Board Room by Oliver Korinek

CONTENT

ISSUE ONE ABOUT ‘Board Room’ is an exploration of the world’s most creative and influential subculture through the format of an engaging visual zine, which documents the style of people that keep the fashion moving. CREDITS All written content by Oliver Korinek

IMAGE CREDITS

CONTRIBUTOR

p.4 – Photo by Volcom

Megan Williams SPECIAL THANKS TO Anthony Pappalardo / Canoe PR / Charlie Munro / Coffin on Cake PR / Crepe City / Felix O’Sullivan / Laura Ward / Lauren Cochrane / Mimi Yapor …and to all my friends for their continuous support

p.5 – Photo by Stance p.6-7 – Photos by Palm Angels p.8-9 – Photos by Canoe PR p.10 – Illustration by Henry Jones p.11-13 – Photos by Supra p.15 – Photos by Laura Kaczmarek p.17 – Illustration by Charlie Munro p.19 – Photo by Ashleigh Kane

DESIGN by Kwan Chow | kwanchow.com

p.22-23 – Photo by Sunny Lau p.24-25 – Photos by Stas Galaktionov

COVER & BACK PHOTO by Sebastien Zanella

p.27 – Photo by Glen Luchford 3

Collaboration Rains x Volcom

Collaboration Sock Game Strong

Brand Palm Angels

News Vans

Style Style Tribes

Profile Supra

Photographer Laura Kaczmarek

Feature The City of Flight

Interview Ashleigh Kane

Feature The Street Value of Sneakers

Photographer Stas Galaktionov

Feature Skateboards on Catwalks

R AINS x VOLCOM

com has a comfortable position on the pantheon of skate brands, amongst the likes of DC Shoes and Quiksilver. Founded in 1991 by the legends Richard Woolcoot and Tucker Hall, they are a riding company that sponsors and Rains and Volcom have supports the elite of skatepartnered up to design a boarders, snowboarders and capsule collection comprised surfers like Ryan Sheckler of a jacket and a hat that rep- and Kelly Slater. resent both Volcom’s skate heritage and Rains weather The collection comprises of a proof functionality. rain jacket and a bucket hat, merging the aesthetics of Rains is Danish brand which both brands. Both prodwas founded in 2012 and ucts are constructed using

focuses on waterproof garments such as rain jackets and backpacks. They have become massively popular lately, due to their simplistic design, accessible price point and practical protective abilities. These days it’s almost impossible to walk through Shoreditch and not see someone carrying their signature messenger backpack. On the other, Volcom almost needs no introduction. Vol-

Rains’ signature lightweight waterproof fabrics. Sleek and matte black surface texture adds some finishing touches, and little details are added to elevate the design. The hat has an adjustable chin strap and snap-up brim, while the jacket has fully-welded inner seams and a removable hood. The campaign, shot by Jannick Boerlum, stars none other than Rune Glifberg. It was a natural de-

cision as he is both a Danish professional skater, so he shares the Rains aesthetic, but also a long time Volcom team rider. This resulted in an outstanding photo shoot that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark showcasing the product and Rune in their natural surroundings. “Growing up in Denmark, you learn a lot about how weather affects your daily life, especially if you’re a skateboarder. Weather can change in minutes - sunny to thunderstorms in a blink

of an eye,” Rune explains. “The thing is, we know how to deal with it. Functionality is in the Danish DNA. Clean lines and minimalistic design that works in any situation is important to us. That way we are prepared for anything nature throws at us.” Now you really have no excuse to skate, come rain or shine.

SOCK GAME

STRONG “Sock game strong” is a saying I didn’t really know I needed until I heard it. Long gone are the days of sockless trainers and mushy half-socks. They were first replaced by high white athletic socks, which were seen peeking from everyone’s rolled up jeans last year. They have paved the way and nowadays it’s all about the novelty socks. Once universally hated as the worst Christmas present you could actually get, novelty socks are having a sweet comeback. Until recently they have been reserved for lousy nerds and mid-life crisis dads. Spoofy, loud and brash, one wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them unless alone at home or taking the trash out. But lately they have risen from the bottom of our sock drawers to the absolute top of every outfit. As any Instagram girl will tell you, if you’re not rocking some serious graphics on your socks, you can wave those double-digit likes goodbye. Just ask the baddest Instagram girl of the all - Rihanna. Puma’s creative director, well-renowned fashion trendsetter and a singer (amongst other things), she now even designed a sock collection for the one and only brand – Stance. The 5

trend of novelty socks has made this solid, but ho hum company one of fashion’s biggest players. Supported by the likes of Jay-Z and Dwayne Wade, Stance has suddenly started raising millions of dollars selling socks in a million different colour ways and graphics. For their latest collaboration, Stance have joined forces with the infamous Parisian concept store colette and artists Kevin Lyons and Jean André on a limited edition collection. Kevin Lyons is a Brooklyn-based artist who is well-known for his kooky illustrations of little monster. He has many other collaborations under his belt, including Vans and Adidas. Inspired by the premise of NYC vs. Paris, this skate-focused range features three styles of socks adorned in

the artists’ famous monster prints, alongside a set of matching and equally eye-catching skateboard wheels — all played out in colette’s signature blue and white. While this is their first collaboration with collete, Stance is no newbie to skate-inspired socks. They have an on-going and revered collection called Skate Legends, that pays an homage to the past and present heroes of skateboarding. In this collection you can get socks named after Bones Brigade member Tommy Guerrero or the Speed Freaks’ classic Tom Knox. You can already cop the collection at colette or Stance’s flagship store in New York, but be real quick, as only 150 pairs are available worldwide. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

P A L M ANGELS Art director of luxury brand Moncler and author of photography book Palm Angels, Milanese Francesco Ragazzi has combined his two passions with a new skater brand, that infuses the shaggy skater look with a certain dose of preppy chic cool. During one of what would become many frequent trips to Los Angeles, the 30-yearold Ragazzi began photographing the skateboarders of Venice Beach. He was

captivated and wanted to capture the authentic spirit of the Californian skater universe. The unique atmosphere of Venice Beach and Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles and the habits of the people that populate them were the main sources of inspiration for his photography project. The final book, published by Rizzoli, has become a definitive book on the L.A. skateboarding scene, capturing the style and street culture of the world’s most elite communities of skaters. Although Ragazzi never intended for the project to grow further into fashion, many facts proved otherwise. He was already an art director at the luxury label Moncler and grew up with parents invested in the industry. After the release of the book, he collaborated with Marcelo Burlon on a limited

collection of T-shirts, which was really a gateway into starting his own brand. The collected images then became the inspiration for his next project — a unisex collection of skate-ready, West Coast-inspired clothing. One of his images of an angelic skater suspended mid-air in a halo of sunlight inspired him to found a namesake brand Palm Angels, with his first collection launched for Fall 15.

background, such as the classic blazer with gold buttons. The basis of the entire project was to rejuvenate such a blazer to make it fit a skater. This is what I call the post-preppy style.”

carefully embroidered motifs and burnished studding, which give the collection more texture. The collections are also infused with grunge touches, as in a leopard print coat, denim with shredded edges and shearling shoes. The brand’s signature marijuana leaf is almost a logo for the brand, as it’s adorned on lots of the details throughout the collection, such as buttons or gold embroidery on the sneakers. Ragazzi as a non-skater himself got more into the skating as he progressed further with his brand. “I got into it in order to understand the feelings of the clothes I wanted to purvey,” he told to Vogue Hommes International. “I’m not going to say I’m the best at it, I can’t do the most complicated tricks, but to me the most important in the skateboarding is the feeling of freedom. And that I have achieved.”

Ragazzi said to WWD: “If you have a vision you can really translate on very different mediums and this for me is one of them. With the book I could really shape the brand before it even existed. All the codes are in the book, I want to have them in the collection as well.” In a similar parallel to what Hedi Slimane did with rockers, Ragazzi pays an homage to a subculture he admires by glorifying its style. Combining slightly preppy clothes with biker jackets and tees adorned with Californian iconography, Palm Angels captures the rugged grace of L.A. skate culture.

In just two years, the brand has already grown rapidly and gained a cult following amongst both fashion and skate cliques. Its presentations have become a staple of Paris Fashion Week, most notably this January with a Bob Marley-inspired Fall 2016 collection. Palm Angels is currently available in 160 retailers worldwide, including Selfridges and Farfetch.

As such, Palm Angeles’ style is miles away from the gritty skaters as pictured in the oeuvre of Larry Clark or Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park. “I think my fantasy of Los Angeles is more sophisticated,” Ragazzi told Vogue Hommes International. “Unlike surfers who were sublime in the photos of Bruce Weber, I think skaters have a more grunge image. I wanted to infuse them with my Italian 6

Palm Angels’ has over the years developed a signature effortless aesthetic that carefully balances the mixing of streetwear and menswear. The style of LA skate culture is diffused through denim varsity jackets and ripped jeans, gold metallic print graphic tees and embroidered trousers. Italian tailoring imbues these pieces with a refined sensibility that is decidedly more Ragazzi than LA skater. Such are also the

VANS

On the morning of March 16, 1966 at 704 East Broadway in Anaheim, Paul Van Doren and his two friends opened a new retail store to sell shoes. A sign outside read “House of Vans.” On that first morning, 12 customers bought shoes. Fast forward 50 years, and Vans Authentic is one of the most easily recognisable fashion products, with $1.6 billion revenue last year. It’s revered for its simplistic design, which has changed little to none over the decades. Here we have a closer look on their humble beginnings, the iconic design and their 50th anniversary celebration bash in London. Off the Wall The release of Vans Authentic coincided with the formation of modern skateboarding in a form it’s known today. Skaters like Tony Alva and Jay Adams were just beginning grinding the wheels of their wooden skateboards in the empty pool lids. Soon they took a liking to Vans, as their shoes offered them a rubbery grip, thick vulc sole and a durable canvas upper that could withstand endless hours of grinding. Soon the word got out and lines spilled out of the store, so Harpen decided to open more locations. As the shoes were getting increasingly popular amidst the skateboarders, Vans adopted the

phrase ‘off the wall’, which was added into the design of the shoe, and also started to fund their own professional skateboarding team and founded many pro-skateboarding competitions. But soon problems started rolling in. Although Vans’s revenue was growing, many of the stores were not profitable. They started selling different types of shoes, which were not nearly as popular as the Authentic, and became a dead stock. After few years of opening more stores and generating less and less money, Vans filled for bankruptcy in 1984. Van Doren had to re-evaluate his business program to get back into the swing of things. He finally realised that the main source of his revenue came from the core Vans shoes: Authentic, Era and Old Skool. He decided to focus more on the quality of these core products, and cut back on the wide range of products that were selling less, such as T-shirts and caps. Court has approved his re-organisation plans, and within 3 years Vans got rid off the $12 million debt. The rest is history as they say, and ever since the bankruptcy Vans has steadily become one of the most popular sport fashion brand.

Iconic design Unbeknownst to him at that time, with the Vans Authentic (or Style #44, as this was its original name) Van Doren has created one of the most iconic shoes designs of all time. Over the years it has amassed a status of an effortlessly cool shoes. It’s an easily accessible price point and is stocked almost everywhere, and yet people never get tired of wearing it. Thanks to the multitude of colourways anyone can a shoe that suits his aesthetic or style. It’s innately universal, as it goes well with almost anything, including suit and dress. Vans has since used the Authentic design as a starting platform for all other shoes designs. The DNA of the shoes resounded mostly in the Vans Era, which had an added padded collar and has become even more popular amongst the skateboarders. It was also the base of the Old Skool, which was the first model to feature the now-famous sidestripe. Similar to Nike’s swoosh logo or Adidas’ trefoil logo, the “jazz stripe” which was added for increased durability, has become one of the hallmarks of the brand.

world through a number of collaborations with brands like Supreme, Marc Jacobs, Disney, Supreme or Kenzo. Their upcoming collaboration is with the gaming behemoth Nintendo, set to drop in June. These one-ofa-kind graphic prints include characters from Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda, in addition to a capsule inspired by Nintendo’s first console, the NES. The 50th Anniversary Celebrations in London On Friday 18th, the 3,000sqm venue hosted a fusion of the biggest names in grime, rock and electronic to help celebrate Vans’ half-century anniversary. Pioneer of the UK Grime movement, Dizzee Rascal lead the incredible line up along with Fat White Family, Chelmsford’s favourite export Rat Boy, as well as DJ sets from music-mogul Annie Mac and one of the UK’s biggest house music exports: Julio Bashmore. Ratboy’s homegrown raps and quips about suburban Britain resonated through the tunnels of House of Vans London, and made it a proud night for the local scene and all present. Peckham punks, Fat White Family’s storming

It has made a tangible contribution to the fashion 8

performance paid homage to Vans’ heritage in rock, with intense guitar solos and their totally unfiltered attitude. Headline act Dizzee Rascal’s energetic performance capped an unforgettable night, with him joining the crowd and rapping from the floor. The First Man of Grime played hit after hit with tracks such as ‘Dance Wiv Me’ and ‘Holiday’, finishing with ‘Bonkers’, where Jammer from Boy Better Know stormed the stage and helped Dizzee raise the roof, closing his set in style. The crowd then

creative expression through the brand’s cultural roots. On Saturday House of Vans London host a packed day of activities for one and all to come together and get involved in. A very special edition of the Skate School had Chris Russell and Curren Caples teaching the kids, while skate & BMX demos and signings with the legends and young guns pleased everyone. There were games, cake and a whole program of workshops that everybody got involved with, including screen-print-

got down to Annie Mac’s amazing eclectic and electric set, followed up by a full-vinyl set from Julio Bashmore, who dropped ‘Au Seve’, sending everyone wild.

ing with Lovenskate and a heat press workshop with Man Up Girl!

Throughout the night, legends of skate, surf, snow and BMX strolled the tunnels along with Steve Van Doren, as well as artists, musicians, designers and many more icons and personalities from the Vans Family. Meanwhile, in Tunnel 1, the House of Vans gallery space held the ‘Tell a Friend about Vans’ 50th Anniversary exhibition and art show. One-of-a-kind heritage pieces from some of the world’s most dedicated collectors were showcased alongside with the new Vans brand campaign: The Story of Vans, which highlighted Vans’ 50 years of enabling

For ‘Vans Family Day’, tunnel 3 transformed into the House of Vans Street Market, presenting the opportunity to browse and buy unique objects, arts, collectables, music and more, directly from their curators and craftspeople. Stallholders included Tessa Metcalfe, Skate interiors, Other Side of the Pillow, Lilli Cowley-Wood and Beach London. London’s Vans stores also participated in the celebrations, paying homage to Vans history of shoe customisation, hosting ‘Custom Made For You’ with illustrators from the Vans Family. This is only the first of many celebrations this year, with Milan being the next stop.

STYLE TRIBES “No one will ever say Christian Hosoi isn’t one of the greatest raw talents and most graceful skaters ever to do it, but he also looked fucking incredible while he did it,” Anthony Pappalardo once told me. “He made his own clothes, wore whatever the hell he wanted and that was part of the presentation—he liked how it looked when he was 10 feet in the air, with a shirt trailing behind him like a cape.” The skateboarding culture, as an inherently youth culture, is often associated with a very carefree and easy-going way of life. This lifestyle has essentially transpired into what skateboarders wear, both on and off the board. As Pappalardo highlights, most of them want to be comfortable and flexible to perform the tricks, but look stylish at the same time. Even though it’s often considered a subculture, it is incredibly varied even within itself, in terms of style tribes and different skater styles. There are few looks that are generally associated with skateboarding, for example DC shoes skinny jeans, but nowadays modern skaters wear just about every clothing style. Pappalardo agrees that there are “almost ‘uniforms’ that relate to how you skate. You aren’t going

SUPR A

to see Marc Johnson dressed up in some stoner Baker dude gear. It’s kind of corny, but it’s true.” Style in skateboarding is now more than ever dictated by economics, as there are more brands, price tiers, and skate fashion is at its peak. In the ‘80s, skate fashion, like punk, was more accessible and utilitarian—you wore jeans, because they didn’t rip, got cheap tops because they were durable, and would get skate shirts / band shirts, which were affordable. Fast forward to 2016, and we have a brand or line, for almost every type of skater. These style tribes have always existed in some ways, but are more specialized and pronounced now, because of how fashion is playing a bigger role. For example, kids who were into rap have skated since rap began, but that only became a marketable look in skating in the ‘90s, when there was more skater input into skater owned brands—World, DC/ Doors, etc. From the classical Hesher guys to a more niche skater styles, here is a very generic breakdown of the most apparent and popular skate tribes: The Punk guy: aggressive tees, dyed black hair, skinny jeans, piercing, classic shoes like Vans or Converse. The Welcome / Normcore look: The 90s hats, light denim, ironic shirts, loud colors, wacky hair. The Cherry kid: Basically,

the Sage/Sean Pablo look of Chucks, high water pants, mixed with high tier Supreme items or vintage finds. The High Fashion Guy: Alex Olson, Eli Reed, Team Handsome, etc. These types try to strive to be a step ahead, they wear lots of accoutrements, they’re into labels, and try to dig for inspiration. The Hesher Guy: Long hair, your typical baker boy dude. Kind of a 60s/70s rock throw back, with a splash of hiphop sometimes infused, tons of tattoos

This year marks the launch of the new premium skate-style shoes, courtesy of Supra. The new shoe, called ‘CHINO’, builds on the timeless vulc shoes and is featured in 3 new colour ways. Each one was assigned to three different team riders, who each come from different backgrounds and represent the diversity in approaches to skateboarding. Selected by Supra, the ambassadors of the new shoe are Oscar Candon (whose colour way was his first) and his fellow team riders Boo Johnson and Dee Ostrander. Here they all talk about their careers and future plans. Oscar Candon Oscar Candon is an adrenaline freak. When he’s not skateboarding he’s still chasing the rush, whether that’s globetrotting between Europe and the US or free solo climbing. When I ask him about it, he explains it

The Love Park/hip-hop 90s throwback guy: Puffy DCs, windbreakers, anything related to 90s alien/early 2000s habitat. Trucker hats and pulled up socks. The contest guy: They wear all black… No one knows why. The Palace Kid: May or may not skate. Loves windpants, high priced shoes, kind of chav-core. 10

as a rock climbing without equipment, which sound quite hardcore. “We just put a mattress beneath us and climb. It’s kind of a feeling like skateboarding, it’s really gnarly,” he explains. It’s this all-in-or-nothing fearlessness that makes the Paris-based 23-year-old so enthralling to watch both on and off the board. Candon was born in the south of France’s Montpellier, but moved to Washington DC at the age 7 with his family. He discovered his God-given talent as a 10-year-old, when he picked up his first skateboard. Fighting the boredom of living in an apartment complex, he borrowed his friend’s board one day. As he recalls: “I tried to ollie and did it pretty much straight away, so I was like, ‘alright, I’m keeping your skateboard’, and I kind of stole his skateboard.” Since his beginnings he has acquired a unique style of unpretentious, no-frills skateboarding that combine switch skill with full-bore speed. However, his time spent in the States was short lived.

He moved back to France to live in the suburbs of Paris at his grandmother’s house. In France he developed a certain disdain for school. “I was only thinking about skateboarding all the time”, he remembers. He quit school and put his practical skills to use and got hired as a carpenter at 15. He is quite proud of his humble beginnings; “If skateboarding has to end one day at least I know how to do something with my hands!” he laughs. Staying true to his nomadic upbringing, Candon is a hard man to pin down. “I don’t really live anywhere, to be honest. There’s a lot of trips going on all the time,” he says. It’s true that since he joined the Supra team he’s been constantly on the move, hopping between both sides of the Atlantic and back again. His first official tour with the team was 2014’s UK residency where they hit the UK for a month-long invasion. “I’m super happy with everything that’s happening with Supra”, he says. “I realise how lucky I am to get that opportunity”. Oscar has a certain skate-anywhere attitude, and counts New York and Montreal amongst his favourite spots to skate. Nevertheless, “My heart is in Europe, it’s home,” he says. After all, it’s a continent that matches Candon’s combination of high-energy, yet laid back nature. “In Europe you just go and skate and see what happens,” he says. “In the US, there’s a plan and that’s kind of stressful when things at a spot don’t work out.

Here, it’s a bit more chaotic, like, let’s see what happens!” As all skaters, Oscar seems forever cool, but his laidback attitude breaks down the second I mention his Chino shoes. “I’m super hyped! I’m super happy,” he beams. “The shoes are super simple. I can’t wear anything other than something really simple – nothing too tech-y or something with big logos on them or anything. These are really sick and the colours are good.” When talking about his future plans, he seems to be pretty content to go with the flow without any plans. “I’m so happy I’m at the beginning [of his skateboarding career],” he says. “There’s still so much stuff to do. On Supra I have some really good friends so I want to spend time with the people I really care about in skateboarding.” Before we part, he cracks one last joke: “Everything will be good if I don’t get hurt.” Dee Ostrander When you think about Nashville, it’s usually associated with the music scene, but not skateboarding. At just 22-years-old, Dathan “Dee” Ostrander has spent the past few years putting his hometown on the map as more than just a mecca for country music. As one of the few pro skateboarders holding it down for Nashville – a scene that he says is growing – Ostrander was spotted by a skate legend Andrew Reynolds when he was just

idency, fast forward to 2016 and he’s about to release his first colourway shoe. “I’m pretty hyped. I got the black ones – they’re sick! It’s nice and slim; a basic, vulcanised shoe – you’ve gotta have that on there,” he riffs, adding, “That’s the shoe I would design.” Boo Johnson

17. Things escalated quickly and he signed to Altamont Apparel, Emerika and Baker. As he recalls, “I thought it was a joke at first.” Dee picked up his first board at 12, under the influence of his big brother Shane. His brother was also the person responsible for mailing his demo tape to Reynold’s company. Dee is reminiscing: “When I was a little kid I was like, ‘yeah, that would be sick if I could skateboard forever’, but I never really expected it to work out.”

Apart from taking some time out to occasionally fish off the docks in LA, play video games and hang out with his girlfriend, ask him what his interests are outside of the sport and Ostrander draws a blank. “I don’t really do much other than skate. It’s funny to say that but I’d probably be fucked right now if I didn’t skate,” he laughs.

Luckily it has, and two years ago he went bi-coastal professionally. Relocating to sunny Los Angeles might have seen his career skyrocket, but Ostrander’s southern style, laidback attitude and humble charm – including a serious head of hair – remain, thankfully, intact.

But within the community itself, he’s certainly making big enough waves to justify his tunnel vision. He is a part founder of the FU-Crue, which, as he claims, is just a bunch of ‘homies’ who have been making skate films since they were 14. Now a viable business in itself, FU– Crue is four video productions – with the DVDs being sold online – and several press articles deep, as well as boasting members across Tennessee and Atlanta.

He keeps grounded by catching the four-hour flight back as often as possible. He’s quick to admit that he prefers the more ‘untouched’ spots over the hype of Cali. “There’s a lot of things to skate here that nobody else has really hit or seen,” he says.

It’s no surprise then that two years ago Supra came calling. “It’s amazing, it’s so sick,” he glows. “Every time I go on a Supra trip it’s super fun.” Cutting his team teeth on both sides of the pond, first with Supra’s tour through the American midwest, swiftly followed by a UK res12

Boo Johnson treads an impossibly thin line between being intoxicatingly laidback and yet incredibly switched on. Born and raised in Lancaster, California, at 12-yearsold he swapped football for skateboarding. Now, at 22, Johnson’s been blazing a trail of his own. “When I started, skating wasn’t cool! I wore skinny pants and my older brother would make fun of me,” he laughs. “Now every dude in the world has that style of pants.” Boo landed a sponsorship deal with his local board shop, Pharmacy, when he was just 15. His induction into the skate world at such a young age meant dropping out of highschool, although he’s not

ruling out returning to complete. On the other hand, it also means that he’s acutely aware of the sacrifices he needs to do to push his career further. “I feel like being a professional skateboarder you have so much freedom, you could basically do whatever you want,” he says. “It’s too easy to fall off, to get into trouble and whatnot, so I’d rather just stay busy and keep it going. I definitely have my fun though.” Aside from taking off on his Fixie bike every morning for a five-mile ride – “to keep the legs going”, as he says – Johnson’s been busy lining up the launch of his own hat company, JHF, which stands for Just Have Fun. It’s a motto that he and his friends have been living by, as well as inscribing on their boards and even tattooing on their skin since they were teens. His aim is to reinject skateboarding with a positivity that he feels it is currently lacking. As Johnson explains, “I’m not trying to make a lot of money off of it. I just want to push a positive vibe or a positive movement out, to

get skateboarding back to its roots.”  For now, he’s unsure whether he’ll pursue further into the fashion world, but he’s confident with the path he’s taking. “I love fashion, it’s everything. When you see someone, you notice everything, even if you don’t want to.” For right now, he’s looking forward to the release of his new colourway. “It’s a nice and thin sole,” he describes. “When I skate it, I think the number one thing is the board feel. When you first put on a new pair of shoes, it’s usually hard skating, because the sole is brand new and when you’re doing tricks you really need to feel your skateboard,” he says, noting that the best thing about the Chino is that it’s ready to go. Even with so much on his plate so early in the new year, Johnson is far too smart to rest on his laurels. “I want to do this forever, or as long as I can stay in the industry,” he muses enthusiastically. “I’m just trying to get going a bit early.”

LAURA KACZMAREK

Laura is a German-based photographer. She usually captures skateboarders, but also does fashion editorials and documentary photography. Her images on Instagram has amassed her over 10k followers. Here she talks about her work and what got her into it in the first place.

it has definitely influenced my style of photography. I’m always very inspired by different locations I find from time to time. I love the urban, run-down architecture and landscapes, and always have an eye on what’s happening on the streets.

What’s your favourite thing about photographing skateboarders? Is your approach different when shooting for magazines?  To me there is a difference between fashion and skateboarding photography. When you shoot skateboarders, you don’t really know if you’re gonna end up taking a good photo, because the boys could be moody or give up too early. When I take portraits of the skateboarding scene, they are really characterful, strong and true.

How did you get into photography? When I was sixteen, I used to hang out with a big group of boys. We used to ride from dusk until dawn everyday. At one point I wanted to start capturing the best moments of each trip. So me and my dad decided to share a single lens reflex camera. In the first couple of years, my intention was primarily just to catch those nice moments I experienced, so they wouldn’t get lost in the oblivion of time. But after a while I started to think about photography in a different way, and started thinking outside of the realms of skate photography, and how could I use my style in other areas of photography.

I prefer these kind of photos. I think when you shoot fashion, it is a little bit easier. The models know what they have to do. You even know you are gonna end up taking at least some good shoots, so it’s always a little bit safe. I prefer to take true visual imagery and don’t want to stage too much. I don’t like capturing some extra poses or exaggerated situations. All I want to do is express the freshness, and the quiet and peaceful moments. But when shooting, I always try to stay true to my style of photography, whether I am shooting for magazines, brands or personal projects. I would never sell out just to get an image, that’s not who I am.

always in the work mode, always ready to capture another great photo. It’s a curse, but also a blessing.

How would you describe your photography style?

What do you do in your free time?

It fluctuates between portrait and fashion, with a strong focus on youth culture. Skateboarding has been my passion for ten years now and

Haha, if I have free time, and it’s not that often, I go outside with my skateboard and hang out with the boys. I guess you could say I’m

Currently I have no future projects. I’ll be having a little exhibition of the photos from the Getrash tour at the Le Bloc gallery in Cologne, but other than that I want to focus on my studies now.

You recently went on a skate tour with the Getrash brand to Barcelona. How was it? My trip was really good! We stayed there for 6 days and filmed and photographed a lot with the team. Barcelona is now one of my favourite cities! All the people there are always so relaxed and very friendly. It’s nothing like Germany, which tends to be very hectic and everything must go faster and faster. What are your future projects?

CIT Y of FLIGHT

by Megan Williams

Paris is effectively synonymous with iconic cinema and elegant architecture, fine pâtisserie and even finer art. Yet its most defining characteristic is arguably its reputation as one of the most stylish cities in the world. The home of haute couture, Paris has birthed countless prestigious designers, collections and labels, leaving in its wake a bottomless pool of incomparable talent. Part of its appeal lies in the French appreciation for the classics; from food to fashion, as a nation, France knows how to master a formula and consistently produce to the highest of standards. Yet this vision of Parisian fashion as a polished, almost rigid institution is out of touch with reality, dare I say passé. The city is a living, breathing creature, and creatures adapt over time. Where once the streets were lined only with a certain type of elegant, impeccably dressed civilian, young generations are now carving out their own place within the City of Light. Subcultures are thriving, giving way to the renewed appreciation of skateboarding, whose frontrunners are now breaking out from the usual confines of dedicated zones and bringing with them all kinds of developments, one

of the clearest being the impact on Parisian fashion. Right now, the city’s attitude – and in turn its aesthetic – rests on a combination of cool and effortlessness, which skateboarding wholly exemplifies. What better way to demonstrate nonchalance than with battered denim, oversized sweatshirts and a pair of trainers? It’s all of these of which are cropping up in the most sought-after labels in Paris these days, and all of which belonging to the skater image. Look no further than Supreme. The New York brand has served as a global pioneer of skate culture for the past two decades; now in its 21st year, the label crossed the Atlantic this March and laid down some roots in Paris’s 4th arrondissement. If the hype already surrounding Supreme weren’t telling enough of just how much the skate scene has influenced Parisian style, then the queues spilling around the building along rue Barbette on opening day ought to do the trick. Supreme is, and always has been an accessible brand with skatewear at its core, but how does this newfound appreciation of skating translate into Parisian high fashion? Gosha Rubchinskiy is a prime example. While his collections overtly reflect his own experiences growing up in post-Soviet Russia as well as his country’s complex history, the rebellious yet nostalgic edge that runs throughout his overall philosophy feels right at home on the city’s streets today.

“I speak a very international language”, he recently said in a SHOWstudio interview, and you need only view his work in its Parisian context during Fashion Week to see that he’s quite right. For AW16, Rubchinskiy sent out flannel shirts with extended sleeves, oversized hoodies, baggy jeans, and sweatpants in their many incarnations, all explicitly pointing to the cult uniform sported by skaters. The collection was topped off with healthy doses of denim, a smattering of logos, dangling belts, and those all-important trainers.

sweeping locks – in a way that the skate scene has exhibited since the movement first blew up in the 70s. There’s a palpable sense of both relevance and nostalgia in equal measure, and in a time of uncertainty, that’s exactly what young Parisians are looking for.

as the go-to staple of young Paris. By way of clothing, these new generations have found a way to bridge the gap between the carefree mantra of skate culture and the poised heritage of the French capital.

Gosha Rubchinskiy and Vête-

share a common territory. In fact, the two co-exist rather harmoniously on the streets of Paris, leaving a middle ground primed for experimentation. While the full-on skater look certainly exists within that particular community, it’s not uncommon to see people clad in a cinched trench and fitted trousers while cruising across Répu

ments are both pedalling away at the opposite end of the fashion spectrum to traditional luxury houses; likewise, the skaters riding the Parisian concrete seem a world away from the city’s clean-cut exterior. Though this is not to say that skating and sophistication can’t

(one of the city’s main skate spots, perhaps better known as Place de la République). Meanwhile the tried and tested formula of tailored outerwear and a pair of trainers – from Supra and Vans to Stan Smiths – has been reigning supreme for several years, confirming its position

of a collective, a support system of like-minded individuals. Identity, nostalgia and a sense of community are what form its philosophy, which a handful of labels and an even greater proportion of young people are proving in Paris today – one sweatshirt at a time.

At the core of skateboarding is freedom, ironically achieved through being part

The key here is authenticity. From the realistically relaxed styling courtesy of Lotta Volkova, to the troupe of street-cast models found via Instagram, it’s clear that Rubchinskiy has a pure connection to his work and his audience. Even he commented on the success of Supreme, noting that its customers are wisened to the world: “They know what is real, what is not real.” Just like with Demna Gvasalia’s Vêtements – whose interpretation of streetwear has a similarly crucial role in the recent revolution in Paris (and incidentally worldwide) – it’s a matter of staying true to a vision, and more importantly, to the people being represented. These labels play with sturdy textures, minimal colour palettes and body-drowning silhouettes, which are offset with the exposure of flesh and occasional delicate touches typically associated with femininity – the definition of the waist; long, 16

ASHLEIGH KANE

Ashleigh is the Arts and Culture Editor for Dazed & Confused, and she regularly writes about skateboarding for online. She’s a seasoned professional, so I picked her brain on the state of the things in skateboarding and fashion now. What do you personally like about skateboarding? I started taking interest in skateboard culture when I was about 14 years old. Me and my family used to go on holidays during Christmas time to Shoalhaven Heads in New South Wales. After school all the kids in the town would either surf or skateboard, and I guess I just became interested in that because I’ve spent two weeks a year there with them. After that I think skateboarding went out of fashion for quite a while. There was just one kid at my school who would skate, and he still skates until this day. He did really well and he got sponsored. But everyone else just sort of stopped, they took up other things like drinking, going to parties and getting in trouble. What I personally love about it, and have for about 13 years now, is this never-growup mentality. People [from the skateboard community]

are friendly with one another, no one really cares about your age, everyone looks out for each other. I haven’t really hung around skate parks a lot since I don’t skate, but the people that I know in it are like that. I guess people are starting to pick up on this in past couple of years. What’s your view on the mainstream fashion and the fact that skateboarding is basically ‘cool’ now to the industry? Do you think fashion industry exploits skate culture? If fashion wants to tap into skateboarding and mainstream public wants to be influenced by skateboarding, that’s fine to me as long as you have an understanding of things. Like you should know that Thrasher is a magazine and not something that is on the pages of Vogue street style. You should also know that Palace is originally a skate brand, as oppose to something that Kanye west, or Drake or Jay Z wears. I think if you just know these things then it’s absolutely fine to be an influence. That’s just inevitable now, there is such a crossover and brands like Supreme and Palace are now fashion brands as such. Overall I don’t really have a problem with fashion tapping into skateboarding or people who don’t skate enjoying their culture, as long as they are respecting the skateboarders. You don’t wear a Thrasher tee and then be petitioning to shut the Southbank down. Otherwise it’s just phony, same as when people wear band tees of bands they don’t listen to.

Do you think skateboarding should be a part of the mainstream culture, or stay labeled as a subculture? I think it’s a part of mainstream culture. It’s still obviously an outsider sport, but it has been a part of the mainstream for a long time now. You can buy skateboarders in Urban Outfitters now, and the Olympics were trying to make skateboarding involved or something. I don’t think that these things, after like 50 years or whenever Tony Alva started putting wheels on surfboards, can stay subculture for so long. I think it’s fine that it’s a part of the mainstream culture now, I think it’s great it gets a recognition and skateboarders get paid and get to travel. I don’t see anything wrong with that. In your opinion has fashion of skateboarders taken over the actual sport? No, I don’t think so, I think they go hand-in-hand. Obviously you have people who are just wearing skate brands, because they like and they want to support it. For example, Palace is a London brand, I guess it’s like still local and it’s growing organically. It’s obviously hyped everywhere, but I think it’s fantastic that Lev’s being able to make a living out of it, and support his friends and family. I don’t know if you know the roots of PWC, which are the roots of the little crew that Palace came from. He wanted to support his friends and get them looked after, get the money, get them to do 18

whatever they want, and they have been able to [due to the success of the brand]. I think fashion goes hand-inhand with skateboarding and always has, but I don’t think its taking over the actual sport. If you love the sport you’re gonna go out and skate anyway. Why do you think the brands like Palace Skateboards or Supreme are so popular and overhyped? I don’t really know, I think it’s just that logo mania trend. It’s like aspirational and people think that it’s a symbol of a cool status perhaps. These brands do really well because they release everything in small bits, so it’s always this thing of exclusivity. It’s mad that Supreme can sell a foghorn for like 10 pounds or something, and people will still buy it, stuff like crowbars and shit. But they’re smart, like if people want to buy into that that’s their business, but 19

they’re intelligent enough to go with it, and they kind of take a piss out of it as well. You can obviously see that Supreme and Palace are taking the piss, when you see their item descriptions online or Supreme with the foghorns and stuff. I think they’re so popular because streetwear is huge right now, the same thing with Gosha. They are popular because it snowballed, but they play their cards smart and release in little batches. Supreme drops constantly, like every Thursday or something, so that’s probably why they’re always in demand. Would you say that skateboarding is visually rich, and that’s why it attracts a lot of photographers? I think any kind of subculture will attract incredible imagery. Kids doing what they love, they got this kind of carefree, reckless attitude to life, fearlessness. It’s like anything with youth culture,

and skateboarding is inherently a youth culture. Even if you’re forty and you’re still skateboarding you have this young mentality, this Peter Pan thing. It’s visually rich, because you have this beautiful location around the world, you can skate like pretty much anywhere, so of course photography would want to tap into that. The Russian post-socialist style has become increasingly popular in the fashion industry as of lately, most notably in the works of Lotta Volkova, Demna Gvasalia and Gosha Rubchinskiy. Why do you think this style is so influential? I think people look at Russia and the post-soviet states as something fascinating to see. Personally there’s a beauty in this kind-of struggle, which is a bit shit to say, but it translates to anything in life. There’s obviously a whole thing about the country,

there’s architecture, there’s a whole history behind it that we know and we’ve been shown. I think it’s about this underdog mentality. People are looking at new areas or Europe and outside of the Europe and US, because everyone’s bored of that by now. There’s a sense of exoticism to it as well. A lot of people might see Russia as quite scary from what we read, and from what we see in news with Vladimir Putin with the anti-LGBT. Putting it under the microscope in a way that looks at youth and through the lens of youth fashion is quite interesting. We just don’t think there’s that freedom and then we’re celebrating this underdog mentality. Like they are being oppressed but they still managed to do this and this, and they do it really well and cool. You went on tour with Dee, Boo and Oscar from the Supra team to promote the launch of the chino shoe. What was your best experience from this tour? The best thing about being on tour with the guys was the down time. In Paris it rained the whole time, so no one skated. Except when I saw Boo skate one time as we were checking out of our hotel, because the sun came out for a few minutes.

THE STREET VALUE of SNE AKERS

everyone was really drunk already. Boo and Dee were just going home, because they are well-behaved on the tour, so Inside was just Oscar and couple of other people. They were just drinking all the absinthe in the bar, and they’ve been there for like hours. They tried to kick them out like 3 times, because people were smashing glasses by accident and were just generally rowdy. It was all in good fun though. In the end Oscar bought 2 bottles of absinthe and took them home.

In the past years or so, the sneaker resell game has grown considerably, seeing as more people are interested in rare kicks and there are now more of limited drops than ever. How do sellers cope with the increased interest in their goods and what is affecting the street value of sneakers?

Do you think that professional skateboarders are ‘selling out’ when taking a modelling job outside of skateboarding (for example Ben Nordberg or Dylan Rieder)?

If you want a real proof that sneaker resell industry is exploding, look no further than to the 16-year-old Benjamin Kapelushnik. Known better under the name Benjamin Kickz, he is the teenage mogul, whose business-savvy resell operations has garnered him over $1M. Aside from his admirable skills, he is a living proof that people are now willing to pay inordinate sum of money for rare and overhyped sneakers.

I think in all industries you see this trend. It’s their personalities, similar to Jourdan Dunn and Cara Delevingne. I think its aspirational, and when people look at these skateboarders like Dylan or Ben on Instagram, they see their interesting lives laid out for everyone to watch as they travel around the world. Brands are just being smart when they book them for their campaigns.

I ventured to the London’s biggest sneaker resell market to experience the mania in person. Similar to Berlin’s Solemart or Sneakerness conventions held across Europe, Crepe City is a leading street wear and sneaker market for buying, selling and trading the exclusive and hard to find sneakers. The latest Crepe City event (which was only 6 hours long) was attended by over two thousand people. Queue was

In Paris we spent a lot of time in Chez Justine in Oberkampf, drinking champagne and piña coladas, dancing and stuff. Then in Barcelona we went to this absinthe bar, I got there at midnight and 20

lined up in the main hall of Truman Brewery, and those who did not splurge on the priority access tickets were stranded in the queue for hours. Once you have reached the main hall, it was anyone’s game. Hundreds of tables were crammed next to each other, and every single one was overflowing with sneakers. Everybody was selling, from 15-year-old Supreme gangsters to older collectors with a refined taste. There were your regular Nike and Adidas sneakers, but amongst them you could spot the so-called holy grails of sneaker world (some of them even in the protective plexi-case). These would include Supreme Jordan V, Pigalle x Nike Lebron XII, Air Jordan 10 OVO or the highly-sought after Supreme Nike Air Max 98, which have dropped just a day before the convention. “It was a real race to get them here,” admitted David, one of the lucky sellers of Air Max 98. “Many guys approached me and wanted to see them up close, but there’s no way I’m taking them out of the plexi case,” he laughs. To the surprise of no one, the entire Supreme Nike Air Max 98 collaboration has sold out in mere minutes after its web-only release. Now Supreme collaborations are famous for being gone the day they hit the mortar brick store, with dedicated collectors camping out over the night. But being sold out online in few minutes is a rarity even for Supreme. There is one simple explanation

behind this: sneaker bots. In the early days of sneaker collecting you simply went to the store and waited in line to pick up the latest limited release. When the internet first came along, you just had to have your card to hand and press F5 repeatedly (to refresh the page), however recently the ‘sneaker bots’ have changed the game beyond all recognition. Now it gets a bit technical, so bear with me. A sneaker bot can be described as an automated shopping method, that adds your size to the cart and send you straight to the checkout in mere seconds. It is an extension of your browser that is installable in a few clicks, and then you just add all necessary information, including your shoe size and shipping and payment information. Once the desired sneaker is released for the general release the bot will run the automated addto-cart scenario and checks out in mere seconds. Bots have proliferated sneaker community in recent years, the most recent example can be seen in the Supreme Nike Air Max 98 drop. Now this wide-spread cheating system raises a number of questions, and only few of them are ethical. In a sense, all sites that run on the first-come-first-served basis are bottable, as computer program will always be faster than human can. So as far as people will be willing to shell out more money for the resell prices, the popularity of bots will only rise. The only solutions for now seems to

be a lottery or a raffle, where people need to pre-entry their information to be able to apply for the shoes. This was mainly used during the second season Yeezy drops, and was widely implemented within its stockists, including Offspring. This method evens the field to a certain degree, but is still susceptible to the human factor and is not yet widely-used.

care how did you get them. They’re just glad they can get their hands on something they wanted. So there’s really no use in me doing a fuss that some guys use the bots,” he admits. “I guess it’s for everyone’s consciousness to decide.”

reseller remains the same. “You cannot really blame a guy for using the bots,” he says. “Reseller always worked very hard to connect the customer with shoes. I’ve been collecting since 90s, and at that time it meant creating relationships with people in

use these fancy hi-tech gadgets to get their hands on shoes. I don’t blame them, it’s the state of the thing lately.” Sneakers like Supreme Nike Air Max 98 have a resell value that is based on exclusivity,

such its resale price is much higher than say Yeezy 350 Boosts that was restocked several times (but still goes for almost twice its retail price). Mind you that what we talk about here is a street market worth, which in no way represents the true value

The only system that currently works and is protected against being hacked by bots is Nike’s app SNKRS. The reports claim that as an app it is inaccessible by bots, and on top of that, you need to set up an account before using it, filling in your billing address, payment method and shoe size. Nike declined to comment whether this app is truly secured from outsiders’ infiltration, but so far it’s enjoying raving reviews on iTunes store. Bots do have a certain Fight Club-esque aura about them: First rule is you do not speak about the bots. Even though they’re not considered illegal per-se (all bots can be easily bought online and are not a considered black market material), people don’t like to be linked with them in any way. Even the seller David gets all fidgety once I bring them up in a conversation. “Nah man, I don’t use those,” he proclaims. Does he disapprove of them then? “It’s definitely a disadvantage for me, because what chance do I stand against someone who uses a computer program?” he says. “The thing is,” David continues, “these guys buying sneakers here don’t really

Whether using bots or not, resellers have always been part of the sneaker community. Paul, 42, have been part of that community for some time now, and concedes that although the times have changed, the purpose of the

shops, who hooked you up later.” Paul was out of the game for some time, raising his children and taking care of his family. “I never really got back into it,” he admits. “The market has grown so much, no wonder some guys 22

hype and rarity above all else. For example, Kanye West-designed Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” had a retail price $245, but it’s resale price can go as high as $3,350. They’re rare due to their limited drop, and as 23

of the sneakers. These highly sought-after sneakers are not made in different factories using fine materials. They price is just affected by their rarity, and the high demand that comes with it.

It is a classic example of supply and demand, so the real cons in this case aren’t resellers, who simply cater to the demands of their customer, but suppliers who deliberately control the market to ensure the demand stays high. “Brands like Nike have an expert marketing strategy, perfectly controlling the target market for its branded shoes,” says Ivan Markusek, a Business Management student at King’s College London. “They recognize which people are the real collectors and how they respond to new releases. Their strategies use restricted supply, which increases brand exclusivity, and secondary market feedback on the stock provided, which measures the demand, leading to future strategy in branded sale.” He admits that “this is a perfect way of surveying the needs and demands of its customers, leading to efficiency and saving of the advertising costs.” When assessing the state of the sneaker market these days, it can quickly turn into blame game – collectors blame resellers who blame suppliers. But if the system won’t change soon and bots won’t become illegalised, the possibility that everyone will turn to using them is more than likely. Why playing a losing game, when you can get the same products using a system that is both quicker and less prone to fail? If the resell game will continue to snowball at this break-neck speed, then the sneaker game will soon turn into a battle of the bots.

STAS GALAKTIONOV

Stas is a 24-year-old photographer from Moscow who focuses his work on capturing the lives of young Russian skateboarders. Towards the end of last year he self-published a zine, aptly called “Young”, which featured a series of grainy, black-andwhite photographs of his friends rummaging through the streets of Moscow. His images posses a certain candid and raw quality, that evokes the early works of Larry Clark or Gus Van Sant. Young, reckless and awkwardly beautiful, his muses represent the hopelessly romantic version of modern skateboarders. Stas is a self-taught zine publisher, and prior to “Young” he had no former training in designing a zine. The same DIY attitude was applied when he was learning photography. He cites the old-school skateboard videos as a main influence on his style. Certain aspects of visual style and creative concepts of those VHS videos (think Flip Really Sorry or Zero Videos) can be

traced in his work, including the grainy details or the (lack of) focus. Here we talk with Stas about his first steps into the photography, his work and his thoughts on Russia. How did you get into photography? I started as a skateboard filmer and at that time photography and video were separated from each other. DSLR’s weren’t able to shoot video back then so you had to buy a video camera to shoot videos. That made me think that you either do video or photo. Though photography always attracted me and I bought a cheap point and shoot camera to take photos when I’m not filming. Some years later I switched to DSLR for video and that made me understand photography better. You have to choose settings manually and you can’t zoom the same way as with video camera, that makes you think differently about composition. I realized that video and photography have a lot in common and I can do both. I really find

What is the main objective of your photography?

it interesting how they can complement each other. Who is the biggest influence on your work? It’s difficult to say who is the biggest influence on me, but first who come on mind are Gus Van Sant and Greg Araki. I really like how they explore the theme of youth and I like taking inspiration from movies. Also, of course, Gosha [Rubchinskyi] is a big influence on me. But there are some more, as I like to look for inspiration in different things. How would you describe your style of work?

My main objective is to show youth culture in Russia. I think it’s still something that is not accepted by older people here. I’m fascinated by it and love to watch how it develops. I also find it very cool that time will pass and these photographs will look different. Ten years later we’ll look at these pictures the same as we look at early 00’s photographs now. How would you say skateboarders use clothing to express their identity? As a skateboarder you have to wear what is comfortable to make tricks. That’s why a lot of people prefer relaxed clothing. Also skateboarders have their own trends and I think for the last two years it’s mostly about Supreme and their team. So I must say that skateboarders take inspiration from other skateboarders and that makes them a different style tribe.

I really like to experiment with film and video tapes. I’m not a fan of super polished digital look, but I can’t say I’m a lo-fi guy either. I just do what feels natural to me and use what I have to tell the story, so I’d probably best describe it as an analogue.

Do you think your work has in any way a political message? I think it has an anti-political message. Russia is always a subject in political news, but I don’t think I want to be associated with it. So it’s more about showing that those stereotypes about Russia are wrong, and there are many people that are different. Why do you think skateboarding mostly appeal to young people? Skateboarding offers a whole new world for a young person. I think for me, it was the first and the main thing that made me think about my identity. That’s all you need as a teenager, something that will help you forget your problems and a good company that will share everything with you. What are the creative opportunities like in Moscow?

To be honest there are not many opportunities for a young creative in Moscow. It’s hard to find a decent job and even harder to start your own thing. What is the skating community like in Moscow? It is not very big, but it’s strong. Skateboarding is not as trendy here as it was some years ago, so now it’s mostly about people who truly love skateboarding and these people are keeping it alive. It’s all about DIY, having fun and keeping on skating no matter what. Are there any future projects you’re working on right now? I’m working on a club scene project right now. It’s not just about the local scene, but more a story about a personal experience. It’ll be a video that I’m doing in a collaboration with a friend and also a photo zine that I’m planning to release a little later.

SKATE BOARDS ON

C AT WALK S The instances of fashion industry exploiting subcultures have been well-documented. From punks to mods, designers like to use the visual codes of different subcultures to affiliate themselves with the youth. Skateboarders found themselves to be the latest victim, with many brands opting for skate culture references in their collections. “I don’t think it exploits it exactly,” says Lauren Cochrane, the Assistant Fashion Editor at The Guardian. “But it definitely draws on it and repurposes it for more of a mainstream consumer,” she continues. Whether or not it is exploitive, its affect on the mainstream fashion is substantial.

of his London Fashion Week show. It proved too much to handle for one of the models, and in one moment the glitter-embellished peachy sheer dress slipped off. The finale faux paus aside, the whole collection was emblematic of riotous girl power. The models, which also included the professional skater girl Deimante Sprainaityte from the London crew Nefarious, were adorned in princess dresses and shredded tracksuits. Words ‘shut up, shut up’ were emblazoned all over and a solid dose of glitter was sprayed over everything. Kenzo SS15

Ashish SS16

For their Spring Summer 2015 collection, Kenzo decided to stage it in a brutalist skatepark in the heart of Paris’ Périphérique. The collection was inspired by the contrast of Carol Lim and Humberto Leon’s Californian skate roots with the austerity of the Parisian fashion house they design for. Although these two worlds could not be further apart, both geographically and aesthetically, the carefully balanced contrast of both provided for some stunning looks. Skater palazzo pants in bleached denim were matched with French lace tops and leather accessories with laser-cut logos.

“A Model Had a Nip Slip While Skating Down the Runway” was a news headline that went viral after the Ashish SS16 show. Indeed, the Delhi-born designer asked the models to skate down the runway during the finale

Kenzo is still re-working its scrambled image with skaters after the S213 show. It featured a model walking down the catwalk holding a skateboard the wrong way. As a result, many skaters were enraged and accused

From the usual ‘hold a skateboard and try to look cool’ to actual skateboarders on the runway, here’s a rundown of the most recent instances of skateboarding used in fashion industry.

the brand, perhaps correctly, of having no connection to skateboarding and were just exploiting the industry. Bobby Abley SS15 The London-based designer Bobby Abley has built his career on referencing Disney movies in his collections. In his collections he re-interpretates the classical motifs of cartoons and injects them with a fresh breath of modernity. His SS15 collection was his last one under for MAN, which is a co-inititative of Fashion East and Topman, which nurtures the best of young British designers, and helped launch careers of Kim Jones and Craig Green. For his last season for MAN, Abley explored the story of The Little Mermaid, as he put the cartoon prints of Ursula’s and Sebastian’s face on neoprene sweatshirts. Ariel’s storyline was used as the narrative of the collection that said a story of a surfer/ skater stranded in the big city. The models looked as they’re on their way to the skate park, with board shorts and shirts tied around their waists. Ripped denim and neoprene helped to convey the underwater theme, while the dark florals and glitter tops showed the tropic vacation undertones. Stand outs of the show were the skateboards that models carried, which came in a variety of designs, from evil eels to boxy brand logo versions. Jimmy Choo SS16 For SS16 the luxury footwear brand Jimmy Choo decided to unveil their new type of 26

shoes. This particular series of shoes were crafted with an active-wear aesthetic, ranging from elegant sneakers, detailed tennis shoes to print loafers. To Creative Director Alexandre de Betak, who was assigned with coming up with the concept for the presentation, the style of shoes inspired him to re-invent the runway into a skatepark. So he did exactly that. To showcase their collection at London Collections: Men, a non-traditional gentleman’s sporting club set was built at London’s Seymour Leisure Center. The Jimmy Choo Sporting Club recruited some of Britain’s premier league skateboarders and BMX riders to put the collection to the test. The skate pros included Birmingham’s James Hewett and Fareham’s Jak Tonge while top riders included five times BMX World Champion Mark Webb and Alex Coleborn. “These sports are all about seeing the urban environment in a new way, with a creative disrespect, and then using it as a crucible for adrenalin and originality,” said Sandra Choi, the creative director of Jimmy Choo. 27

Gucci SS16

Dior Homme AW16

Long gone are the days of the sexed-up, glitzy glam aesthetic of Gucci, which was defined during Tom Ford’s tenure as a creative director of the brand and continued under the helm of Frida Giannini. After Giannini left the brand last year, due to ‘creative differences’, Alessandro Michele took the reins. Since his appointment he worked meticulously to revamp the brand’s image into a more refined and eccentric one. The gender-bending aesthetic of geek chic proved successful with both customers and journalists, and his every collection garnered him an applauding reviews. The new aesthetic codes of the house were best demonstrated in Gucci’s SS16 campaign – most notably in the image of a skateboarding model holding a peacock. Shot by Glen Luchford on a location in Berlin, this image from the campaign perfectly captures Michele’s new vision for the brand.

Kris Van Assche’s Fall menswear collection for Dior Homme was dominated by red. Red was the colour of the neon-lit skate park which formed the catwalk models walked on. Red was also the chandelier that dominated the catwalk and gave the whole show a certain surreal feeling. Assche also looked into skate culture for inspiration, albeit his skater felt considerably more 90s than now. He explored more the utilitarian aspects of skatewear, like Dickies work pants or lumberjack shirts, which were both durable and could withstand long skateboarding sessions. These were then reworked with a French flair that is expected from the maison with such a lengthy history of couture. The juxtaposition was the same as with Kenzo – established French fashion brand versus youth subculture. It provided for some alluring garments, but also for some confusing silhouettes, e.g. billowing skater pants on the bottom of a slender suit.

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