Tag: japan

colectivo index 004!

collating some of our favorite brands, items, and sounds from this past month we give you colectivo index 004. this time we introduce a new german menswear brand making some noise around the internets as well as in the wardrobes of dudes in the know. we introduce you to the sounds of an upcoming south-londoner making waves across most music blogs. we show you some of our favorite items from a top swedish brand’s spring/summer collection. and coincidentally we end up featuring three different things with roots in Japan, which is definitely one of those countries whose culture and design intrigues us immensely. we hope you enjoy our selections!

New on the colectivo’s radar is lifestyle influenced brand, A kind of Guise. Who’s behind the brand you ask? its core group consists of a collective of five people coming from various backgrounds such as design, music and art. You can find a more in depth interview with AKOG’s co-founder Yasar Ceviker via the189 (one of our favorite blogs at the minute). The Munich based brand started out as a small student project that is now focused on sourcing premium unique materials for their distinctly designed menswear line. Here are some of the offerings from the S/S 2012 line as well as a fun but great looking video to commemorate the collection. source: a kind of guise

Looking for a way to carry your keys while keeping them tidy? Japanese garment makers Phigvel Makers Co. have you covered. The key holder is a fine piece crafted from rugged oiled horsehide off-cuts from their in house boot collection. The leather will soften and wear in no time giving you a lovely patina color. Additionally, for those that require further guidance, the leather is embossed at the four corners with the words: ignition, office, door, and home. Make sure to check out Phigvel Makers Co.’s other items for they seem to make a great emphasis on functional items that apply to everyday life and look great at doing so. $59 available here. source: hickoree’s hard goods

Despite the plentiful supply of note taking apps for our smart-phones, it’s just nice to break out a pen and pad sometimes. Field Notes brand is definitely the weapon of choice for some of our colectivo associates. Here we share with you a great video with the brand’s co-founder Aaron Draplin, discussing his collection of vintage farmers notebooks that has served as an inspiration for his carefully curated label of simple, yet stylish pads. It’s truly fascinating and inspiring to hear him describe the details of the notebooks and the excitement that the whole process of collecting, documenting, and showcasing them evokes in him. $9.99 and up available here. source: free / man brand journal

Swedish brand, Acne, has been on our radar for sometime now. More so after one of our very own colectivo members outfitted himself in Acne suiting for his big day—wedding. Baller, yes! But that’s how we roll sometimes. Here are some great looks from the Spring/Summer 2012 line. Acne pieces are by no means “price conscious” but the quality and fit remain once the price-tag pain subsides. While Acne is perhaps not everyday jawnz, their items are certainly standout pieces that can be combined with other bits in ones wardrobe for great effect. available at various prices here. source: fucknfilthy

Providing audible pleasure this month for the colectivo, is Jessie Ware‘s latest single ‘110%’. The single comes from Ware’s forthcoming debut album titled Devotion on London’s PMR records. Staying “in-house” so to speak, her latest singles ‘110%’ and its predecessor ‘Running’ have been produced by PMR artist and Bristol’s very own Julio Bashmore, one of the individuals at the forefront of the bass musics charge. The single remains true to that lush Ware sound while providing a throwback garage/ two-step feel that will take you deep into the summer vibes. buy Jessie Ware – Running on 12″ for £8.99 here. source: get some uk

On a bit of a nostalgic tip, we’d like to share with you a very visually delightful interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice Adventures in Wonderland as seen through the eyes of japanese art icon Yayoi Kusama. Considered by many to be one of Japan’s most revered contemporary artists, Kusama’s view on the children’s classic is quite hallucinogenic. Regardless of the trip-inducing visuals, this is probably a nice book to have in your bookcase as a source of artistic inspiration for the young ones. $23.10 available here. source: brain pickings

Haru is a new Japanese furniture design company spearheaded by Mikiya Kobayashi and an offshoot of Nagoya based brand Karimoku. taking inspiration from the origins of the sun and the way it radiates its energy to people, the brands’ pieces are simple, modern, and minimal. there’s also a high deegree of environmental friendliness at the brand with attempts to revitalize regional forests and maintain a low impact in such areas. check out their product catalogue here. source: mikiya kobayashi

3 Comments by colectivofuturo on May 12, 2012

filed in colectivo index

tagged a kind of guise, acne, colectivo index, design, field notes, haru furniture, japan, jessie ware, menswear, mikiya kobayashi, phigvel makers, pmr records, yayoi kusama

neovinyl records = japan calling!

in the wake of one of the most devastating earthquakes in recent history, which has displaced millions in Japan, barcelona-based label Neovinyl has joined the calling shared by many others to bring good will and aid to the victims. label heads baldo and carlo have put together an improvised compilation of various artists from the label’s extended family, which include pete lazonby, rene breitbarth, tom ellis, ernie, ham n’ cheese, and colectivo futuro’s own breach boutique, with all profits going toward the Red Cross relief effort.

the compilation can be purchased via bandcamp @ http://neovinylrecordings.bandcamp.com/

read the press note and listen to samples below…

“Everyone knows that Japan is going through a very delicate moment. Thanks to communication facilities available today, we can see on real-time the sadness and despair in the country, which from here we can’t ignore staying still.

In Neovinyl we have joined the cause of aid Japan after a long time looking forward to taking part of charity activities, and we decided to collect funds through our sales.

We emphasize that we couldn’t reach a special deal with digital stores of their share sales for this release, but at least all the funds we collect will be donated to Red Cross for the Japan cause.

That is why we have also created this Bandcamp profile where you can buy the full album or each track separately.

For the album we decided that who better to embody our sense than the artists who accompanied us on our Neovinyl trip so far: Tom Ellis, Rene Breitbarth, V. Rotz, Ham N Cheese, Ernie, Pete Lazonby, Alessandro Crimi, Breach Boutique (Miguel Colmenares project with Michael Louis), BeleeJean (Maik Yells project with David Delgado) and the creators of the label Baldo & Carlo, each offering the best of themselves, all for a good purpose.

Thanks to all the artists, Álvaro Fernandez, Scan Mode and everyone who helped on this for making it real.”
Various Artists – Japan Calling by Neovinyl Recordings

No Comments by miguel on March 23, 2011

filed in sounds

tagged deep house, japan, japan aid, japan donation, music, neovinyl

ukiyo-e = floating japanese art!

western cultures are usually obsessed with japanese things, particularly food, cars, and technological gadgets. however, japanese art forms are in most cases overlooked or flat out ignored, except perhaps for origami, which became popular a few years ago. we recently came across a technique that became widely used in the 17th and 18th centuries, called moku hanga, which translates to woodblock printing. this technique had various sub-genres, the most famous of which was the ukiyo-e, or pictures of the floating world.

mostly, artists which engaged in the technique are very difficult to track, particularly because most of them adopted pseudonyms according to the school they belonged to; and in some cases apprentices would acquire the pseudonym of their masters once these had passed away. this approach, gives the impression that artists were more interested in spreading their art organically, without the need for big sums of money or fame. however, there are a few woodblock painters who became more renowned and thus highly profitable, such is the case of hiroshige and kunisada.

hiroshige

kunisada

below you can find a selection of some our other favorite ukiyo-e prints. for more info regarding this wonderful genre of japanese art, its history, and some of its main artists, check out this wikipedia entry.