Featured Film Foo Fighters Back and Forth Premiere at SXSW

March 21, 2011 - 10:14 am

Foo Fighters at the SXSW Premier

People can’t seem to stop talking about the Foo Fighters right now. Having been around for over 15 years, they still remain as relevant as ever. On Tuesday night at the closing of the SXSW Film Festival and Interactive activities in Austin the band premiered their latest endeavor, a documentary film called Foo Fighters Back and Forth.

After hearing about this project for the past 6 months I had some expectations. I knew the band was recording in Dave Grohl’s garage in his home on tape, with legendary producer Butch Vig at the helm. I knew that cameras where there for something like 3 months capturing the process. I also knew that they shot at least 5 hours of footage at the bands secret show at the Roxy Theatre last month. So my anticipation was that this film would focus on the latest and greatest antics and the making of a fresh but yet nostalgic process of writing a record.

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Contest Travis Barker Wants to Play With You

March 14, 2011 - 9:23 am

350x580_Travis_Barker

Travis Barker is one of, if not THE best drummers of a generation. If you have ever had the pleasure to see him play live, its heart thumping, perfect rhythm, creative genius, goodness. If you are in a band, you know that most drummers (clearly not this one) are notoriously slack. So problem solved…have Travis play on YOUR next record. I admit, the possibility of it makes me want to get the band back together. It really is quite a generous offer.

Check it out…

What are you waiting for? Get ready to get great!

You’re welcome!
Words by Barbie Brady

Fashion Featured Gallery Speak Softly and Wear a Literary Tee: Tee Library

March 8, 2011 - 11:05 am

When you think about T-shirt culture there are SO many companies cranking out cotton garments season after season. Some good, some bad, a lot of them…pointless. Not so with Tee Library. Perhaps you will at least appear a little smarter without even needing a library card.

Their inspiration comes from books. Sometimes reaching back to the classics, and sometimes the best sellers list, the designers at Tee Library find a story they want to portray and then presto…a fresh take on that story emerges.

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Fashion Gallery Dirtee Hollywood Hearts Molly Crabapple

March 7, 2011 - 11:26 am

For the past 6 seasons (roughly 2 years) Dirtee Hollywood has been collaborating with ChinaShop’s own artist / contributor Molly Crabapple. She creates whimsical illustrations for the Los Angeles based cut n sew t-shirt line. Owner David Long spoke with us about his love for Molly and his quest to create the best designs in the name of fashion.

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Fashion Iron Fist Rules Fashion

February 28, 2011 - 9:35 am

Iron Fist

“No one can tell us what we can and can not do,” says Leanne Anderson, Creative Director for Iron Fist. An attitude that has got this company far in the last 8 years. Their sassy styles and ingenuity have grown this company into a fashion brand to watch. When I last checked in with them, a year and a half ago, they had just started to dip their toes into the ladies zombie shoes. A bold direction for a very niche market. However, success has never looked so mean…they are unique and so beautifully done you can’t help but to desire them.

580px Iron Fist

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Fashion Gallery Spirit Hoods: Join the Tribe

February 25, 2011 - 11:37 am

Go to any music festival and you will most likely come across someone wearing a plush animal hood that has scarf like appendages that flow into mittens, or paws if you will. These fuzzy fashion accessories are products of Spirit Hoods. Made in Southern California by a group of hippie/hipster/vega/activists these hats represent a love for wildlife and efforts to give back to critical wildlife initiatives.

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Fashion Featured Gallery The Texture of Fashion: MAGIC Feb 2011

February 23, 2011 - 11:16 am

Fashion can’t be avoided. We can’t leave our house without clothes on. Based on your geographic location, possibly multiple layers of clothes on. But there is a distinction between “fashion”, “clothes” and “style”. Let’s see what the interweb has to say about it:

“Though often used interchangeably, there are distinct and important differences between clothing, fashion, and style. The term clothing first appeared in the thirteenth century and refers to garments in general. Fashion and style are fourteenth-century words. Style describes the form of something, while fashion refers to prevailing styles during a particular time. All clothing can be described in terms of the style of specific features, such as a mandarin collar or a gathered sleeve, and if the style is currently popular, it is considered fashionable. Garment styles periodically recur, though usually in slightly different forms. Coco Chanel, the famous French designer, once said that anyone who claimed originality had no knowledge of history.” – Answers.com

Textures of MAGIC

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Fashion Featured Gallery Reebok & Swizz Beatz Announce Collaboration

February 22, 2011 - 3:39 pm

Reebok announces collaboration with Grammy award winning music producer/rapper/painter/collector/CEO/entrepreneur/new father/United Nation’s Music Ambassador for World Peace Swizz Beatz. Try fitting that on a business card?

Reebok took a look around and realized that they stepped out of cool. The trend setters and shoe collectors weren’t considering Reebok in the pantheon of desired footwear. As a shoe maker, that’s a situation you don’t want to find yourself in. In an effort to redefine the brand as revolutionary, they enlisted the guidance of one of the hottest, most forward thinking personalities on the scene, Swizz Beatz.

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Fashion Gallery Derick Melander Laces Up

February 18, 2011 - 11:19 am

Derick Melander loves clothes. Perhaps not in the same way that you and I love clothes, as Melander makes ambitious sculptures from carefully folded and stacked second-hand clothing.

I discovered him at Project in Vegas quite accidentally while wandering the show floor. A “shameless self-promoter”, Melander told me that he connected with Project through a friend designer who exhibits here each season. Paramount Apparel International (PAi) and Tom’s Shoes both donated their wares to let Melander have his way with them.

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Fashion Gallery Molla Space: Good Design for Everyone

February 16, 2011 - 6:21 pm

Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I like things that look like things that are really other things. For example, a ceramic grenade that is actually a bank, or a lollipop made of plastic that’s actually a speaker for my mp3 device. It’s no wonder then that I have loved Molla Space for a long time now.

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