Every once and a while something happens that makes me step back and realize that I have absolutely no idea who gets my t-shirts once they leave my possession.  Sure there are the repeat customers out there.  The ones who have bought so many shirts and hats over the years that if I ever ended up in their city I could probably walk to their front door and hand deliver them a tee as a thank you for undying support.  But excluding those diehards, the vast majority of people who buy Award Tour shirts are people I will never meet or speak to.  I suppose that is why every time I see someone I don’t know wearing a shirt on the street it bugs me out the slightest bit to know that they supported from someone unknown place.  I’ve shipped packages to Japan, Australia, and damn near every country in between but things like the video below will still always give me goose bumps.

It was some absurd time like 3:45 in the morning a few weeks back and I was scrolling through some sites halfway asleep but not quite ready to attack the pillow.  That was when I ran across a trailer for a Ricky Powell documentary on Hypebeast.  I don’t even know why I watched this video, I couldn’t even list five facts about Powell despite the fact that I know he’s an “legend,” but something said to stop and watch the whole video.  Watch the video for yourself, especially somewhere around the three minuet mark and see if you notice anything.

Did you catch it?  At about three minuets into the movie, graffiti legend, STAYHIGH 149 comes strolling into the picture.  Underneath that winter jacket there’s an interesting mixture of screen printing ink on top of cotton that may be a little familiar.  I’ll let Demetri illustrate how familiar that cotton and ink mixture might be circa an Award Tour lookbook shot Spring 2007.

Check Meech out circa 2006-2007. The Fonz inspired cool. Hilarious times.  All we can do is look back and laugh at ourselves.

So now put yourself in my shoes and ignore for a second the fact that I have an absolutely awful, awful, pair of blindingly turquoise jeans on in the background of the above image.  For those that don’t know, graffiti was the absolute sole concern of my exsistence for about three years before I heavily got involved in design and Award Tour.  I literally consumed anything and everything to do with writing with every free hour of my days and I attribute that complete obsession to my now somewhat fine tuned ability to draw things now and again.  After a little introduction to the United States system of Law and my local police force however, I dropped graffiti and got more focused on other “artistic” outlets.  Back to the story at hand, despite the fact that I left graffiti “behind” years back, I still read and to a large degree obsesses over the culture. My room is packed with graffiti books and if you sit next to me in class it’s more likely that I’m practicing letter form than taking any kind of notes.

So for me to see STAYHIGH 149 somehow showing up in a video wearing a t-shirt that I made…well it’s absolutely surreal.  (For the non graffiti heads out there, let’s put it this way.  You cannot read a history of graffiti without STAYHIGH being mentioned, period.  His tag is synonymous with graffiti, they go hand in hand like Snooki and the Jersey Shore.)

Some lines go crazy when celebrities are seen wearing their clothes in videos and so fourth.  Well, to be honest I’ve had the opportunity to have that happen, and I passed.  It’s not real to be if I have to have the clothes placed on these people.  STAYHIGH 149  is the kind of person I lose my mind over when I see them wearing something I created.  These are the “celebrities” to me.  Authentic people who mean something to the movements and reasons that actually inspired the creation of Award Tour, and people who organically on their own accord are wearing the garments.

Stay High back in the day with the infamous tag, and modern day courtesy of Frank 151.

I want to apologize for going all graffiti-geek there for a moment on people.  I really tried to restrain myself, I know most of you could care less what this shirt this guy is wearing but I guess I had to explain how amazing of a look that was for me.  At the same token it’s no less of an experience when I see any one of you blokes on the street representing the fine combed threads of an Award Tour shirt.  It’s all love and greatfulness all around when support is shown and it’s always an absolute pleasure to see the funk being spread.

I’m going to go hide in a corner and laugh at myself again for those turquoise jeans.  At least they were being worn a full year before all the streetwear lines started releasing their own versions.  I remember custom dying white jeans to make them that brilliantly bad shade of blue and all I can do is laugh and shake my head now.  Good times back when we had absolutely no idea what we were doing.  To be honest, things have only changed slightly since then, and we’re still sitting around laughing.

Stay Safe-Phil.

Every once and a while the random email comes trickling in and I get to be a part of a project based around an idea I can really get behind.  The Culture of Creativity is one of those projects.

The man behind the words looking like a fool. Photographed by Rog Walker.

When Suhaly asked me if I would like to be photographed for a “creative campaign” I pretty much had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.  After trading a few more emails back and fourth, I began to grasp what Suhaly and Rog Walker, the minds behind the Culture of Creativity, were attempting to create.  Take a click over to the site and take a look for yourself, more or less you’re dealing with a beautifully designed visual dictionary of inspiration.  The site features blokes who are out and about delving into various creative endeavors.  Everyone from rappers to directors and back again.  These characters are captured forever in one eternal representation of their personality in a portrait shot by Rog on a stark white background.  Allowing the person to shine, snarl, hide, or look goofy (see above) in representation of the unique personality that lays within each person featured.

Everything I just said is a mouthful for sure, but just ignore the never ending flow of verbiage emitting from my keyboard and let the C8 site guide you through their vision.  It’s worth your time.  Best news is that it’s still being developed so it will only be getting better.  That means click that Bookmark tag like your life depended on it.

“Chuck English” of the Cool Kids, “Vashtie”, and “CJ Something” for Culture of Creativity.

Side note that must be stated: I have been looking for an excuse to wear that Malcolm-X shirt for years.  Literally…years.  I’ve had it hanging in the back of my closet for as long as I can remember.  I sat, laying in wait for the perfect opportunity for Malcolm and I to set ourselves upon the universe when Rog and Suhaly gifted me with a most extraordinary opportunity to let Malcolm shine in all of the glory he deserves.  You simply can’t even hope to compete with those vintage all over print tees from the 80’s – early 90’s.  I don’t even think screen printers can approach that sort of work these days.  It’s a lost art like shadow boxing.

Demetri and Ellington have been making fun of me wearing that shirt for somewhere around two years now, and I am happy to say that Malcolm is not going anywhere.  If I had to pick my most favorite t-shirt in my entire collection of crew-neck collared creations, than Malcolm X takes the prize easily.  Even over the shirts I’ve made, Malcolm reigns supreme.  That is all.  Felt the need for that to be stated.

At any rate, enormous shouts to the folks over at Culture of Creativity.  Go check out the pictures I have up there and the brief words and hopefully you come across something you like.  More projects like these!

Stay Safe-Phil.

It’s funny to look back on things and realize how much someone can change and grow in just a matter of months.  On the same token it’s just as fun to look back and realize how in other ways we can remain exactly the same.  Maybe I’m just feeling like an old man because I just recently held down my birthday, marking two decades of funk on the 26th, and am officially no longer of the teenage grouping.

At any rate, My good friend Kevin Lanre runs a program over in the UK called Street Talk.  Basically they walk around London and get into all sorts of grand conversations with blokes of all sorts.  Generally, interesting things tend to get underway over the course of these conversations and I’ve become a pretty large fan of the show since stumbling across it way back.  It’s also probably important to mention that I believe Kevin was the second person to interview me for anything “Award Tour” related.  Way back when it the collection was four shirts and no one really cared about what some kid in New Jersey was printing up in his spare time, well..except Kevin I guess.  Enough nonsense, Kevin and his bruvs flew over to NYC this Summer and shot a bunch of episodes.  They got me to sit down and chat some absolute nonsense.  Hopefully you enjoy.

Stay Safe-Phil.

I picked up my vibrating Blackberry last week to see that Ouigi, otherwise known as, ”The Bearded Man” from the Brooklyn Circus, had sent me a short message asking whether I’d like to participate in a “round table discussion” at the BK Circus for the following week.  Feeling myself slightly that Ouigi would even considered me for such a thing, my fingers flew across the phone’s keys as I replied that I’d be there without a doubt.  Today being the day after the Roundtable discussion, I can safely say that picking up my phone last week and heading into Brooklyn was probably the best decision I’ve made since my ceiling became a floral fantasy.  Fast forward to last night.  I hopped onto the steel chariot known as the 3 train from Penn Station, tripped, fell, and landed in an Alice in Wonderland-esq landscape of sartorial excellence run rampant with bow ties, saddle shoes, and top hats as far as the eye of a Digital SLR could see.

First of all let me start by saying that when Ouigi and the Brooklyn Circus extend an invitation, everyone answers.  And I don’t mean they simply show up.  No, no, not at all.  That would be far too easy.  They answer the call as much with their clothing as they do with their  presence.

Sitting around in my own somewhat absurd ensemble of clothing, I somehow managed to feel underdressed in a room full of men who probably paid more attention to their pocket squares and socks for the night than the average human being pays to their entire closet in a week.  Make no mistake about it, assembled in the room were individuals who have elevated clothing from mere garments into vehicles of communication, careers, and stop you in your tracks what-is-this-guy-wearing compilations.

The beautiful thing about the Circus is not just the effortless style that is brought to the table.  The style thing comes natural to these blokes like playing quarterback in the Manning family-no stress.  What’s incredible is the depth of conversation, intelligence, and personality all housed underneath one roof.  Only across the room sat a creative director at Polo Ralph Lauren, celebrity stylists, renowned fashion bloggers, and owners of incredible retail shops.  Let’s also not forget the next generation of the movement in the form of more then a few of us under twenty-five kids all doing our own respective things in one way or another.

Not to mention that the entire shenanigans was being hosted by current editor of Global Grind, and one time editor of KING and Vibe, Datwon Thomas. Greatness in the room? Without a doubt.

Picture courtesy of The Brooklyn Circus.

More than just greatness abounded though.  It’s almost hard to describe.  A physical movement was taking place last Saturday.  The embodiment of something greater, something more tangible than just a discourse on the future of men’s style.  Within the floor to ceiling glass door, and surrounded by cotton blends of a most grand sort, was a meeting of minds more reminiscent of sixties counter-culture movements than anything else.  And while it is obvious that I was born nowhere near close to even reference anything that happened in the sixites, throw these images under a few Photoshop layers and change them to black and white and I would be willing to bet that they are a well dressed version of similar images from deep in the archive of movements in their early stages.  (Granted there are a few more haircuts in our pictures.)

Now I realize that for many of my readers, oxford shirts, skinny ties, and dress shoes for causal occasion may be something not at all appealing.  We’re the generation of Yeezy’s, Jordan III’s and the 5950 New Era fitted right?  Am I asking you to throw all of that away and start aspiring to a style of dress akin to Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes?  Not in the least.  In fact, I can relate to some degree.  I’m much more of a bad neon colored bathing suit and dirty Vans sort of person myself, but you have to be able to appreciate the growth and evolution in style that Brooklyn Circus represents.

The first movers, early adapters, and those who push the boundaries are always questioned.  Remember that it is these people that make it possible for you to do what you now consider common place.  The famous and heralded gather their inspiration from the people in the streets, and those sort of people were sitting across from me in a tightly packed corner space in Brooklyn only a few nights ago.

Though the direction and topics of discussion that took place that night will remain within the walls of the Brooklyn Circus, I can say without doubt that surrounding yourself with like minded ambitious individuals is of the utmost importance when trying to accomplish anything of worth.  Always make sure you’re sharing your dreams and visions with people who share the same aspirations as yourself.  People who will push you to better yourself and your dreams in every possible way.

Kohji and the good brother Bev observe from the sidelines.

I’m continually amazed by how artfully the BKC is able to assemble amazing casts of characters at the drop of a rope braided-grey suede-feather adorned hat. (Sorry Bev, I had to.) Enormous props must go to Ouigi and Gabe of the Brooklyn Circus who organized the event, as well as Datwon Thomas for a great job in leading a discussion that easily could have gone on well into the wee hours of the morning without anyone noticing.

Make no mistake about it, the electricity of the promise of the future was jumping from body to body that night, and inspiration literally seemed to be seeping through every possible crack and perfectly placed book and belt in the store.  The ideas and aspirations birthed from that night will come to fruition before your eyes sooner than later.  Starting a decade off in this manner quite literally never looked better.

Read The Brooklyn Circus for continued coverage and more photographs. Big ups to Luke for the pictures taken here.

Stay Safe-Phil.

RELEASE INFORMATION: Haiti Relief Tees release TONIGHT at 5:30 PM EST

Retail is $24 as always. Tee’s will be availiable through the Corner Store only underneath the “teeshirts” category.

All proceeds going straight to Haitian Relief efforts. Thanks for your support!

(**Sizing: These are standard sized Award Tour tee’s. The same blanks from the Cold Winter and Private Rebellion line.  Order your normal size.)

Stay Safe-Phil.

In an effort to continue supporting the relief efforts taking place in Haiti, we will be releasing 50 “Relief Edition” tee’s on Sunday (January 24th).

All proceeds from the Relief Edition tee’s will be donated  to Haiti relief efforts.  (Charity will be completely disclosed as well as donation amount at time of donation.)

No verbose words necessary in regards to the shirt.  Classic “Award Tour” on the front side.  Hand drawn graphic on the back side.  Show support, spread love.  It’s all appreciated.  Enormous big ups to the brothers (especially Jim) over at Antilogy who printed these tees free of cost for the cause in Haiti and Vinny who shot the images.

Releasing Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 5:30 PM EST.

Stay Safe-Phil.