Kung ano lang ang natural sa akin. Yung sa visual diary lang, parang drawing lang din ako ng drawing ng mga tao. There’s a drawing depicting a person lapping up milk from a cat bowl. Marija: Si Gail lang yun tsaka si Paquito, yung pusa namin. Wala na akong mai-drawing noon. Nag-iisip na lang ako ng funny moments. Nag-combine lang ako ng references. What about Krusty? Marija: Parang mas juvenile pa, mas infantile pa ang pinapanggalingan niya. Mas naiintindihan ko siya habang nagpa-paint ako, ang mga angst ko dati noong bata pa ako, naintindihan ko lang din ang sarili ko. Pinanggalingan noon ang angst ko nung bata ako, ang daddy issues ko. Sa picture yata, psychology siya ng mga bata na parang hindi mo maintindihan, at the same time, hindi ka ganon ka-detached. Naalala ko doon sa Krusty, ang ghost ng childhood ko, bumabalik ngayon. Parang vanity lang din naman ang ginagawa ko pag nag-a-art ako. Parang gusto ko lang din mag-make fun ng daddy issues ko. You are an avid listener of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. How does music affect your art? Marija: Sila ang dino-drawing ko dati, ‘yong mga crush ko. Drawing ko, si Twiggy Ramirez. You’re currently doing your thesis. What’s the concept behind it? Marija: Sinimulan na naman tungkol sa tatay ko. Ganon pa rin nag-start. Pero nag-point siya towards sa Oedipal complex, parang lahat nag-make sense din. Gusto ko nga gawin noong una, simple lang na representation ng katawan bilang subject of abjection. Ang addiction, doon ako nag-concentrate. Masyadong
malawak din kasi ang abjection. Ang abjection concept sa psychoanalysis, parang nagsimula siya sa pagpapanganak na parang ikaw, pag-transgress mo ng connection sa nanay mo, separation from the mother, tapos doon nanggagaling ang takot sa mga butas so parang kunyari nga, kung ico-connect ko lang sa thesis ko na galing sa inside pero it can be like anything na parang that comes out of your body. But it can also be more than that. Puwede nga siyang parang symptom ng society. It can be anything. Specifically, sa body ako nag-concentrate. Dahil favorite ko i-drawing ang injuries ng katawan dahil sa childhood- my father! (laughs) Parang bumabalik din siya, mas broad na puwede kong pagtuunan. Lahat naman sila, nag-co-connect sa personal lang din. You were painting over magazine covers for the thesis. Marija: Medyo unexpected din ‘yong sa magazines. Ayaw ko rin mag-focus masyado doon sa mass production and consumer society stuff kaya ineerase ko din ang mga text, ang mga brands tsaka ang identifications, ang words. Ang words nga rin ang ano eh, hindi nga niya supposedly ma-describe ang abject talaga. Wala talaga siyang equivalent. Ang words nga ang nag-se-separate, yung sa illusion na civilized tayo. Malaki ang nagawa ng language para doon. Yun yung paradox sa abjection. Hindi mo siya ma-explain so parang tinatanggal ko rin lahat ng text don. Walang ibang nag-influence doon sa image na nakita mo. Now that you’re graduating, what do you plan to do with your art? Marija: May upcoming shows ako kaya kailangan ko pa rin gawin talaga ‘yon. Gagamitin ko pa rin ang thesis ko. Ang nakakatawa doon, siyempre kakagraduate ko lang, parang fresh lang ang feeling na parang student pa rin ako. Gusto kong mag-focus sa tactics ng mga art students, mga lazy tactic sa pagbeat ng deadlines. What makes your works different from Gail’s? Yet, what are the similarities? Marija: Pareho kaming may daddy issues. Kaya kami nag-co-collaborate kapag dating sa topic na iyon. Nag-a-agree kami most of the time. We have that connection, coming from one family and having the same experiences. Gail, what’s that painting about? (points to a painting portraying a rocky landscape painted over by an outline of what looks like a creasy face) Gail: Sabi nga nila, para siyang melting face. Work in progress iyan, hindi pa tapos. Hindi ko pa nga alam kung tungkol saan ‘yan. Parang kino-collage ko lang din ang mga iniisip ko. Hindi pa talaga siya tapos. Now you’re more focused on teaching art, right? Do you still do shows often? Gail: Ngayon, medyo marami akong ginagawa, teaching at archiving. Yun ang pinagkukunan ko ng income ko. Pero apart from that, I try pa rin as much as possible mag-practice. Nagdra-drawing, nagpapaint. You took up Art Education. Gail: Basically, medyo na-brainwash lang din ako na ang painting, hindi siya practical profession. Yung dapat may income ka na mas mapagkukunan mo ng regular, kaya pinili ko mag-Art Ed. Yun ang compromise ko with my mom. Iniisip magastos, hindi practical na profession, parang sobrang middle class na thinking.
How do your experiences as an art teacher contribute to your art? Gail: Pareho pa rin, kasi nagagamit ko an sa practice ko. Ang pagtuturo ko naman, hindi siya traditional na classroom setting, nandoon sa alternative or progressive side ng education. Kapag weekends, nagtuturo ako sa Poveda, and nag-a-archive din para kay Ringo. How are your students? How do children take visual art? Gail: Malulupit sila kasi ang napili ko ngang area, nasa early childhood education. Bata pa lang, i-try mo na ilabas ang artistic side nila, so basically, you try na i-open ang door na ‘yon for them without thinking naman na parang “ang batang ito, magiging artist ito paglaki”. Tinuturuan ko sila ng visual strategy. Pwede rin silang maging architect o engineer. Marija: Di ba sabi mo pag painting ang activity, nagkakagulo ang mga bata? Para silang nagiging monkey, para silang nagiging hyper? Gail: Yun nga ang maganda roon. Parang tinuturuan ko lang sila maging messy in a way na parang okay din ‘yon. That way, mas nae-enjoy nila ang art. Hindi nila naiisip na may right way of doing art. Ang okay sa mga bata, hindi ka puwede mag-impose ng anything sa kanila. You seem to be fond of landscape replicas. Gail: Mapapansin mo para silang may geography or cartography na pinanggagalingan. Mahilig ako mag-collect ng landscapes and maps. Google Earth, mga ganon. What is it about maps that enthrall you? Gail: Kasi, di ba, ang maps, para siyang may grid? Natuto kasi akong gumamit ng grid in drawing or in painting. Ang map, mas abstract ang gini-grid niya. Do you have a favorite painting? Gail: Gusto ko ang mga gawa ni Bosch (Hieronymous). Feeling ko, nai-influence ako sa kanya, maraming nangyayari sa ibang gawa. Mga outsiders din, Henry Darger. You’re currently doing your thesis. What’s it about? Gail: Art Ed pa rin, tungkol sa pagtuturo. Tinuturuan ko lang din ng visual thinking pero hindi naman talaga para maging artists sila. Para magkaroon sila ng imagination. Both of you collaborated on a work that is a replica of a mountain covered with varied neon colors. It had the words “So Nice to See You Again”. Marija: Konektado yun sa Unnamable (by Samuel Beckett.) Ang Unnamable, things na hindi mo ma-put into words. Ang irrational fear or phobia na parang substitute for something that’s forbidden, parang ganon. Gawa sa wax. Parang collaboration lang din yun. Gail: Unang ginawa ko, kumuha ako ng semento, tapos nilagyan ko siya ng mukhang moss, mukhang mountain. Nilagyan ni Rij ng pyramid para sa plate mo. Marija: Ang mga panahon na ‘yon, ang interest ko DMT. May miniature ‘yon ng cars. “So Nice To See You Again”, galing sa song ng Tool. Yun ang myth ng DMT na parang narerelease mo lang siya at birth and death. Parang one of those things. The poster of “Land of Promise”, the show you collaborated on, has a mountain replica again. Gail: Nung kids kami, meron kaming pinupuntahan na place parati na parang hills sa Mindanao. May nakalagay talaga na “Land of Promise”. ‘Yon talaga ang inspiration sa show na ginawa namin. But what is the show really about? Marija: Daddy issues. Yung “Land of Promise”, sa Mindanao siya. Sa Davao kung saan kami pumunta dati. Gail: Noong mga bata kami, lumipat kami sa Mindanao kasi nag-try mag-reform ang tatay namin from his drug addiction. So ang “Land of Promise”, para siyang naging irony kasi ang nangyari, imibis na mag-reform ang dad namin, namatay siya doon kung saan kami dapat magbabagong buhay ng pamilya. May kanta nga si Yoyoy Villame, “Welcome to Land of Promise.” Mindanao.
A big LCD screen as the frontage will immediately show you that this is no ordinary store. Located at the Deck in Ronac Art Center along Ortigas Avenue, PROGRESS is a clothing and lifestyle store that showcases high quality products- all are well thought of and perfectly executed. PROGRESS (prəˈɡres) is a platform for merchandise made from the amalgam of talents of Edong “endo” Canlas, Bino Manese and Edmund “Notti” Mallari. MS.CLAVEL had a talk with the PROGRESS triumvirate and learned, among other things, that they prefer the verb form, than the noun.
The name PROGRESS gives a large window to your aesthetics and brand philosophy. Can you give us insight on your movement? Bino: According to Google translation, “carefully contemplated”. Edong: Bino is right. PROGRESS means to move forward. Why? Because we think that the things that you’ve been getting is not enough. You need more. So we will give it to you. We will produce top quality products without holding anything back. We will not do anything half-heartedly, from production to the final stage of manufacturing of the product. So, why PROGRESS? It is because we have experienced mediocrity and it is time to lead everybody to progress. Notti: We try to convey a sense of quality in everything we do. We put our hearts into it. We want to, at the very least, set the bar for giving it your all. Our designs are...very unapologetic. What is PROGRESS’ mission? Edong: Our mission is to provide quality alternative clothing and apparel aside from the high end brands and to give importance to and provide quality over quantity with all our products. What is your philosophy on design? Bino: Nothing half-baked. Edong: Kung suntok, suntok! A closer translation would be “shoot to kill”. Notti: Never settle for less. Do it for the love. What sets you apart from other design collectives? Notti: Our combined minds can’t be reproduced. Edong: We take pride in saying that we produce our merchandise by using the best materials we could find. Describe the PROGRESS.
over-all
look
of
Edong: Comfortable and Never Boring. That’s it. You each come from different backgrounds. How did you guys start out? How did you come together? Bino: Long story. I pass. Edong: (I was) Heavily into robots, sneakers, vinyl creatures, ping-pong, vintage everything and stuff that I had and wanted when I was a kid. I archive a lot of things to share with my future kids. I did my own music since 1999 as endo, short for endofcontracts. As endo, I’ve done two independent music albums, a beta version in 2003 and the back-toback version in 2004-2005. A collection of songs from my previous cd’s was redone in one of my projects with a small recording company. This was distributed
and was sold nationwide in 2006. endofcontracts was included in various compilations of independent productions that made compilation cd’s and was sold during gigs and concerts. I’ve been doing live gigs since 2002 and will still be in the succeeding years to come. Outside of music, in 2003, I set up, along with my “brothers from another...”, Bino and Gani, a cable TV show called Indieplug, a service to amateur and professional filmmakers by showcasing their works via the cable TV. Indieplug still airs regularly on Destiny Cable, by the way. We are also the only fools on TV seen in the Middle East by fellow Filipinos, besides Piolo and Diether. Indieplug honed my video production skills. Bino co-directed one of the music videos for my song, Alamona. In this same year, the three of us, Bino, Gani and myself, made the knock-off Decepticon and Cobra shirts which were heavily sold in Greenhills. Yes, we started the comeback of those prints. The copypirates liked our idea so much that our knock-offs were re-made using poor quality materials and were sold heavily to toy enthusiasts. While doing all of that, I was in the process of making a brand that would later become popular in the fast growing Philippine street culture- pilifuckinpinas. The first 500 prints sold out easily, as it was made from 100% tough cotton- not from Planet Earth, that’s why it’ll last a lifetime. Reprinted in 2005, it almost sold out. I stopped selling it so I could make my own NOS (New Old Stock), to be sold in the future, fresh from the past. I started to conceptualize Clavel Sneaker Magazine in late 2007 and printed and launch the first issue by December of 2008. I am the magazine’s publisher and editor-in-chief. I also do the photography on most of the female models featured in the mag. I do the video and editing plus some graphic designs as well. In 2009, I watched everybody excel in things that I’ve been doing. The year before was when I met Edmund Mallari, a talented graphic designer who worked for and was a slave to a conglomo apparel company. I offered Edmund and Bino a chance of a lifetime- to make the only apparel and accessory brand in the Philippines that would not hold anything back even if it means using blood for paint, like one of my secret idols Juan Luna. Together, we made PROGRESS, promised never to look back until we’ve achieved quality at par with the goodness we felt in Mars. Notti: I’ve been drawing since I was three years old. I guess it’s what I knew my whole life. All my notebooks from school would be filled with drawings. I eventually went to college to pursue Fine Arts & Design. I wanted to be a comic book artist. I didn’t know what I would do if that didn’t fall through though. Fresh out of college, I got a day job at a clothing brand designing. A short while after, I met Edong through friends. Edong’s already an accomplished man. We started hanging out after then. I met Bino through Edong. Bino owned
and ran his own independent brand, specializing in t-shirts a few years back. It was three of us hanging out, sharing ideas one rainy afternoon over coffee when we decided to put our creative talents together. Pursue our dreams of design. We never looked back since. We think of each other as brothers. That’s an interesting history. Individually, what do you bring to the PROGRESS table? Bino: We do a bit of everything, from design to production. Edong: Bino is once again correct. We are a team. I push us faster up and out. Notti: We’re very hands on. Illustrating is my forte, though. Does each of you have set roles in the company? Edong: I lead Bino and Notti to victory (not the religion). Do any of you have a background in fashion? Edong: May I speak for all of us? No, We did not study fashion. We just know what we want and know how to do it. I don’t know why I know how to execute things; maybe it’s because of experience. It is good because the three of us benefit from it. We have a good imagination and most of the things we come up with are doable. We collaborate with our manufacturer as closely as possible so we can achieve the best results. Is the streetwear and gear a difficult market to break into? Edong: Yes, very difficult. The term streetwear have been defined by many local brands since the eighties. Only a few of them went on and did it right. Some have turned their brand into mainstream and still call it streetwear. This simple confusion alone makes it difficult for people to understand what we are about. Another thing to consider is how other brands, old and new, price their products. Cheap and affordable are good but they will never have the same quality as ours. Did you have a lot of support when you started out? Bino: Yes. But the thing is you have to do it on your own. People will only lend you a hand. You have to make it happen. Edong: Yes, from imaginary people inside my brain namely the Pononoys and the Bazaki Kimono Gang Bang Squadron. From some creatures from the real worldmy family, especially my brothers Paolo and Ryan who wear Progress before the items are released. My cousin Dale. My international brothers Chooee, Antonio and Patrick. Our good friends Kevoy, Aryan, Nicky Nicky Donkey, Normy and especially Nader, our secret industrial partner. Plus from a bunch of other fun creatures back in Maginhawa Street. Bino’s and my “brother from another...” Gani. The best support comes from my
longtime-girlfriend-of-the-month wife and from our homemade genius, VE.
Your label says “made in M.A.R.S.”. Where exactly is it?
Notti: Yes. My girlfriend, our friends, family and loved ones. It really means a lot to me for them to support us, throwing my life up in the air like this.
Edong: Secret. Whom would you like to collaborate with?
What is your design inspiration then and now? Bino: Before it was more of only what I like. Now it’s what I like and what would appeal to the masses. Edong: My design inspiration comes things that fumble, explode and electrify the void inside my coconut. It is based on good memories and a sniff of the future. Notti: It really depends on what my current tastes are. I like to share what I like, fuse it with what I think people would like, throw it out there and hope people appreciate it. How does the design process go? Bino: When I think of something, I write it down and then do scribbles, try to put as many details in it so I would not forget. And then I set it aside. When I come back to look at it again, if it still looks good, I do it and then tweak it a little more. Edong: Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and never repeat myself. You know my name, and that’s “the who”. Now, the design process is: I think. I have a seizure. A machine laser engraves my thoughts onto a wooden ball, and then the wooden ball rolls down the rail into the hands of Tom Cruise. He then hands the ball back to me and I crack it like an egg. It’s actually an egg. I only eat the yolk. It is an energy source from which I draw strength; I convert the energy to work, I work it hard, after hard work comes the product. I sell the product. If it sells, then it is a success. If not, it’s back to seizure. Notti: I sketch whenever an idea pops in my head. I kind of connect the dots from there. In my head, it’s all complete. Getting it on paper is the fun part. Which artists do you look up to? Edong: The Beatles, Debussy, Juan Luna, Marc Newson (not mark nelson) and Howard Hughes. Notti: : James Jean, Leinil Yu, Futura, Ayami Kojima. Bino: Robert Smith, Morrissey, Sakuraba, Anthony Bourdain, Ian Wright, Edd China, Miro. Who came up with the concept “Not From Earth” for your ad? Bino: “Not From Earth”. Edong did. Edong: I do the ads. In the near future, you will understand it, too. You should visit Stargate sometime. I think I saw one in Resorts World. Notti: Darth Vader on crack.
Bino: I would like to collaborate with Marian Rivera. Edong: Reyes.
Cristine
Reyes
and
Maricar
Notti: visvim, Neighborhood, Supreme, Futura, Porter. Mos def. Beastie Boys. Any more collaboration we should know about? Edong: We have one with Swan Music Company. We are coming out with a small musical instrument that will cheer you up while you are soaking your feet in hot tub. What kind of people do you want to see sporting PROGRESS goods? Bino: People who appreciate quality products and has style. Edong: I want everybody to PROGRESS in his or her system.
have
Notti: Everyone. Especially the people who can see the heart we put into making the clothes. Are you satisfied with the current market status? Bino: Yes. Edong: If you mean the Philippines Market status, then yes. The US dollar is below fifty Pesos and the cost of manufacturing products is more manageable. We do use materials imported elsewhere, that is why we need a strong peso. If you mean how are we doing with our sales, my answer would be better than expected. Notti: Yes. People are appreciate quality clothing.
starting
What are your observations Philippine urban culture scene? Bino: Growing-Late-Dying-Evolving.
to on
Edong: It is growing fast. It needs a bunch of good men and women to set an example for the young ones. Notti: They are all pretty hungry. You’ve been on the pulse for some time now. Have people’s tastes changed? Bino: There are people who stick to the basics; clean and safe but in general, if people do change, it must be because they see the finer things in life. Edong: Only the lonely ones change taste. Notti: People are starting to mix their own individual style into with what is currently trending.
When did you start seeing urban culture and street fashion differently? Edong: I started really young, like freshman-masculine-wash-high-school young. I wanted to have that baseball hard hat that everyone wanted. I did not want anyone to do the next shit that I was about to do so I wore a baseball cap all day to hide my head from everyone to keep them from seeing my thoughts. I hid from teachers because I was wearing sneakers and was doing mad color combos on the shirt under my uniform. To cut it short, I was doing it when Stussy was still available in Cinderella (store) and when Babalu, a great Filipino comedian, was still rocking it (Stussy). Notti: I grew up in the late 80’s and 90’s so I never really saw it as different, I guess. But now, with the market boom, streetwear is treated like high end fashion brands as opposed to the early essence of the movement itself. What do you think are Asian contribution to global street style and urban tastes? Bino: Asians are really innovative. We take things from the outside world and make it our own then throw it back at them into something completely new. Edong: Being Asian! Don’t you notice that Asian is the new black for some time now? We are it! Notti: Attention to detail and quality. They leave no stone unturned. Fearless forecast on what we will see in the next few years from urban style houses. Bino: Local brands will be more recognized internationally. Edong: Excitement and boredom and then more boredom then excitement then boredom then eventually, excitement… then boredom. Then immortality… or death. Notti: Continually setting the bar high for each other to surpass. What brands do you think will make waves in the near future? Bino: New Balance, definitely. Adidas, also. Edong: New balance. Notti: Local brands and designers are stepping their games up. Tell us something that most people usually don’t know about street style. Bino: It is not about the brand but how you wear it. Edong: Street means being grounded. It’s not actually having or not having money but most of the time, it means having none. Having no means to acquire something stimulates your ego and lets you aspire what the extremely rich people
do or have. Most street cats dream about what the rich people wear, what they put in their mouth, how they ride and how they fuck their women. These cats end up imitating the rich in the end. What they don’t know is that rich cats want to be just like them.
How do you decide what to wear for the day? Bino: Weather.
Notti: It’s yourself that you should please.
Notti: Depends on my mood. Also, my sneakers.
Which designers should we keep an eye out for? Bino: Artist with funny or cool sounding a.k.a.’s. Notti: 4-hit combo, Adoborat, Sassa jimenez, Out of Scratch, June Marieezy, JDG, Chokomoo Yuka,just at the top of my head.These are artists from music to media to art. What do you think will be the “next big thing” in urban culture? Bino: I heard Dishwalla is now big in Denmark. Edong: Definitely Dishwalla. Go, Denmarkians!! Seriously now, it is becoming more scientific. Carefully thought out apparel from fit to print to packaging is the next big thing. Enough, but nice. But then again, after boredom is excitement. Science!! Notti: Probably more weather-specific technical apparel. How do you think social networking changed and made an impact on street fashion? Edong: It made an impact on everything. Before it existed, one has to make his/her own dot-com, acquire op status, co-exist with the bots and flood chat rooms just to get traffic. Where do you think urban wear and street culture are headed? Bino: One, I want it to grow but not go mainstream like K-pop groups that sprouted out like mushrooms out of nowhere. Two, people will be more educated. Edong: Everything heads down the drain. But for us, we will try to be as thick as possible so we can leave a heavy, skid mark behind. Seriously? I’m serious. Notti: I envision it to really intertwine globally, more than it is now. With how fast people connect these days, I don’t think it’s far off. It’s a good way to share culture. In your opinion, what continually shapes street culture? Bino: Innovations. Memories. Edong: Memories. Notti: Friendship, creativity, experiences, innovations and ideas. Edong: Wow, friendship!
Edong: From the bottom up. Sneakers dictate the color.
Who or what influences your sense of style? Bino: Peers. People around me. New Wave Music. Edong: Myself. Notti: My dad. I also try to convey my sense of individuality in my style. What is your mindset when it comes to your personal style and swagger? Bino: I try to downplay everything. Do not stand out in a crowd. Remain basic and simple. Edong: Swagger for me is to openly demonstrate that you know what you are doing. Style came with birth, can’t be bought. Notti: I try to pick clothes that look exceptional on me. I think the word swagger is tossed around too much these days. If you’re going to do or wear something, do or wear it with 100% conviction. Who do you consider an urban style icon? Edong: Shawn Stussy, Hiroshi Fujiwara and Pharrell Williams. Notti: Pharrell, Ye, Cudi, Hiroki Nakamura, Hiroshi Fujiwara. What are common mistakes in putting together a proper outfit? Bino: Going up against a combination that really works for you and last minute alterations. Edong: They don’t base it on their sneakers. Notti: Proper sizing. When did your love affair with sneakers start? What is your philosophy when it comes to your sneaker game? What are your all-time favorite sneakers? Bino: 1. Not long ago. 2. Not all sneakers will look good on you. 3. Air max 90. Edong: 1. Since Capt. Crunch was for breakfast. 2. Sneakers should be kept in a cool well-lighted place. UV helps a lot, as it kills mold. My philosophy is “Buy it or lose sleep, then keep it to wear in the nearest future when everyone have killed theirs”. 3. I used to be heavy on the Air max 1, but for two years now, I’ve been mad about New Balance 574’s 576’s 1500’s 1300’s
670’s 580’s and the 999’s. So if you ask me, I’d say New Balance heritage running shoes is my new fix. Did you know that only New Balance has kicks made in UK and USA? Notti: 1. the 90’s. 2. I buy what I like, also ones I grew up with or the kicks I couldn’t afford when I was a kid. 3. Air Max 1’s, AJ1, AJ3, AJ4, Concord 11’s, Royal Foams, Unkle Dunk, visvims, Footscapes. Has your taste in kicks changed over the years? Bino: Not really changed but more of expanded. Edong: Still the same shiznit. Mostly vintage running, vintage basketball and the nice looking ones that only a few could afford to wear. Notti: I don’t think so. It’s probably more extensive now, though. Now that sneakers are easily and more accessible, does your regard for the sneaker lessened? Bino: Not really. I just get what I really want, not like before that you cop one because it’s released here. Edong: NO. Notti: No. If you were stranded on an island with five hot ladies, which five things should you have? Bino: iPod. Progress x victorinox swiss knife. Jack Daniels. Edong: HD video camera, Progress x victorinox swissy, harman kardon outdoor speakers, Uratex fibersoft pilows and Giant roll of Duct Tape (duck tape brand). Notti: *long pause* “Oh, sorry. I was picturing whore island.” - Sterling Archer What would be a dream project? Edong: We would like to make a pressurized propeller plane for Cessna, fit for interstellar travel to Mars and a pair of running-inspired insulated sneakers to complete the pack. Where will PROGRESS be in ten years? Bino: Celebrating our 10th anniversary! Edong: PROGRESS will be worldwide. Notti: Yeah, that sounds about right. Edong: You bet it does. Your advice to people interested in starting careers or businesses in streetwear. Edong: A rolling stone gathers no moss.
074
076
078
087
089
090
091
092
093
094
095
097
098
099
0100
CHILL SESSION.
THE PARTIES YOU MISSED PARTY SEASON.
adidas 24, eastwood mall open grounds
105
fashion week, smx, moa
energie press preview, robot, makati
3rd sanuk sand castle competition, bonifacio global city
SUBSCRIBE COPY AND SEND THIS PAGE
Contact: Bernie Gonzales Landline: (02) 416.8018 Mobile: 0917 547.0085 e-mail: subscribe@msclavel.com Drop by the CLAVEL Sneaker Magazine office at 1835 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue Cubao, Quezon City Personal Information Surname: First Name: Delivery Address:
Home Phone:
Office Phone:
I’m interested in subscribing for: Six (6) months for only Php 890.40 Save up to 20% off the cover price
One (1) year for only Php 1,524.60 Save up to 30% off the cover price
Free delivery within Metro Manila
Provincial delivery plus postage fee
Payment Information: Payments can be made via bank deposit through our BPI account, BOYBRIGHTBOY MULTIMEDIA CORPORATION, Account number: 0120-0739-15. Scan the completely filled-up subscription form then email it back to subscribe@msclavel.com with the SCANNNED DEPOSIT SLIP. Email subject line: PAYMENT MADE
FOR MORE INFORMATION go to our website: http://www.msclavel.com