bythelevel, Author at BY THE LEVEL

Hélas Sporting Club Edit

Posted on May 22, 2015May 22, 2015 by bythelevel

Hélas present a new edit entitled ‘Hélas Sporting Club’ which sees the team bring the vibes to the streets of Barcelona to the sound of Joey Bada$$, rocking some of the latest apparel from their ‘Paris Sportif’ collection.

With the team in the process of filming the Hélas full length video, the French brand give us a snippet of whats to come in this four and a half minute clip featuring team riders: Lucas Puig, Luypa Sin, Jesus Fernandez, Javier Sarmiento, Thierry Gormit, Marek Zaprazny, Roman Lisivka, Pedro Attenborough, Jose Vivero Diaz, JB Gillet, Max Geronzi, Stephen Khou, Alex Maison, Charles Collet, Kristian Krasimirov, JP Villa, Karl Salah.

Enjoy the video below and head to www.helascaps.com for more information or to shop their latest.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our interview with Hélas head honcho Lucas Puig HERE.

Footpatrol x Reebok Ventilator ‘Hotstepper’

Posted on May 22, 2015May 22, 2015 by bythelevel

Drawing inspiration from the golden era of home fitness videos, Reebok and London’s Footpatrol join forces once again to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic Ventilator silhouette.

Entitled ‘Hotstepper’, the 90’s inspired rework sees new material applications referencing the various equipment you would find lying around the gyms and changing rooms of the old school leisure centres, and in particular one aerobic essential – the Step . With that in mind, a bright white terry towel material on the upper meets with porcelain and crystal blue synthetic suede on the overlays, with hits of purple and red on the heel, sole unit and mid foot. Several nice touches have been added including embroidered Reebok branding on the tongue and side panels, and if you look closer you can see more playful details such as the back to front ‘R’ on the lateral side and the reversed Reebok text logo on the medial panel. As with all their previous collaborations, Footpatrol and Reebok’s attention to detail is second to none as the look is completed with two dual branded flippable woven tongue labels replacing the usual tongue tag, inspired by the information labels found on the gym garments, which outline the material specs of the shoes . The textured upper sits on top of a clean white midsole with contrasting retro colour pops on the outsole.

The ‘Hotstepper’ Ventilator arrives with custom Gasmask rubber swing-tags and three sets of rope laces which are a nod to the whistle neck ties used by the swimming pool lifeguards. With the shoe born at the turn of the 90’s, the collaborative rework is a fitting tribute to the classic silhouette, executed to the highest detail and consideration to all aspects of the theme translated into the design.

You can pick up the Footpatrol x Reebok 25th Anniversary Ventilator ‘Hotstepper’ in-store & online at www.footpatrol.co.uk on Saturday 23rd May (tomorrow) from 8:00AM BST.

CLSC Josh – Interview

Posted on May 21, 2015March 9, 2016 by bythelevel

Founded back in 2010, it didn’t take LA start up CLSC long to start making waves on the US streetwear scene. With their american sportswear inspired designs and their tongue-in-cheek motifs, it was a refreshing introduction into a market swamped by brands churning out the same logo designs season after season. Still a fairly recent addition to the UK, CLSC caught our attention in the Autum/Winter season of last year. Having caused a stir at trade shows over in the states, the brand was picked up by a handful of stores this side of the pond, and we were lucky enough to shoot a lookbook for their AW14 collection, a chance to check out the release first hand. Despite not taking themselves too seriously when it came to their graphics and slogans, the cut, fit and material of each piece was second to none and I was really impressed by the overall direction of the brand.

Recently, the opportunity to share some words with Josh, the man behind CLSC, came up and besides finding out more on the history of the brand, I was interested to get his thoughts on developing and building a brand in the current climate. I read through his previous interviews and I liked his honesty and sense of humour, but also how clear he was on where he wants to take CLSC. You can tell his personality and the personalities of those around CLSC are reflected in the designs and the overall feel of the brand, and because of that everything they push out feels authentic.

With their latest collection for Summer 2015 dropping in the UK, we caught up with Josh on running CLSC, talked inspirations and also got his view on the industry. Check out the full interview below….

Prior to starting CLSC you worked for some other big names in the industry, most notably The Hundreds. Were there any lessons learnt that you took with you into CLSC?

Of course. I’m extremely fortunate to have been a part of the brands I worked for. I like to look at it as a streetwear college in a sense. I was able to see the mistakes and positive moves that these brands made while I was with them, not to mention all the people I met along the way. Now I can formulate all the knowledge and experience I gained into CLSC. Thank you The Hundreds, Seventh Letter, and SSUR.

Can you recall the moment you realised that you were on to a winner with CLSC?

I would say our first trade show. It was the first time I was able to physically see the amount of support and interest in the brand via buyers, blogs, industry veterans, etc.

If you could go back to the launch of CLSC, is there anything you would differently?

Nope. Everything has been a lesson learnt and we’re fortunate to be in the position we’re in today. No complaints.

CLSC is a short for classic but you also came up with the acronym “Can’t Live Scared of Change” from the name. What does this mean to you and how do you reinforce this through the way in which you run the brand?

Can’t live scared of change is pretty straight forward. I just do my best to create innovative product whilst staying true to CLSC’s roots. Make better product than the competition at a lower price and incorporate sex, drugs, sports and good music into anything that comes out of the brand.

We see lots of brands come and go, with some big one minute and gone the next, while others struggle to even get off the ground. As a fairly young brand that has managed to push through the start up barriers and is now gaining attention worldwide, what are your thoughts on the current market and what do you feel it takes to establish yourself in it?

The “market” is growing and attracting more eyes/dollars globally which is an amazing thing for an industry that was non existent 30ish years ago. There’s a lot of terrible brands out there but there’s also a solid amount of really good shit, you just have to dig deeper than before. In order to establish yourself, you have to stand out and have some sort of business structure. It’s not just about being creative, you also have to know how to grow your business. Anyone can make a t-shirt graphic and print it. The challenge is doing it AND then to sell/market it.

I’ve heard you talk in previous interviews about longevity, how you have and will continue to avoid jumping on the “bandwagon” so to speak. Do you feel this is why a lot of brands fail?

Hell yeah. All these trendy brands are supported by “kids” who know nothing about fashion or style, or anything besides how many followers they got that day. These “kids” are going to continue to hop from trendy shit to trendy shit. So, if you’re only following trends, what do you do after and how do you get those kids to come back?

A lot of people get to see the brands through social media and see more of the glamorous side of what it’s like to run a clothing company. You’ve stated how being in the industry has opened up a lot of doors for you, but you’ve also been pretty honest about the struggle and the challenges you’ve faced. What’s been the toughest thing for you owning and running your own clothing label?

The LA lifestyle of a 20-something year old, who enjoys drinking, smoking, fucking and eating fast food, blacked out at 5am doesn’t mix well with waking up in the morning and being productive. Not to mention all that shit takes up all your money. But I guess that’s all part of growing up and getting your shit together.

You’re originally from Inland Empire, just outside of LA. Do you like in LA now?

I lived in LA from 2010 – 2013. Now I live back in the IE.

How did moving to LA affect your life in general?

Moving to LA changed everything. CLSC would definitely not be in the position it is today. I would have never met all the people I’ve met, meaning I would never have worked for the brands I did and would never have learned all the shit that I did. Besides, how many successful brands do you know that are based in a rural area outside of a big city? None.

There’s a great streetwear scene in LA, with the likes of The Hundreds, HUF, FUCT, to name a few, representing the area well through their designs and each offering up something different. What aspect of the LA culture do you think CLSC represents?

Getting fucked up, having fun and eating good ass food !

I’m interested to know what goes on behind the scenes at CLSC. You’ve mentioned before how there was 6 of you at the start of it all. What does the CLSC office look like now and what’s everyone’s role?

Adam (tech pack/Online Manager/customer service) sits in front of me. Ron (West Coast Sales/do nothinger) sits to the right of me. Red (Sales Manager/make shit happen guy) sits behind me in front of the AC unit. It smells like a weird mix of BO, Carne Asada burritos and Red’s feet, which kinda smells like good parmesan cheese. We have a small photo studio to shoot product or for moulding pics for Instagram. Oh yeah, there’s samples EVERYWHERE.

Many of your designs are athletic inspired, as well as incorporating humorous graphics and slogans. Are these themes reflective of your personality/interests? What inspires them?

Definitely. Like I said in the previous questions, everything that comes out of CLSC incorporates my 4 interests: sex, drugs, sports and good music. My family and homies inspire me.

Do you feel it’s important to not take yourself too seriously in this industry?

Yes and no. Take yourself seriously because unfortunately life is real as fuck and you need to figure it out. Don’t take yourself too seriously because nobody likes “that guy” who thinks he knows everything and always has a stick up his ass.

Aside from designing for CLSC, do you have any other creative outlets? Music, art etc?

I used to play the drums a lot but don’t have much time for that anymore. I was and still am really fucking good though. I like to paint here and there but it all comes down to having time for those things. As much as I want to say CLSC only takes up 40 hours a week, CLSC is on my mind all day every damn day. Even on the toilet. That’s where I get most of my work done.

You’ve recently introduced a lot more accessory pieces and also skateboard decks to your collection. Does skateboarding play a part in the brands history? Are you planning on developing this part of the brand?

I always sucked at skateboarding but I also always loved it. From playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater to just watching the homies rip at the park, I’ve always been attracted to the sport or whatever you wanna call it. I would definitely like to somehow figure out the balance between skate and street but it’s not my focus at the moment.

So you linked up with Primitive on the “Morning After” pack last year, something slightly different from what we usually see with collaborations. How did this come about and what was the thought process behind it?

Honestly we were eating lunch and I was like “Yo! Let’s do a collab!”. They were down and I wanted to do something different than the usual t-shirt or hat collab. Both brands incorporate drugs and alcohol with our graphics and we always get fucked up together so it just made sense. The execution of the entire pack came out amazing.

Are there any more (collabs) on the way this year?

Yup. You’ll have to wait and see!

Any brands you would like to work with in the future?

Bape, Cactus Cooler, In-N-Out, The New York Yankees and more.

Having gained popularity in the US and a lot of interest overseas at trade-shows, you are now being stocked in some high profile retailers across the globe. Are you selective with where CLSC is available?

Definitely. Every store we’re in is because we want to be not the other way around.

Could you talk us through your latest collection?

Sex, drugs, sports and good music.

Any final words to CLSC fans?

Man, thank you to anyone who fucks with us. I’d still be working at Starbucks and hating life if it wasn’t for y’all. To anyone who DOESN’T fuck with us, thanks for hating cuz you only fuel the fire. And everyone who doesn’t know what CLSC is? Keep your eyes peeled cuz we’re coming in hot! Cheers y’all.

You can find out more on CLSC and their latest releases over on their web store www.clsclife.com. You can also see the CLSC Summer 2015 lookbook HERE

Words: Kieran Sills

Imagery courtesy of CLSC

Saucony Originals present the “Bermuda” Pack.

Posted on May 21, 2015May 22, 2015 by bythelevel

Saucony Originals continue to celebrate the fast approaching Summer months as they bring the tropical vibes in the vibrant “Bermuda” pack, inspired by the beaches of the idyllic Atlantic island.

In a market that is highly competitive and moves quickly in terms of design, it has become hard to really stand out from the pack and challenge the heavy hitters such as Nike and Adidas. Sharing a similar heritage to these running giants, Saucony have managed to maintain their relevance and continue to play a huge part in the retro running resurgence with their clever creative concepts that they use to rework some of their most coveted styles. Drawing inspiration and themes from unique ideas, at times unusual, and turning them into something highly wear-able is where Saucony really thrive. This has been seen in the hugely poplar ‘Burger’ collab with END. last year and more recently the scoops pack for the Summer, and the “Bermuda” pack continues this approach, drawing from a relevant, yet fairly unique idea and using the colour and material inspiration to give two classic silhouettes a weather appropriate refresh.

For those, like me, who haven’t been lucky enough to visit the island of Bermuda yet, it is renowned for its stunning pink sands, bright turquoise waters and unique culture, all of which have been channeled for the material and colour reworks of the signature Shadow 6000 and DXN Trainer. A true icon in marathon running history, the DXN Trainer surfaces for the “Bermuda” pack with a two-tone aqua blue application on the shoes upper, while the coveted Shadow 6000 silhouette features a turquoise base on its form fitting upper with black and purple overlays. Both styles feature perforated suede uppers which sit on top of a contrasting white midsole, with additional details including comfort enhancing padded collars and synthetic tongues.

The Saucony Originals “Bermuda” Pack will be available at select retailers including Urban Industry and The Chimp Store from the 22nd of May which just so happens to coincide with Bermuda day celebrations!

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Supreme x Larry Clark “KIDS 20th Anniversary” Capsule Collection

Posted on May 20, 2015May 20, 2015 by bythelevel

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of the most controversial yet defining cult classics of our time, New York giants Supreme team up with acclaimed director Larry Clark for the “KIDS 20th Anniversary capsule collection

Released back in 1995, KIDS has continued to remain relevant up to present day with the issues it addresses, and is considered a raw representation of the youth culture in New York during the early 90’s. The film was born from Larry Clarks involvement in documenting the NY skate scene of the time and through this connection he met the films writer, Harmony Korine and the movies star, Leo Fitzpatrick. The famous Supreme box logo features prominently throughout the film on the back of some of the cast members which include the likes of Chloë Sevigny, Jeff Pang, Rosario Dawson and Javier Nunez, as well as Supreme team riders at the time – Justin Pierce and Harold Hunter.

With both parties connection and long standing friendship, it’s a fitting tribute to the film 20 years on. The capsule collection consists of long and short sleeved graphic tees, hoodies and a deck series, featuring some of the most iconic stills, as well as the final quote from the film – ““Jesus Christ. What happened?” as a back print on.

The Supreme x Larry Clark “KIDS 20th Anniversary” Capsule Collection goes on sale tomorrow (Thursday the 21st of May) at the brands London location and on online.

HUF Summer 2015 Lookbook

Posted on May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 by bythelevel

HUF deliver a clever set of visuals showcasing the latest apparel and footwear offering from the Californian brand for Summer 2015.

Shot by Brian Kelley, the lookbook utilises New York City’s unique abundance of mirrored walls to highlight key pieces from the brands diverse range by echoing the image. Alongside a selection of strong graphic tees, varied headwear styles and patterned button down short sleeve shirts, HUF continue to develop their trouser and short line with chino and fleece styles. Alongside the varied main line apparel offering is a collaborative capsule collection with Krooked skateboards, comprised of tees, socks and hats. The colour palette is fairly muted throughout, with vibrant hits through the custom Aloha Aina and HUF’s famous ‘Fuck It push-through’ prints. Key footwear silhouettes including the perforated ‘Dylan’ and a premium white Hufnagel 2 with the gum sole unit, also feature throughout.

The HUF Summer 2015 collection will be available at the following UK retailers from the 21st of May; Flatspot, Urban Industry and Note Shop .

Dickies Marco Kada in Vienna

Posted on May 17, 2015 by bythelevel

Dickies skateboarding introduce ‘The 67 Collection’ with team rider Marco Kada tearing up some of the best spots the city of Vienna has to offer. Austrian born Kada is an exciting addition to the Dickies European team, with a bag full of tricks and effortless style, the youngster heads out to sample the streets of his home nations capital.

Enjoy the short video edit below and for more information on Dickies, head over to www.dickiesstreetwear.com