Last week we were invited to the ‘Shwop Lab’ in collaboration with Marks & Spencers and London College of Fashion’s Centre For Sustainable Fashion. The purpose of the pop-up space at the Old Truman Brewery was to explore the future of fashion through a series of collaborations with the UK’s leading lights in sustainable fashion and design. The results…a collection of outfits made entirely from donated clothes and more importantly the ushering of a possible revolution in the fashion industry.

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Located in the heart of East London’s fashion forward/vintage quarter; The Shwop Shop is the brainchild of M&S and the Unity Agency who are also the geniuses behind the below installation/stunt.

I was initially drawn to the event at the prospect of witnessing stylists and designers construct outfits from donated clothes (I sometimes have trouble doing this with my own wardrobe) however I was soon pulled into the thought provoking exploration and debate about the future of sustainable fashion led by fashion visionaries including Gary Harvey, Michelle Lowe-Holder and Dr Noki and his infamous mask. The initiative which they hope will revolutionise clothes shopping and help consumers to live a more sustainable lifestyle, builds on M&S relationship with Oxfam which has seen over 10 million items donated.

My favourite looks from the night

 Is sustainable fashion important?

Will sustainable fashion ever catch on?

Hailed as ‘The Greatest Show on Snow’, the annual Snowbombing festival takes place annually in the Austrian Alps in the first week of April. Originally set-up as an after-ski nightclub by English promoters in 2000, it’s since 2005 that Mayrhofen has hosted Europe’s biggest snow and music festival, and it’s since 2009 when Grandmaster Flash took to the Austrian slopes that I became really intrigued by the festival. 2012′s Snowbombing line-up boasted the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Labrinth, Chase & Status, DJ Yoda, Shy FX and Julio Bashmore, so why haven’t I been yet? Well I’m absolutely terrified of skiing, however as night time falls, the slopes are transformed into igloo parties, fancy dress street parties, and an open-air ERISTOFF forest party…well I might be convinced. Hit the jump for some footage from this years festival, a first-hand experience from a Snowbombing virgin and more.

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I mentioned earlier that Snowbombing started off as an after-ski party in 2000, however I didn’t mention that it was for just 250 set-up in little bars around the resort of Risoul with just a handful of DJ’s. The progression the festival has made in just over 10 years is phenomenal and with MTV showcasing highlights from 2012′s festival on their TV channels, and sponsorship from the likes of ERISTOFF vodka, Snowbombing is going from strength to strength. ERISTOFF has sponsored the festival for 3 years which involves a range of festivities and fun such as the ‘Party in the ERISTOFF Forest’, bespoke cocktails created by the likes of Labrinth, Dizzee, MistaJam and Wretch in the VIP area and their own all-female ERISTOFF wolves sampling team causing mischief.

To capture it all, ERISTOFF provided a Snowbombing virgin with a video camera and a pair of skis so that us folk back home can get a better picture of the event….

So the verdict, will I be making it out to Snowbombing 2013? Maybe for the parties, but it’ll take more than a Fizzy Rascal to get me on the alps to ski….

Check out the pics below…

ERISTOFF Vodka – Facebook | Twitter

Snowbombing – Facebook | Twitter

What a week, I am knackered. You all have probably noticed through our other social channels (FB and Twitter) that DJB and I headed down to Paris for a very special launch. The good folks at Levi’s Strauss Europe invited us down to the launch of their new flagship store on one of the city’s most prestigious roads, Champs-Élysées. I can’t pronounce that title with a French accent, end up saying Champ Ellesee haha. We bumped into London-based style enthusiasts on the Eurostar, Aaron and Martell of Individualism who happened to be going to the same event. More on the reverse.

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Levi’s – Facebook | Blog | Champs Elysees Store

What makes this store so special that Levi’s wanted us to be there? Well the history of denim actually started off in France.

Appropriately enough, the legacy of denim harkens back to 17th century France and Serge de Nimes, a sturdy fabric known as “serge” that was introduced in Nimes, France. More than a century later, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis invented the first blue jean.

To celebrate the legacy, Levi brand have launched this new flagship store with their latest collections (Commuter, Made & Crafted et al) , ALL their denim range as well as the vintage clothing. Keep reading…as we went gorillas for the rest of the night.

The day started off pretty early with us heading to Paris around 10am. Straight through to the hotel as soon as we reached there – y’all need to stay at Mama Shelter if you’re going to the city. It’s a little bit special with iMacs in every room and hip-hop playing as soon as you walk in. I wasn’t sure how to illustrate our brief trip so decided to feature it as a photo story below.

We were planning to take video and a hell of a lot more imagery but the day was hectic! to be honest, we weren’t expecting 27 degree weather. Sweatfest.

Aaron let me borrow his 50mm 1.2 lens. JEEZ, the depth of field and focus is a little bit better. Auto-focus is a lot faster too.

DJB looks happy.

iMac on deck. Photobooth ting.

Mama Shelter. You have to stay here. Now onto the actual store…

Impressive installation ey? It’s Busy P/Pedro Winter’s first ever art installation. Taking him back to his skateboarding roots.

The 2 limited edition jackets from the new collaboration collection with Pedro Winter/Busy P (Ed Banger Records) and James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem). To celebrate the long-standing connection between the two countries, the launch of the new store features a few collaborations between popular French and American cultural tastemakers. Over the next few months, artists and music legends; Busy P, James Murphy, Mr. Andre and Shepard Fairey will share their love for each other’s culture, creative movements and homelands through installations, limited edition design, collaboratively designed apparel and events. Now that’s what I call a collaboration.

You should have seen how happy Busy P was to represent his city. We’ll be dropping an interview later on this week – spoke to him on what inspires him and his Ed Banger movement.

I dig this! This look is for the mid-30s creative director haha.

Custom Levi’s Vintage vest. This guy’s style >

‘This friendship has inspired important movements in music, film, art and fashion’ – We can only dream of doing the same with the family.

Busy P‘s tattoo inspired design. I need and want – $190 euros, might just have to make another trip down to Paris for one as I was in two minds on the night.

I’ll leave you guys with the campaign video, so clean. SHEPARD FAIREY YO.  I need to see what he comes up with. Obey x Levi?

Shout out to the Levi’s PR team. We had a joyous time!

Last Friday, a few of us from the Y&Y family headed down to Brick Lane for Street Feast. Located just off the lane on Sclater street, Street Feast is a new open air night food market that launched a week ago. It plays host to a few of London’s leading street food traders including Big Apple Hot Dogs, Homeslice, Bhangra Burgers, Kimchi Cult and co. Trust me, the range of food on offer will make you drool – everything from spicy Indian burgers to hardcore prawns to hotribs – you name it, they’ve got it. I definitely recommend checking it out on a warm summer’s evening otherwise you’ll end up shivering as you try destroy a burrito. More on the reverse.

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Street Feast – Website | Facebook | Twitter

I went for a jerk chicken wrap which was surprisingly HOT even for me, eek. Luckily, I wasn’t reduced to tears like Sami was. Peep the video below from the opening night. My only gripe with the market was the lack of seats and the long ass queues. I recommend y’all get there around 6 before the people start flocking in, scroll down for more photographs.

Street Feast information:

Every Friday till 20th July – 5pm – midnight
Sclater Street Car Park, 91 Sclater Street, E1

A hungry Sami.

Derek waited 20 minutes for his Bhangra burger.

Socialites.

Swoosh life.

I knocked over his Kopperberg. Accident.

Derek.

Some kind of wrap.

Noni!

Homeslice.

RIBS.

Hot sauce.

Beer.

Social channels.

The ribs.

The pizza.

Tara!

RDC.

She waited 30 minutes for 3 Quesadillas!

Having heard dope reviews about last years Adidas sponsored event, I put my loyalty to Swoosh to one side and headed down to Shoreditch to take in the atmosphere of StreetFest. You could hear the music before you saw the venue. Making use of what resembled a disused warehouse come car park, the ‘fest was in full swing by the time I’d made it past the burly (but easily charmed!) security guards.

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The weather was chilly but the crowds came out. Hipsters, skaters, dancers and graff artists all entertained themselves with the music, visuals and of course much needed Red Bull. With Remedy locking down the spoken word set, it was a pleasure to see that the art form had been deemed worthy of what was a too cool for school event.

One thing the fest was not short of was immensely talented graffiti artists. With each one given a blank canvas, it was a marvel to watch their work progress through the day.

There was much love for both up and coming and established street wear brands.  PINS of Donuts gave me the most gracious welcome and totally sold me on his brand ethic. With the recession making it a touch harder to get and keep business’ afloat, it was dope to see StreetFest provide that platform.

Street Dancers kept the crowds entertained with their high-energy choreography. That coupled with the graffiti backdrop, I could swear I was in NYC circa ’88! But all the hype was pinned upon headliners Lady Leshurr, PiffGang and Devlin; all of who did not disappoint, by 8pm it was certified roadblock and young bucks wanted to get they two-step on! Left in the more than capable hands of Wookie, the crowd was like putty in his hands.

‘The industry has been calling out for something like this for years and now we feel we are delivering what creative thinkers crave.’ Claim the curators of StreetFest.

Can’t even lie. They delivered that and more.

Photo credit: Takahiro Nakayama

Last night we were invited by the uber cool folks at Le Coq Sportif to the launch of La Grande Boucle; their new Tour de France lifestyle collection. Have a gander at some of the visuals from the event after the cut. Apprécier

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The launch took place at the Look Mum No Hands workshop/cafe on Old Street. The workshop had been transformed into a makeshift showroom complete with an authentic French barman, it was the closest I could get to experiencing French hospitality without hoping on the Eurostar. The vibe was great and they were delighted to announce that from July 2012, Le Coq Sportif will become the official supplier of the Tour de France and will once again by stamping its infamous athletic rooster logo on the jerseys of the leading cyclists – the Yellow Jersey, the Green Jersey, the Polka Dot Jersey and the White Jersey: the perfect gift to celebrate the brand’s 130th anniversary.

The collection featured an array of retro jackets, polo shirts, shorts and the odd high-waisted skirt. Fitness fanatics & the sport shy like myself, will both appreciate the fusion of cycling culture, vintage chic and a celebration of all things French. For forty years, the most famous riders, from Jacques Anquetil to Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merck have sported jerseys bearing the Le Coq Sportif logo…they must be doing something right.

The La Grande Boucle collection is available in the UK from June 2012. Stockists include: Suka, Look Mum No Hands, Tokyo Fixed and Oi Polloi.

I was also lucky to feast my eyes on some of the models from the 6 Tokyobikes X 6 Artists project.

“I thought of that while riding my bike”
Albert Einstein
On the Theory of Relativity.

On 29th April Tara, Derek and I headed to the graffiti-covered Old Vic Tunnels in Waterloo, central London, to party with Converse and much of the grime scene’s finest for a Y&Y day out. Alongside a music line-up boasting Wiley, Skepta and P-Money were a gang of talented skateboarders and graffiti artists. The night’s best bits were all captured through Derek’s lens, with words from myself and Tara (Tara’s words are in italic).

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Upon arrival, I thought the large, gritty, industrial feeling Old Vic Tunnels was quite a cliche choice of venue for an ‘underground’ music festival. But when I stepped inside, that thought was replaced with appreciation at how well the space was used. All the action wasn’t solely centred around the stage – from the graffiti wall decorated by the aerosol toting artists, to the skater ramp, the bar area and the tantalising smells wafting from the food stalls (burgers and jerk wraps!) – all of our senses were stimulated.

However, even with everything else going on, it was the stage that captured most of our attention. It had been a long time since I’d been around a grime audience; this was a slightly more contrived set who were just as likely to have found their way at the gig because of their love for the brand as those there for the love of the artists – however, the crowd culture was still the same. Hard to please, the crowd was unmovable until the acts on stage gave them a reason to ‘buss a skank’ (dance) or throw up a gun-finger – and only a few really managed to win them over.

An important part of the Converse Block Party Campaign was the MC Clash where budding lyricists had battled in their hometowns across England, to then be picked to clash live on stage at The Old Vic Tunnels. The patron artists, Scrufizzer, Lady Leshurr and Mic Righteous were guest judges for the clash, who chose North London’s Row.D as the winner.

After a short pause, Mz Bratt stepped out next, head to toe in a Converse tracksuit which reminded me slightly of her pre-record label days. Lots of titty-grabbing, hip whining and winking meant the men of the audience were like putty in her hands. I however, can’t name a single song that she performed…(Tahirah can – with the aid of her energetic hypeman Clencha, Mz Bratt performed a four-track set including “Get Dark”, her new song “Falling Down”, and D&B-tinged party cut “Selecta”).

Everyone huddled close around the stage as the words “Bluku Bluku” bellowed out from D Double E‘s mic. The Newham General‘s stepped out on stage to an eager and excitable crowd, many of whom knew all of the words to the pairs tracks, “Bluku! Bluku!”, “Street Fighter Riddum” and new hit, “Pumpin’ It Out”.

South London’s most energetic rapper, Clement Marfo and his 7-piece band, The Frontline took to the stage next to perform their popular hits such as “Champion”, “Mayhem” and “Overtime”. A combination of the band’s enigmatic energy, Kojo’s amazing vocals and Clement spraying the crowd with water – meant the crowd were totally awake with all eyes on the grime/hip hop/rock collective. I look forward to their many festival appearances this year, something they’ll be perfect for!

Between us, we missed Skepta‘s performance (though my sister assured me it was ‘amazing, bluuuud’), however, I was centre-stage to catch one of my favourite recent arrivals to the scene – P Money. P was lucky enough to have a thoroughly warmed up crowd as he followed Clement Marfo and the Frontline’s rockstar performance and a lively showing from Skepta (well, according to my sister, anyway). This meant his slightly lacklustre performance, and one-too-many shoutouts to his DJ JJ was overlooked by the crowd and he was able to please with his True Tiger produced hit “Slang Like This”.

It’s a long running joke for grime fans that one of the scene’s legends, Wiley, often fails to appear at his scheduled appearances. Armed with this knowledge (from first-hand past experiences) and after some deliberation, my sister and I decided not to wait to see if the Godfather of Grime would make his headline slot. We learned afterwards that our lack of faith in Wiley was misplaced, and the grime don took the stage and ended the party on a high – and Derek stuck around to snap him.

Some more pictures from the party

Ever wondered if you had a hidden talent…I am still convinced my dormant telekinesis abilities will blossom any second now. American Express teams up with Channel 4 to launch new series Hidden Talent which airs it first episode this Tuesday 24th @ 9pm on Channel 4. I was invited down to take part in a few challenges and test my hidden talent theory, check out the video on the reverse.

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Each week on the show which is hosted by Richard Bacon, a special panel of Hidden Talent experts, mentor individuals with no prior experience to take a newly discovered hidden talent to its limit. A number of individuals from the hundreds of people tested up and down the country overseen by scientists and academics were found to have special  physical, mental, sensory or creative talents; of which they were totally unaware (Sounds like the plot for a new X-Men movie). Nine participants across the course of the show discover if they can go from being a total novice to a top class performer across a series of talents such as learning a language, free diving, opera singing and lie detection.

Sadly my telekinesis didn’t show up in time for my TV debut below :[

My favourite series of tests were the Lie Detection experiment. We were briefed by a ex-FBI special agent who was trained to catch spies by studying behavior. He claimed less the 1% of the population were gifted at detecting lies and those that were referred to as Truth Wizards. To my surprise and against popular belief, the feet and not the eyes were most reliable and accurate source of detecting lies. It is possible to keep a straight face whilst you lie however the body sub-consciously taps or points away when delivering a lie. Not to my surprise women are biologically better at detecting lies which may stem from having to read body language from babies who have not yet developed speech.

I also asked if the opposite was possible; that in addition to those gifted in detecting lies, did individuals exist who were gifted in masking lies. His rely: Yes, Politicians

You will glad to know American Express has taken the concept beyond the TV screen, to the audience at home, with the creation of specially designed interactive online tests. Mirroring the tests from the show and devised in consultation with the show’s experts, they will give viewers the opportunity to uncover their own hidden talent. If you score exceptionally well and receive a contact from the FBI/MI5 please put in a cheeky referral for me.

Like American Express – Hidden Talent on Facebook -  click here.

I was fortunate to catch up with the good folk at STööKI ahead of their pop-up store today in Boxpark Shoreditch. My first encounter with the three creatives was during their takeover at the Tate Modern with their interactive art installation in collaboration with the Louis Vuitton art’s project. They spoke to Y&Y about their new collection on the reverse.

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It’s often we hear about a new and emerging streetwear brands, how did your decision to infuse art into your apparel/jewellery differentiate Stööki from others?

The way we identify Stööki from other brands is by creating depth…creating a lifestyle behind the brand. By incorporating elements of art and music through our various events, we remove the distance from our audience thus being approachable and making our philosophy more transparent.

How did you come across the title of the latest collection – Obscura?

We stumbled across the word/concept whilst doing research and the collection has evolved with it. Obscura is a minimal symbology collection presented through the theme of light. The 3 elements showcased visually represent collaboration, interactivity and vision. These are fundamental to our process and a manifesto to which Stööki stands by.

The collection consists of§ black and gold statement pieces – earrings, rings and chains in addition to a collection of sweatshirts, t-shirts and snapbacks.

It is apparent that Stööki is more of a movement than simply a brand. How would you describe the kind of person your brand would appeal to?

We don’t believe it appealing to a single customer profile. We encourage a diverse range people to pose with our collection and add to our ever evolving look book which is present at all our pop-up shops. We wouldn’t define our audience, our audience defines us.

Art Against Knives have teamed up with Le Scratch to launch a collaborative monthly event. Head down to the Stööki popup shop and pre-party at Boxpark from 7pm. DJ sets / Live Acts / Art installations whilst you’ll get the chance to purchase one of the hand crafted Jewellery pieces and be part of the OBSCURA live look-book compliation. All guests at this party will receive passes to gain FREE entry to Le Scratch @ Concrete.

◼ Stööki Sketch Freestyle @ Boxpark ◼
Your mic on the night will be a sharpie pen as you take to the Stööki panoramic ‘canvas’ stage. You will have a selection of well-known rap lyrics to spark your imagination, before you lyrically scribe your doodle. All your actions and 2-stepping will captured and made into an animation which will be premiered at Le Scratch in Concrete!

▲Join The Movement ▲

www.stooki.co.uk

www.facebook.com/stooki.jewellery

@_stooki_

As soon as we alighted at Limehouse station, I was happy I made my way through typical London weather to take Bangs up on her invitation to the FutureCinema production of Bugsy Malone. FutureCinema bridge the gap between theatre and cinema. Intelligently breaking down the fourth wall normally dislocating cinemagoers from totally immersing themselves in movie before them.  Future Cinema aim to explore an entire interaction, which allows you to see your favorite musical in a whole new light. Literally.

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Future Cinema – Facebook | Twitter | Website

Men in three-piece suits with harsh if not hilarious New York accents directed us to the Troxy Theatre on Commercial Road.  It was hard to decipher the audience from actors, since everyone done such an excellent job of sticking to the 1920’s dress code.

 While waiting for the guest list ‘Molls’ the show had begun around us. A fight had spilled out from Mama’s Linguine’s Restaurant above. With actors asking all cinema goers to ‘get down and don’t say nuffin’ about nuffin’ Once we’d navigated the guest list we were lead into the troxy through the back entrance, where we were held to audition for Fat Sam.

Once we’d heard we made it through, it was time to move into Fat Sam’s Grand Slam. Once we’d been quizzed and handed over our gifts of books and flowers, we were lead into the Troxy by nimble looking dancers in Bedazzled unitards. To say my jaw dropped is an understatement the venue, which was coincidentally built in the 1920’s, was an art deco dream. Round tables with lampshades, a bar stocked with Tallulah Twists’ and Sam Swizzles, cute girls with popcorn trays swam around offering up nibbles for the movie.

If recreating the set of Bugsy Malone were a degree, FutureCinema would have claimed a first.  I made my way over to Mama Linguine’s restaurant, which was bursting with hearty Italian favorites at cheap prices. Before I knew it, the show was beginning. The audience were treated to reenactments of al the Bugsy classics. Every so often an actor would pop up from nowhere, egging you on to become even more involved.

Another thing I credit FutureCinema for, was there ability to get absolute strangers to interact with one another. The atmosphere was delightful. By the time the movie had begun, it felt like you were in a very large living room with a large bunch of friends!

Before we knew it, we were being handed paper plates and shaving foam. We were hastily instructed to look under our tables for our capes. Cape? I thought. ‘What the hell….” I had barely got the plastic poncho over my head when the entire venue burst out into childish hysteria. Here we were, grown adults having the time of our lives recreating the cream pie shootout from our favorite movie. Everyone was on their feet at the screen raised to show a chorus line of dancers singing along to the end credits. As the night grew later a swing DJ took to the turntables. With the ‘Sam Swizzles’ still in full effect, I ended up being led onto the dance floor by one of the actors.

“Come on you gawjus Moll, I know ya; got some dancing feet!” giggling like a child I let him spin me until I was dizzy enough to believe it was all a dream.