bythelevel, Author at BY THE LEVEL

KR3W x French Spring/Summer 2015

Posted on April 2, 2015April 2, 2015 by bythelevel

KR3w link up with UK artist Funeral French a.k.a Richard Sayer for their latest collaborative effort this Spring/Summer 2015.

Co-owner and art director of 1939 Skates and Witchcraft, French is a globally renowned artist and skateboarder famed for his instantly recognisable style that depicts darkness, war and terror, through meticulously illustrated pieces. French has managed to stand out from the rest and gain the interest he has throughout his career through sticking to his guns, mastering his unique style and from this has produced some of the most sought after pieces in his field of music, fashion and more notably skateboarding.

KR3w’s dark aesthetic matches up perfectly with French’s style and the two coming together in the brands latest collaborative effort seems like a match made in heaven. Part of KR3w’s ‘Rights Refused’ campaign, the concise collection is made up of staple pieces including a tee, long sleeve and cap which all adorn an exclusive graphic from French that gives his rendition of Death and also features the motto ‘Fast life, Slow Death’ – KR3W’s take on the classic ‘Live fast, die young’ saying.

The KR3w x French Spring/Summer 2015 capsule is available now at Slam City.

PASS~PORT Spring 2015 Editorial

Posted on April 1, 2015March 10, 2016 by bythelevel

Here in Europe we are starting to see a lot more from independent, skater-owned companies coming out of Australia that are making waves on a global scene. With a unique approach towards design, avoiding the generic graphic prints that we see from every other label, Pass~Port are a breath of fresh air in the market both in the way the company is run and the product they are pushing out. They have strong sense of direction and an idea of where they want Pass~Port to go, doing it for the love of skateboarding rather than for the profits, the brand are at the forefront of the Australian skateboarding movement.

Headed up by Brisbane born Trent Evans, Pass~Port was born out of frustration with the current market offerings. Inspired by Australia’s rich history, experiences while travelling and a tight knit group of friends, Trent has also put together a strong team of riders that have continued to push the brand forward in all aspects. For Spring 2015, the brand continue to push out strong graphic pieces that reference numerous themes, a varied range of headwear and a strong selection of cut and sew including light outerwear options and casual shirting.

Enjoy our lookbook above, highlighting our favourite pieces from the collection. You can expect Pass~Port’s latest release to be hitting UK stockists including Parlour, Slam City and KRUSOE shortly. Be sure to visit passportal.com.au for more information on the brand or to shop their current range.

Imagery: Lily Brown

Words & Art Direction: Kieran Sills

Model: Joe Coward

Raised By Wolves Spring/Summer 2015

Posted on March 29, 2015March 29, 2015 by bythelevel

Raised By Wolves unveil a selection of stripped back visuals as they preview their latest release for Spring /Summer 2015.

The clothing and visuals from the Canadian brands previous releases have been executed to the highest standards, delivering quality and highly wearable clothing with each instalment. Although this season the look book is fairly minimal compared to their previous efforts, the latest collection is brimming with character throughout, continuing to stick to the brands identifiable aesthetic.

Spring/Summer 2015 incorporates sportswear themes within ‘premium’ street ready pieces, and from what we can see from the visuals, is comprised of hoody and sweater options, baseball jersey syles and a selection of headwear, rounded off nicely with a collaborative capsule collection as they link up with Oakland based artist Brendan Moore. Most of the collection is made in Canada meaning we can expect consideration in the construction.

You can expect Raised By Wolves Spring/Summer 2015 to be arriving at UK stores including Urban Industry, KRUSOE and The Chimp Store shortly.

Billionaire Boys Club/ICE CREAM EU Flagship Store

Posted on March 29, 2015March 29, 2015 by bythelevel

Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream give us a glimpse into their newly launched flagship store in the heart of London’s Soho.

Following the success of the brands recent pop up ‘satellite store’ in London, their latest venture encompasses 800 square feet split over 2 levels, the first permanent space for the brand inside Europe. It was about time London had its own BBC/ICE CREAM location following the opening of the NY store back in 2007 and the Japan store more recently in 2012. Each brand has and continues to play an integral part in shaping the UK street wear scene and its only right that they celebrate that with a physical location.

The interior of the store is pretty outstanding and has been specifically designed to reflect each brands story. The space is split into 2 concepts, the first a ‘Starfield’ pattern that has become synonymous with BBC’s ‘galaxy’ aesthetic and its iconic astronaut logo, while the second half takes it back a few years with a 50’s taking the form of a vintage Ice Cream parlour.

The London flagship will also hold the latest collections from both brands as well as Billionaire Boys Club exclusive ‘LDN’ tees and caps to celebrate the store opening. The store will also see a range of EU exclusive products as well as exclusive Pharrell Williams product that includes his recent collaborative ventures with Adidas and Commes Des Garcon and the the limited edition ‘This Is Not A Toy’ book by John Wee Tom.

Billionaire Boys Club store:

36 Marshall Street,

London

W1 7EY

For more information, head over to www.bbcicecream.eu

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OWL Skateboards ‘MDCX’ edit

Posted on March 27, 2015March 27, 2015 by bythelevel

Our friends over at Owl Skateboards have released this teaser for their upcoming MDCX | 1610′ series that is scheduled for release this Spring.

The Bristol based outfit present this short edit filmed edited by Al Holdgson, incorporating cosmic vibes, which could be a sign of things to come for the series? It follows riders Al Hodgson, Luke Frisby, Jon Silva, James Silver and James Griffith at Bristol’s Dean Lane skatepark.

It’s all being kept fairly under wraps in terms of the upcoming release but be sure to follow the brands instagram page to keep up to date with their latest movements. For more information on OWL Skateboards, head over to website here: www.owlskateboards.co.uk

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our interview with Al Hodgson on OWL Skateboards to find out more on the brand HERE.

Vans Syndicate x Harmony Korine

Posted on March 26, 2015March 26, 2015 by bythelevel

Vans Syndicate team up with film writer, artist and skateboarder Harmony Korine on a custom rework of two classic Vans silhouettes.

Harmony Korine is famed for writing cult 90’s classics most notably Kids and Gummo which were set among the burgeoning mid-’90s New York skate scene in which he was immersed in at the time. A master of many crafts, Korine not only continues to direct and write screen plays but he is also a keen author having had several books published, directed a number of music videos and more recently worked on a series of art and photography collections which have been met by a great reception.

This season Vans apply a custom checkerboard print created by Harmony to the mid-foot of the Authentic Pro “S” and Slip-on Pro “S” styles. The shoes checkerboard canvas are contrasted with a plush light grey suede on the toe box all of which sits on top of a stark white midsole, accented with black piping and branding.

The Vans Syndicate x Harmony Korine pack is available now at authorised Vans Syndicate dealers including Slam City Skates.

MN07 Spring/Summer 2015 ‘The Hippy Apocalypse’

Posted on March 25, 2015 by bythelevel

MN07 present their Spring/Summer 2015 collection entitled ‘The Hippy Apocalypse’ and accompanying lookbook.

MN07 is a sub label of Seattle based Maiden Noir which was founded by Nin Truong as a creative venture under his WKND label. Maiden Noir’s journey started with a selection of pieces based on a mythical story line with each collection designed to continue the story. The brand grew and strengthened with their refined military aesthetic, tailored fits and considered material applications. Troung’s latest venture takes more of a contemporary twist on street wear design, drawing influence from and exploring different subcultures in their designs, and despite still holding some values that Maiden Noir holds true, the brand is certainly an identity of its own.

For Spring 2015, MN07 delivers relaxed, graphic lead styles that draw influence from 70’s Detroit art anti-rock band Destroy All Monster and there movement away from the free spirited hippie haze, hence the name of the collection “The Hippie Apocalypse”. The release is captured in this minimal lookbook that really puts the focus on the clothing and compliments the collections strict colour palette of black, grey and white, with pops of red and olive. As with Maiden Noir, a majority of the line will be produced in the US so we can expect the same levels of quality in both material and fit for MN07.

MN07 Spring/Summer 2015 ‘The Hippy Apocalypse’ collection is available now at Urban Industry and Krusoe.