Posts made in February 2020

The London Concours 2020, 360 MAGAZINE, Tim Scott, uk, British, Vaughn Lowery, auto, automotive news, automotive trends

London Concours 2020

  • The London Concours has announced the first of its special feature displays; a celebration of the Ferrari Dino, presented by Foskers
     
  • A total of eight Ferrari Dinos, each in a different factory-original colour, will gather on the ever-green lawn of London’s HAC
     
  • The Dino is now regarded as one of the finest handling Ferraris of all time, and was built to honour Enzo Ferrari’s late son, ‘Alfredino’
     
  • Hosted at the Honourable Artillery Company HQ from 10-11 June, the London Concours is the capital’s finest automotive garden party
     
  • Tickets are available now from www.londonconcours.co.uk
      

The London Concours has announced the first of its exceptional special features; a uniquely colourful celebration of one of the most iconic Ferraris of all-time: the Dino. Presented by the UK’s oldest independent Ferrari specialist, Foskers, this privately-owned collection of Dinos will be the headline feature of the capital’s finest automotive garden party.

Not initially badged as a Ferrari, the Dino was developed to honour the memory of Enzo Ferrari’s late son ‘Alfredino’, and has gone to become one of the most cherished models to have ever been produced at Maranello.

At the London Concours 2020, taking place from 10-11 June, a unique line-up of eight Ferrari Dino models will gather – each one in a different factory-produced colour. It’s the flagship feature in a show that will see the rarefied lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company HQ – just a stone’s throw from Bank and Moorgate in the City of London – transformed into motoring nirvana for just two days. Over 100 automotive icons will gather in classes, ranging from ‘The Pursuit of Speed’ to ‘The Era of the Hypercar’. 

First introduced in 1967, the Dino 206 GT was the first mid-engined car from Ferrari, and the first to use a V6 at a time when all of its cars were V12-powered. The 2.0-litre V6 engine itself was adapted from one of ‘Alfredino’ Enzo’s racing car designs for road car use. And so, with the release of the new ‘Dino’ brand and the 206 GT, Ferrari stepped into the fray against the all-conquering Porsche 911.

With a lightweight aluminium body, a more compact footprint than existing Ferrari models, perfect weight distribution thanks to the transverse mid-engined layout and advanced independent double wishbone suspension all-round, the Dino was a handling revelation. And just two years after the 206 GT’s introduction came the Dino 246 GT to bolster its success.

With an increase in engine size to 2.4-litres – hence 246 GT – came more power and a slight increase in performance; it could have been more but Ferrari decided to switch back to heavier steel body panels, adding around 50kg to the kerbweight. Nevertheless, the 246 GT was a runaway success, selling more than 3,500 between 1969 and 1974. In total around 3,700 Dino 206 and 246 GT/GTS were built, transforming Ferrari’s business and production numbers.

Showcasing the gamut of outlandish original colours offered to Dino customers, the London Concours will gather examples in Rosso Chiaro red, Grigio Ferro grey, Blu Dino, Nero black, Nuovo Giallo yellow and more. Among them is a rare ‘Chairs and Flares’ version of the Dino, just one-of-five UK-delivered examples with these sought-after additions; wide wheelarches and ‘Daytona’ seats.

Andrew Evans, London Concours Director, said: “Before the Dino, Ferrari was building enormously powerful V12-engined cars in exceedingly small numbers. It’s not an overstatement to say the business was transformed by the popularity of this nimble, beautifully balanced and lightweight sports car. The Dino set a template for a whole range of mid-engined Ferrari models that continues to this day, and includes legends like the 355, 430 and even the latest F8 Tributo. It’s hard to pick just one Maranello icon to honour at London Concours this year, but our car selection committee is in total agreement; the Dino deserves time in the spotlight, and we’re more than happy to oblige.”

The London Concours 2020 takes place from 10-11 June. Tickets are available to buy now from http://londonconcours.co.uk/tickets

NFL, szemui ho, 360 MAGAZINE

Half Time Show Analytics x Talkwalker

SUPER BOWL LIV – Half Time Report – Social Media Says Shakira Stole the Show

As the Super Bowl rolls on, here is a look at the first half (and halftime) updated social media results from international Social Media Analytics Firm Talkwalker. These numbers were updated at 8:45 p.m. Sunday.

Shakira has 1.17 million mentions so far!

J-Lo has around 250,000. 

If mentions alone tell the story, Shakira stole the show, but Shakira does have a much more active fanbase on social media – more so than Lopez.

Others with big numbers, include:

Latin artist J-Balvin, who was also part of the halftime show, has 74,000 mentions

Bad Bunny with 145k mentions.

The first big joke of the halftime show on social was people comparing Bad Bunny’s outfit to Ali G’s. 

Pepsi Halftime Show had 186,000 mentions

Sentiment surrounding the halftime show was 44% positive, 6% negative (remaining 50% neutral), according to Talkwalker

Below is a heatmap around the halftime show conversation, with several important trends to note. OIf course it’s a huge topic of conversation across the country, like every year, but the conversation is just as heavy in Colombia, in Mexico City, Rio & Sao Paolo, and in Puerto Rico, due largely to the performers. Conversation is also popular in Britain – where the NFL is trying to grow the game.

About Talkwalker 

Talkwalker is one of the world’s leading social data intelligence companies. Its cutting edge technology provides actionable social media insights through real-time social listening social listening and advanced social media analytics . Talkwalker helps marketers to prove the value of their social efforts and significantly enhances the speed and accuracy of business decision-making. Talkwalker’s state of the art social intelligence platform monitors and analyzes online conversations on social networks, news websites, blogs, forums and more, in over 187 languages. Its 1500 servers process posts from 150 million websites every day.

Kansas City Chiefs x New Era Caps

The NFL’s 100th season has come and gone, and the Kansas City Chiefs are officially Super Bowl champions! As you were watching the celebration on the field you probably noticed the players and coaches switching out helmets and headsets for hats from the New Era Official Super Bowl LIV Championship Collection.


The same hats that the players and coaches wear during their locker room celebration and victory parade later this week, each style includes “Super Bowl Champions” boldly stated on the front with the Chiefs logo prominently displayed.

The New Era Official Super Bowl LIV Championship Collection, available in 59FIFTY®, 9FIFTY® and 9FORTY® styles is now available for $31.99 – $39.99 at NewEraCap.com and at most headwear retailers.

See below for full details on each cap.

NEW ERA CAP CELEBRATES THE SUPER BOWL LIV CHAMPION KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

WHAT: International sports and lifestyle brand, New Era Cap, launches the New Era Official Super Bowl LIV Championship Collection, including the New Era Official Super Bowl LIV Locker Room Championship and New Era Official Super Bowl LIIV Champion Parade hats. The New Era Official Super Bowl LIV Locker Room Championship cap is available in a 9FORTY® silhouette while the New Era Official Super Bowl LIIV Champion Parade hats are available in a 9FIFTY®, 9FORTY® and a Knit. The parade cap will also be available in a 59FIFTY® exclusively on neweracap.com. These hats are the ultimate accessory to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory.

The same hats that the players and coaches wear during their locker room celebration and victory parade, each style includes “Super Bowl Champions” boldly stated on the front with the Chiefs logo prominently
displayed. The 59FIFTY®, 9FIFTY® and 9FORTY® styles also feature a Chiefs logo on the right side of the cap.

The New Era Official Super Bowl LIV Championship Collection is available for $31.99 – $39.99 USD on NewEraCap.com and at most headwear retailers.

WHEN: Available now

WHERE: NewEraCap.com and most headwear retailers

ABOUT NEW ERA CAP:
In 2020, New Era Cap Co., Inc. celebrates its centennial as the most iconic headwear company in the world. The brand’s 100-year legacy is steeped in sports heritage and pop culture through partnerships and collections with some of the top leagues, athletes, designers, artists, and icons around the globe. For more information,
visit www.neweracap.com


ON THE WEB

OR FOLLOW US HERE

Junk Cars For Cash

Connect with professional junk car removals in New York City and get a cash in return! There are now more than ever, reliable and successful quick junk car pickup and removal services that are leaving customers satisfied. A short pickup time range provides a swift exchange, keeping in mind busy clientele and allowing for efficient operations. Cash for junk cars NYC can sell and provide you with quotes on the spot to get instant prices and to sell your damaged cars to quality buyers. If you have junk cars, damaged cars, or unused cars lying around, then you now have a chance to get rid of that clunker and get instant cash in your pocket!

Here you have the best services for junk-car removal in New York and they can specify a price after a quick consultation on your cars. Selling your old car in New York quickly won’t be a problem because the professionals can handle it quickly and smoothly. They will guarantee high prices and successful tradeoffs by making contracts with trusted car-removal professionals that are more than willing to help you get the most bang for your buck. Same-day-pick-up is the best way to get your junk cars out of the way, and cash in your hand. Tell your chosen company the model of your car and the VIN number to get an instant quote from a professional service provider. In the New York Area, you have many options of car-removal professionals to choose from.

Selling your clunker in New York, NY is the best professional source to get rid of useless cars and to get the absolute highest price as compared with other services. If you are interested in selling your scrap cars with same day pick up, it will be easy and quick in New York City. The efficiency of the teams, experience with junk cars, and extensive background knowledge on a variety of cars helps people choose the best services. Extensive knowledge of the New York City area as well can help us pick up and exchange your cars for cash quickly and efficiently. Our professionals promise efficient removal and safe payment deliveries. Everything including price and removal can be negotiated during consultation, but start by reaching out online to connect with a professional and find prices that work for you!

Purdue University Engineers New Nickel Material

Hybrid technique aims to produce stronger, corrosion-resistant nickel for auto, medical, manufacturing industries

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Nickel is a widely used metal in the manufacturing industry for both industrial and advanced material processes. Now, Purdue University innovators have created a hybrid technique to fabricate a new form of nickel that may help the future production of lifesaving medical devices, high-tech devices and vehicles with strong corrosion-resistant protection.

The Purdue technique involves a process where high-yield electrodeposition is applied on certain conductive substrates. The Purdue team’s work is published in the December edition of Nanoscale. One of the biggest challenges for manufacturers with nickel is dealing with the places within the metals where the crystalline grains intersect, which are known as the boundary areas. These conventional grain boundaries can strengthen metals for high- strength demand.

However, they often act as stress concentrators and they are vulnerable sites for electron scattering and corrosion attack. As a result, conventional boundaries often decrease ductility, corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity.

Another specific type of boundary, much less common in metals such as nickel due to its high-stacking fault energy, is called a twin boundary. The unique nickel in a single-crystal-like form contains high-density ultrafine twin structure but few conventional grain boundaries.

This particular nickel has been shown by the Purdue researchers to promote strength, ductility and improve corrosion resistance. Those properties are important for manufacturers across several industries – including automotive, gas, oil and micro-electro-mechanical devices.

“We developed a hybrid technique to create nickel coatings with twin boundaries that are strong and corrosion-resistant,” said Xinghang Zhang, a professor of materials engineering in Purdue’s College of Engineering “We want our work to inspire others to invent new materials with fresh minds.”

The solution of the researchers at Purdue is to use a single crystal substrate as a growth template in conjunction with a designed electrochemical recipe to promote the formation of twin boundaries and inhibit the formation of conventional grain boundaries. The high-density twin boundaries contribute a high mechanical strength exceeding 2 GPa, a low corrosion current density of 6.91 × 10^−8 A cm^−2, and high polarization resistance of 516 kΩ.

“Our technology enables the manufacturing of nanotwinned nickel coatings with high-density twin boundaries and few conventional grain boundaries, which leads to superb mechanical, electrical properties and high corrosive resistance, suggesting good durability for applications at extreme environments,” said Qiang Li, a research fellow in materials engineering and member of the research team. “Template and specific electrochemical recipes suggest new paths for boundary engineering and the hybrid technique can be potentially adopted for large-scale industrial productions.”

Potential applications for this Purdue technology include the semiconductor and automotive industries, which require metallic materials with advanced electric and mechanical properties for manufacturing. The nanotwinned nickel can be applied as corrosion-resistant coatings for the automobile, gas and oil industries.

The new nickel hybrid technique can be potentially integrated to the micro- electro-mechanical system industry after careful engineering designs. MEMS medical devices are used in critical care departments and other hospital areas to monitor patients.

The relevant pressure sensors and other functional small-scale components in MEMS require the use of materials with superior mechanical and structural stability and chemical reliability.

The team worked with the Purdue Research Foundation, Office of Technology Commercialization to patent the technology. They are looking for partners. For more information on licensing and other opportunities, contact D.H.R. Sarma from OTC at dhrsarma@prf.org 

The research has been funded by the Department of Energy’s. The Purdue team worked with scientists from Sandia National Laboratories on the technology.

About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university’s academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Visit the Office of Technology Commercialization for more information.

Sofia Vergara x LA Art Show

SOFIA VERGARA TO HOST 25th ANNUAL LA ART SHOW OPENING NIGHT GALA

Proceeds From Star-Studded Event Will Benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

OPENING NIGHT PREMIERE
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Red Card & Patrons Preview | 6pm – 11pm
Opening Night Premiere | 8pm – 11pm

SHOW HOURS
Thursday, February 6, 2020 | 11am – 7pm
Friday, February 7, 2020 | 11am – 7pm
Saturday, February 8, 2020 | 11am – 7pm
Sunday, February 9, 2020 | 11am – 5pm

LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER – SOUTH HALL
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

The 25th Annual LA Art Show is proud to announce that actress Sofia Vergara will be the official host of the 2020 Opening Night Premiere Gala being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Wednesday Feb. 5 from 8 – 11 pm. The beloved Colombian actress is known for her role as Gloria Delgado on the ABC television series Modern Family. The long-running, multiple-Emmy award-winning series is currently in its 11 and final season.

Proceeds from the event will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the sixth year in a row. Thanks to generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their children live.

All proceeds from the sale of Patron and Vanguard tickets and 15 percent of sales of Friend tickets will go directly to the charity. All attendees of the Opening Night Premiere party are supporting the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children. ®

In addition to food, beverages, live music and art, gala attendees will be given a special sneak peek of the LA Art Show’s 200,000 square foot of programming featuring more than 100 galleries from 18 countries. They will have first dibs to explore DIVERSEartLA, a celebration of pride in LA’s cultural diversity, view Oscar-nominated Kazuhiro Tsuji’s three-dimensional portraits of legendary, historical figures and get up close to 25 years of red carpet dresses designed by Sue Wong (and worn by stars like Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Minnie Driver and others).

The LA Art Show returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from Feb. 6 – 9. As the city (and west coast’s) largest art fair, and one of the most diversely programmed in the world, the LA Art Show features a comprehensive lineup of exhibitors not only in contemporary and modern art, but also classical and other specialized art scenes that often command their own dedicated shows.

DIVERSEARTLA 2020
“The Birth of the Niemand” by Viktor Freso
DIVERSEartLA showcase will be a full on celebration of pride in LA’s cultural diversity. This special programming section within the fair is dedicated to exhibiting the institutions, artists and non-profits from Southern California, around the Pacific Rim, and beyond, donating 20,000 square feet of exhibition space to the participating organizations. The work is not for sale.

For 2020, DIVERSEARTLA will be expanded to embrace and celebrate those art institutions and art collectors who support LA’s newest and largest iteration of art community, as well as to create a strong conversation around a variety of events and programs. Thus serving as a platform and resource for diversity best practices and leadership, including all of Los Angeles’s communities.

So far, 2020 lineup for DIVERSEartLA includes LACMA, The Broad, Japanese American National Museum, La Neomudejar Museum from Madrid, MOLAA, Art Al Limite, LA Art Association, the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, and many others. For the first time ever, work will be presented by the Danubiana Museum of Bratislava, as will a special exhibition from the collection of Homeira Goldstein, and more. Proving to be popular in years past, the performance programming for the 2020 DIVERSEartLA includes work by PSJM Collective from Spain and artist Miss Art World, presented by the LA Art Association.

2020 HIGHLIGHTS

ICONOCLASTS
By Kazu Hiro
Presented by Copro Gallery

Kazu Hiro is a contemporary hyperrealist sculptor living and working in Los Angeles. After working 25 years as a special effects makeup artist in Hollywood, Kazu decisively shifted focus in 2012, dedicating himself semi-full time to fine art sculpture. Using resin, platinum silicone, and many other materials, Kazu constructs three-dimensional portraits in a scale two times life size. Kazu has received numerous accolades throughout his career including an Academy Award in 2018 for his work in the film “Darkest Hour” helping good friend, actor, Gary Oldman to portray Winston Churchill. Kazu Hiro’s newest hyperreal portrait sculpture will be unveiled at the LA Art Show in Copro Gallery’s booth, alongside a retrospective of several of his past works. The artist will be in attendance at select times throughout the fair.

The Sue Wong Signature
By Sue Wong
Sue Wong never fails to astonish, employing the revered age-old couture techniques implemented by the finest Couture houses in Europe, and evoking the allure and glamour of various eras such as Weimar Berlin, 1930s Shanghai, Precode Hollywood and Manhattan’s gilded Jazz Age. While often adopting vintage style, every design belongs in the now and is decidedly very Sue Wong; exquisite fabrics shimmering with incandescent beads, unique embroideries and layered textures embellished with passementerie and soutache combine to create works of art that are graceful, elegant, unique and timelessly beautiful. The 2020 LA Art Show will be taking place the same weekend as Tinseltown’s premiere awards ceremony: the Oscars. It’s only appropriate to celebrate with 25 years of the iconic style of Sue Wong in a new FASHION section of programming, featuring nearly a dozen gowns worn on red carpets by Hollywood stars like Anne Hathaway, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Biel, Minnie Driver, Reba McEntire, Tyra Banks and more.

The M.C. Escher Experience
By M.C. Escher
Presented by Walker Fine Art

Exploring the intersection of art, mathematics, science and poetry, Escher’s work has fascinated and astounded generations of artists, architects, mathematicians, musicians and designers alike. Over 40 years, Walker Fine Art has assembled the largest collection of Escher works in the world, and will showcase the “rarest of the rare” at the 25th Annual LA Art Show. The M.C. Escher experience runs the span of his entire career, and will include rarely seen lithographs, wood cuts, engravings, and mezzotints, as well as the artist’s iconic custom furniture. Many of these will be shown in California for the first time ever. In addition to seeing the artist’s work up close, LA Art Show attendees will have the opportunity to become Escher. A special photo-booth will recreate his iconic sphere self portrait with you in the reflection.

ALPHACUBE
By Lorenzo Marini
Curated by Sabino Maria Frassà
Presented by Bruce Lurie Gallery

After Milan, Venice and Dubay Lorenzo presents his new art-installation ALPHACUBE in the USA. Curator Sabino Maria Frassà explains that AlphaCube turns that paradigm of the white cube as the best form for conveying contemporary art. The artwork is a large white cube, that immerses guests in a space animated by letters, light and sound.

The white cube rises in space like something alien, as much in form as in content: while it is obvious that the artist has a certain fascination for Dadaism and Futurism, which he reinterprets and actualizes, it also cannot be denied that the focus of the installation is not an aesthetic satisfaction but a social and cultural stimulus.

3/11: Requiem And Revival
By Sogen Chiba
Presented by Gallery Kitai

On March 11, 2011, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the history of Japan occurred off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that killed over 19,000 people. Premiering originally at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Sogen Chiba’s 3/11 Requiem and Revival work transcribes newspaper reports of the Great East Japan Earthquake in large-scale calligraphy murals.

For the 25th annual LA Art Show, Chiba has created a never-before seen work in this series. Nearly a decade has passed since the tragic events of 3/11, so the lessons learned from the event are now fading. In this exhibition, Chiba seeks to record the memories of unimaginable disaster, and consider how we can move beyond them. Chiba himself is from the disaster-hit Ishinomaki district, and has used his indomitable spirit to move beyond misfortune and challenge himself to create works and imagery that can only be expressed in calligraphy. The artist will be performing each day at the LA Art Show.

EAST ASIAN INK SHOWCASE
Ink painting originated in East Asia as the tradition of using carbon-based black ink and calligraphic brush painting techniques, and has continued to evolve as the basis for much contemporary works in the region. Ink is as synonymous with painting in the East as oil is with painting in the West. From traditional and historical, to contemporary, to avant-garde, the LA Art Show offers the largest showcase of ink painting of any art fair outside of Asia. This a unique opportunity to appreciate the rich spectrum of ink painting styles. Learn more here:

The Maize Project
By Eric Johnson
Presented by Fabrik Projects Gallery

The “Maize Project” abstractly represents a lodge pole-like structure. In the Native American culture, the lodge pole is a gathering place and the title and shape of the sculpture references a section of an ear of maize corn. For Johnson, this alludes to his Native American heritage and also is a call to raise awareness to issues of global hunger, alternative fuel, and corn’s complicated relationship to our food supply. The piece is assembled from more than 300 individually cast polyester resin units—”kernels,” as he calls them. The kernels were made in Johnson’s studio with assistance from various artists, friends and community members. The communal project took several years to complete. Participants were invited to select resin colors, sequencing of pours, and encase small objects or messages into the kernels. Customization ranges from the light hearted (candy corn) to the profound (baby teeth of a lost child).

DIALOGS LA & PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Returning for the 7th year in a row, the DIALOGS LA series of conversations will connect audiences directly to the artists, curators, and other art world luminaires involved in the LA Art Show.

Live art demonstrations by renowned ink painter Sogen Chiba, and sculptor Ichitaka Kamiji are also scheduled throughout the fair. Attendees will also be able to see and interact with performances by Miss Artworld and PSJM Collective. For the first time ever, the DIALOGS LA booth will be screening The Edge of Paradise: Taylor Camp Kaua’i 1969-1977 on Friday and Saturday as well.

HIGHLIGHT
Saturday, Feb 8 / 4pm / A Conversation With Gronk & Sellars
Moderated by Marisa Caichiolo

Two legendary L.A.-based artists will discuss their theatrical and opera collaborations around the world over the last three decades. Gronk and Sellars will also share their experience and thoughts on the role of art in a time of profound social upheaval and inequity. The conversation will take place on Gronk’s installation Pyramids, a full-size mock-up of a theatrical stage that Gronk will be painting throughout the run of the LA Art Show. Pyramids re-imagines Gronk’s 2013 set design for Sellar’s Purcell’s “The Indian Queen,” an innovative updating of the 1695 semi-opera. For the LA Art Show, Gronk brings the piece into 2020, while also providing visitors with a behind-the-curtain view of his artistic practice. Rather than enter a theater where the stage is already set, visitors will be able to interact with the artist, participating in the process of making a “political theater” for our contemporary moment. Gronk is a featured artist in DIVERSEartLA, where his project brings together elements of his lifelong work as a painter, muralist, performance artist, set designer, sculptor, and printmaker. His expansive art flows out of his DTLA studio into the hallway, where the resulting 40-foot long wall mural has been declared a city landmark. Peter Sellars is a renowned theater, opera, and festival director. He is co-organizer of the exhibition Inside the Mask, on Central American masks after the Conquista, which opens at the Hammer Museum on February 15.

About the LA Art Show
The LA Art Show creates one of the largest international art fairs in the United States providing an exciting, immersive, insider art experience to sponsors, their select guests and VIP clients. The show attracts an elite roster of national and international galleries, acclaimed artists, highly regarded curators, architects, design professionals, along with discerning collectors. This innovative, exceptional cultural environment attracts executives and board members of Southern California businesses, state, county, and municipal government representatives, as well as leaders of the region’s cultural institutions. Attendees are trend setters, influencers and alpha consumers, who seek and demand the newest and the best in all areas of their lives—art, design, food, technology and travel being specific passion points. www.LAartshow.com

Vaughn Lowery, jean jackets, denim jackets, 360 MAGAZINE

5 Of The Best Japanese Streetwear Brands Of Today

What was once one of the best kept secrets in menswear is now the topic of discussion when speaking about streetwear fashion. We’re talking about Japanese Streetwear brands. Over the past years many have become trendsetters, innovators and risk takers all while delivering high-quality products. 

If you’re familiar with Japanese Streetwear brands, you’ll most likely find plenty of your favorite brands below. If you’re foreign to all of this, prepare to be introduced to a brand new definition of style. Sites like CultEdge.com are among the best for you to know more about Japanese streetwear brands. Here is a list of 5 of the best Japanese Streetwear brands of today. 

NEIGHBORHOOD

Considered one of the OGs of Japanese Streetwear brands, NEIGHBORHOOD has been in the game for well over 25 years. Created by Shinsuke Takizawa (Shin) back in 1994, the brand was part of the original Harajuku streetwear scene of the early ’90s that helped birth labels you will find in this list such as BAPE, UNDERCOVER and WTAPS. NEIGHBORHOOD draws inspiration from historic motorcycle subculture and is best known for its authentic selvedge denim that is manufactured to specific specifications and customized with natural washes resulting in a wide variety of finishes.

mastermind Japan

Founded in 1987, mastermind Japan is known for two distinct traits: using the color black on virtually everything and their iconic Skull and Crossbones logo. Subtle in design, mastermind still finds ways to think outside the box. Inspired by the punk and goth scene, mastermind Japan prides itself on the quality of their products and the detail that goes into them. That being the case, most mastermind Japan products are sold at high price tags. Masaaki Homma (owner) closed the brand’s doors back in 2013 but soon thereafter opened up shop once more. In 2017, the brand celebrated its 20th anniversary by launching a global label named mastermind WORLD. This marked a resurgence of the label which resulted in mastermind JAPAN and mastermind WORLD working side by side while releasing collections for their own respective markets. 

A Bathing Ape (BAPE)

Arguably the most known Japanese Streetwear brand from this list, BAPE was founded back in 1993 by NIGO®. What started off as a brand that mostly sold graphic tees, BAPE eventually became a powerhouse that sold everything ranging from denim, jackets, toothbrushes and condoms. Yes, condoms. That said, some of BAPE’s most known items include their Bapesta sneakers, their shark hoodies, and the use of camo on a wide range of their products. BAPE has a very strong following that ranges from trendy teenagers to consumers who also dabble in high-end fashion. 

fragment design

Founded by the godfather of Japanese streetwear, Hiroshi Fujiwara, fragment design is easily recognized by its lightning bolt logo. Known for being a part of many notable collaborations, Fujiwara tends to keep the changes and alterations at a minimum when working on collaboration with other brands. Often times, the simple addition of the lightning bolt logo is more than enough to create a highly-coveted collaboration (see fragment design x Air Jordan ). Talk about brand recognition!

WTAPS

WTAPS, pronounced double-taps, was founded by Tetsu NIshiyama back in 1996. Before that, Tetsue was actually a protégé of Shin (founder of NEIGHBORHOOD) back in the early ‘90s when he started the FPAR t-shirt brand. WTAPS is inspired by authentic military designs. The brand fuses those authentic military designs with streetwear sensibilities and contemporary perspectives to create the aesthetic of their products. If you ever go to Japan, you will find that WTAPS is as popular as Supreme. Much of their product results in long lines on release days that sell out at a rapid pace.