A couple of weeks ago when B.o.B. stopped over in Singapore to perform at the Hard Rock Cafe, he had a neat little meet and greet session at the adidas store over at Pacific Plaza. We caught up with him and had a chat about his music career, his experience working with the recently passed Amy Winehouse, what adidas means to him, his very first pair of adidas and much more.

This being your first time in Singapore, what have you heard about it before you got here.
B.o.B. : I didn’t realize that it was a country. I thought it was a city inside of a country. It’s actually been a country for 46 years. I knew it was a beautiful place and now I’m here experiencing it.

How did you get started in music?

B.o.B. : Well, I was rapping when I was 13, but when I was 17 I got signed straight outta High School and from there I went on to release mixtape after mixtape until my first album came out in 2010. It’s been like a little over a year, so I’m ready to put out my next album. Recording is about 70% done.

Your first single was ‘Haters everywhere’, did you hate lots of haters when you were coming up?

B.o.B. : Definitely, that’s why I am the way I am. I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. But, I’m a friend until otherwise. Gotta be in peace mode.

You worked with Amy Winehouse on a track before, God rest her soul, could you tell us a little bit on how that went?

B.o.B. : I’m glad that I got a chance to do a song with her before she passed away and she definitely has one of the most classy voices of our time and its tragic that she passed away the way that she did but I think her voice will definitely carry on and live on forever. I wasn’t actually in the studio with her and never really had the chance to meet her but you know, in spirit I met her.

In your track with Bruno Mars ‘Nothin’ On You’ was that like an unexpected hit?

B.o.B. : Definitely, I didn’t think that he would be as big as he became. And that’s why my album drop was moved. It was supposed to come out May 25th, but it came out a whole month earlier. So that was amazing for me.

Did you guys no each other before working on that particular track together?

B.o.B. : Well, we knew each other. We worked alot, but when the song came out, it brought us even closer.

Thanks to adidas, it’s great that you’re here in Singapore. And we haven’t been getting alot of big name rappers, any rappers in fact down in Singapore.

B.o.B. : Really? Because, Americans are cocky. For real, but you know what? It’s an ignorant thing because we’re in the box, we don’t ever go outside of the states. And I think for me it’s good because now documenting all of this I can show people back home what is going on around the world. And like, just the fashion, architecture, the buildings are amazing. Like you don’t see things like this in America. I mean everything is just crazy, and  I think if people saw more of this than people will understand. And alot more people would wanna come. I’ll be back. My next album, I’ll be back.

Speaking of adidas, you seem to be all decked out in adidas today. Tell us, when did you first start getting into adidas? Was it very connected to the music for you?

B.o.B. : Definitely, it was something that I started, it was an ongoing relationship and it kinda grew and built into as big as it is now.

Back in the day, who were the first people that influenced you and got you excited about wear adidas?

B.o.B. : Run DMC, P Diddy, Missy Elliot. The whole tracksuit thing. But I didn’t have them tracksuits because I couldn’t afford them as a kid. So now, I’m with adidas.

Is it a dream come true for you to be part of adidas?

B.o.B. : I think I’m very fortunate, to be able to come to the other side of the world and come to an adidas store and sign autographs for the fans. That’s definitely not something that happens everyday.

What was the first pair of adidas that you bought with your own money?

B.o.B. : They were shelltoes. Probably the all whites. But now it’s hard to fine them all white shelltoes.

Born near Hamburg, Germany, Vue Privée Artist of the Month Inga Beckmann was a student of Communication Design focussed on Documentary Photography in Münster, Germany. Technically demanding, technology-savvy, but unbiasedly observing, the German photographer captures moments and situations, opening welcoming you and I to participate in her life journey. Inga Beckmann has also extended her portfolio since 2007, working with various advertising agencies as well as collaborating with internationally renowned magazines for postproduction work. Click here for the full article on Inga Beckmann’s exhibition, North Korea.

Give us brief introduction about yourself and the kind of photographic work that you do.

I grew up in Germany on the countryside and enjoyed the privilege of traveling with my parents at a very young age. That enabled me to be in contact with other cultures and in a positive way, I was spared no distance from these cultures. Beyond the European boarders, we also travelled Asia in the early 80s. Phuket, for instance, had a single landline telephone at the post office at that time. It was little things like these that triggered my passion for authentic differences in various parts of the world. I try to document this form of curiousity and this path that I take conveys emotion, placing significance on a particular moment. So the photographs that I take can bring us to different places and times, bringing awareness, justice, compassion and love to the surface and to the people.

You’ve have also done a lot of post production work, what do you look out for where touching or ‘cleaning’ photographs?

This kind work is extremely different from my documentary work. I consider the aesthetics, composition, colour, light, man and technique in a totally different context and doing this does also fascinate and challenge me. It also inspires me, but more importantly I am convinced that the pictures I shoot must  true and original.

At what point of your life did you realise that you were going to take photography seriously?

I knew from early days that one day I would like to juggle travelling, different cultures and mentalities while leaving room for my creative vein. Balancing this with my ambition to catch zeitgeist lead me to photography. Photography opens doors and allows me to dive deeper into certain areas of life. At the same time it provides me an excuse to be driven by curiosity – a curiosity that allows me to access and intensely experience themes that are not mainstream.

The strange and unusual are main triggers for you. What are some of the peoples, places or objects that you have encountered that is ingrained in your memory?

I approached Pamela, a transsexual prostitute, as my muse for work about people between sexualities. She started her career as Dieter, a pimp on the notorious “Reeperbahn” in Hamburg. After plenty of nip tucking he decided at the age of 53 to metamorphose from Dieter to Pamela. The stories and adventures of her surreal and bizarre life remain as yet unbeaten. The hours spent with her were so unbelievably far from my own life and experience and yet entirely fulfilling and inspiring until her last breath when she passed of cancer in late 2008.

On a brighter note, I had the unbelievable chance to feature an Indian wedding last year: 2000 people celebrating a never-ending stream of rites, emotions, and traditions in an unprecedented magnificence of colour, ornamental decoration including painted elephants etc. over 7 days. For this I travelled to Delhi, Jaipur and Agra within one week. Until then, I have never had a comparable sensual overload.

However, the most surreal location, I have ever visited was without a doubt, North Korea.

What was your initial impression of the country and its people before stepping into North Korea?

You step out of the plane and you are immediately taken by the difference of the place itself. It all appears so unique that you started questioning your own definition of time & space. From a photographer’s point of view, North Korea offers picturesque scenic impressions comparable in its beauty to Switzerland, Canada, the Mediterranean and Caribbean; but on the other hand it offers a rich cultural experience with very distinguishable elements.

Could you describe the place in a few words after having been there and experiencing the people and culture?

Travelling through North Korea means saying goodbye to the day-to-day images that we, in the West are used to, and to welcome a stream of fascinating and inspiring new stimuli. For me it was a very unique travel experience and an amazing base for my work; to be able to capture snapshot of moments in a country that not many have had the privilege to witness.

In this whole series, which photograph would you say speaks the most to you?

EPISODES OF A REVOLUTIONARY PAST 2 (The Blue Arirang). I like the intensity of the colour, the mass, the unity and the power of beauty in the details. I’m also fascinated by the synchrony and precision of the thousands of dancers; and the controversy of how much of the political motives can be seen in this context, situation or background.

What do you wish for the viewer to take away from your work in North Korea?

In contrast to North Korea’s international perception driven by harsh images, when I was there I tried to observe and mirror the country in its purest form, without judgement. I tried to capture images of every day life, pleasures and incidences, attempting to underline the country’s very own, and special composition of colours, space and dimensions in a neutral way, leaving the judgment in the eyes of the beholder. And that is where beauty lies. It is my utmost goal to question and challenge the common definition of beauty by social convention; to express aesthetics in less of a literal way, but more of capturing beauty in a perspective or context one might have never thought of.

If there was anyone that you could work with, whether dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Picasso. I used to always be drawn towards this big book about Picasso at my grandparents library. Maybe I always chose this book because it was the one with most pictures. Ever since then, I had this fascination with Picasso; not necessarily with his work, but with him, as a person – his bon vivant lifetstyle, his charismatic face, the environment he created to work in and to be creative. The artists was also a dancer, a cowboy, he was serious and yet he enjoyed talking to his owl, petting his goat; just so many things. I guess the fascinating combination of fame and controversy in Picasso always left me wondering what it would have been like to work with him.

EVOLUTION OF A REVOLUTIONARY PAST 2

We got a chance to sit down with Chris Fussner of SIFR to have a little chat about their much anticipated footwear collection. Giving us a little more insight into the difficulties they had to overcome, they quality that they have strived to maintain with the shoes and the different materials and details you can expect from the upcoming SIFR Footwear Collection.

Tell us more about how and why SIFR Footwear was born.

CF: The idea to create footwear started almost a year and a half ago when SIFR first begun. What happened was, in 2009 we were trying to import desert boots from a certain brand; but they didn’t process our order and we got really frustrated because we really wanted the desert boots in our store. After this unfortunate incident, Suraj happened to be going on a family visit in Boston and so we approached a brand that was well known for their desert boots and made enquiries. However, they kind of blew us off and told us to go through the Singapore distributor. At that point we were really frustrated, and decided to make our own desert boots and our own shoes.

How did you guys go about looking for a shoe manufacturer?

CF: We had heard that Untied Arrows (Japan) had made some shoes in Indonesia for their Beauty & Youth collection a couple of years back, and so if a Japanese company was outsourcing to Indonesia, we figured that there should be a decent standard of quality. So we started doing some research and found this one factory, but it was quite hard to access them because it was quite expensive to sample with them and besides, they were already doing stuff for other Japanese companies and lots of other people were already hitting them up for production. And then we found this one shoe manufacturer out of Bandung, Indonesia and it was cool. They had a small operation going and that’s where the first release of SIFR Footwear were made from. But he didn’t want to work with us anymore because he mainly focuses on rubber soled shoes and his production for us was too costly for him. So basically he told us to buzz off and we were kinda desperate looking for a shoe manufacturer at that point of time.

That’s quite a number of setbacks already. So what happened next?

CF: We met this sole guy; he was the guy that had the leather and vibram soles in Indonesia, and he pointed us to a guy that makes shoes. And we were like all right, lets just go see who this dude is in downtown Jakarta. We found this guy and found out that he does production for like Paris, London and Tokyo for pretty established brands that make very expensive footwear. So when we saw this guy we were like, “awesome” and when we saw his factory, we were like “we wanna do this this this and that”. So we showed him our existing shoe and he took the same concept and profile and he added stuff like the EVA midsole, which adds a little extra bounce in the step, and the stitching and finishing was also alot better than the previous manufacturer. And the shoe also in terms of interior, was fully furnished with leather. Structurally the shoe was made better because the factory was like a 3rd generation factory, so this guy has been doing it his whole life. His grandfather started it a long time ago, than his father took over, and its him now. So he brought a lot of technical knowledge to the shoe design process for us that we weren’t familiar with, and so we were able to like tell him what we wanted visually, draw out pictures or draw out designs and he was able to translate that into an actual shoe product.

What were the styles of shoes that SIFR developed for the current footwear collection?

CF: We did the desert boot, a slip-on, a sandal, and we also did an ankle-cut zipper boot. So those are the four styles that we worked on that are coming out in the next couple of months. Footwear is not our main focus so its just something to accent the line but we’re really forming a good relationship with the supplier and so we’re starting to take more notice and focus to the footwear aspect of the business. Working with this guy is really just a lot of fun. We’re producing more bucks, the whole americana, traditional, not necessarily like brogues and stuff like that but we’re definitely using goodyear welts in some of the shoes for our drop later in the year. We’re trying to put it into more of a fun context where its not really super serious, where it’s all blue suede and all brouge-d out with all the designs. Just trying to have a little more fun with it, a little more pop-py. Not really dandy, but to make the shoes more fun and not so serious.

Would you say that the themes that run through the SIFR Collection translates to your shoe line?

CF: Yeah, like the styles we chose are a mixture between staple shoe styles that you could wear with almost anything to things that we see reoccurring or that have a cultural significance. Like the sandal, we wanted to do a south-asian interpretation of it, but we ended up just doing like a regular roman-gladiator inspired sandal. For the desert boot, it stemmed from us wanting it earlier on but not be able to get it. The zipper-boot is something slightly more fashion-y, something we’re just experimenting with and seeing how that style would flow with what we produce in terms of apparel. But for the new collection that we’re doing for July/August and the end of the year, we’re taking more traditional items or styles and making them more casual. Like the big trend right now is using vibram soles instead of leather soles, we’re not going the vibram route but we’re for example, taking a tassel loafer and putting it in a sneaker context. Because with something like that, you could wear it with a suit and it wouldn’t look out of place and it would also look a little bit quirky, but it definitely won’t underdress the outfit. So it’s more like a semi-casual approach, which is what SIFR is about. We’re not too formal but at the same time we’re not too super-duper casual.

Will all these four styles be dropping at the same time?

CF: We’re doing two drops, the desert boot, the slip-on and the sandal will be dropping end of May and those three styles, plus the zipper boot, will be dropping in June. And we’re expecting to do a bigger collection in August. That’s probably when we’ll be opening up the  number of styles. Because the production that we’re doing right now is kinda our first time, it’s kinda like our first date with our supplier, we’re just trying to see what’s up and how we can work together. So far its been amazing and a lot easier to work with, this guy has a lot of experience and we’re able to learn a lot from him. And he also likes what we have in terms of ideas, so it’s a really great collaboration going between us as a brand/designers and him as the shoe manufacturer coming in from more of a technical standpoint. We’re really able to optimize both things and merge it together and create one solid product.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the shoes, like the materials used etc.

CF: For these two drops, in terms of colours that we chose, we stuck to the standard grey nubuck, brown nubuck, some nice leathers that have almost a cordovan look. Just really try to keep it accessible and have a more conservative colour palette in mind just because we’re not trying to create super statement pieces. Although we do have one statement piece, where it’s like more of a bold burnt orange. It resonates with the signifier that we have used for the brand from the beginning which is the marigold. So that’s more of a south-asian, south-east asian reference. You’ll see the burnt orange on the desert boot and the slip-on, in the future. For the materials used, everything is calf-leather, the exterior for all the leather products, leather soles, we put a rubber heel stopper, just to add a little grip, because a lot of people are unfamiliar purchasing leather soles, at least you won’t be  slipping and after you wear it for a week you’ll be fine. In this case the shoe manufacturer suggested an EVA midsole for a little bit more cushion which helps the wearability of the shoe, the interiors are furnished with cow leather (leather lined), there’s no pleather or PU or anything like that, we chose wax laces, did reverse eyelets for better structure, so that it doesn’t eat into the leather, we don’t cop out on materials. Even the sneaker that we’re doing in July/August it’s not even vulcanized, we’re doing like faux-EVA soled sneaker which you don’t really see too often and they last a really long time. Basically it’s a lot better quality than rubber or a vulcanized sneaker. We’re not like a Visvim, we’re not trying to use all organic. I mean we’re trying to have quality but keep it accessible at the same time.

Is there a theme for this new SIFR Footwear Collection?

CF: We don’t really have a set theme for each season, we just pick and choose what we like. In terms of footwear, we basically re-interpreted and re-programmed it in terms of the style. But later on in the year, it’s definitely going to be more directional in terms of the colour palette and in terms of identity for the sneakers and shoes that we’ll be putting out. For now it’s just a first date sorta thing and in July/August we’re probably going to triple the number of styles and just really go all out. There would probably be like twelve to sixteen styles come July/August.

Do you want to single out any style as your favourite?

CF: The desert boot for sure. It’s a long time coming and desert boots are like super hype right now. Wall Street Journal has written about Clarks and it’s a beautiful shoe. Our interpretation of the desert boot has a leather sole instead of a crepe sole and a slim profile. It’s something that’s wearable to work but you can also wear it out and still not look too work-y. Like for our filler stuff, that’s what we’re trying to go for in terms of direction. Like you can wear all our filler stuff to the office and not look too dressed down. We’re just trying to fight against this double collar and contrast button holes and stuff like that. I mean everyone has their own style and we’re just trying to present something that’s like cool, semi-casual but not get you caught by HR for not complying to the office dress-code.

How’s the branding like on the footwear.

CF: It’s very subtle. We have no overt branding on the footwear, which is something we’ve been struggling with in terms of, do we or do we not do it. We were looking at some brands that did incorporate overt branding in a subtle way. Notable brands are like Visvim, Thom Browne, Common Projects and a lot of the Japanese brands they have that little patch or little thing that doesn’t interfere with what the product’s about but you still know where that product came from if you’re a fan of the brand or if you’ve seen the brand before. That’s something we’ve been struggling with cos we don’t want to like rip on someone else’s concept. In this case we had to take the high road and really just see what comes out in the long run. Cos for essentials, we did put a little marigold print on the back, it’s very discreet but i’m not even sure how that’s going to sit with some of our customers if they’re going to want a marigold on the back of their shirts. You can only see the branding of the shoe on the heel. There’s an emboss of the logo on the heel and there’s a gold foil stamp on the insole and the box is actually quite nice. But on the shoe itself, there’s no overt branding. I guess its something we really got to think about. Like Common Projects are so smart about it and like Jack Purcell’s have that front thing on the toe cap. That’s what i’m talking about, it’s hard to create and iconic shoe, cos so many iconic shoes have been created already. But that’s what we’re looking for in terms of branding, like how to make that sort of toe cap thing or like gold emboss on the side that’s not really intrusive.

We had the opportunity to sit down with one of the most exciting bands out there right now and had a chit chat with Japanese Cartoon. Speaking to Le Messie and Wasalu Jaco (Lupe Fiasco’s real name), we found out more about Japanese Cartoon, how the Internet has shaped music into what it is today, Lupe’s FBA (Fake British Accent), how fashion and music mesh together and much more. Big things will be happening for Japanese Cartoon in the near future, so soak up the interview and we hope you have as much fun reading it, as we did talking to them.

What does the name Japanese Cartoon mean? And what’s the significance behind it?

WJ: I really like Japanese cartoons, Japanese anime and stuff like that. And so if I ever had my own band, I was going to name it Japanese Cartoon. I was thinking that somebody would have already used the name, but no one did, so I was like ok, Japanese Cartoon it is. Japanese cartoons are the craziest things, they have the craziest plots, the craziest stories, and I watch them to learn stuff from them. Almost like watching a documentary or something like that. And it was just a big influence on me when I was a kid. I used to try and write anime, even in my hip-hop music, I would write songs based on Japanese cartoons like Akira and what have you. And in a Japanese cartoon, you could do whatever you want, be whatever you wanted to be. It’s violent but at the same time it’s peaceful, it has a meaning but it’s also like aggressive, all these different elements come together and I just thought that it would fit dope with a band.

Tell us more about the awesome artwork on the album cover.

WJ: The actual cover of the guy screaming, was actually done by Shohei Otomo, the son of Katsuhiro Otomo – the guy who did Akira. So I reached out to him. I had previously bought a bunch of his pieces and I was just like, do you think you could do an album cover? And he was like, cool. And Nathan Cabrera did the Japanese Cartoon logo, while Messie handled all the other artwork.

LM: Yeah, all the extra artwork.

WJ: So between the 3 of them, Shohei did the cover, Nathan did the actual band logo and Messie did all the other gallery artwork and posters.

Having just released the first Japanese Cartoon album online; in your opinion, how has the Internet changed music?

WJ: I’ll give you my take on it coming from the music business and then Messie can give you his take from not being in the music business. I think people realized that to mobilize and get product all over the world traditionally and physically is just ridiculously expensive. Imagine trying to send somebody a CD, from one country to the next and that CD has to go through customs and all that stuff. So imagine sending 10,000 CDs and what that bill would be and what have you. So I think that on a logistical level, that was what excluded a normal artist from the game. Cos they had no way to get their music to anyone else, except where they could physically carry it. Paying for shipping and what have you was just out of the question. So the Internet kinda came in and filled that particular void. And music isn’t something like a t-shirt, where it has to be a t-shirt, or a watch, where it has to be a physical watch. Music is something that can be digitized and sent everywhere, in different mediums and formats. And I just think that the Internet and music work so well together. It’s like music and film are the only kind of products that can be digitized and sent and really exploit the Internet. So on that end, logistically, it was the best way to do it. And that was why we did it like that. That was the easiest, quickest way to get it around the world for the least amount of money. Not no money, but the least amount of money. And I think it helps.

LM: Following on with Lupe said, the Internet kinda fast forwarded everything over the past 5/6 years. It’s like the evolution to everything else. Its put people in a place where people are searching harder and trying harder. We’re trying to make better music because of this surge. The surge of the Internet and fast sending of files and so on and so forth. So I just feel that its an evolutionary process. I’m just really happy being here now, I feel like this is where its at right now. Everything is at your fingertips. You can make a song, press send, and a 100,000 people can hear it, just like that.

I get that and all, but just a couple of days ago, I picked up a couple of CDs. And I just missed that feeling of buying a CD, ripping apart the shrink wrap, putting it in my Discman and listening to it on the way home. I miss that vibe.

WJ: I think that’s just the tradition. Cos I miss the same thing too. I remember how I used to have to get on a bus, to get to the mall to buy the CD. And then I was really limited because I only had like $15, so I gotta really get the right CDs. And you really had to work for it. The artist had to work for it, you had to work for it and you cherished the moment. You cherished that tradition.

LM: It was the whole physicality of things.

WJ: When you digitized it, you kinda lost that. You can’t touch it anymore, so you kinda lost that. Nowadays you don’t even see the money that you’re using to pay for stuff on the Internet, its like ‘click’ and you get your music, ‘click’ next track. You don’t really take the time, as much time as it took going to the store. You don’t really embrace it because it’s right at your fingertips. I think that will never be the same, I think we’re never going to get that back. Except for us that wanna do that, go through that whole experience, cos I still buy CDs. I still go to the department store and what have you and buy CDs and listen to them in my car.

LM: But here’s the funny thing. That’s what the vinyl people said about CDs. And that’s what the CD people are going to say about the MP3s. And its going to go on and on.

WJ: Cos for vinyls, you had to change the heads on the record player. And it’s like, I had to change the heads and sit and play it and you can’t move, you can’t shake nothing. It can’t be too loud if not the music will shake.

LM: People used to say things like, I like the weight of the vinyls cos its heavy and when you listen to it, it has crackle pops.

WJ: Yeah, yeah. So it’s the whole physical experience of everything. And its changed, and we’ll never get that back. So we lost that tradition. Back in the day you had to work for it. Now you don’t really have to work for music. But, on the artist side, artists still have to work. The way we look at it, is like we still have to write it, still have to go to the studio, still have to record it, still have to physically mix and go through all that stuff and physically upload it. And then press send. So from the artist stand point, I don’t think we lost that integrity. Even though we know that it’s gonna get out there and everything is happening so fast, we still gotta make it. And so as an artist, we still cherish that. And I think that the music is actually getting better. The actual music, the technic, the technical aspects, the sound; I actually think that it’s better than it was. But the experience of the person getting it has changed radically.

Yeah, it has definitely changed. But back in the day when we spent all our money on a couple of CDs, we would listen to them for months. And pay attention to what the artist was trying to say in their music.

LM: It was like you kinda respected the artist more. But thats what makes the artist work harder now. Cos it’s harder for us to get their attention, it’s harder for us to send a message out, where they would go – ok i’m getting this for free but what makes me stick to this particular band? Whereas before it would have been something physical. Like I just bought this CD and this CD means a lot to me. Its my money for the week, but now we don’t have that, so the artists strive a lot harder to get the attention of the listeners ears. Catch them and convert them into a supporter, a fan. And I think that the messages come out a lot stronger. The messages come out a lot more technical, a lot more strategic. The artists just have to work a lot harder to get to people as opposed to before.

I’m pretty sure that technology and the Internet has helped Japanese Cartoon a great deal, seeing how the entire band is scattered all over the globe. Give us a little insight on how the recording process went down.

WJ: When it initially started, it was just me. It was just Lupe. It was just me in my studio and what have you. And the first song that we did, which was Army, we didn’t have a guy to play the drums so our bass player had to beatbox it. So that’s why it’s beatboxing on the song on the song as opposed to drums, cos thats all we had. As it kinda developed and when I started to take it more seriously, other people around me started taking it more seriously, then we got a drummer. Then we got a guitar player, then we got this guy and that guy etc. And so creatively, it was a slow build. Everybody kinda like hands in the pot, I have an idea, I have a bass line, and sometimes I would have a full song and I just needed you to come in and play this. And sometimes, I would only have one piece of a song, and none of us know what to do and then a friend would come in and play the drums. But he’s all the way in New York, while everybody else is in Chicago, while such and such is in L.A. But with Messie, it was more like Messie was sending us tracks the whole time and we were like, what are we going to do with this track, let’s put it on the next record, let’s put this one here, let’s use this one there. Yo, that’s dope, but lets wait and use it the next time round. But the big thing now, is remixing the album; so now Messie is full on remixing the “In the Jaws of the Lords of Death” album already. He’s going to be doing that while I’m performing in Macao, and such and such is in Vegas and the other guys are somewhere else. And if were to go on tour, Messie has to come out to L.A. so that we can rehearse and the bass player has to come from Chicago and the keyboard player has to come from New York etc. It’s the ultimate collaboration, it’s the most ultimate collaborative effort of all time.

Just out of curiosity, why the British accent when you were rapping/singing on the album?

WJ: (Laughs) Ohh, you mean the FBA (Fake British Accent)? Honestly, it was the only way that I could get the songs out. And for me, I love and grew up on things like Monty Python, Vinnie Hill, and my favourite artists are like Coldplay and I love the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and so everything that I really love has a British accent. Plus, my step-father is English, true blue blood caucasian English man; and so I felt like it was my right cos part of my family is English. But then also, creatively it was the only way that I felt comfortable getting the songs out. Cos I don’t like to sing in my normal voice, and if you see, as the album progresses, I use it less and less. That was because I was getting more comfortable hearing my own voice, but I felt like it was such an injustice to go back and change everything. I was like no, that was the way it came out, raw like that, that was me being afraid to sing in my own voice. So there you go, take it all. I’ll take whatever bumps and bruises and whatever people have to say.

The accent is very noticeable in Jaws, the first song of the album.

WJ: Yeah, it stands out. Can’t hide. But that’s kinda like the point of the album. Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid of the past, don’t be afraid to evolve, and when you evolve, don’t look back. Don’t be ashamed of where you came from. That’s where I came from and I’m gonna own it. And by the time we got to the end of the album, there is no more accent, cos I don’t need it no more. Now I’m comfortable. I had to go through that to get comfortable to be able to make the album.

There were reports early on in the year about Japanese Cartoon and speculation about whether you were part of it. Was all that ‘publicity’ done on purpose to keep people on their toes?

WJ: I think it was a self-fulfilling kinda thing, I didn’t know what it was going to be. I wasn’t even really taking it seriously early on. So there was no need for it to be anything. It didn’t need to have any kind of shape or a front man, or a band, or anybody behind it. But as it started to progress and started to have a mind of its own, it started to be like that was the comfort zone. Cos it kept people away just enough so that we could finish it, and really develop it and not really care what people had to say about it, kinda like, to protect it. And once it got to the point that we couldn’t deny it anymore, it was already too late. It was already out, it was already kinda going and I was already performing songs. But its crazy, cos there’s still some people out there who don’t think its me, which is cool to me you know. Because there others, that when they heard it for the first time, they immediately knew that it was me. But it is what it is.

When was the first time that you guys met and what made you want to work together?

LM: Back in 2004, I was talking to Lupe on the Internet. I had just started my brand (FALSE) and he was like the first person that mattered that came back to me and said like, yo I love your brand and stuff like that. At that point, I was star struck but at the same time very honoured, so one day the opportunity arose and I asked him to come down to Singapore. They had this idn conference and I didn’t think he would come, but he did. And when we met, it was like symmetry, light attracts light. And this is how I think we have progressed over the years. It’s not been like, this is what we are going to do or that’s what we are going to do. It has always been organic, we just come together and things just happen. And I think there’s a lot of strength in that, a lot of spirituality in that. Symmetry.

Did either one of you ever imagine that you would someday form a band with someone else halfway around the world?

WJ: Well we had previously worked on “The Cool” together, so we’ve already worked together in that capacity all the way around the world. And I love adventure, I love venturing out, going to different places, getting involved, seeing whats there, interacting and collaborating with the people there to give you a different perspective. Cos I feel that my mission is to give people a different perspective. So I live it. So for me, I came to Singapore, met Messie and it was like, you do music? And I was like, let’s do a song. And we did a song, and I was like, yo that was a dope ass song. Let’s do some more songs you know. Its kinda like if it makes sense, let’s keep doing it. If we did a song and it was terrible, we’d be like, that song was whack, let’s just do t-shirts or go eat or something else. But it was good you know.

LM: The best thing was that he pushed me a lot with my music. Cos before I started fashion, I was actually struggling with producing. Things didn’t really work out for me, so I went into fashion and design. But when Lupe came to Singapore, he heard my stuff and he kept pushing me all the way. I actually gave up. And the only reason why I’m doing this today, is because of him. Someone actually believed in what I was doing. I’m just very happy being where I’m at right now.

What’s your take on fashion and music going together hand in hand?

WJ: I think it always did. The artist had to be dressed in something. And whatever they wore, became the cool thing for everybody to wear. Whether it be like Frank Sinatra in a tuxedo, sitting on stage, and people would be like ohh that shit is cool and imma get a tuxedo so I can look like Frank Sinatra. Or like Joe Strummer in a leather jacket or in a tee that he made himself and it was like if you looked into the crowd there’s a bunch of kids with tees that they screened themselves too. Or the Sex Pistols, Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm Mclaren and that whole kinda thing. Or like in Hip-Hop, you put on a basketball jersey and for a time, that was the shit. Everybody in the world, hat turned backwards, gold chains and all that crazy stuff. So I think music and fashion are always intertwined. And you’ll see the connection, if you look at people like Pharrell who are that. They are music and fashion mixed together. Or Kanye or Lady Gaga even, you know what I’m saying, on a more couture side. It’s like, you see her and you’re like who? WTF!?!? Cos of what she’s wearing. But when you listen to her music, you’re like ohh yeah she’s dope. But WTF is she wearing, you know what I’m saying? So like they’re intertwined. They’re kinda inseparable. They sometimes make or break bands. Cos sometimes you would go see a band, and if they looked f**king whack but they sound great, there’s nothing exciting about that. And then you go see another band, and they could suck but they look great and I’d be like I wanna dress like them cos they look great. But their music f**king sucks. And like the Sex Pistols didn’t make the greatest music, but they had the biggest fashion statements. Like to me, the Bad Brains made the best music, but they didn’t make the biggest fashion statements. Like in punk, they didn’t have some crazy over the top huge Swastika with crazy shit on. So it’s like their intertwined.

We’ve seen pictures of a vinyl toy of you, is that coming out soon or what’s the story behind that?

WJ: It was a one off thing that my friend had made for me, by hand. Actually Nathan Cabrera made it for me. But I think that we’re so deep in the streetwear/toy culture like he’s definitely a pioneer, he’s definitely an OG in it and I guess I’m an OG in it. I was on hypebeast when it was just like 10 people on it.

LM: We were the first 2 people to have blogs on it.

WJ: And I was hitting Kevin (Ma) directly with one of my first few interviews. So we go way back, and we’ve got so many connections and there’s going to be so much Japanese Cartoon shit, whether it be toys or whatever just because we can do it. We’re around the guys that actually make it happen. Everything that people expect it to be is going to come, and everything that they ain’t expecting is gonna come too. Toys, vinyls, everything.

Which are your favourite songs from the album?

LM: It’s a very difficult question for me to answer, because when people ask me that about the different lines and seasons of my label, it’s like asking a parent that has 4/5 children, which one is their favourite child. So it’s really hard to answer, because one can’t be one without the other. So I love them all equally, it is what it is.

WJ: I like Gasp, that was probably my favourite song. And then probably Heirplanes. So Gasp, Heirplanes and Crowd Participation. And Firing Squad.

Any confirmed live performances from Japanese Cartoon in the near future?

We’re working it out now, just figuring what’s it going to be and what it looks like. Got a couple of offers from different people. So who knows? Might be something with N.E.R.D. or it could be something else. We don’t know yet. But the first date, is gonna be massive. Wherever that is, its gonna be massive.

One of our island’s best and fashion forward multi label boutiques, Surrender, has been at their swanky new space at Raffles Hotel Arcade for the last couple of months. Other than the fine product offerings available, their interior and space is another attraction to pay attention to. We managed to chat with the people behind Surrender, Earn and Samuel, who collectively share with us their visions, evolutions, and key to success. Check out the full interview below.

Surrender is located at #02-31, Raffles Hotel Arcade

How did the idea and concept of Surrender come about?

It was an idea James Lavelle (UNKLE) and myself were thinking about it for a while. There was a scarcity of clothing stores we like here. So we thought it would be a good idea to open a store here. I discussed it with Samuel and six months later, we opened our doors at Far East Plaza. When we first opened in late 2004, we concentrated on an identity, a concept. Since then, it has been an organic growth which means these days, there’s less focus on adopting a concept, and more on the store being able to represent itself so people can identify with it.

How much is Surrender a reflection of yourselves?

Surrender is basically our passion translated into a business and we focus what we like and what we would wear ourselves. You’ll never find something like three-legged pants at Surrender no matter how trendy or popular it is. We have always stuck to what we like, push what we believed in and progressed from there. When we were younger, we were very involved with the youth subculture, and we still are now. Except that, as we grow older, our pants don’t sag as much. Haha. So yeah, at Surrender, you can find a good selection of graphic teeshirts to well fitted suits. In a way, it’s constantly growing with our customers and us personally. We can proudly call ourselves a menswear store now.

What has been key to the success of Surrender as a store and as a brand name?

Like I said, Surrender is a menswear store. And men do not like to be associated with fashion, which is why we never followed any trend. However, men like to be stylish. From there, we cover every aspect of lifestyle, from music, art, design and architecture to food, watches, furniture and cars. The products we carry compliment that lifestyle.

Besides offering quality products, we offer personalized service too. In every business, honesty is the key. Especially in menswear where it’s all about proportion, so getting a second opinion from us can be quite important. On the other hand, if the shirt doesn’t fit well, we will advise our customers not to get it. We want our customers to look good and I am glad they trust us to do that.

What happened to the Surrender clothing label? Will we be seeing a resurrection?

We have decided to take a break from production and focus on retail instead. When the time is right, we will relaunch our new line. But the collection will not be big as we have no intention of world domination. We would just like to have a small collection ranging from casual pieces to tailored clothes at our store, and hopefully along with a made to measure service too.

3rd time moving guys, does it get any easier or any harder?

It tends to get harder. Singapore is a small city and it is difficult to find a space we like. I’ve never liked having a store in a mall, it takes away the characteristics of what a store  should be. It works for big retailers but as an independent retailer, it doesn’t work for us. We do not like to be grouped or categorized and be placed according to levels in their malls. We’d prefer to find a spot that’s suitable for us rather than worrying about the traffic flow. So when we found this spot at the Raffles Hotel, we knew it would be our new home.

In terms of evolution, what can we expect from the new store? How different from the last store? Inspirations?

Our previous two locations were very modern. There are so many shops out there, from fast food joints to clothing stores with cutting edge, avant garde designs, modern decor, crazy technologies, elevators that go sideways etc. So this time, we want it to be more timeless and lo-fi, like the products we carry… it doesn’t get old, it only gets better. That’s what we want for our new store. A classic decor that ages well over time.

Why Raffles Arcade?

The Raffles Hotel is a beautiful hotel which has a great heritage attached to it. Dating from 1887. There are so many 6 stars hotel in Singapore but there is only one Raffles Hotel. Like what they say : “When staying in Raffles Hotel, why not visit Singapore?”. It represents Singapore so we are proud to be part of it.

Also, it is more relaxing than other shopping districts where there’s a lot of competing against one another and screaming for  your attention. Our customers know what they want and prefer to take their time to shop in a more relaxed environment.

Personally, what are the favorite things about the last two stores that you will always remember. What do you/will you miss?

I am glad you asked, because when we were in the midst of moving last week, we found many artworks from the last two stores. It’s an archive of what we have done. I missed particularly the set of handscreened “Bizarre Beyond Belief” that used to hang proudly in our gallery. There were also artworks from the past exhibitions that we have done with Kostas Seremetis and Rostarr. But all will be hung at our new store.

The ASICS GEL LYTE III has been in the spotlight for kick ass collaborations with some of streetwear’s finest brands, making it one of the most famous and iconic sneaker silhouettes of the last two decades. With that much heat and respect for the sneaker within the streetwear industry, we were honored to meet with Shigeyuki Mitsui – the creator and designer of the GEL LYTE IIIs himself, for a little history lesson on his legendary creation.

Time of conception…

It was either 1988 or 1989. It’s been more than 20 years now.

An introduction to the GEL LYTE III…

At the time, my intention was to create the ultimate performance running shoe, with the highest level of technology and function. My design concept was to have a high grade performance function, but to make it visually pleasing unlike existing running shoes at the time. I created my own technique of drawing, and the factories had to create an entirely new mould. During that era, most brands were going for simple designs – geometrical designs, and I didn’t like those shapes.

Split tongue…

When you wear a general shoe, the normal tongue will shift to the side during wear because of the foot shape – it really isn’t a good fit. So what I did was to split the tongue and connect it to the lining so that it doesn’t move, hence making the entire shoe more fitting. The second reason is that when we normally try to slip on our shoes, we have to first pull the tongue up before inserting our foot in; but with the split tongue, you could you just slip on the shoe without even having to bend over to pull up the tongue so it’s really simple and easy (Mitsui then goes on to demonstrate how easy it was to simply just slip on the Gel Lyte III). So it’s high performance and easy to wear.

Triple density midsole…

Another unique feature of the GEL LYTE III is the low to high density mid sole that I designed. Asics has already had the 2-density midsole, but just 2 portions of density is just isn’t enough. The change from a soft to a hard density was too drastic. So a middle range of density was needed to make this transition more natural. Also the placement of the three different densities needed to be at a certain angle to help distribute and guide the pressure and weight of a person correctly. They gave up on continuing it on other models because quality control of this heel piece was too difficult. Because of the nature of foaming material, the sensitivity of getting all three different densities right was tough to control. It wouldn’t be that difficult with the technology we have now, but it was different twenty years ago. Many factories that made GEL LYTE IIIs used to complain and told me never to make such a feature again! But I believe it’s a really good structure.

Current demand…

Since it’s release twenty years ago, there definitely has been less people using the model for performance. They’ve moved on to the GT 2 and GT 3 – these are really high performance models. Everyone uses the GEL LYTE III for fashion aesthetic now.

Hexagonal eyelets…

Plastic eyelets are really detailed. The hexagonal shape allows for flexibility in directional movement of the laces. I also designed the eyelets to be oval, which at the time was completely different from everyone else, who were doing round eyelets (for round laces).

3M cage…

The design was inspired by a Prison. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary and make the 3M ‘GEL’ logo on the heel section look as though it was behind bars.

Heel counter…

Back then, most heel counters were shaped in a standard way. I decided that I wanted a different shape on the heel counter (where it dips in the middle). It helps make the shoe alot more stable.

Materials…

The original GEL LYTE III release used suede. The suede was made in Japan, and the quality was amazing. It was much more expensive than if we were to have used regular natural leather.

Inspiration…

High performance shoes at the time were not edgy. The image of high performance shoes were like an honor roll student in high school. I preferred the outlaw rebellious student image; we wanted this shoe to be wild and dirty.

Original colorway…

We had just one colorway each for men and women when the GEL LYTE III was first released. I forget the color of the women’s version, but the men’s was green and black, with yellow accents.

Recent collaborations…

It’s really great that so many brands have decided to use the model as their base silhouette. I have a really good impression of these collabs. I really like the ones that ALIFE did with us. It’s a great silhouette to work with in terms of customization.

Old original pairs…

I missed out on keeping a pair of the originals. Maybe I could sell those off for a decent sum if I still had a pair! I designed the GT Quick model as well, which was very close to the GEL LYTE IIIs but for higher performance, and I still have an original pair of those.

Personal ASICS collection…

I wear ASICS every day, but I don’t have that many – only 10 pairs.

Mitsui’s current work with ASICS…

After I designed the GEL LYTE IIIs and the GT, I worked more on high performance and high function shoes like the IGS. I love what I do and I haven’t stopped designing shoes.

GEL LYTE III samples that Mitsui was wearing during the interview

Mitsui showing us the split tongue

Triple density midsole

Mitsui explaining the lace eyelets on paper

ASICS GEL LYTE IIIs are available at StarThreeSixty boutiques

The last time we talked to this man from an official standpoint, his brand had just stormed the front with a collaboration with Lupe Fiasco. More than a year on, he’s taken the FALSE label even higher towards the heavens – a second clothing line, videos, music, publications…… the works. Watch out world, FALSE is here.

It’s been a while since we last talked to you… what’s happened since?

It’s been a while; yeah I think we spoke more than a year ago. So much has evolved and progressed since. I’ve been working on the new vision of my brands and their various side projects/releases, pulling everything together under 1 multi-label and our new e-store and pop-up shop project Anti-Anti. Been neck deep in with Lupe Fiasco on our band Japanese Cartoon, we’ve been working very hard on getting our 1^st album out it’s been over a year since word got out about the band, which should be just a few days away *fingers crossed I hope! Have a little music side project of my own I’ve been cultivating called Death By Disco I should release an EP in September if all goes well and I have a large scale global art project that I’m working with Dave White & Fatsarazzi on, so it’s been brain freeze from the beginning of 2010 which has panned out to be a wonderful year!

We know you completed your headpiece recently… We gotta respect a dude with a headpiece. How’d that feel? What were the origins?

Too kind! It felt like death… 6 hour sessions and over 30 hrs of work on my skull. I still have 1 last quick touch up session in front of me. All jokes aside it was a great experience for me, it’s origins lie in Maori Moko roots, (my better half) Amanda’s ancestry lies deep in Maori heritage and the symbolism to my head moko was a coming of spiritual age for me. It marked the day I became a man.

We see FALSE branching out and giving a whole lot of loving to videos, prints and sounds. Why the diversification?

It was an organic movement towards a complete rushing of the senses. FALSE has never really been the basic business module-d brand. It always has been an open concept towards self-expression and originality. I feel very blessed to run such a diversified animal. It is the diversification that creates the justifications in the message.

We love the graphics on Better Off Dead’s new line. What was the reason for starting a second line?

Oh thank you! Better Off Dead was brought about to serve a purpose and it’s evident in its graphics. Like a little sibling Better Off Dead is a little mischievous and gets into trouble every now and then, he’s not afraid to mouth off too. To bring back the very essence of the “counter culture brand”, the very purpose of why independent fashion came to life. It’s been receiving a lot of attention and love as of late.

What led you towards the creation of the character, Karl The Butcher?

Lagerfeld himself, deep inside there’s this dark side that we don’t see, something someone so well dressed is trying to hide, the evolution of man is stained in covering our bloody animal barbaric past. Karl was just a metaphor to all of us as an evolving species.

With so many projects on FALSE’s plate, what has been your personal favorite of the year so far?

Oh how I love them all, but my Japanese Cartoon band project is something I’m constantly doting on. Before I even started with art and design I was a musician. My dream was to make music that would be appreciated by a select group of masses around the globe. I gave up that dream about 8 years ago, my friendship with Lupe and him constantly pushing me back towards that direction has brought that buried dream back to life and made it become reality. It was an organic progression to this point and seems ever so magical to me.

What should we look out for from FALSE in the second half of the year?

We’re pushing it hard this year with some pretty leftfield releases, pop-up shops, art-projects, etc. Expect the trademark FALSE flare each time we make our rounds. The purpose of FALSE is to serve our supporters loyally and graciously. We’ll be seeing more of that mentality towards the end of the year, we don’t sleep at the FALSE HQ…

Looks like you might need a holiday after 2010. Where would be the perfect place for you to go?

Nah, it’s only scratching the surface right now, 2011 might be my busiest year ever but hey who needs sleep anyway and to be honest everyday’s a holiday to me, I feel truly blessed to be able to do this for a living. I’m just thoroughly grateful.

What’s the secret to juggling so many exciting projects and getting quality results from each and every one?

Vampire Blood baby.. we sleep in the day and FFFeed in the nite. Nah seriously there’s no secret, just find something you thoroughly love to do and find a way for it to put food on your table, everything else will follow!

Favorite McDonald’s Burger?

Haa ha, you lookin for a barn burner here huh! People have been seeing the devil in oh so all the wrong places! Educate yourself.

McLibel – Two People Who Wouldn’t Say Sorry: Link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=547901963081075342&hl=en#

Food Inc: Link: http://vidreel.com/video/NTc2OTQ3/

There’s more from where that came from: http://tv.wearefalse.com/propagandhi/

LIBERATE yourselves now, you’ll thank me 20 yrs later..

In a country whose streets are plagued by the ’shorts and slippers’ army, Kevin Seah, a Singaporean designer and a knight of the bespoke cause, sets out to revolutionize the clothing ideals of the local people. With a Ready To Wear collection and an abundant wealth of sartorial knowledge, we really think that he’s the next big thing on our shores.

Who and what is Kevin Seah?

I’ve been designing for 17 years. I started out as a apprentice at a tailor shop that also sold fabrics for two years. There I learnt the craft from skilled old Shanghai-nese tailors, everything right down to how to sew a button right.

I always wanted to do couture, and the closest thing to couture that you could do in Singapore was wedding gowns. Very extravagant and grand kind of stuff. Things that people would remember for life. I started my own in 1999, ten dresses and a shop space at OUB centre. Along the way there were ups and downs, and I closed the business, and joined Projectshop to do its menswear. Doing mass production taught me more about production, deadlines and merchandising, which is a completely different set of skills from the bespoke business. Naturally, with a new set of skills, I wanted to do more, and I ventured out again, adding menswear to the mix.

I wanted to create a space where guys or girls can come and chill out, have a coffee and have a shirt or a pair of pants made and have the final product be truly your own. We’re here to sit down with you and guide you through all the different fabrics that we have and the different details that we can do – the buttons, the stitching, the hardware. It’s a different shopping experience.

How different is this shopping experience?

We always sit down and find out who our customer is before making recommendations on anything. I can’t make someone wear something that is not him or her. It would make me look stupid suggesting things that is not you. Understanding the customer is important.

Then comes the part where my experience and expertise assist in giving good recommendations. Most customers aren’t in this line of business, so they might have an idea for a piece of clothing, but that might not always be the perfect idea. I help them get there. I’m a clothing doctor. It’s fun.

Do you think locals support local designers?

The sad part is that they are willing to part their money with a foreign label when quality product can be found here. It’s a mindset that’s got to be changed. The designers don’t have that power though, but the media does. Word of mouth is also important in the bespoke business. The influence of others is powerful.

It’s time that people take designers seriously as a profession in this country.

Why did you decide to move from doing Bridal wear to Menswear?

It was always what I wanted to do, but I only want to do things when I’m ready. I get the ammunition ready, then I go to war – it’s as simple as that. A slow and steady progression. Right now I feel that we have reliable supplies. Suppliers that provide me with the best cotton in the world and working with the biggest brands producing wonderful quality fabric.

What’s the difference between your bespoke service and the regular tailor?

Alot of tailors in this era are too competitive, but they compete on a wrong scale. They don’t compete on the quality of the work, only on the quality of the price. Consumers focus too much on the cheaper prices without realizing that you’re not getting good fabric or workmanship.

A bespoke service gives you the right advice and consultancy, and there is always pride in the final product.

We hear you’re going to do a Women’s Ready To Wear line this year…what’s in store?

The influence would be what we always think is important – fabrics is a key ingredient. I don’t like to do fashionable things, I prefer to create things that can withstand the test of time. Modern Classics.

With the Ready To Wear line, we are also hoping to educate younger females to move towards Made To Order items. Like in the olden days when alot of our older relatives tailor made their clothes. Our fathers and grandfathers tailored their pants for sure. But when it came to our generation we stopped doing so, and tailors are in decline now. There are so many choices now out there. But Made to Order items ensures quality, and the perfect fit. The hard part is always the education.

What do you think of the current fashion trends?

With every generation there are style tribes. Skaters, rockers, grunge kids, the new wave butter kids, ah bengs and ah lians…the list goes on. There’s always good taste and bad taste, but I think that the overall taste in fashion has improved in recent time because of the internet and the media.

What do you think of fast fashion houses then?

I think their presence is good. They make fashion very accessible and very affordable. Everyone can be fashionable almost instantaneously now.

What’s the Kevin Seah Dream?

The dream has always been the same since day one – to be the first Singaporean to be accepted to the Paris Syndicale of Couture. It’s not impossible. We’ve reached the stage where we’re ready to compete, and we’re ready to show the world what we can do as Singaporeans. Just give us the chance.

Ninety percent of the shows at London Fashion Week belong to British designers. Ninety percent of the shows at Singapore Fashion Week belong to foreign designers. Where is the sense in that?

Kevin Seah Showroom is located at #04-08 Red Dot Traffic Building

If you’ve followed our updates and news about one of our island’s most prominent multi-label boutiques, Surrender, then you must know that today marks their reopening at The Raffles Hotel Arcade. As a treat and eye opener for everyone, Surrender has agreed to take us Through The Years on a short nostalgic pictorial trip down memory lane. From their first boutique at Far East Plaza, then to Devonshire Road, below are some pics which showcases the different interiors and layout of the past Surrender boutiques. Check back soon for first looks at their new store, and an upcoming interview with the people behind Surrender themselves.

Surrender is located at #02-31, The Raffles Hotel Arcade

Surrender @ Far East Plaza

Surrender @ Devonshire Road

Photography has always been a big part of our lives, especially in this day and age where new imaging technology assists the skill set of even the most amateurish photographer. It is heartening to know that some photographers keep it real and prefer it the traditional way by sticking to using the film format. Chuck Reyes is one of them, and we managed to sit him down for a chat. Chuck has previously shot some of the covers for Juice Magazine, as well as having his work featured in the Exposure exhibition held at Orchard Central. Read the full interview below.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and where you’re from.

I’m from the Philippines, born and raised there, I went to school in international school, thus making my philipino language kinda shitty as we all speak English there. Thereafter I moved to the states and went to college there. I intended to do literature, but I started taking some photo classes. I then moved back to the Philippines for some family stuff. I wasn’t really doing anything there, so I thought I might as well start shooting again, and I also managed to get some photography jobs. First started off shooting some events, met a lot of people, and got more freelance work. It then occurred to me that this was what I wanted to do, and so I got down to getting a degree in photography. And in so doing, I decided to come to Lasalle.

What actually got you started in photography?

My grandfather was a photographer, an awesome artist too. He gave me inspiration. My dad also had an old camera lying around. So I took that and started shooting. I really love shooting black and white, and doing darkroom stuff. I learnt photography by processing films, printing, etc. however it’s hard to do as it’s hard to find good equipment and studios for that.

What inspires you to shoot, and what kind of photography is your favourite?

Well I know what I don’t like! I hate cliché photography like landscapes and macro shots, thus I try to stay away from that. I try to shoot as much people as possible, cos I think that if you shoot people, you’re not wasting any film, it’s the most powerful photo you can snap.

So in terms of people, would that be like street photography?

I’d say more portraits. I have a hard time shooting people without their permission as I can get really shy. But once I have a photograph setup, and when I can have some control or influence over a person, I believe they can give me something, and I can give them something as well.

Would you have a favourite setup or format?

35mm, and I don’t shoot digital as well. I don’t own a digital camera. I hate technology, as it always changes, I’ll have to constantly upgrade. So I’ll get old stuff as I know it’ll never get replaced.

With the digital advancements, do u think everyone now can be an above average photographer with the digital format? If so, how then should the pros / real passionate photographers differentiate themselves?

I have some friends who believe that once you shoot with film you’ll never want to go back to digital as it will look so much better. However, I find that it doesn’t matter what you shoot. As long as you have the eye for it, you can make beautiful photographs whether you shoot digital or film. In my case, I just prefer film, just a personal preference. So I don’t think it matters, as long as you have your look and identity, not copying another, and not making photographs that have already been made. The eye for detail is much more important.

Moving forward, is there anything new that we can expect from Chuck Reyes? Or maybe an extension of your current works?

Haha the Juice cover for February’s issue! The one with the Misshapes on it. Another than that, more personal projects, I wanna show more of my personal work. It’s hard thou, as finance is always an issue. I think the photography scene in Singapore is not yet developed in terms of the Fine Art aspect. Much of it now is represented by the kind that has the “National Geographic” feel, mountains, clouds, etc. I think we’re lacking a really sophisticated Fine Art photography scene here, those images that is so much more than just a pretty picture.

Other than the shoots you’ve done for Juice, have you held any photography exhibition prior to Exposure?

Well I had one held within the Lasalle campus, this was because a French photographer was visiting, and my work was about Singapore. I shot the back of old men’s heads for one of my projects.

Did you shoot and explored a lot back in the Philippines?

In the Philipines it wasn’t so much conceptual stuff, but rather more diaristic content, it was more personal. A lot of it was just point and shoot using a 35mm film camera.

Would you think you might have a different angle of approach to your shooting if you compare the shots done in Singapore and the Philippines?

Yea definitely, in the Philippines, the access to film and cameras are really scarce, so I had to make do with what I had. In Singapore however, I feel my work is getting a lot more sophisticated, and a lot of it is due to better equipment, and that my eye for photography has changed as well. I use a lot of sunlight now versus before, and I love shooting in the city, so its been quite a big change from my shooting patterns back in the Philippines.

When you look at Scott Schuman, would you think of him more as a blogger or as a photographer?

I like his pictures, hmm.. I wouldn’t think he’s a blogger, as his pictures can be used for other mediums aside from the blog. He’s a photographer to me, as it’s also his work.

If not for photography, what would you think you’d have been doing?

Well if I didn’t take up that very first photo class back in the states, or managed to get my dad’s camera, I’d probably end up trying my hand at writing. I wanted to do journalism at first, thereafter I moved onto creative writing, but I hated most of the stuff I wrote. So I guess that was a blessing in disguise!

With a new fourth collection and a new store in-store to go along, the girls of FrüFrü & Tigerlily are back again after a brief hiatus. We get to know a little bit more about the brand’s history, their musical inspirations as well as the whimsical and bubbly trio themselves – Jasmine, Ginette and Cheryl.

How did FrüFrü & Tigerlily begin?

Jasmine: Wow. Flashback to five years ago.

Ginette: Was it five years ago? FrüFrü was my t-shirt label. There was this store that stocked local labels that I had a deal with, and they asked me to design and they would take care of production and pay me for each design. And then the store folded. But he had all these FrüFrü collar tags leftover, so I was excited to make use of them. And Cheryl was making stuff at the time.

Cheryl: Yeah I was making vintage buttons. I was just experimenting with them and selling them at flea markets, and then I gave each of the girls one to see if they liked it.

Jasmine: She was called Tiger lady. *points to Cheryl* (apparently coined by Mark Ong aka SBTG)

Ginette: Yah Tiger lady! So horrible right. So anyway we decided to join forces. And Jasmine was doing Henna tees at the time so she joined us as well. We modified trucker hats and we made accessories. Then Earn (of Surrender fame) said that he wanted to stock our product, which was a massive boost for us yet embarrassing because we had just modified stuff instead of actually making them. Then we thought to ourselves that if other people can make clothes then why not us.

Ginette: We got our first seamstress. And our first dress was super ugly. She made uniforms. What was her name?

Cheryl: Eileen. But we called her ‘best friend’. It was Jasmine’s best friend; she was the only one who could communicate with her. She’s the only one who can speak chinese.

Ginette: It was hard to deal with her because we had different ideas. We would want to do a dress, and she would say no because she thought it was too short.

Jasmine: She turned into our Mom or something. She would make it to her ideals. She did the first collection. It turned out ok. After much haggling.

Are you guys trained fashion designers?

Ginette: We’re not fashion designers at all. We try to draw, but our drawings are atrocious.

Cheryl: Only Jasmine can draw.

Ginette: But still ugly. But it was the best amongst us.

Jasmine: eh!

Ginette: It’s good and bad because we don’t know the rules, but we also don’t know the terms, and in the beginning the finishing of our products wasn’t good.

Cheryl: There was lots of trial and error at the start. We brought alot of our own clothes to the seamstress to use as a benchmark and a visual. It was very impromptu.

Ginette: But I suppose if you’re resourceful in Singapore, you can make anything happen.

Initially we made 12 pieces of each design, and they sold out quick, but that was because it was only a run of 12! But Sid (from Collage) said he wanted to help local brands out and helped us with the production of this current collection, so the production runs are greater.

When did the fashion bug hit you guys (personally)?

Ginette: As far back as I can remember, Jasmine was always making things. I remember her very ugly denim bag.

Jasmine: Which one! Those were my “attempts”. I would cut my checkered shirts and turn it into bags.

Cheryl: Those were the days. Grunge lah, grunge.

Ginette: I used to have an all-girl punk band, so we used to make zines, stickers and a bunch of cool stuff, so I think that has always stayed with us. It basically went from making things to making other things.

We know that the collections are all very music-inspired, what are your personal inspirations that have led to all that you girls have created so far?

Ginette: well my favorite band of all time is the cure, because Robert Smith paints such beautiful visuals with his lyrics and the layerings through his guitar, so the over arching influence for me would be the cure – music that is more melancholic. But recently its evolved to be a little… …

Jasmine: happier?

Ginette: I don’t know; is it happy? Lately we’ve drawn inspiration from Lady Tron. But not electro.

So if there’s one single person you could dress, who would that be?

Cheryl: Karen O. (unison nods)

Do you girls think that Singaporeans have a very biased perception against local labels?

Jasmine: Well maybe four years ago, but people are more receptive now.

Ginette: One thing I think about Gen Y kids is that they’re less critical, and more receptive to new things. Whereas Gen X kids are always going “aiyah cannot one lah!”. But our friends have always been making stuff… the phunk boys, SBTG and all. So I think with them leading the way for us, kids now seem to be more open to local stuff.

Speaking about the Gen Y thing, it seems that there are alot more kids open to the idea of fashion design as a career path. What else can be done to encourage this locally?

Ginette: I think for retail, rental in the central area is very expensive, and I don’t know if the Government is doing enough to help, but then again, I won’t lay it on them because if you really do want to do something you should be able to get your ass off and be resourceful enough. It could also be how Singapore has always been – we’ve always relied on imports, on american television and british music.

What pieces in your collections are near and dear to your hearts?

Jasmine: We always have a favorite in every collection.

Ginette: We have one signature skirt that we always reproduce.

Cheryl: The curtsy skirt. But we tweak it every season and reproduce it in different styles.

Ginette: One of my favorites is the “Republica”. It was a dress made of this vintage fabric that we found in a very limited quantity, and we could only make six pieces.

You guys have respective day jobs. How do you juggle day jobs and running the label?

Cheryl: Find time lah. If you want to do something well you make time for it.

Jasmine: That’s why we’ve produced collections only on a yearly basis. Haha.

Ginette: I think it helps that there are three of us. I think if you do it alone, you have nobody to laugh and joke with. We split the jobs too, so it eases the workload.

Who’s the main designer?

Cheryl: There’s no main designer, it’s all three of us.

Jasmine: Ginette is the puppet master.

Ginette: I’m the bossy one.

Cheryl: Ginette’s the impatient one.

Ginette: Both of them are more chill.

Any plans for menswear?

Jasmine: We wanted to, initially.

Ginette: On the website we had two sections labelled “bad girls” and “bad boys”, and the guys were always asking where the “bad boys” stuff was. We just weren’t sure how menswear worked. The sample sizes were built to me.

Cheryl: Which is like, extra small. Maybe we can look into mens clothes in the future.

Jasmine: Maybe, yeah. But now we’re just being selfish. We just want to make clothes for ourselves.

Ginette: And we don’t really want to do graphic tees.

Jasmine: Let everyone else do it. It’s overdone.

What fashion trend do you think has been overplayed in Singapore recently?

Jasmine: Vintage? But’s that’s kind of over. Blogshops.

Cheryl: Yeah too many blogshops.

Ginette: Studs. Get it out of my face yo.

What do you think of blogshops?

Jasmine: Overkill man.

Cheryl: Although we kind of started as a blogshop as well.

Ginette: What I like is that girls are doing things themselves. But the stuff they sell tend to be all the same. They’re not doing a good job being buyers. Or the photoshoots aren’t done well. We’ve always tried to do good photoshoots, even without a budget. You just have to be resourceful.

So you guys were like, blogshop pioneers.

Ginette: I supposed at that time there wasn’t even the term blogshop. We were just selling stuff online.

What’s been the most memorable moment of the brand?

Cheryl: Every FrüFrü & Tigerlily event. Especially the buying trips.

Ginette: We went to try and buy fabric from Thailand and bring them back ourselves. Wow, hell.

Jasmine: I remember that. Crazy.

Cheryl: We were still making 12 pieces of each design back then.

Ginette: Basically whenever we get together there’s laughter.

Cheryl: Sometimes we talk rubbish more than we talk about FrüFrü & Tigerlily.

Jasmine: But crazy ideas pop out from that.

People tend to not use the accents in “FrüFrü” when they type out the brand name. What’s your take?

Ginette: We’re very anal about it. Like, Oh my God, so annoying. Haha. One thing I don’t understand is when people think we have two labels. FrüFrü AND Tigerlily.

Where do you see FrüFrü & Tigerlily in 5 years?

Ginette: What is this, a job interview? Haha. We want a store of our own I suppose.

Cheryl: Flagship. That’s the in-word right. Everywhere is “Flagship” store.

Ginette: Flagship, as if we have other stores like that.

Jasmine: To sell internationally. Or to move with blackmarket to another place.

Cheryl: And make bags and shoes.

Jasmine: Yeah, one whole empire. We rule.

FrüFrü & Tigerlily is located at blackmarket,19 Jalan Pisang

Ardentees wants to take you on a journey to experience the link and associations between the world of fashion and art. What better way to do this, but to incorporate the two industries together on a single platform canvas. We speak with the people behind the initiative, and find out more about ARDT itself. Read it full below.

What is the meaning of ARDT tees? In a literal sense and how did you come up with it? Significance of the logo?

We’ve always had a passion for design and art in general. In its literal sense, it means having passion. So for us, it’s a lot about having a passion for the designs and art, and we hope that it comes through in our tee-shirts.

As for the logo, we selected this logo out of the many drafts we had because of its simplicity and contemporary feel. Looking at the logo, you’ll realise that it resembles the putting together of various shapes to create the image of a tee-shirt. That was what we wanted to do, to bring together different components for the purpose of creating something. The logo shows a tee-shirt, and that’s what we do, but our purpose is to create greater artistic awareness through our tee-shirts. It’s a stretch, but we’re all for creation.

What is the idea behind ARDT tees and what made the 3 of you start this initiative?

ARDT was created with the intent of bringing intriguing and creative visuals from talented artists to t-shirts, especially so in Singapore where there is a dearth of unique and truly experimental designs on t-shirts.

The three of us share a common vision for the brand and we all agreed that it will be a great idea to offer something different from what is offered through mainstream labels. Designers have grown so bold and cutting edge, that it would be a waste not to witness their creativity on a larger scale. Hence, we’re looking to consolidate the freshest ideas from creative minds and amplify it on our tees.

At the core of it, we want to create a product that acts as a gateway for the end user to explore the designs and the artist(s) behind our works.

Is there a certain criteria that you guys adhere by when you are short listing your artists?

We not so much as shortlist artists as we are shortlisting designs. Although we have a preference for choosing talented, independent artists with little exposure, in a sense, to give them the publicity they deserve.

Looking at your current roster of selected artists, there isn’t anyone local. Why is this so and will there be a chance for local artists to be selected in the near future?

We are actively looking for artists worldwide, including Singapore. Working with local designers is definitely something we want to do in the near future but we have yet to find local artists whose work align with our creative vision. Having said that, we also wish more local artists will put themselves out there so that there’s a higher possibility of us chancing upon their work.

It has caught our attention that your blog has been very active. Is this your primary channel that you are using to communicate with your audience?

The blog definitely serves a more indulgent purpose– letting our audience see the interesting works and ideas that we have come across. We’re just hoping to spread the word on talented artists and works all over the world, which is essentially one of ARDT’s objectives.

Tell us more about your first collection. Why is it called the ‘Holler’ Collection, why choose these bunch of designs to launch ARDT Tees, when is the release date etc.

The collection was titled ‘Holler’ as we feel it sums up the whole cohesive visual image of the tees selected in this collection. The designs comprise of loud visuals, oversized prints, intricate and complex details, with an underlying feel of audacity.

Why are all the base tees only available in black or white?

Most of the t-shirts base colors are choosen by the artists. However, we would definitely introduce more different base colorways in the future collections so as to offer more variety.

We’ve seen your lookbook and we would like to know if there’s any direction, theme or meaning behind it.

We toyed around trying to compliment  the design elements of the tees and also using the theme HOLLER! as the focus of the direction for the lookbook.

What kind of consumer do you see buying your tees?

The fashionably bold with an eye for artistic detail.

What would you like to say to your current audience or people who are reading about ARDT Tees for the first time?

We want to be more than just a tee-shirt brand- that we might inspire them to create, to explore creation or to support creation because above all, that’s what ARDT is to us, and we hope that’s what ARDT can be to them as well.

]]> http://www.plussixfive.com/2010/03/23/feature-interview-with-ardentees/feed/ 0 http://www.plussixfive.com/2010/03/22/holler-collection-2010-ardntees/ http://www.plussixfive.com/2010/03/22/holler-collection-2010-ardntees/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:00:42 +0000 Nick Chong http://www.plussixfive.com/?p=25028

HOLLER! Collection 2010 | ARDNTEES

Nick Chong / March 22, 2010
Features / Womens Fashion

ARDNTEES is an exciting new brand that brings us on an intriguing visual exploration of the symbiotic relation between fashion and art. Each collection showcases the designs of a myriad of emerging artists from all over the world, put together with the mind to create an avenue for artistic experimentation and stimulate creativity. They kick things off with their debut collection, HOLLER! Comprising of 9 very bold prints, the HOLLER! Collection does to tees what exclamation marks do to sentences. With bright, bold and contrasting designs, this first collection is defined by a kind of aesthetics that combines post-grunge and punk with a feral audacity. Scroll down for their lookbook for HOLLER!

ARDNTEES are exclusively available via their online store.

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DC Shoe and SBTG’s Circus of Mutants Collection is just about to be launched locally in Singapore. With the tribute and spotlight of this collection being the Circus of Mutants – legendary Singaporean skate crew of the late 80’s, we managed to get a hold of these old skate cats to shed some light on some historical facts about the old skate crew.

How and why was the Circus of Mutants formed?

Suhaimi: It actually started because of the neighborhood that we lived in. You could say that we were living in a ghetto, in the east side. And I wanted to raise my younger brother (Adyll) right. So one day, we decided that if we could get enough people, we should start a skate crew. But during the late 80’s, skate ramps were a very rare in Singapore, and we had ramps, which was one of the reasons why we became known nationwide. There was this kid, Angus, who was one of the first few people that joined us, and his dad contributed some money to us to build ramps. We also picked up whatever junk that we could find to fashion into obstacles or ramps. That’s how we made a name for ourselves.

We know that there were other skate crews during that time, but what made Circus of Mutants special and why did you guys choose to be part of this crew?

Adyll: The main thing is that we never picked people to join us. It was more based on friendships which grew into a family. It doesn’t matter how skillful you are, just as long as you skated, you would have been welcome to join the family. It didn’t matter if you are young or old, good or lousy, you could join us.

Suhaimi: It didn’t matter if you were a poor kid;  you didn’t even have to dress up like a skateboarder. Anyone could ride with us. You had to look cool to fit in with some other crews, but that wasn’t the case for us. That was probably the reason why we grew bigger than the other skate crews.

What were your fondest memories of being part of the Circus of Mutants?

Lucas: Can’t remember man, I was still a virgin.

‘Mike’: What I can really recall is that I really miss those days. Stress free – you didn’t need to worry about money. Last time, $2 would get you anywhere. With only your bus pass and your skateboard. Happiest moment, I would say, is during the time that we spent together, the rest of the Mutants.

Zulkifli: For me, it was rushing back from school and just meeting friends. Life long friends. It doesn’t get easier than that I suppose. Just hanging out with friends, making sure we come back from school very early so that you could just change and grab your board. The place where they used to skate, was right behind my place. So I just came home, changed out of my school uniform and my mom would ask me where the hell I was going, and I would just tell her that I was going to meet some friends. And my mom was calling me crazy and all that.

Jupri: To me, the most happiest moment was when we finished up the ramp. That was the most important thing. Because, without the ramp we can’t ‘fly’. With the ramp, everyone could perform.

Adyll: For me, it was the fact that I had a chance to meet up with everybody. From friends, we became family. And this is passion for skateboarding and passion for everything. Friendships and passion. And even until now, we’re all still here together.

Zulkifli: I’ll tell you what’s really welcoming about this thing. You didn’t feel like you needed to belong, you didn’t feel like you needed to hang out at a shop, or you didn’t feel like you need to wear certain kind of clothes. Some of the guys they wore really tattered soccer shorts and singlets that they took from their brothers, that kind of thing, with some school shoes. So you didn’t feel like there was this need to buy the expensive Thrasher pants that would have cost me a $100, we couldn’t afford it at that time anyway. Like ‘Mike’ said you know, $2 and a bus pass. That was the attraction, that was why a lot of people hung out with us. And plus, a lot of us were Tampines boys. At that time, the only other place was Kallang (People’s Association) and it was too far. These guys skated right behind my block.

‘Mike’: I still remember, I used to wear BM2000 to skate!

Zulkifli: So it’s true right? You didn’t feel like you needed to buy expensive stuff.

Adyll: There was once I remember, we took a PVC pipe from a construction site, and used it to practice our boardslides.

Suhaimi: We always felt like we didn’t need to build things too perfectly, whatever we could use or get our hands on.

Lucas: Basically we could skate the whole day. We just need a curb. And everything was there for us to skate the whole day long.

‘Mike’: Something that I can’t forget is one of the places that we really thrashed. Funan Centre and Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station.

Lucas: Funan Banks.

Kenneth: Basically, I was just skating and following wherever that they went. If it was Funan, ok. Or Dhoby Ghaut, ok. Or even Tampines also ok.

What are the life long lessons that you have learnt from being a part of Circus of Mutants?

Suhaimi: The lesson that I learnt, is that you can’t do anything alone. Even if you come up with an idea, even if you create something, you cannot do it without people around you  giving you the necessary support. Same thing applies to my music. Credit goes to everybody. We also learnt to get along with one another very well. And from then we apply those values until now.

What was the size of Circus of Mutants at its peak?

Suhaimi: About 30 members. Even some of them are not skaters, they were BMX-ers, and some of the people who helped me to build the ramp.

Lucas: From what I can remember, during our competition days, we’re talking about 70 to 80 members at least.

Suhaimi: Yeah, including the new ones, including the people that just joined. The competition that the Police and MacDonald’s sponsored.

‘Mike’: It was sort of a family bond, rather than a lot of people viewing us as an outcast, or public enemy or a menace to the public. But what we have learnt a great deal of is really respect and teamwork.

So what happened to the Circus of Mutants? Why did it disband?

Suhaimi: Our ramps got burnt. So there was no reason for us to gather any more. There were still small groups of us skating around. And like everything else, people grow up also. But the main reason is that the ramps got burnt. Somebody burnt it all.

‘Mike’: Our ramps got sabotaged.

Is there anything that you guys would like to say to the younger skaters out there today?

Lucas: Buy more shoes. Haha.

Kenneth: Buy more skateboards. Haha.

Zubir: Appreciate your suroundings, if you can’t skate because of reason, make a reason. If you don’t have a ramp, make a ramp. If you don’t have a skateboard, make a skateboard. If old people can do it, so can you. So shut-up and go skate.

Let’s end of this session with some closing words about the late Rezal.

Suhaimi: To me he was one of our best skaters. The guy who actually help made the Circus of Mutants name big. And even after we stopped, he still skated. Very nice humble guy, he could get along with everybody. And I miss him very much. He deserves the respect of being one of the legendary skaters of Singapore.

Kenneth: Is this serious stuff? Cos, I want to say sorry to Rezal for breaking the first ramp that he built. Haha.

Adyll: I still miss him till this day.

]]> http://www.plussixfive.com/2010/03/12/feature-interview-circus-of-mutants/feed/ 0 http://www.plussixfive.com/2010/03/09/%e2%80%9cwe-are-the-night%e2%80%9d-phuture-14th-anniversary-recap/ http://www.plussixfive.com/2010/03/09/%e2%80%9cwe-are-the-night%e2%80%9d-phuture-14th-anniversary-recap/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:55:32 +0000 Jeremy Goh http://www.plussixfive.com/?p=24334

“We Are The Night” PHUTURE 14th Anniversary | Recap

Jeremy Goh / March 9, 2010
Events / Features

Phuture celebrated its 14th Anniversary last Friday to much fanfare and applause with a theme entitled “We Are The Night“, check out our previous feature here. Phuture’s decor was dressed to glow with dancing “Maskots”, coupled with urban beats by Phuture Resident DJ Andrew Chow to get the crowd pumping. More info and pics from the party below.

Zouk is located at 17 Jiak Kim Street

The party crowd were treated to exclusive Phuture x Carbon4 tees, as well as having stand alone DJ Hero on XBOX 360 consoles for added entertainment. In addition, selected best dressed individuals also won prizes ranging from Carbon4 hampers to XBOX 360 DJ Hero video games. Congrats to Phuture for 14 great years, check back soon for the event Streetsnaps.

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