MEMORIES.

Do you remember the days when you didn't care when a shoe was released.
Or how many pieces were made.
Or where you had to line up to buy it.
You just bought them and rocked them with pride because of what they looked like.
Because of what they meant.
Because of everything they represented.
I had forgotten that feeling, but I was just reminded.


Not quite the OG; but close.
Available at Foot Locker, Modell's and other fine sporting goods stores.

And big ups to Rob and Proper Crew for always helping a brotha out. Sneaker accessory of the year...

SHAMELESS.

***WARNING: Some shamless self promtion to follow.***


After speaking this past Saturday at the AIGA, I was asked to speak this coming Saturday the 31st at the ART DIRECTORS CLUB OF NEW JERSEY. (Springsteen represent! Bon Jovi represent!) It is their 4th Annual Thinking Creatively Conference which will be held at Kean University. They have some heavy hitters speaking at the conference. Creative Directors from GE, McKann Erickson, Smart Design, Johnson & Johnson, RG/A, and even Daniel Reeve, typography artist from Lord of the Rings, Narnia and King Kong will all be present. If you need to pick up anything at Ikea this weekend, swing on by Kean U. for a visit.

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I've gotten lots of positive comments from my recent interview on INQMND. BKRW also recently posted a video interview I did with them a few months ago. But don't visit for my verbal diarrhea. The real treat is being able to see all 17 people that actually make Staple and Reed Space run. My team is as dope as it gets. And they don't get nearly as much shine as they should. I'd probably be hand painting sneakers in my bedroom if it weren't for these kids. Big up! (from l-r):
Yuka aka Organic Love
Tim aka Liquid Diet
Suzette aka Black Belt Assassin
Seki aka Aoyama Stallion
Nico aka jeffstaple
Morgan aka The Machinist
Luna aka The Shredder
Jun aka Cultural Sugaism
Jerry aka Luna's Bitch
Hiroko aka Nihon Feminista
Hiromi aka Tender Romi
Gio aka The Thigh Master
Do aka Duke 'Em
Delia aka Fake Titty Spotting Champ
Aya aka 1st and 15th Every Month
Amanda aka Token Jew
Aki aka Da Rookie
And not pictured cuz he just joined the team...Kutmaster Kuni.

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Still haven't heard enough? Alright then, I aim to please. Head over to Fast Company's blog network where you can read John Pasmore's Q&A with yours truly. I promise, its short and sweet.

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And last but not least, say hello to Rob and Jon, the guys who run Cornerstone Promotion and The Fader Magazine. We've been working together since forever and my lineage is so intertwined with theirs that it can never be untangled...and maybe shouldn't be. Thanks for lunch guys.

THE X ROLLS ON.

We're kicking it into 2nd gear now with the Staple 10th Anniversary festivities.
Keep on the look out! Dropping at Reed Space TOMORROW. Staple x New Era 10th Anni joint.


3D "aluminum" thread embroidery.


Peep the details. Laced with an all over roman numeral "X" embroidery.


On the inside, a special pink treat.
$45. Available in all sizes. Operators are standing by.

FREESTYLE COLLECTIVE.

Today I just wrapped up the lecture at AIGA/NY along with John Jay at Weiden and Kennedy and Gordon and Daniel from Surface to Air. The whole thing was put together with the help of Jiae Kim from Theme Magazine. So of course this motley crew had to get together for one shot. The speech went well. I think we could have gone for another 2 hours, but...c'est la vie. I call this entry freestyle, because honestly, we didn't know what was going on...even up to 15 mins before curtain call. Surface to Air and I just sorta looked at the slide show really quick before going on stage and winged it. I think the audience enjoyed it though.


Two of the best in the biz: Andy Spade (from Jack Spade) and John Jay. Andy said Reed Space was one his favorite stores and he no idea I was the owner of it. That was pretty dope because his store is one of my favorites as well. Awww....Man love.


The view from on stage. Not a good time to get stage fright!
Thanks to everyone that came out.

COLLABOLOMO.

Attention all shutterbugs. This one is for you.
I mentioned a few months back that we are working on a project with Lomo Camera and I'm happy to say its finally starting. This is how it works: We're asking a few close photographer friends to use the Lomo Colorsplash camera to shoot anything their little heart desires. The cool thing about this camera is that you can add different color filters to the flash which casts an interesting shade to each photo. We used this technology to create the creative brief. The concept: Chakras. A Chakra is one of the seven centers of spiritual energy in the human body according to Hinduism. Each color of the Colorspash relates to a color of a Chakra.
This summer we will be releasing a specially designed Staple x Lomo Colorsplash Camera. Included will be a book that features photography relating to the seven shakras. What I thought would be cool is to open this up to the entire world! That's right, if you have a Colorsplash camera, you can submit your photos to us and we will review them for submission into the book. Kind of like a worldwide collaboration if you will. Here are the themes and corresponding Chakra colors:
Purple: Peace and tranquility.
Blue: Music and nightlife, parties, and gatherings.
Green: Nature, life, and animals.
Yellow: Activities, diversions, and sports.
Orange: Consumption, eating, buying, and collecting.
Red: Sex, passion, love, and strength.
So get out there and start shooting! Have fun....

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Need some inspiration? Here are three photographers that I'm really into.

TOMOKO SAWADA:







JEFF WALL:


ANDREAS GURSKY:
Check out his photos from North Korea. A-freaking-mazing.



(BTW, the images you see are all made up of tens and thousands of people during the Arirang Festival.)

AIGA.

...that stands for the American Institute of Graphic Arts. They are the defacto association for professional designers and have been around since 1914...way longer than all over print hoodies. I'll be speaking this coming Saturday the 24th along with Surface To Air and John Jay from W+K. The event is called "Body/Language" and it's supposed to focus on fashion savvy graphic designers and graphically sophisticated fashion designers. Other speakers include Andy Spade (aka Jack Spade) and Isaac Mizrahi. Should be good. Come check it out if you're in NYC this weekend.

FAST: THE FINALE.

So after a full working week of no solid food, I must say I feel pretty darn good...and I have a lot of questions. I'm begininning to question whether I need food ever again. I mean I feel fine. Yes I miss the "taste" of a big juicy steak, but in my past life, I justified polishing off the steak because I assumed by body needed the nutrients and proteins in order to function. But now, I sort of feel like I've been putting diesel fuel in my engine when I could have been using solar energy. I thought right after this, I was gonna run straight to my favorite restaurant...but the opposite is happening. I feel like eating is so...unneccesary.

Some friends have asked if they should do this also. I would say if you're looking to detox or lose weight, I wouldn't do it. You're not gonna see or feel a significant amount of improvement to justify some of the nastiness you have to drink. (FYI: I lost about 7 lbs in 5 days. But I assume it will come right back once I start eating again.) But if you're looking to test your "mind-over-matter" abilities, it might actually interest you. It was kinda fun in that respect. I haven't had a sip of alcohol, smoked anything, or had any pork in over 14 years. And it sort of started just like this. At first, just to take a break, then I said, why start it again? Anyway, of course I'll eat but it definitely makes you think about how amazing your body functions.

Again, for this week, I used the services of Organic Avenue. I highly recommend them. They make the juices. They deliver. They ask the right questions and they have the right answers.

FAST: DAY 4 and....

No, that's not green poo. That's some shit I'm drinking everyday! It's the grossest thing. It's basically a mix of Collard, Chard, Spinach, Celery, Parsley, Cabbage and some Kryptonite for good measure. It tastes like sucking down 20 pounds of grass all in one gulp.
Anyway, Day Four and things are looking up. Woke up feeling lighter, more improved and better. I would dare say even "enlightened". Clear headed and energetic. Pretty impressive for eating absolutely no solid food for four days right? Well, tomorrow is the last day and I can confidently say I made it. I even sat down tonight and watched my mom and cousins chow down on chocolate belgian waffles right in front of my face while I happily sipped on spring water. This is more a mental victory rather than a physical one.

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Ok, back to the regular scheduled programming.



Just received this pretty cool Nike AF25 Travel Case. All leather and made in Italy. Some nice touches including the perf detail on the front and zipper pull tab. Good lookin out, CG for the travel goodie!



May or may not know, but my good friend put me on to this. Nike makes contacts! Its in association with Bausch & Lomb. They are supposed to enhance your vision so you do things like hit baseballs and tennis balls better. They also make you look very intimidating. I'm gonna get a pair. They're gonna do wonders for my table tennis and poker gameplay.



And finally, INQMND.CA just updated the interview they did of yours truly. Check it out but don't bother reading the transcription as its hard as hell to read my babbling. Watch the snappy video clips and see me squirm uncomfortably in my chair. (Everytime I touch my face, I'm actually lying. haha...)

FAST: DAY 3

72 hours: No solid food. AT ALL.
And no. No "moment of clarity" yet.
Still feel relatively crappy. Today, its less "bloated", and more like jetlag.
Groggy, cloudy in the head...that sort of thing.

My teeth sensitivity has subsided a bit..not as bad as yesterday.
Still not going to the bathroom as much as I would have liked though. Even after drinking a ton of water today. I asked the worker at Organic Avenue and she told I should ummm...get a colonic.
"Let me think about that one."
Maybe bloated feeling ain't so bad.

FAST: DAY 2

Prognosis and Update:
No real crazy hunger cravings. There are times if someone is eating fries, I feel almost an impulse to grab one so I have to check myself. If I don't have water for more than 2 hours, I start feeling hungry, but overall, the hunger aspect is much easier than I thought to overcome. Its interesting to test the human body and see what its capable of.

Oddities:
My teeth hurt. I don't know why. They are really sensitive...to cold, heat, brushing, everything!
The lady at Organic Avenue said its because I am detoxing and it comes out in different ways for different people. Sounds kind of bullshit to me. I think it might be the acids and sugars from all the juice and the fact that I am not really using them anymore.

I also have this strange bloated feeling. Like I'm stuffed. But with that? Liquid?
I'm also going to the bathroom LESS than I usually do. Which I thought the complete opposite. My fear is of course that an "emergency situation" will arise at the worst opportune moment.

Overall:
I feel kinda of lathargic, crappy and bloated. Kind of the same feeling after you eat a 32oz steak and potatoes...but without the 32oz steak and potatoes. Well Day 3 is next and I will stick with it. I am hoping for a "moment of clarity" soon.

Over and out.

ROOTS FIASCO.

I find it difficult in my mid thirty age bracket to attend live hip-hop shows now. I used to be diehard. But now I just don't have it in me anymore. There are exceptions. Like when The Roots are on stage with Lupe Fiasco?? I HAVE to make it to that one.
Lupe felt bad for breaking into Reed Space a few months ago so he made up for it by inviting me and some friends to the show tonight at Nokia Theater. They both KILLED it. Lupe has incredible stage presence and basically rocked the crowd all by himself. NYC crowds have the reputation of being "haters"...especially to opening acts. But Lupe did his thing and got the crowd hyped. Then The Roots came on and showed why they are the best live hip-hop act ever. Period. I've been going to Roots shows for over 10 years and they are still as great as ever. If you recorded ANY Roots show, on ANY given night, in ANY city...and put that out as a CD; it would be the best hip-hop album of the year each and every time. That's how freaking dope they are live.


Kazuki/HF, Lupe says "wassup!"




When I just started Staple, I used to make sure I was the first on line at venues like Wetlands, Tramps, and Bowery Ballroom. I wanted to be in the first row. I always had some Staple tees or hats on me and I would get up front in hopes of being able to hand one to Black Thought, QuestLove, or Kamal. Every once in a while, they would grab something and it meant so much. Well, its been a decade and while The Roots are still honing their craft, I too am honing mine. Want to give a big "domo arigato" to Lupe for a great time tonight.

FAST FORWARD.

Today I begin a week long mission to improve my health. I've been investigating into the concept of fasting and liquid diets for a while now. My problem is that I am never at home long enough to do one effectively. The time was finally right for me to do this now. One of the biggest pains of trying to eat/drink healthy is actually going to the grocery and shopping for everything. Buying the juicer, doing the dishes, etc...its all a pain in the ass. And you never if what you're buying is actually healthy or not!
Luckily I found a spot right around the corner from work called Organic Avenue. They actually have pre-set week long programs where they prepare all the meals and you just have to go pick them up. In fact, they will even deliver. This place is very helpful and informative. I'll try and give play-by-plays on this experience so anyone interested can know beforehand what to expect.
Day 1: No hunger cramps at all. Never had a desire to eat anything. Followed the directions to drink everything and in fact, I was so full, I couldn't even finish all my liquids for the day. No major headaches as I thought would have happened. So let's hope Day 2 continues like this. The only solid food I had today was a tiny salad.

MAYA MAXX.

If you're in Japan, be sure to roll thru Reed Space Tokyo. We are EXTREMELY pleased and honored to have the presence of artist Maya Maxx. MAYA MAXX was born in Japan, and graduated from Waseda University, School of Education. Since her first solo exhibition in 1993 at Gallery Art Soko, Tokyo, she has exhibited in various art spaces every year including Kirin Art Space and LaForet Museum. Maya Maxx is a very popular Japanese contemporary artist among the younger generation in Japan. Maya's work includes paintings, picture books, animation and most recently prints on paper. Through using these varied media, Maya explores neo-Japonisme and the meaning of the modern Japanese soul. Maya Maxx and her art also appear frequently in Japanese media: TV shows; commercials; CD jackets and book illustrations.

The Live Painting events and workshops have become particularly well-known and significant in her body of work. She has visited elementary schools, universities, foster care centers, centers for children needing special care and now REED SPACE to collaborate with participants. This is an extremely rare opporunity to see her live painting. She will be at Reed Space everyday from 2pm-7pm until March 21st (except for the 13th, 18th and 20th); painting, drawing, fielding questions and maybe even taking requests! Wow....once in a lifetime.


(Marcus Miller in the house!)

BESTEST.

Want to tip my cap to New York Magazine and their annual much-revered, BEST OF NY issue for blessing Reed Space with "Best Sneaker Lifestyle Store" honors. It means a lot especially considering the competition we are up against in NY.


I'm sure one of the front runners for this category was Nom De Guerre. Just received a nice package from them of the Converse Jack Purcell collab they did. If this fabric looks familar, its cuz you have seen it on this blog WAAAAAY back (exactly ONE year ago actually). The fabric was actually from Brendon's collection, Noah. A very cool subtle design. This is how collaborations should be done.

And if you have some free minutes, head over to Murketing and read the conversation Rob Walker and I had. Bad interviews can be a real downer. Good ones on other hand, provide some perspective on why you get up every morning and go to work.

MOVING EAST.

Time to start the trek and head home. It's been an incredible week of riding and just overall good times. In case you're not familar, Nelson is located about an hour from the US/Canada border in the Northwest Corridor near Washington State. So how long would you guess it should take for me to get home? A flight to Vancouver from NY is about 6-7 hrs. L.A. a little under 6 hrs.
Door to door? Try 17 fucking hours. Thanks Delta; for taking me on the scenic route tour of middle America. I got to see Spokane again, Salt Lake City, Cincinnatti, then you proceed to lose my bags at JFK! Thanks! The only thing that saved me from complete insanity was that I was 100% prepared for all this disaster. I just knew something was gonna happen with all that stopping over in different cities. Lucky I had my camera with me...


First, return those avalanche beacons. If there's a missing beacon, chances are, there's a missing person too...and that's no good.


How to hail a cab in Baldface.


Nothin says "America!" like, Best Western highway hotels, Quiznos Subs, Denny's, and Chili's...not ONE but "TOO"!




In Spokane, I picked this cool product up. ORIKASO. It's origami inspired tablewear. You fold up this hard plastic and its totally leakproof and washable. Designed for campers because everything flatpacks, but also great for NYC apartments with small kitchens. You can store an entire dinner set for 2 people in the take out menu drawer. Dope design...

32.

I turn 32 years young today. (Don't you hate it when people say that?)
Kazuki from Fragment is exactly one day older than me. 3/6/75. Happy Birthday to him also.
The crew from Baldface handmade us a cake from scratch....really nice surprise for both of us.




The Baldface Kitchen Team...cookin' up some marvelous shit.


Kazuki x Cake




Blackberry x iPhone? In my dreams....

BALDFACE DREAMS.

A truly amazing riding experience here. The folks at Baldface Lodge have just about everything covered. This has been the daily regiment:
6:00am: Alarm goes off.
6:40am: Actually get out of bed.
7:00am: Meet in main lodge for home cooked breakfast. Then go back to room to change and get ready. At least 30 minutes of stretching is a good idea.
8:30am: Get hooked up with avalanche transponders and meet at Snowcat. Then ride until around 4pm. We eat lunch on the mountain which they prepare and bring up with us in the snowcat.
4:30pm: Back in room to chill and take a brief, much needed nap.
6:00pm: Slide show viewing. They have photographers shooting everyone on the mountain and they show it on a big screen in the main lodge. Good laughs all around.
6:30pm: Home cooked dinner.
8:00pm: Your choice. Tune your board. Play some billards or table tennis. Get a massage. Hit the sauna. Or all of the above!
10:00pm: Passed out in a coma.


Straight from a snowboard video...but the only difference is that I'm actually riding it this time.



No cars, SUVs, ski lifts, trams or gondolas here. There are 2 modes of transport: Snowcats and Helicoptors.


I read in a magazine before coming here that this place can look like something out of the movie "THE THING". I would say a cross between The Thing and The Shining wouldn't you say? Can definitely be creepy in some spots.

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The first day began with some basic avalanche training. For example here, transponders were hidden in the snow throughout the base and we had to look for them...it was kinda fun actually. Like hi-tech hide and go seek.


Kazuki (designer for Fragment) seemingly standing at the egde of the earth.


Deka-jun (Resonate designer) taking this SICK jump!!! That takes major balls...


What may look like a bear rising from hibernation; is actually me... post-wipeout.


HF taking a nice kicker.


Buff, our avalanche guide expert and Yuki (Kazuki's GF).


The post slideshow presentation...this is me in picture form...and then me with my legs straight up in the air.


HF doing pop-wheelie's with a wheelchair. Is there anything this dude cannot do??


When you ride backcountry...you always have to respect nature and its power. Never forget those who lost their lives for the powder.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

A runway in the middle of nowhere?


Rules from 1786?


Peaks and Valleys?


A mysterious map?


A landing pad at the edge of earth?


Must be Spokane, WA. Or more precisely, 3.5 hours outside in a place called Baldface. The largest snowcat ski operation on planet earth. I'm gonna try and survive a week of snowboarding here. If you don't see a new posting here for 7 days, call the Canadian rescue mounties!