The Barker Hangar, on the edge of the Santa Monica Airport’s tarmac, is a small, large space that seemed just right for GLM Shows (Surf Expo’s parent company) first step into West Coast fashion trade shows.
The Launch LA show, held July 25 -26, 2012, featured predominantly small brands that were not skate, not street, not only for men, and not overtly surf, though many leaned that way. The aisles weren’t packed, however, most booths saw a seemingly constant flow of interested people rolling through, catching up, and learning the stories of new new brands.
Launch organizers stated goal to expose small and emerging brands seemed to find traction. Some brands like Eric Wallis‘ &Work have never been to a trade show before. “This is our first show ever,” Wallis said. “We’re in shops in the Northwest, but we wanted to spread the brand message in Southern California. And this seemed right.”
Others have been doing shows for years, but thanks to recent projects their brand has been exposed to a whole new retail audience. “The work we’ve done with the One California Day hat (Mark Jeremias and Jason Baffa’s film) has opened us up into some shops that we’ve never been in before,” said Toes on the Nose’sJohn Allred. “And Launch is a neat opportunity to mingle in with some other brands.”
Yes, believe it. Two of the biggest stars of the Insta-Twitterverse were in the same room at the same time for an interview and you’ll be surprised by who comes out on top. It’s Tony Hawk vs. Justin Bieber.
Teton Gravity Research promises this will be the absolute last trailer for the Jeremy Jones feature film Further. If you didn’t know already, here’s what it’s about:
Further will explore some of the world’s most remote terrain while continuing Jones’ mission to camp deep in the backcountry and on the summits of unridden lines to access nearly vertical spines and wide open powder fields. Starring: Jeremy Jones, Terje Haakonsen, Ryland Bell, Lucas Debari, Forrest Shearer, Josh Dirksen, Mitch Toelderer, Bibi Pekarek. On Location: Japanese Alps / Atomfjella Mountains, Norway / Karwendel Range, Austria / Wrangell Mountains, Alaska / Sierra Mountains, California
Sounds great to us. for the official word, follows he jump. [click to continue…]
Raen Optics just launched this attractive look fashion frame called the Nera (nice letter scramble).
The style is also a collar with surfer, photographer and all-around creative powerhouse Warren Smith, known for his singular blog, proxynoise.com. The Nera in Matte Black/Brindle Tortoise (shown) stands out as particularly striking and the frame also comes in a cool Ivory, a laid-back Black, and a Brindle Tortoise. . .”All of these styles are pulling from the same mid-century design language we’ve been using to drive the collection all along, but these are the clearest renditions of that inspiration,” says Brand Manager and Designer Jordan W. Percy of the Nera. “We’re pulling most of our inspiration from late 40s-to-early 50s vintage eyewear — the same ‘vintage’ that inspired the ‘vintage’ from the 80s”.
But the Nera isn’t all. They’ve also launched their first ever women’s specific frames the Asper and the Pogue. Check them out after the jump. [click to continue…]
Director, designer, and photographer Charles Bergquist will be featuring some of his recent work during a show titled Maybe It’s A Trap at the UNIV Concept Shop in Encinitas, California on Friday, July 27, 2012.
Bergquist [has] a unique style that combines vivid colors with elegant imagery. He continues to push his boundaries by constantly creating new work.
Reno, Nevada based snowboard company Smokin’ has launched a small selection of longboard skateboards, according to a post on their website. Called, Street Slayers, the boards are simply: snowboarding pavement emulation divides.
We consciously approached longboarding with a fresh perspective, giving little regard to traditional design and heritage. We aren’t interested in trying to fit the mold of what other companies offer, we just want to make shapes we love to ride. You won’t see any toes on the nose pintails from us anytime soon; we make snowboarding pavement emulation devices. Our street slayers are tools for making the concrete jungle feel like your home mountain. We wiped the slate clean and implemented radical new design and construction techniques to shake up the way people perceive what is capable standing on 4 wheels.
The boards come in three shapes and sizes: The Sledge hammer, the Black Wood, and the Coughin. If you’re into longboards, click the link for all the details.
A 30-year-old snowboarder has died at Australia’s Mt. Hotham Resort after apparently “smashing into a tree” on Sunday, July 22, 2012, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald.
A police spokesman said that the accident happened in Hotham Heights area at about 2.40pm. . . The area is popular with snowboarding and ski enthusiasts. . . The man is believed to have died before ambulance crews arrived at the scene.
Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends.
