Author: bythelevel

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Dark Circle SS15 “Broken Britain” Collection

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Continuing an exciting week of releases from UK labels, Birmingham based Dark Circle draw from their frustrations with the current state of affairs in Britain and take inspiration from the people, places and times in which the underprivileged have been forced to react and stand up to those oppressing them, as they present the Broken Britain Collection.

With the general election looming, the theme of the drop couldn’t be more relevant. Counterculture and political messaging play a huge role in streetwear’s roots and its development, so its great to see a UK brand taking that approach to inform their design and doing it well. Their latest collection is heavily influenced by the 80’s and 90’s working class aesthetic, and it takes a fairly minimal approach towards colour and branding. As well as a selection of tees, long-sleeves and hoodies, Dark Circle continue to put a lot of emphasis on their cut and sew range, with a strong selection of shirting and light jacketing options, utilizing camo and stripe pattern, with subtle patch branding. Rounding off the release is a strong range of headwear pieces, featuring embroidered caps and buckets.

Stand out pieces for us include the Uniform Overshirt in woodland camo and olive, as well as the vintage look D Logo Polo Cap. You can shop the Dark Circle Broken Britain Collection in its entirety over at www.darkcircleclothing.com.

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Carhartt WIP x Vans SS15 “Hickory Stripe”

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 Carhartt WIP and Vans team up once again as they apply the classic Hickory Stripe fabric to two classic footwear styles and a selection of accessories for Spring/Summer 2015.

The pair continue to build on their fruitful working relationship as their latest release plays on the rich heritage of each company; applying Carhartt’s iconic stripe design to two of Vans most popular silhouettes – the Vans Chukka and the Classic Slip-On. Sticking to the summer inspired colour palette of navy, turqouise and white throughout, the stripe design of the shoes upper sits on top of a stark white sole unit, fluorescent orange lining, with contrasting lace detailing and hits of white suede on the heel of both shoes. To round off the release, there is also a heavy wearing tote bag and bucket hat adorning the classic Carhartt logo.

See the accompanying video below and be sure to head over to carhartt-wip.com to shop the collection.

 

 

HERESY CUNNING FOLK

HERESY “Cunning Folk” Lookbook

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South London label HERESY channel themes from English folklore in their latest capsule release for Summer 2015 as they present the “Cunning Folk” lookbook.

The capsule again shows development from HERESY following their ‘Depression’ collection earlier this Spring, with considered material application and detailing giving a clean finish to contemporary designs. The collection combines experimental menswear styles with sportswear themes for a selection of easy to wear street ready pieces.  The colour palette is muted, with heavy use of black, white and grey’s throughout, applying illustrated graphic pieces and screen prints referencing folk elements such as Hagstones, Morris Dancers and Pearly Kings. Along with the staple printed tees and long sleeves, there are cut and sew baseball shirts, a small selection of headwear, heavy wearing mussette bags and also the standout canvas sleeveless pullover.

The collection was designed, printed and shot entirely in Peckham, and is captured in this Barouqe-esque lookbook, referencing the famous still life paintings in amongst a series of carefully selected looks. You can shop the full collection over at  heresylabel.co.uk

 

indcsn_01

indcsn “015001” Collection

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UK brand indcsn offer up some clean visuals to showcase their latest release for Spring 2015 entitled “015001”.

They keep things fairly minimal throughout, from the monochromatic colour palette through to the black and white studio shoot for the lookbook, which was shot by Joseph Dawson and feature model Maxim St Clair. The release is made up of several essential pieces including tees, long sleeves and hoodies, as well as a selection of embroidered headwear and the stand out Mistake Lxve Coach Jacket.  The collection was made entirely in the USA and sticks largely to the brands renowned aesthetic, utilising several familiar logo designs, distressed graphics and tampered photo prints, with heavy use of bold arm detailing.

You can shop the full indcsn “015001” Collection over at www.indcsn.com. 

 

COMMON DUST COLLECTION 2 - LOOKBOOK-2

Common Dust 2015 – Collection 2

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Australia’s Common Dust pick up from where they left off as they follow up collection 1.1 with another considered release that aligns with the brands lofi aesthetic.

The Melbourne based label burst onto the scene last Summer with their inaugural collection for the Australian Winter (reverse seasons), gaining instant recognition for their authenticity and originality. Since then, Common Dust have continued to develop their range all the while carrying through their DIY punk informed designs and rebellious spirit throughout each release. Collection 2 sees much of the same, referencing skateboarding, music and art themes from the 80’s and 90’s, placing a variety of strong graphic prints onto street ready apparel including tees, long-sleeves, hoodies and a small collection of headwear and tote bags.

The Common Dust 2015 Collection 2 is available now via the brands website: www.common-dust.com. Hopefully we will see the brand make their way over to the UK soon, but for now be sure to take advantage of their free worldwide shipping!

 

Brixton Union

Brixton present “Survival Spanish”

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The Brixton Union team make their way through the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico in their latest video entitled “Survival Spanish”.

Filmed in conjunction with Thrasher Magazine, the 6 minute clip sees Brixton enlist the services of widely respected skate filmer Ryan Garshall to capture Union riders; Brad Comer, Ernie Torres, Anthony Shultz, Taylor Bingaman, Kevin Coakley, Jordan Taylor, Christian Maalouf and Dolan Stearns, as they shred some of the best street spots on the Island under the tropical sun. The videos got it all, solid skateboarding, a varied line-up of talented riders, amazing spots and of course the funky latin soul soundtrack.

Enjoy the full “Survival Spanish” clip below and for more information or to shop the latest from the brand, head over to www.brixton.com

 

James Jarvis x Nike Free SB

James Jarvis x Nike SB Free

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 Nike SB team up with renowned London-based artist James Jarvis as he applies his unique style to the tech filled SB Free silhouette and a selection of tees for a special Quickstrike capsule collection.

Offered up in black and white colour options, the Nike SB Free silhouette in PRM and R&R variations feature Jarvis’ hand-drawn signature scribbles and graphic art on the entirety of the shoes upper. The recently introduced Free sole unit allows for natural movement of the foot with a reinforced outsole to deal with the rigours of skateboarding, while the upper is crafted from carefully selected materials and designed to fit like a glove, with breathability and comfort all considered. Additional details on each pair includes translucent Nike swooshes on the toe and custom cartoon style artwork on the insole.

Appearing on both the shoes and the t-shirt options, the designs are representative of Jarvis’ free-form perspective when skating, celebrating the rituals and mind set that defines skaters. Jarvis explains:  “I didn’t want to reference the hammers.  I wanted to ask, what is skateboarding?  What do I love about skateboarding? And my take on skateboarding is that it’s a philosophy.  If you skateboard, suddenly the world is a different place.  It’s a different view of the world.”

The James Jarvis x Nike SB Free capsule collection is available now at nike.com and Flatspot.com, as well as in-store at Nike SB x Size? Carnaby and  Slam City Skates East. Be sure to check the video below for more from James Jarvis on the collab…