Lookbooks are a way for the fashion brands to showoff their latest collections through photography. They tend to show models wearing their clothes in various styles. They publish these photography albums on their sites and serve as a way for customers to look at the featured items before considering whether to buy or not. I have included some of the most recent lookbooks that I believe do a great job with representing their brands and/or recent releases.
Only NY - NYC Collection 2015
Only NY is well known for using photography and art in their pieces but they also do a great job with their photography for their lookbooks. They often portray various people doing common activities around the city, which was more than fitting for their NYC Collection. Only NY is different with their lookbooks with the idea of portraying their models as every day people,this can lead to the customer relating to the products more.
Supreme - Fall/Winter 2015
Supreme is different than Only in that they only have one model modelling their items in different ways. Their best feature however is that they show you which items are shown in each picture with a link to the items page.
PALACE - Spring 2016
Palace, is like Supreme in that they only have one model wearing the pieces but what I like about their lookbook is that they show side by side comparisons of each outfit with a variation in angles. The lighting is also different in their pictures.
Black Scale - Spring 2016
The Black Scale lookbook has the same model in the entrance and patio of the home, wearing the items and facing the camera with only slight variation the way he stands. I thought that was interesting, and found the surrounding colors to compliment the outfits.
Stussy - Jamaica – Stüssy Spring 2016 by Tyrone Lebon
Stussy definitely represented their spring/Jamaican line perfectly. They have various Jamaican models wearing their products all while giving insight into Jamaican culture. Definitely my favorite to look through.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
The Hype Over Hypebeast
Hypebeast is one of the leading streetwear blogs out there. Their main blog topics revolve around fashion but do veer away from that as well and write about art, tech, music, sports, footwear, and entertainment. From the looks of it they seem to cover just about anything and are not afraid to speak about topics that have nothing to do with streetwear or fashion in general. They write about anything relevant in pop culture and anything worth reporting. They post articles daily and like a news source they pump them out as soon as possible, so new posts can come every hr or even every minute. They do a great job of pitching they're stories with the usage of relevant pictures, good titles and short sub headings that leave one curious and wanting to read more.
Their reader engagement is really good and often have people commenting and giving their 2 cents on the given topics. Often agreeing with the writer but sometimes giving suggestions, their own opinions, or giving a different view point. I would say their fashion articles generate the most engagement. Hypebeast has also started their own forum that allows readers/users to create their own topics to be discussed with other readers/users. The forum also includes discussions not directly associated to streetwear.
Design wise the site is very clean and pleasing. I think it is always key for any website to be easy to navigate and that is what they've done. It is also well organized and the tabs allow the user to easily find what they are looking for or what the site offers. When scrolling you start to see the blog posts and as I mentioned earlier they use pictures that are relevant to the topic at hand.
The way they monetize is by offering a magazine and by selling clothing right off their web store. They sell clothing and shoes from all the top streetwear brands. It was interesting to see that their traffic numbers have gone down recently, but a slight increase in social media. The U.S. is still its largest user base is the US at about 35% of users. As far as their searches, they are most successful on google (20% of users access google before reaching the site) followed by Facebook, twitter, and Reddit. The top keywords include; stussy, stampd, carhartt whip, and undeafeated.
Overall, I am still a big fan of the site as they continue to produce quality articles/posts and remain a powerhouse in the world of streetwear. Would definitely recommend any reader to check it out.
Their reader engagement is really good and often have people commenting and giving their 2 cents on the given topics. Often agreeing with the writer but sometimes giving suggestions, their own opinions, or giving a different view point. I would say their fashion articles generate the most engagement. Hypebeast has also started their own forum that allows readers/users to create their own topics to be discussed with other readers/users. The forum also includes discussions not directly associated to streetwear.
Design wise the site is very clean and pleasing. I think it is always key for any website to be easy to navigate and that is what they've done. It is also well organized and the tabs allow the user to easily find what they are looking for or what the site offers. When scrolling you start to see the blog posts and as I mentioned earlier they use pictures that are relevant to the topic at hand.
The way they monetize is by offering a magazine and by selling clothing right off their web store. They sell clothing and shoes from all the top streetwear brands. It was interesting to see that their traffic numbers have gone down recently, but a slight increase in social media. The U.S. is still its largest user base is the US at about 35% of users. As far as their searches, they are most successful on google (20% of users access google before reaching the site) followed by Facebook, twitter, and Reddit. The top keywords include; stussy, stampd, carhartt whip, and undeafeated.
Overall, I am still a big fan of the site as they continue to produce quality articles/posts and remain a powerhouse in the world of streetwear. Would definitely recommend any reader to check it out.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Peep The Asphalt
Recently I began looking for new blogs that were in my niche area (streetwear) in order to gain some inspiration and a little more knowledge as to what people in my area talking about. I stumbled across this great blog named The Asphalt. Right of the bat you can tell there has been a lot of work put into this blog. The articles are previewed with the title and a picture relevant to the topic as a background. It enticed me to read more and continue scrolling to see what were the topics being discussed. Needless to say it is aesthetically pleasing.
I chose one of the articles to review and the one that caught my eye was Why Bape Could Be On Its Way Out. This article in particular caught my eye because in my previous blog post I included Bape as one of the top 10 streetwear brands. After reading the post I have to say that me and the author here have similar opinions about Bape. He mentions that Bape has always been a household name in streetwear and that it is still loved by many today. I too have noticed the shift away from using camouflage, which is kind of like their bread and butter along with their ape logo and shark hoodies. Although the trend seems to be the use of earth tone colors, camouflage is no longer a fixture but Bape continues to pump out designs that include camo. This is why I agree again with the writer that they should be looking to change their style and follow the current trends or even attempt to be ahead of the curve. While I would like Bape to remain successful, I might be removing them from my top 10 list in the near future as the writer has indicated.
I chose one of the articles to review and the one that caught my eye was Why Bape Could Be On Its Way Out. This article in particular caught my eye because in my previous blog post I included Bape as one of the top 10 streetwear brands. After reading the post I have to say that me and the author here have similar opinions about Bape. He mentions that Bape has always been a household name in streetwear and that it is still loved by many today. I too have noticed the shift away from using camouflage, which is kind of like their bread and butter along with their ape logo and shark hoodies. Although the trend seems to be the use of earth tone colors, camouflage is no longer a fixture but Bape continues to pump out designs that include camo. This is why I agree again with the writer that they should be looking to change their style and follow the current trends or even attempt to be ahead of the curve. While I would like Bape to remain successful, I might be removing them from my top 10 list in the near future as the writer has indicated.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Top 10 Streetwear Brands
This is a list describing the top 10 streetwear brands which includes brands that are currently at the top of their game and/or are highly regarded by many. The list I have put together takes into account both clothing and footwear since both are very essential to streetwear. Without further adieu, let's get into the list:
10. The North Face: This might come as a bit of a surprise but the outerwear/jacket producing company has always collaborated with other streetwear companies, and have done so since the 90's. A prime example is the recent collaboration with Supreme where they released a reflective jacket. North face wind breakers are also always a common item in any streetwear fan's wardrobe.
9. Palace: Palace is a British based skateboard company that is fairly new. It has taken a model similar to Supreme's where the items are limited and they are often sold out. This brand can also only be bought online, or at their only store in London. Very simple with their clothing but the designs are raw and innovative. They're triangle logo is becoming increasingly noticeable and has been worn recently by many artists including; Rihanna, A$ap Rocky, and Drake.
8. Norse Projects: This brand is one of the more lesser known brands on this list and its surprising considering that they tend to be ahead of the curb when it comes to trends and looks. They're clothing design's are very original and in particular the outerwear/jackets are they're strong suit.
7. Nike: I chose Nike in a broad sense. For one, footwear is crucial to any streetwear outfit and Nike has always been a big part of that. They have a boot line under the name ACG that has grow in popularity, well liked shoes like the Roshe's, Air Force Ones, Air Max's, and Foamposites, and finally also own Jordan Brand which is well liked in streetwear because of their retro Jordans. Nike also has they're skateboard line under Nike SB which includes popular collaborations such as Stefan Janoski, Eric Koston, and Paul Rodriguez.
6. A Bathing Ape ("Bape"): Bape has been a staple in streetwear for many years now. Their designs are experimental and a lot more out of the ordinary than the rest of the brands listed here. The brand has always had a long list of artists that have publicly worn its products.
5. Adidas: Adidas is very similar to the Nike, again reminding you that footwear is key. However, they are higher on the list because they collaborate with designer's that are well liked in streetwear and have done a better job recently with the products they have released. Some of the better collaborations include; Stan Smith, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto (Y-3), and rapper's Kanye West ( Yeezy Collection), and A$ap Ferg. They've also always had the Adidas Originals line which was marketed and well known from the endorsement of musical group RUN-DMC in the 80's.
4. Only NY- Another brand out of New York that started as a small boutique store. One of my personal favorite brands. Their designs are very fresh and they draw their inspiration from skateboarding, sports, and city life. Their use of art (graffiti and photography) is very evident and it's what has set them a part.
3. Saint Alfred's: This brand is more of a homer pick for me. Saint Alfred's is a brand out of Chicago and they have a store located in the wicker park neighborhood. The store itself sells other streetwear brands (some are on this list) but they are known for their own STA brand and often collaborate with shoe companies like Adidas, Nike, and new balance where they release exclusive shoes.
2. Stussy- Stussy has been household name in streetwear for a long time now. It's one of the older brands on the list and still remain relevant and popular today. Its major influences come from the hip-hop and skate/surfer scene. Most recognizable by their popular logo.
1. Supreme- Supreme is easily the most well-known and recognized streetwear brand out there. You know a brand has a strong cult following when people are willing to do anything to get their hands on items in order to resale them and rake the profits (read my previous blog post "Supreme: The Resale Market"). Supreme is heavily inspired by skateboarding and hip-hop and started in New York as a skateboard shop that sold items on a limited basis. They currently still follow that model and are very limited in inventory, even with demand being above and beyond what the supply is the brand has not skipped a beat and remains the most desire streetwear brand. Also a personal favorite of mine, and why not. Who wouldn't want to get their hands on one of those famous box logo t-shirts?
Honorable Mentions- Asics, Visvim, A.P.C., Vans, and Pyrex Vision
10. The North Face: This might come as a bit of a surprise but the outerwear/jacket producing company has always collaborated with other streetwear companies, and have done so since the 90's. A prime example is the recent collaboration with Supreme where they released a reflective jacket. North face wind breakers are also always a common item in any streetwear fan's wardrobe.
9. Palace: Palace is a British based skateboard company that is fairly new. It has taken a model similar to Supreme's where the items are limited and they are often sold out. This brand can also only be bought online, or at their only store in London. Very simple with their clothing but the designs are raw and innovative. They're triangle logo is becoming increasingly noticeable and has been worn recently by many artists including; Rihanna, A$ap Rocky, and Drake.
8. Norse Projects: This brand is one of the more lesser known brands on this list and its surprising considering that they tend to be ahead of the curb when it comes to trends and looks. They're clothing design's are very original and in particular the outerwear/jackets are they're strong suit.
7. Nike: I chose Nike in a broad sense. For one, footwear is crucial to any streetwear outfit and Nike has always been a big part of that. They have a boot line under the name ACG that has grow in popularity, well liked shoes like the Roshe's, Air Force Ones, Air Max's, and Foamposites, and finally also own Jordan Brand which is well liked in streetwear because of their retro Jordans. Nike also has they're skateboard line under Nike SB which includes popular collaborations such as Stefan Janoski, Eric Koston, and Paul Rodriguez.
6. A Bathing Ape ("Bape"): Bape has been a staple in streetwear for many years now. Their designs are experimental and a lot more out of the ordinary than the rest of the brands listed here. The brand has always had a long list of artists that have publicly worn its products.
5. Adidas: Adidas is very similar to the Nike, again reminding you that footwear is key. However, they are higher on the list because they collaborate with designer's that are well liked in streetwear and have done a better job recently with the products they have released. Some of the better collaborations include; Stan Smith, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto (Y-3), and rapper's Kanye West ( Yeezy Collection), and A$ap Ferg. They've also always had the Adidas Originals line which was marketed and well known from the endorsement of musical group RUN-DMC in the 80's.
4. Only NY- Another brand out of New York that started as a small boutique store. One of my personal favorite brands. Their designs are very fresh and they draw their inspiration from skateboarding, sports, and city life. Their use of art (graffiti and photography) is very evident and it's what has set them a part.
3. Saint Alfred's: This brand is more of a homer pick for me. Saint Alfred's is a brand out of Chicago and they have a store located in the wicker park neighborhood. The store itself sells other streetwear brands (some are on this list) but they are known for their own STA brand and often collaborate with shoe companies like Adidas, Nike, and new balance where they release exclusive shoes.
2. Stussy- Stussy has been household name in streetwear for a long time now. It's one of the older brands on the list and still remain relevant and popular today. Its major influences come from the hip-hop and skate/surfer scene. Most recognizable by their popular logo.
1. Supreme- Supreme is easily the most well-known and recognized streetwear brand out there. You know a brand has a strong cult following when people are willing to do anything to get their hands on items in order to resale them and rake the profits (read my previous blog post "Supreme: The Resale Market"). Supreme is heavily inspired by skateboarding and hip-hop and started in New York as a skateboard shop that sold items on a limited basis. They currently still follow that model and are very limited in inventory, even with demand being above and beyond what the supply is the brand has not skipped a beat and remains the most desire streetwear brand. Also a personal favorite of mine, and why not. Who wouldn't want to get their hands on one of those famous box logo t-shirts?
Honorable Mentions- Asics, Visvim, A.P.C., Vans, and Pyrex Vision
Friday, February 12, 2016
Kanye West Premiere's Yeezy Season 3
Kanye West who is known for his music and often unsolicited rants premiered his third installment of his fashion clothing line by Adidas in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. At the fashion show he also premiered his upcoming album, The Life Of Pablo (TLOP) and streamed it online for fans everywhere to view via Tidal.com. The show it self was a very Kanye-esque showing with models standing in silence and with little to no movement for the entirety of the presentation. They wore his new collection, with many new clothing items as well as footwear.
The clothing itself was unique as expected. A lot of the colors were earth toned which is very common for the Yeezy line however this time however there seems to be a bit more variety in colors. The line varied from men's and women's styles and all together the premiere featured 43 different outfits consisting of jacket, sweaters, pants, dresses and his highly anticipated footwear. At one point, well known model Naomi Campbell was front and center wearing the clothing line. Another well known name to double as a model was rapper Young Thug.
The footwear itself, which is well liked by streetwear aficionados, showed the emergence of the Adidas 950 and updated version of the Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350's. The 950's are a combat style duck boot that will be coming in three separate color ways. The updated Yeezy BOOST 350's still mimic the older versions but this time they come with a line cutting across the side of the shoe. After the show Kanye also mentioned that he is working with Adidas to make the shoes more available to the general public rather than limited, which is how they are released and marketed now.
This link provides images from the clothing line.
The clothing itself was unique as expected. A lot of the colors were earth toned which is very common for the Yeezy line however this time however there seems to be a bit more variety in colors. The line varied from men's and women's styles and all together the premiere featured 43 different outfits consisting of jacket, sweaters, pants, dresses and his highly anticipated footwear. At one point, well known model Naomi Campbell was front and center wearing the clothing line. Another well known name to double as a model was rapper Young Thug.
The footwear itself, which is well liked by streetwear aficionados, showed the emergence of the Adidas 950 and updated version of the Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350's. The 950's are a combat style duck boot that will be coming in three separate color ways. The updated Yeezy BOOST 350's still mimic the older versions but this time they come with a line cutting across the side of the shoe. After the show Kanye also mentioned that he is working with Adidas to make the shoes more available to the general public rather than limited, which is how they are released and marketed now.
This link provides images from the clothing line.
Supreme: The Resale Market
Supreme is a clothing brand out of New York and it's one of the most iconic and popular brands in streetwear. Recently Complex Magazine released a short documentary about Supreme's resale market which is one of the most profitable brands in the market. The documentary dove into the actions re-sellers are taking to ensure that they get their Supreme product and also the reason's why the brand itself is held to such a high standard.
Supreme is a brand that started in 1994 as a skateboard shop out of New York. The brand grew in popularity and the demand for their products has grown substantially since then. Their success can be attributed by the endorsement of artists and gatekeepers of pop culture, including a major surge in recent years with members of the popular hip-hop group Odd Future wearing the brand. This has also led to collaborations with other clothing and shoe companies including The North Face, Nike and Jordan. Supreme however is very limited with their products and releases and the only place to purchase their products is out of their stores. They only have two store's in the U.S. however, the other being in Fairfax, California. The name of the documentary is properly named Sold-Out, since the demand is much higher than the supply. Most people will only get their hands on Supreme products from re-sellers.
In the video we meet a handful of Supreme re-sellers, some showed their faces and names while others withheld they're identity. These re-sellers also varied in age from young 13 year old teens to a 30 year old husband and father. They explained their tactics and plans of attack when looking to purchase Supreme products, which isn't as easy as just walking into the store. People will line up outside the doors for days awaiting new releases by the clothing brand. Some will pay people to stand in line with them in order to buy more when inside. The reasoning behind this is that with Supreme's popularity they have placed several limits on buying products and are very aware of re-sellers. One re-seller explained how Supreme will not let him buy more than one size on any item because they are aware of his business. To many these actions seem a bit extreme but for the re-sellers it is a way of life and often times the way they make money and live. Some of the profits listed by the re-sellers included $4,000, $5,000, and $17,000. They deem the money sufficient enough to continue their businesses.
Here is the link to the video.
Supreme is a brand that started in 1994 as a skateboard shop out of New York. The brand grew in popularity and the demand for their products has grown substantially since then. Their success can be attributed by the endorsement of artists and gatekeepers of pop culture, including a major surge in recent years with members of the popular hip-hop group Odd Future wearing the brand. This has also led to collaborations with other clothing and shoe companies including The North Face, Nike and Jordan. Supreme however is very limited with their products and releases and the only place to purchase their products is out of their stores. They only have two store's in the U.S. however, the other being in Fairfax, California. The name of the documentary is properly named Sold-Out, since the demand is much higher than the supply. Most people will only get their hands on Supreme products from re-sellers.
In the video we meet a handful of Supreme re-sellers, some showed their faces and names while others withheld they're identity. These re-sellers also varied in age from young 13 year old teens to a 30 year old husband and father. They explained their tactics and plans of attack when looking to purchase Supreme products, which isn't as easy as just walking into the store. People will line up outside the doors for days awaiting new releases by the clothing brand. Some will pay people to stand in line with them in order to buy more when inside. The reasoning behind this is that with Supreme's popularity they have placed several limits on buying products and are very aware of re-sellers. One re-seller explained how Supreme will not let him buy more than one size on any item because they are aware of his business. To many these actions seem a bit extreme but for the re-sellers it is a way of life and often times the way they make money and live. Some of the profits listed by the re-sellers included $4,000, $5,000, and $17,000. They deem the money sufficient enough to continue their businesses.
Here is the link to the video.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
About Me
Hello Everyone, my name is Streetwear Knowledge. That is a very interesting
name but its simply a pen name to remain anonymous and protect my own identity.
I am a huge follower of pop-culture and all the genres that come along with it
including fashion and a specific area that interests me the most is streetwear
fashion. That is why I have created this blog.
Streetwear is a fashion/clothing style that comes from the inspiration of many different areas including hip hop, skateboard, surf, and 80's/90's retro. I grew up a hip-hop aficionado and I continue to be one. I was always intrigued by what the artist were wearing and the fact that they were catalysts for certain trends that were occurring. It started as simply googling the brands that they wore and soon after I realized that there were plenty of people out there just like me and so I began to follow pages, blogs, and forums in order to gain more knowledge about the world of streetwear. Some of my favorite include Hypebeast, Nicekicks, and the Streetwear subreddit. Highly recommend all three if you haven't done so already.
I created this blog as a way to help other readers gain knowledge on streetwear. That can vary from news, videos, articles, or the latest on releases. In my posts I will attempt to make that connection between streetwear regulars and streetwear amateurs by providing interesting and insightful content.
I would like to go a little more in depth about the blog's title. Trends are prevalent in the fashion world and in streetwear this still carries truth. I like to think that I'm a bit artistic and creative so I thought long and hard as to what to officially name my blog. Greek culture and history is something that I have always been interested in and more specifically Greek mythology. I decided to call my blog Clotho's Thread. Clotho was one of the Three Fates of Morai. She was said to have been in charge of "spinning the thread of life," which in essence determined when gods and mortals were born and alternatively also decided when they died. What I am trying to do here is to make "Clotho's Thread" a metaphor about fashion trends and how they too can come and go. She used a thread to determine how long someone's life was to be. When the person died the thread was cut.The idea of the thread is also something that caught my eye since thread can be used to make clothing.
I hope that you enjoy the rest of this blog and thank you for taking the time to get to know me.
Streetwear is a fashion/clothing style that comes from the inspiration of many different areas including hip hop, skateboard, surf, and 80's/90's retro. I grew up a hip-hop aficionado and I continue to be one. I was always intrigued by what the artist were wearing and the fact that they were catalysts for certain trends that were occurring. It started as simply googling the brands that they wore and soon after I realized that there were plenty of people out there just like me and so I began to follow pages, blogs, and forums in order to gain more knowledge about the world of streetwear. Some of my favorite include Hypebeast, Nicekicks, and the Streetwear subreddit. Highly recommend all three if you haven't done so already.
I created this blog as a way to help other readers gain knowledge on streetwear. That can vary from news, videos, articles, or the latest on releases. In my posts I will attempt to make that connection between streetwear regulars and streetwear amateurs by providing interesting and insightful content.
I would like to go a little more in depth about the blog's title. Trends are prevalent in the fashion world and in streetwear this still carries truth. I like to think that I'm a bit artistic and creative so I thought long and hard as to what to officially name my blog. Greek culture and history is something that I have always been interested in and more specifically Greek mythology. I decided to call my blog Clotho's Thread. Clotho was one of the Three Fates of Morai. She was said to have been in charge of "spinning the thread of life," which in essence determined when gods and mortals were born and alternatively also decided when they died. What I am trying to do here is to make "Clotho's Thread" a metaphor about fashion trends and how they too can come and go. She used a thread to determine how long someone's life was to be. When the person died the thread was cut.The idea of the thread is also something that caught my eye since thread can be used to make clothing.
I hope that you enjoy the rest of this blog and thank you for taking the time to get to know me.
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