Nike Air Max 90 ‘OG’

Just few posts ago I mentioned these sneakers as a pair of my favorite trainers for Spring 2013. I had the blue color way back in when they originally released. I remember when I first wore them like it was yesterday. I wore them on a trip to Kings Dominion. I had light denim short overalls (with one strap off of course), a tee shirt, the Air Max 90, and 3 pair of slouch socks to match the blue, black and grey in the sneakers, and I can’t forget the box fade I had. I was definitely on my Kanye “can’t tell me nothing” before I was even 10 years old. When I saw these were re-release with the premium materials it gave me that nostalgic childhood feeling. So glad was able to purchase these. Not only do they make for a great Summer sneaker, they’re super comfortable and hold sentimental value. Cross these off my list of purchases for this Spring. Share your comments below and don’t forget to follow on instagram: iquell

                          

Continental “Quell”

The Bentley Continental is my favorite 2 door coupe. I decided to re-imagine it through the vision for the Quell Collections aesthetic. I relate the Quell Collections vision to Bentley’s strong, sharp, contemporary lines. Its gorgeous and masculine at the same time. There are 3 variations of the Continental “Quell” wallpaper available for iPhone you can download them here, here and here. Drop a comment and let me know what you think.

                          

Cyber Closet Look 25

The previous post featuring the new Balenciaga Pleated hight tops inspired this cyber closet look. Purple/Violet is one of my favorite colors but I don’t wear it very much. I began to wonder how would I sport these violet beauties in the streets. The silhouette is sleek but the details and color are vibrant enough to garner attention so I knew keeping it casual and fun would be the move. Details below on on the pieces includes. Share your thoughts on this look in the comments.

1. College “Detroit” Sweatshirt- $180 by Acne

2. Navy satin cap – ???

3. Light wash faded denim  - $203 by J Brand

4. Violet Pleated Hightop Sneakers $615

5. Violet Attaché $990 – by Parabellum

                          

I thought this was a really clever and graceful way to cover a new product. Allen Onyia and the team at UpscaleHype give one of the most coveted high end sneakers a personality and share this new point of view with the blogosphere. Looking forward to more from The Platform series.

                          

Japiro’s “1998″ seemed to be the song that resonated the most with his fans. Over J.Cole’s popular Erykah Badu loop, he captured some critical moments in his life around his high school life in 1998. It was only right that he prepared a visual for his supporters. Here’s the second visual from Japiro’s latest mixtape “The Climb”. Available for free download at www.TheClimbMixtape.com

                          

We all face the “little hater” insight. Its human instinct. We develop character and make progress by overcoming that “little hater”. Listen to Jay Smooth of www.Illdoctrine.com break it down

                          

If you’ve been keeping up with #menswear then you’ll have seen the trend to swap out hard-bottom shoes and double monks for fresh pair of “trainers” to pair along with suit and other more traditional fits. If you’re a sneaker guy or just a man about comfort, this wouldn’t be a trend to you at all. So in case you’re wondering what trainers I’d pull on with my suit, a la Sir Charles behind the desk of ‘NBA on TNT’ show, here are my favorite trainers for Spring/Summer 2013.

Valentino

1. Valentino Trainers – Valentino made a nice casual splash when they released their camo print trainers on the runway during the S/S 2013 show but I prefer the color blocking of this pair – from $695 to $795 available here 

Nike Flyknit Trainer

2. Nike Flyknit Trainer – I’ve wanted these since I’ve seen the FLyknit technology at the Olympics last summer. $150 available at Nike.com

Carven Trainers

3. Carven – Carven debuted a men’s sneaker collection in a few colors and they did a very nice job. I found them for the best price of $300 here (shipping not included)

OG Nike AirMax 90

4. Nike Air Max 90 Vintage (OG) – Had the originals in blue as a kid and if I remember correctly this retail price is actually the same, and so are the old school premium materials. Would be really nice in my closet now! Cop here

                          

cul·ti·vate from Nicole Alston on Vimeo.

I understand that your interest in fashion began around the age of 15. Can you share your earliest memories in fashion? Any special outfits or events stick out in your mind?

My earliest moments in fashion began in high school. I used to wear  absolutely anything its quite embarrassing! One special outfit that sticks out in my mind is a blue and white polka dot long circle skirt that I used to wear with a pink a pink skull and crossbone shirt. I would wear sunglasses everyday, rain or shine I had a very extensive sunglasses collection at that age.
I know your mom played a part in educating you on style and fashion, was she a fashionable woman and is your style similar to hers at all?

My mom definitely played a major role in style and fashion. She used to drag me to thrift store. I used to complain all the time, I would say “why are we in this store its smells like mothballs?” Then one day I began to look around and look at the clothes. I started putting my own outfits together, then I was begging her to take me every week. My style isn’t similar to hers but we have some things alike like cohesion, my mother wears all black she thinks she’s young and sexy lol. Some days I rather look like a grandma in my grandma sweater!  
There are so many facets to the fashion industry and I think its great that you found your niche and moved from pursuing fashion photography to styling. Tell me about that transition and what made you choose styling over photography or design?

When I first started college my freshman year I was a photography major. I loved photography, I still do and that’s mainly the reason why I critique my work so hard and I’m always shooting. I lost a love for it while in school because the curriculum mainly focused on portraits and landscaping. Things I didn’t want to take pictures of. I envisioned doing advertisements, commercials, and billboards. I transitioned into putting outfits together and my love for accessorizes grew. One day I helped a friend style a photo-shoot it was just for fun, on set I came up with crazy ideas and added touches that I never thought or would think of on the spot. I love being on set, I love being in that realm it gets me pumped up that I am creating my own vision, its like I’m painting.
So how’s life as a freelance stylist? Do you find it difficult to get gigs, especially here in Baltimore?

Life as a freelance stylist is very hard. Being an artist is hard period. People play around a lot about wanting to do shoots, it sucks when you pull for someone and they decide they don’t want to do the shoot anymore. It takes a lot of effort and time to put together a shoot and concept. I get a good amount of work here in Baltimore. But other places like DC and NY have better markets. It isn’t hard to find gigs, its just hard for it to be consistent. Most jobs are contract and once they are up, they are up.
Landing looks in Vogue Italia is a huge accomplishment. How did that come about and is that the most memorable moment for you so far in your career? If not what is?

Thank you, getting in Vogue Italia is a major accomplishment of mine. It’s surreal. I would say that was the most memorable moment for me honestly because I have only been styling for two and a half years. To be apart of something that great is definitely a blessing. At that moment I just felt like I could do anything, and I had no limits. 

Tell me about your latest “Cul-ti-vate” video? I love that Azealia Banks song by the way.

Thank you, I love the song too! Cultivate is a styling visual. I always said I wanted to do a video showcasing my styling abilities. I got inspired by Lanvin’s Fall Winter 2011-2012 ad campaign commercial. I wanted to do something similar but with my own twist. I wanted it to be fun upbeat and energetic just the model interacting with the camera. I named it cultivate because cultivate is one of my favorite words. If you didn’t know cultivate means to prepare and use for crops and gardening. I see fashion that way, to be great in this industry you have to prepare yourself and to use yourself to your fullest entity. You work hard, you plant seeds and they grow. I’m forever cultivating.

So what’s next for you? Any special shoots coming up or anything we should be on the look out for?

Whats next for me are some shows and castings next year, and more test shoots of course. I am trying to expand my brand for males next year as well. I am getting into menswear. I would be on the lookout for my new series of videos. Cultivate was just the first styling visual!

                          

Back in February I shared the Au Courant brand here on the blog.  I dropped in from time to time to see what’s new with the brand and his founder, Chaz Jordan. To my surprise Chaz Jordan has expanded his resume into footwear. I treated myself to a pair of the incredible black high top sneakers that he has created with premium footwear manufacturer Otabo Works. I was curious about how a young man goes from one item to a full line to footwear in such a short time, so I decided to reach out and see what I could learn. Lucky for me, Chaz Jordan was generous enough share some details about himself and his work in the fashion industry.

Tell us about yourself, where are you from? What is your occupation and what do you consider yourself?

My name is Chaz A. Jordan, Chicago, IL. I am the creative director, designer and owner of Au Courant Co. a high-end fashion house based in Chicago, IL. I am also the creative director for luxury bespoke footwear company, Otabo.  I ‘consider’ myself to be a creative that just so happens to design clothing.

Did you attend college? If so which college and did you study fashion design?

I recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in May of 2012 with a bachelor of science in Information & Decision Science. I have never
Recently we’ve heard a lot from Chicago on the music scene but there’s also a nice movement going on with the fashion front with stores like Leader1354, RSVP Gallery, St. Alfred, Sir & Madame etc. Can you describe the Chicago fashion and retail scene a bit. Also explain for us where you fit into the fashion scene. How are you connected and what do you feel your role is amongst your peers?

The thing is, most of the stores mentioned have been around for years and with the recent spotlight the outside world is just now becoming aware.

The fashion in Chicago varies from group to group. For the most part as a whole the city is conservative and imitative. To be fair, there are individuals that dress very well and are consistent with the pieces they choose.  As far as the retail selection, as with any major city we have the larger high-end department stores and the niche boutiques as you have mentioned. Personally, I do a majority of my shopping at Barney’s New York on Rush St. Given the mentioned fashion; Au Courant came in as the player in the high-end/street market that had been non-existent to my knowledge. I have come to know a majority of the owners and employees at the major shops around town and they respect my vision and direction. This is the first time that something like this has come out of Chicago and in such a unique way. It’s a mutual understanding if you will…they are known for their boutiques and style and they appreciate/respect mine.

I tend the think the same about fashion my city that its very imitative. How much of a roll would you say Kanye West and his team from Chicago have played a role on influencing style in your city? Or is it the other way around and the city has really influenced them a lot?

Working for Virgil and Don C and having more insight into that group I would say that the world has taken a lot from them in terms of style. Not just Chicago. Don represents more of the street wear culture with the Don C Snap Backs and Ye’s style is more representative of the high fashion culture. There are a few groups in Chicago of individuals who largely base their style off of Ye but the number is not as large as some may think.

Now let’s get into your work. How are thinks going with Au Courant? Is it difficult working with your manufacturers being that Au Courant is a new brand?

I can honestly say that things have run smoothly for us thus far. You are going to have occasional discrepancies with your supply network and team but that is natural for any business. We have been fortunate enough to have a skilled team of seamstresses who have quickly adapted to our vision. I would say that manufacturers are more excited when things are new and fresh and you require them to think outside of the box.

I’m aware that the response to it has been very positive throughout the tumblr community and with retailers in other countries but how is it being received in your hometown of Chicago?

I get this question the most. Au Courant has gained a great amount of support in Chicago but because of our ‘unique’ style many of our supporters are not yet comfortable with wearing a top that resembles Japanese samurai battle armor or Egyptian cotton tops with sheared beaver fur.
So when did you begin working with Otabo and how did it come about?

Otabo, well this was an interesting story. I initially saw that they were looking for a social media manager and given my success with branding using social media I thought it would be a great opportunity. After rescheduling meeting after meeting I finally met with the owners and they countered the initial offer with the idea of me taking over as creative director after they viewed my work with Au Courant.

Cool so you went in for one position and ended up being offered another? Being as though you were already working with Au Courant, what made you even consider being social media manager for another company? 

I own Au Courant entirely so I have a lot of control over my schedule and role so working for another established company seemed to be a great opportunity to expand my skill set and knowledge. I also wanted to get into shoe development as I mentioned earlier and it was perfect timing.

Do you kind of consider Otabo the footwear extension of Au Courant or is it a separate brand that you work with or are trying to build?

This has been the difficult task, balancing. Initially I had so many ideas in terms of footwear that I wanted to release for Au Courant but do to my role with Au Courant it is difficult to do both because each design would have to be distinguished enough so that consumers could tell the brands apart. Given the difficulty I have began to incorporate pieces here and there from my initial Au Courant concepts.

 Are you the sole designer for your footwear with Otabo or do you work with a team?

In terms of designing, I am the only designer. We have a great team of craftsmen and managers that oversee production but as far as the concepts and designs its all me.

I hear/read a lot of designers say the just start designing stuff for themselves or their friends. Is that your motivation for designing or do you design because you feel the need to create?

I would say they are one in the same. I started to design because it was something I enjoyed. From there it became designing out of the frustration of not being able to find exactly what I wanted to wear. My style of designing now is based off of the latter. There is no season or occasion when I design…Its solely based on when I am inspired to create. This is when your best work happens. A lot of designers lose their creativity when they begin to conform to the industry’s expectations.
I liked your first two designs with Otabo but I was in the market for a black hightop so the Manaca sneaker was just what I was looking for. Tell me about the name for the sneaker, where did it come from?

As you may have picked up on, the naming behind my Otabo work is all based on the ancient roman days.  More specifically, the time of the gladiator and emperors. I have always had a strong interest in this time period and the roman civilization so I thought why not. To be completely honest I joke with my bosses all the time about the Manica being my least favorite concept when I started and now it has quickly become one of my favorites. I am confident in saying that our next releases will be even better.

This is totally random: Has Au Courant allowed you to travel overseas anywhere? If so where? And what foreign countries do you think have really great style and fashion?

Great question, prior to Au Courant I traveled frequently. Last major trip being for my birthday last year where I went to 6 or so countries in Europe in 2 weeks. So I would say Au Courant has just given me a reason to travel…two words, business expense. I have come to find European style, more specifically, Parisian style to be my favorite as of late. I would suggest reading up on the Antwerp Six.

So as we wrap up, can you share a little about what you have coming up next? New shoes from Otabo, pieces from Au Courant, or a flag ship store maybe? 

                          

Japiro ” 4 More Years” – This new single from Japiro show true improvement as an artist. Self produced track is super groovy. The flows are tight and despite the name the content is overly political but its very aware and relevant. I mean how or why would you front on our President Obama’s 2nd term. Listen below and cop it  on CD Baby

Trinidad James “Don’t be S.A.F.E” – No this isn’t a real life character from the Boondocks. Its up and coming rap artist Trinidad James who’s picking up steam and popping up on photos with T.I and Rick Ross. Why? Because he’s really good at doing whatever the hell he likes, no caring, and not hiding it. Plus its hard to ignore all his gold. Like he said “the cover was hard as f*ck tho”. Download it on Livemixtapes.com

Lloyd “The Playboy Diaries” – Lloyd lays some vocals over some familiar beats and collabs on some original material with Cyhi The Prynce and Wale. Along the way he TK Kirkland drops few playa to playa gems on a few lames trying to find there way in the game. Lloyd is underrated in my opinion but this mixtape lets me know he hasn’t gone anyway and has more to prove. Get some proper game in your life. Download it on here