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Adidas Originals by Originals – NBHD x KZK – August ’09

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Back in June we brought you a preview of the forthcoming Adidas Originals by Originals collection. The collection sees Japanese designer Kazuki Kuraishi take up the challenge once again, this time working with the exclusive and elusive Neigborhood design group. Many of the pieces are co-designed with the long time Kazuki collaborators, and carry ‘Neighborhood Technical Apparel’ branding with a reworked logo, made exclusively for the range. We now have confirmation that the first drop of styles from the range will be with us in August, and we can bring you a closer look at the collection.

The first footwear drop includes reworked classics such as the Superstar, Campus, ZXZ, and K-Ball, as well as a new vulcanised NBHD shoe. As with the previous collection, the emphasis is firmly on premium materials and production, with no expense spared on full grain leather uppers, and plush suede detailing. Some of the styles carry the dual Adidas / NBHD branding, as well as the Kazuki sign off previously seen., which is sure to be a great success. The leopard print pattern that has become somewhat synonymous with Neighborhood runs throughout, and can be seen on key footwear styles such as the ZXZ. the second drop (due in October!) also sees a full leopard print vulcansied NBHD shoe, a real statement piece. Please check out the images below for an overview of the August footwear drop, or see the Adidas Originals by Originals section for full details.

nbhdfoot

The apparel collection makes full use of Kazuki and Neighborhoods technical apparel knowledge, with the range focusing on clean lines and functionality. The October drop sees waterproof pea coats and gore-tex jackets of the highest quality coming into the range, just in time for the British Winter! The August drop contains some more lightweight styles for the summer / autumn, including the NBHD tracktops, NBHD tees, and the brilliant motorcycle tops. The amazing shirts contain some of the trademark NBHD technical apparel elements, with a full waterproof lining. An overview of the August styles is below, and please check out the full details in the main Adidas Originals by Originals section.

Please call us on +44 (0)191 261 1923 or email  info@endclothing.co.uk if you would like further info on the forthcoming August or October products…

nbhdapp

Posted in Neighborhood, Uncategorized

Sperry Restock & Collection Preview

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Ahoy! We have just had a much needed re-stock on Navy and Brown Sperry A/O’s, and White & Navy Bahamas. We have been running low for a while, but we now have most sizes back in stock just in time for your summer holiday!

Below is a first look at the new collection, due here at End over the next month. The collection sees Sperry expand further on their fantastic nautical collection, including patent and mixed material editions, as well as some amazing chukka boots. We will have more news on styles and dates over the next few weeks, but for now, check out the shots below…

Posted in Sperry

Billionaire Boys Club & Ice Cream A/W Drop 1

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

AW09 is Billionaire Boys Club and sister brand Ice Cream’s 9th season, in this time Pharrell and Nigo have introduced a huge number of highly original and distinctive logos, characters and motifs to the unsuspecting fashion world. From the cone head to the space dog, everything from jeans to hats have carried their ingenious branding, and season 9 is no exception.

As with previous collections the pre-season look book caused a real stir, full of the more outlandish pieces and giving a taster of the range’s new characters and designs. The AW09 look book showed pre-occupations with hunting, metropolis, ‘space beach’ and ray guns, as well as old classics like the waffle, robots and dripping ice cream.

Our first shipment of BBC sees many of these new themes and old classics coming together in a typically small, but perfectly formed release. The premium Japanese cotton tees that are synonymous with Billionaire Boys Club carry prints of hunting scenes, space pilots, ice creams of many denominations and the famous BBC x N.E.R.D. Heart and Mind graphic.

Preppy influenced striped helmet logo polos, the ubiquitous trucker cap, this time with the new Peppermint IC logo across the front, and a brilliant plaid flannel shirt with the conehead logo complete this mini-drop. With the rest of season 9 promising to be just as good, the next few months should be pretty exciting for all you BBC/Ice Cream fans out there!

Posted in BBC, Ice Cream, Uncategorized

Nike x Swagger

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Japanese store Swagger have been one of the figureheads in Japanese hip-hop and streetwear culture for a decade now, and to celebrate their 10th birthday Swagger have teamed up with Nike to produce a highly limited collaboration. Store founders ‘The Ignition Man’ and ‘Big-O’ (creator of the similarly popular Phenomenon brand) are huge fans of Nike basketball shoes and were looking to celebrate 10 years in the industry by adding their own personal touch to one of their favourite shoes.

Taking the Terminator Hi shoe and really going to town on the finish, as well as the concept, the Swagger x Nike colab sold out within hours of launching in their native Japan. As with their previous colabs with the like of Head Porter, the finishing and detail is superb, with croc leather uppers, and each shoe a different colour, this premium release really stands out.

After first being seen on the feet of ‘hype’ darling Lupe Fiasco a few months ago, reaction on the blogs and the subsequent sell-out in Japan show that sneakerheads worldwide can’t get enough of this highly limited release.

Limited to 80 pairs in the UK we are very pleased to have the Swagger x Nike colab online and instore now, and while we’re at it, check out the Swagger website, literally one of the best we’ve seen in ages!

Posted in Nike Footwear, Swagger

Adidas Brand Pack – Maharishi – Porter – X-Large – Nom de Guerre – Stone Island

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

To celebrate their 60th anniversary, Adidas have created a number of edition limited projects involving five of their most iconic styles, however, the release of one pack is causing far more of a stir than the rest. The ‘brand’ pack has been the subject of message board rumor and sneaker-collector whispers since the start of the year, and with an August release date now confirmed we are finally able  to show detailed photos of this highly anticipated release.

Japanese brand X-Large, who were synonymous with artists such as the Beastie Boys in the 90s, have chosen the Superstar. X-Large have used a vivid multi coloured fade on a faux-snakeskin upper, and provided 6 sets of coloured laces carrying the slogan ‘getting no respect since ‘91’. The heel tab carries the brilliantly reworked X-Large Trefoil logo, while the suede tongue features both Adidas and XL branding.

UK based brand Maharishi chose to work with the Stan Smith tennis shoe. Drawing influence from WWII naval shirting the uppers are finished in blue chambray fabric. The heel tab branding stays true to the original while the tongue and heel panels carry Maharishi’s ‘Dragon’ and ‘Head’ logos respectively. The shoe features metal eyelets to emphasise the famous dotted three stripes on the side, and a contrast red top eyelet giving a subtle flash of colour.

New York uber-brand, and military-influence-devotees, Nom De Guerre take the Forum basketball shoe. They have reworked the shoe around the concept of the US Army’s jungle boot, mixing hardwearing canvas and leathers and including a zip laceguard and vertical lacing. The famous Forum ankle strap references war hospital ankle strapping, with the white strap contrasting perfectly the grey tones of the main boot. The shoe is finished with the Nom De Guerre logo subtly embossed across the front.

Perhaps the most blogged of all the shoes is the collaboration with Italian innovators Stone Island. Taking the terrace classic that is the Samba, the SPW brand have incorporated all of their know-how and pioneering techniques. The main body of the shoe is comprised of their patented Raso Gommato fabric, each panel is dyed and then treated with a colour corrosion, leaving only the three stripes and stitching to emphasise the key detailing. As with their apparel the left hand side carries the famous compass logo, the inner tongue of the zipped double-tongue system carries the emblems of both brands, while the zips are of course Lampo.

The brands pack is completed by Japanese luggage pioneers Head Porter and their take on the humble Nizza Hi. The shoe has always been hugely popular amongst the fashionable Tokyo youth, and since 1983 Nizza wearers could often be seen carrying Porter’s Tanker bags, famed for there simple black padded outers and orange inners. Head Porter’s Nizza represents the tonal detail of the Tanker, with the shoe coming in padded black nylon with black detail. The sole is contrast white vulcanised rubber while the back of the shoe features silver zip detail. Branding is subtle, the tongue carrying both brand’s logos, but perhaps the most innovative part of this collaboration is the fact that each pair comes in a Head Porter Tanker Tote Bag!

The pack is set for an August release, so please keep checking the site or our twitter for release updates…

Posted in Uncategorized

Clarks Originals Autumn 2009

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Just a few miles South of Glastonbury lies the village of Street. Typical of many English villages Street’s 11000 or so residents are served by a few shops, a post office and a pub. However, hidden behind the clock tower is the headquarters of one of the most renowned footwear manufacturers in the world. The Clarks family began producing footwear in Street 1825, and the Somerset town has been home of their headquarters ever since. In the mere 185 years since Cyrus Clark began production, Clarks have produced some of the most celebrated styles around, from the Desert Boot in the 1950s, Wallabee in the 60s, and Natalie in the 90s.

It is not just the longevity of Clarks’ success that deserves admiration, their brilliantly designed footwear spans generations, transcending fashions and styles, with everyone from Mods to Rappers choosing Clarks as their footwear of choice.

The Originals range is designed with this rich history in mind, and this season sees these classic silhouettes given a well deserved airing once more. The classic Desert Boot comes in ‘antique’ Tan and Brown, always and end favorite. The Wallabee is re-released in shoe and boot form, the first time we have had the famous shoe in the boot version. Back in Chestnut brown are the Natalie and it’s Redland boot counterpart.

AW09 does however see a new style come into the range, The Blackdown is a chukka height boot that features the famous crepe sole, as well as a butt seam detail around the sides. The Blackdown is quintessentially Clarks, hard-wearing and extremely comfortable with a design that could only have come from Street.

Once again, Clarks have produced a winning range, keeping to the principles and designs that earned them a legion of high-profile fans ranging from Paul Weller to Ghostface Killah, as well as everybody here at End.

Posted in Clarks Originals

Fred Perry Autumn ’09 – Part I

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

Very few brands can boast the kind of history and influence that Fred Perry can, the brand with the iconic Laurel logo has been adopted by generation after generation, without ever altering their key ideals and design principles. 100 years on from the birth of it’s founder, Fred Perry clothing can once again boast a collection fully befitting the name of one of this country’s greatest sport and style luminaries.

This week has seen the arrival of a large chunk of Fred Perry AW09, a collection that ranges from iconic polos and knits to the bags and accessories that have been so popular in recent years, as well as a very special collaboration with another English fashion stalwart. This delivery is full of lines that are perfect for an English summer – whatever it may throw at us – be it shirting and knitwear for warm nights, polos for day wear or bags for holidays and days out, there is something for everyone.

Back in stock are some timeless classics such lambswool cardigans and v-necks in neutral shades with subtle branding, relying on high quality British production and finishing as opposed to garish colours, gimmicks and over-sized emblems. The rest of the knitwear is far from shabby either, we have an Italian-produced merino wool roll-neck and a waffle-knit cardigan, providing a continental feel in terms of both design and manufacture.

With many of us jetting, or at least megabussing somewhere this summer, what better way to carry your particulars than in a Fred Perry bag? This season sees another move on in their accessories range, and with small shoulder bags for day use, holdalls, barrel bags and inflight cases there is something for any journey.

The Fred Perry brand also has no fear when it comes to adapting, as the M120 polo shirt has proven. Produced in Japan as a response to the needs of the growing Japanese market, the M120 is slimmer cut and shorter. It takes the classic M12 twin tipped silhouette and tweaks it ever so slightly, keeping all the features that made the original so great. This season sees four brilliant colours of M120 released into the UK, and here at End!

The Mod movement is closely associated with Fred Perry, however they are not the only brand to have been warmly embraced by this style-centric bunch, British manufacturer Tootal have been producing their scarf of choice for years. Their famous patterned scarves are often worn in conjunction with Fred Perry knits, shirts and jackets. Tootal have once again teamed up with Fred Perry to produce a limited range of two-sided patterned scarves.

This season has definitely seen yet another step up from Fred Perry in terms of sourcing and producing the best designs they can. The choice to keep production in Portugal, Japan, Italy and the UK has been a great move, the quality and finishing on these great lines is exceptional and showcase the brand brilliantly.

Head to the Fred Perry section to view this first drop of great new product…

Posted in Fred Perry, Uncategorized

Comme des Garçons – PLAY & DSM

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Comme des Garçons, despite it’s French name, is a Japanese fashion label that has built up a huge cult following since Rei Kawakubo started the brand in the early 70s. Through constantly striving to break the stereotypes and rules of modern fashion, Comme have developed a reputation as a progressive, maverick label with an output that is as different and thought provoking as it is aesthetically appealing.

Comme des Garçons’ first Paris catwalk show in 1981 caused great controversy. In stark contrast to all the other fashion houses who were showing, the Comme des Garçons collection was made up of black, distressed fabrics, which received a mixed reaction! Undeterred by this reaction, a Comme boutique was established in Paris only a year later, and is still there today. This willingness to think outside the box can still be seen today, from the unisex ‘anti’ parfums collections to the ‘Guerrilla’ stores (small stores, opened for just one year and sparsely decorated to minimise costs)

We will very soon be receiving our first delivery of the Comme des Garçons Play collection, with the now iconic ‘heart/face’ logo, which appears across shirts, polos, knitwear and even denim lines. Play is a contemporary ‘basics’ line and is designed by Junya Watanabe, with contributions from graphic artist Filip Panofsky, who created the iconic logo. Over recent years Play has gathered a legion of fans, through strong design and intelligent branding.

Just as eagerly anticipated is the arrival of Comme’s latest collaborative collection – a venture with Dover Street Market. For their first full clothing collection DSM looked to their own design ethos of making a collection that is “relaxed, accessible and discreetly irreverent.” The range displays Dover Street Market’s logo as a stencil or patch and plays with the idea of reversibility and replacement, with shirts made from alternating panels of fabric, creating two versions, a ‘positive’ and ‘negative’.

The quality and detail is some of the best around, with everything down to the placement of seams and stitches being considered. This highly limited range is testament to the creativity and free-thinking of both of these fantastic labels and as the pictures show, the execution could not have been better. We are genuinely over the moon to welcome Comme des Garçons to End and we’re sure everybody else will be too!

Posted in Comme des Garçons

Nike Air Jordan Double Pack

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

In 1985 Nike released the first of what would become the most successful series of endorsed shoes of all time. The young Michael Jordan was only in his 2nd season at the Chicago Bulls after leaving North Carolina where he had won numerous young player of the year accolades, and after a first season that saw an unprecedented rise to fame, Nike selected this rising star to wear a reworking of their Dunk basketball shoe. History was made,  and the relationship between Nike and Jordan went on to become one of the biggest franchises in the sporting world, because of some amazing footwear  designs but more importantly because of the a player whose impact may never be surpassed….

This most recent release celebrates one of the most important, and to some pivotal, moments of Jordan’s fledgling career. In a play off game against the Boston Celtics – a team seen by many as the best of the era – the 22 year old scored 63 points before eventually ending up on the losing side, and finished the season scoring 3000 points, a total only equalled by the great Wilt Chamberlain.

To celebrate this famous moment Nike have re-released the Jordan 1 trainer he was wearing at the time in the original black and red Chicago Bulls colourway, this is teamed up in a highly limited double pack with the same shoe in the colours of the opposing Celtics side. Taken directly from the famous floor of the Boston Garden, the green white and black colours sit brilliantly on this most-loved of basketball shoes. Both shoes feature the classic winged ball logo on the ankle, and as a tribute to the modern Jordan Brand the classic embroidered Nike Air tongue logo is replaced by the ‘Jumpman’, a design so iconic that it is still the only logo to appear on Nike shoes INSTEAD of the swoosh! As huge fans of retro Jordans we feel this is a great and fitting tribute to a true legend, on, and off court.

This highly limited double pack is expected to land with us next week. We only have a few packs available, so please call us on +44(0)191 261 9327 or email sales@endclothing.co.uk if you would like more info.

Posted in Air Jordan, Nike Footwear

Hype Means Nothing

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Hype [hahyp]

– noun
1.  extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion
2.  a deception or hoax.

The term ‘hype’ has become very prevalent over the past few years, describing items of fashion and style which are highly desirable and often sell out as quickly as they are released. In a culture of pre-orders and blogs this web-driven way of living is taken very seriously by some, with these aspirational items going for massive amounts of money, both at the time of sale and when being re-sold as deadstock. This relatively new culture is fuelled by the internet, ‘hype’ products gather almost feverish attention months before their release, sneak previews and leaked-line sheets give ardent followers a glimpse of these much anticipated releases.

With so much money and hard-worked involved in getting your hands on ‘hype’ products, the scene and it’s major-players can sometimes come across as being somewhat stoic. French t-shirt label Hype Means Nothing intend on going some way to dispelling this myth.

In the short time since they started out they Hype Means Nothing have managed to attract a wide range of fans and collaborators from across the world of celebrity – both in reality and fiction -  with their individual concept. Each tee takes the idea of ‘celebrity’ and ‘hype’ and prods a little bit of well placed fun at it. Each premium printed tee features famous faces pretending to wear fashionable sunglasses by making glasses shapes with their hands, with a catalogue-esque description of real ‘hype’ sunglasses including their price, below.

This is a brilliantly done and refreshing parody of a movement that often gets accused of taking itself too seriously, and this balance of actual hype with a light-hearted twist – in our opinion at least! – works very well.

Posted in Hype Means Nothing, Uncategorized

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