You really don’t want to miss this!

Believe.

Our new venture, of which we will be exploring and expanding over the next few months is a features section. We will be interviewing some of the most exciting movers and shakers around the UK, along with some special but not necessarily commercially recognised people.

We will be featuring artists, musicians, bands, retail stores, individuals, and keeping the focus on THE BEST OF BRITISH. Features will go live on the 1st of every month.

I hope you enjoy what we’ve got in store for you, feel free to re-post interviews, providing you send us the love back with a return link. If you’re interested in getting involved in guest feature writing then drop us an e-mail to one of us on our CONTACT page. RISE out.

Featured so far:

Trousers London (www.trouserslondon.co.uk)

Phantom Limb (www.phantomlimbmusic.com)

HUSH (www.hushstudio.blogspot.com)

Mini Viva (http://www.miniviva.com/)

Dan Mumford (http://www.dan-mumford.com/)

Waste (http://www.wasteyourself.com/)

Hot Chip (http://www.hotchip.co.uk/)

Mark Jenkins (Fat Seagul) (http://www.fatseagul.com/)

Chris & Tibor (http://www.christibor.com/)

No-One Store (http://www.no-one.co.uk/)

Supremebeing (http://www.supremebeing.com/)

Resurrection Store (http://www.resurrection-online.com/)

Paul Sid / Retreat (http://www.retreatstore.com/)

Over the past 10 years Supremebeing™ have firmly established themselves on the UK clothing landscape, and they don’t want to stop there. They have managed to superbly negotiate the difficulties of keeping the soul, excitement and independant feel in a very successful highstreet brand. Based out of Cambridge and coming with a burgeoning reputation for forward thinking and directional design, we got to chat to David Newman about the goings on at Supremebeing™.

What’s your name, where are you from, what do you do?

Hi there, my name is David Newman I was born in Cambridge UK and I’m one of the team at Supremebeing™.

How and why did you start Supremebeing™?

We established Supremebeing™ in 1999 Yoc / Mozza / Skuff and myself in Cambridge, some screen printers, artists, designers and entrepreneurs. Born from a love of graphic design, art and streetwear, the belief was that with talent and hard work we could make a career from what we love. We had great designs; it was up to us to make it happen. The team began with tee and hoody prints that would become the foundation of the brand. It was here that the name Supremebeing™ first appeared; a strap line to a graphic which depicted one of the designers’ left hand missing part of a finger lost in a bizarre chip shop accident! This was Yoc, his mum used to call him a Supremebeing and said to him, that in the eyes of god we are all equal!

Created first Amongst Equals! All Supremebeing’s.

Renting a space at the screen printers where we once worked, we developed our own print techniques and produced a huge catalogue of graphics. The new designs could be printed to order from a stock of blank tee shirts in a rainbow of colours, giving unprecedented speed and flexibility. Supremebeing™ grew organically, evolving from graphic to garment design, and moved into new areas in response to meeting and taking on new talent. Our handmade ethic continued year on year as a base of like-minded customers steadily built around the world.

Today the apparel and footwear ranges still retain the original concepts of creativity, passion and exceptional design Supremebeing™ was based on, and it is committed to offering quality product with no gimmicks and a touch of good humour. This is our culture, our scene. We were sick of brands repackaging our culture and selling it back to us at ridiculous prices. We wanted to make clothes that represented who we were and also that our friends could afford…”

We funded it all off our own back and whatever we made from sales we put straight back into the company, the same as we do today!

How many people currently keep Supremebeing™ running day to day?

At our base in Cambridge there is a full time team of 14 of us:

Design: Yoc / Skuff / Billy / DQ / Sammy / Mary /

Web: Trip / Amy / Meado

Marketing: Simon

Logistics and Finance: Mozza / Kerry / Matt / Pete

Part time: James / Duncan

I fall somewhere in there too! I also feel that all our distributors around the world need a mention and our agents in London, its actually quite scary the amount of people that are involved with Supremebeing™ now day’s, we have over 10 distributors around the world who employ on average about 4/7 agents, the family is growing weekly, and the love we feel form the people we meet is amazing, without all involved we would never be where we are today and where we are going!

How did you make the shift into large cut and sew ranges, what was the first cut and sew piece you ever produced?

We started printing on hoods and crews as well as t-shirts then we meet a girl called billy about 6 years ago who was in her 1st year at Uni in Nottingham, she came and did work experience with us and we all developed a girls snowboard style jacket and some dope mens trak tops! From there we meet more designers and sort of taught ourselves with help from friends how the cut and sew world worked, Our first full collections we produced in Portugal for jersey and the jackets we made in China through a friend in Korea!

We still look back and try and work out where this big transition was but it was and still is very Organic, it’s all about the people we meet and how we help each other out!

Time lines are infinite they never seem to end so as far as how long did it take, we feel we are still very much on the journey! We also produce quite a large collection of sneakers twice a year, this is looked after by the one and only DQ the street cobbler! Keep your eyes peeled for all future development

Was the brand self sustaining in its growth, did one collections profits fund the development of the subsequent ones increase in collection size?

We design things hope people like them and buy them, then use the cash we make to invest in the next collection / ideas and so and so on! We do it for the love, We just try to keep the rollercoaster moving and hold on tight!

Was there a specific turning point when you feel the brand ‘took off’ as such?

Its nice to hear you feel we have blown up already we feel there is so much more love and passion to put in! Meaning hard work and time, we feel so lucky everyday and yet still feel a bit slept on! I still feel we have so much to do to get out there more!

How was the bricks and mortar flagship store experience, and the positives and negatives of moving to a web flagship?

We loved our old store, we were just in the wrong location and never really had the cash we needed to put into it! Rent in our hometown is so high! The shop inspired people so it served its purpose, shame it never made us any cash! To be honest it just lost us money, since going only on line we are starting to see some return!

We are looking at opening a space somewhere out there soon; in the mean time we are web focused!

The Supremebeing™ x Nooka watch is one of my favorite collaborations of recent times, how did that come about?

We like Nooka™, and originally met them at a show in Barcelona when they had just launched and chatted about a colab. We then went to see them in NY a year or so later and did the colab, we love colabs and are looking at doing many more in the future

How do you feel balancing the independent exclusive side of things with the more easily accessible highstreet face of the brand?

We are carful who we work with and generally work with nice people, it’s so difficult to have a balance, but I feel we have done well to maintain the brand and keep to our core values!

What is the vision for Supremebeing™ now, where do you want to head with the brand?

Keep it going / create more beautiful products for a beautiful future / take the brand to more people so they can feel it the same way we do! Our next big areas we are focusing are the US / China and as always the UK.
If you could collaborate with one artist, brand, musician….anyone.  Who would it be and why?

Hendrix or Bob Marley but im sure the team will all have the favorites! And shame they’re not around to do it meaning my choices. Living artist I guess I would say someone like Neil Young.

To keep up to date with the big news relating to Supremebeing™ head over to their website HERE, and to buy some of the immaculate product head to UNIFY SHOP!

Paul Sid is a true connoisseur of casual wear, in the game for many a year, and the mind behind the exciting brand RETREAT. Retreat has gained many fans and followers since its inception, and the down-to-earth nature behind the brand continues to drive it forward with an authenticity that sets it apart from other brands on the scene. We got a chance to pose a few questions to Paul and quiz him about Retreat and more!

What’s your name, where are you from, what do you do?

My name is Paul Sudron (Paul Sid for short) and I am from a small seaside town in the North east of England called Hartlepool. I am the creative director and owner of Retreat which is basically a part time project for me which allows me to continue with my passion for creativity and art. I have a full time 9-5 job and I’m a full time family man so I can only focus on Retreat in my spare time.

Tell us a little bit more about Retreat.

I started Retreat in 2005. The initial aim was to just release a few graphical designs for t-shirts for myself and my friends. I was bored of the designs which were being made by some of the established brands and thought I could release some designs which were both different and which could compete with these brands.

The name Retreat came about from our own personal opinions both politically and socially. We feel that some of our designs may express personal feelings and we may occasionally question international conflict, but our final aim is not to solely preach, but to produce some fresh and original powerful graphics for you all, whiles having fun along the way.

What’s your vision for Retreat over the next few months / years?

I don’t really look too much towards the future when it comes to the brand as you never know what is around the corner. I’m a little surprised we have lasted this long. It’s a tough game to get into, and an even tougher one to maintain.

Our main focus is to create solid designs that cater for all markets, and not just the manufactured ones which have been aligned to a specific scene. Applying mainly discharged and waterbased inks, we aim to produce garments to the highest quality.

Who are some of the other brands out there who you look up to?

From growing up I got into the skateboard brands which really got me into the graphical side. From Santa Cruz to Powell. The designs were always colourful and eye catching. I then moved onto the early pioneers of what is now known as Streetwear. I liked brands such as Supreme and Bathing Ape but over the last 8 years I haven’t really followed any of them as they don’t inspire me.

Brands and designers I do like include Answer, The Trilogy Tapes, PAM, Will Bankhead, Ben Drury to name a few. I wouldn’t say I would like to emulate any of these brands. I get inspiration from their designs and blogs but never try to release anything other than whats in my own head.

Would you like to move into cut and sew wider range collections in the future?

We did release some cut and sew striped tees a few years ago but to be honest it’s not something I’ve thought about much. It would be nice to be able to put out denim and stuff but right now the focus is just good designs for tees and sweaters.

If you could collaborate with anyone or any brand who would it be and why?

We have already collaborated with Vaughn Bode and The Bode Estate which was a dream come true for me. I have been a fan for many years and to be given permission to adapt one of his pieces for a Retreat release was amazing.

In terms of collabs I’m not too bothered although it would be nice to have say Will Bankhead do a design for me or to be able to work with the likes of The Jean Michel Basquiat estate or Andy Warhol estate.

As a designer, what is inspiration for you?

I get inspired from things I see everyday. All of creation, my wife, my kids, 80’s movies, things in the past growing up, The Beastie Boys, UNKLE, Hip Hop. The list is endless

Do you have any other exciting projects coming up worth noting?

Hopefully I’m gonna be doing some designs for a local dance/hip hop crew from Hartlepool. They are called Ruff Diamonds which consist of about 13 kids who seem really talentedand passionate. Continue to do some designs for The Candy Bithces who are based in Birmingham and to continue to drop limited designs for Retreat.

Any shoutouts you want to give?

Big shoutout to my wife Vix, Molly, Charlie and little Jonah, all my mates, Doof Industries, Zorra and the rest of The Candy Bitches, Mick Knaggs and anyone else I’ve forgotton!

Keep up to date with everything that’s going on at Retreat by reading the blog and becoming a fan on facebook.

Its VICE’s time of the month.

PLUGS (live)
FLOWER OF ZEUS (live)
LOVVERS (DJ)
Vice DJs

Entry: FREE
Doors: 8 till 12

Wednesday 17th February

The Old Blue Last,
38 Great Eastern Street

Closest Tube - Old Street / Liverpool Street

http://www.theoldbluelast.com

http://www.viceland.com

http://www.myspace.com/plugsmusic
http://www.myspace.com/flowerofzeus
http://www.myspace.com/letscommunicate

As I was browsing the National Geographic website, I found this little nugget of photography gold:

Farmer carrying his eleventh child, Dingle, Ireland.

Note To Self: Get to a Dublin car hire right now and travelling to meet this dude. Also, get a pipe.

Photographer Annie Griffiths Belt has a great collection of photos on her website. Her style is so vibrant and colourful. Whether she’s snorkeling or braving the snow she goes from length to length to capture these amazing pieces. All doing this whilst maintaining an epic sense of style. This woman has it nailed!

Trousers London are playing host to one of the most anticipated events of this busy fashion period. ‘Denim Garden’ will be themed around exactly that, and will run from the 13th Feb which is the start of the tradeshow period, through to the 28th the end of LFW.

The exciting pop-up will feature both a shop and an exhibition. The entire Trousers London men’s jeans collection will be on sale including their latest offerings – Trousers 8 and 9. All jeans are made from raw Organic denim and to ensure their exclusivity, every pair of jeans is given a unique ID number, ensuring each model is a limited edition to treasure!

‘Denim Garden’ will also house an installation of collaborative projects showing the work of local artists including video projects, photography and art. Artists include Mario Mendez whose recent work was seen in Italian Vogue and Sebastien Pons who has worked previously with Vivienne Westwood during fashion week.

Yes we try to stick to purely UK content, but some stuff is just worth a post. And this is one of those things. Big thanks for the content to BKRW.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS x BKRW video INTERVIEW from Jay SMITH on Vimeo.

BKRW.COM Digital Magazine have the exclusive chance to seat down with american true artist and designer PHARRELL WILLIAMS, in PARIS. For the presentation of his new design project the TANK CHAIR with EMMANUEL PERROTIN. www.bkrw.com

Retreat brand will be dropping what looks like some pretty sweet patches at some point soon. There’s no details on release date, but its not going to be too far away as it was described as “soonish” by brand owner Paul Sid!

Art of the State recently talked about this on their blog saying that Graffiti and street art are often wrapped up in the same category. Certainly in past times the eyes of the law viewed them as exactly the same - straight up criminal damage. But times have changed and street art has become pretty much publicly accepted and law enforcement attitudes have moved around to seemingly turning a blind eye to it while some councils are more likely to apply for a preservation order than press for charges.

The same can’t be said for graffiti that is born out of a different need. I’m talking about serial tagging, spray paint on the steel sides of trains and tubes and throw ups on the side of walls where the owner certainly never emailed in a request for a “street artist to do their thing”. This is where last years ‘Crack and Shine’ book comes in. Ordered before Christmas it’s a book I find myself going back to again and again. There’s no stencils, paste ups or ‘installations’ in here. No, this is a fiercly independent take on the underworld of ‘real’ London graffiti. And it’s by far the best graffiti book I’ve read all year.

There’s a world of difference between sneaking into Shoreditch from the home counties to put up a paste up in Blackall Street and the events detailed in this 212 page full colour book. Trespass is a civil matter in town but when you jump (or boltcutter a fence) to go trackside it instantly becomes a criminal offence. This book talks to writers who have seen the old days when a simple saunter off the end of the platform into the rail system after school could be achieved through to todays ‘military grade’ security in London Underground’s fortified depots. It charts the times when station staff turned a blind eye and trains could run for weeks with graffiti etched into their sides to the crackdowns and the frequent busts of the 90’s that nearly killed the scene. It’s style and tales are part Cass Pennant, part Brinks Mat but its always full on detailing the best of times and the worst of times. Teach offers up some of his vast photo collection, Elk explains why getting to Brixton’s lay up was his ‘Everest’ and Grand tells of when he hit the yards hard and then stayed around to watch and explore. You also get to see Mr C DDS keeping it real by racking clothes, boltcutters, paint and Champagne (Moet & Chandon, natch) and Bozo DDS’s run through of his Farringdon trip turns from a climb, drop, crawl story to a full on burglary.

There’s a wealth of photos taken in the yards but some of the best are taken the morning after when the trains are in service. Marking the train on the front writers know when their cars are coming through and catch them in photographs as they arrive to puzzle (and sometimes delight) commuters - check the whole car ‘Britney Spears Is The Devil’. Extra special are the portraits of the artists themselves taken by photographer Will Robson-Scott. He captures Mr P up on a roof top in Hackney Wick, Cosa in Whitehall and ATG at home amongst a mass of quality portraiture.

No other book gets inside a graffiti scene like this one. Subway Art documented a time and place that seemed far away at the time. Crack and Shine brings it home and then some.