Above: Brian Jungen Variant I (2002)
Sorry to burst your air bag hypebeasts, but the Jordan hybrid trend ain’t nothin’ new. Canadian-based artist Brian Jungen has been ahead of the curve, blending silouhettes of the VI, XIII, and the XIV since way before the Dub Zero dropped.
Jungen’s signature work was a series he started in 1998 (through 2005) called Protoype for New Understanding. The collection featured 23 different masks, all made up of manually pieced together Jordan parts. According to Jungen’s wiki, they represent the relationship between a consumerist artifact and an ‘authentic’ native artifact. Doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, but we can’t knock his hustle. Besides the kicks, he’s re-interpreted furniture, a whale-bone sculpture and football jerseys throughout his career. We bet you can guess our favorite remake. See more of his Jordan work in a gallery below…
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Photo: Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
After hearing his new collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and Ciara, it’s probably safe to say that Nelly’s 2005 deal with Reebok didn’t pan out. He already provided the soundtrack to Nike’s other basketball staple in 2002 with “Air Force 1s,” and now the St. Lunatic is back with “Stepped On My J’z,” an anthem for anyone who has ever spazzed when their beloved 23s get scuffed. It’s worth noting that Nelly co-owns the Charlotte Bobcats with the Jump Man himself, so perhaps they’re working out some new campaign to push the song, which is supposed to appear on Nelly’s new album Brass Knuckles. Listen to the track after the jump.
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Photo: Mariko Tagashira
It’s true what they say, “You’ve gotta break a few eggs to make an omlette.” In the case of Visvim'Japan’s revered independent shoe and mature streetwear company'cracking the standard $300 price mark was well worth it, considering the quality goodness. Creative Director Hiroki Nakamura’s careful craftsmanship has the whole world in mind with this spring’s “Folk” series of moccasin-like shoes. They’re all chemical-free, which is why we tapped the environmentally conscious Nakamura for Complex’s first Green Issue. Check out a gallery and a bonus Q&A with the candid designer after the jump.
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Photo: Terry Richardson
Even the most die-heard sneaker heads can appreciate a little art outside the pictures on their shoeboxes. In appreciation of Nike’s 22nd anniversary of the Dunk, 22 influential photographers will tip their hats to the shoe’s iconic moments in sports and lifestyle for the “Be True” exhibit tomorrow night. The collection is a mixture of old and new work by the impressive list, from Terry Richardson and Jamel Shabazz to Ed Templeton. See the flyer after the jump.
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Photos: Jason Wallace
The East coast has flea markets, the West coast has swap meets. They’re essentially the same (’hood Wal Marts) just named differently. One thing that’s sure to stay the same is the unique style of the shoppers'scruffy dudes with moustaches squeezed into ladies jeans, or cut-off khakis, french braids and house shoes'word to Kurupt. This week’s street detail subject finds a comfortable middle-ground between New York’s downtown scene and LA’s graphic T-shirt culture. Get hip to second-hand shopping and see the full outfit after the jump.
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Chuck English (left) and Mikey Rocks (right) kick off the sneaker-heavy publication’s fifth issue. They are joined by the white-hot Floral Supra Skytop, and Nike Air Vandal Supreme. Pick it up on newsstands now.
Hip-hop and sneaker nostlagia go hand in hand. We guess that’s why this video from indie-rap group BullyMouth just doesn’t get old. But with all the help they’re getting from Company Flow’s Mr. Len (who directed the video), they could learn to face the camera rather than letting the mannequins, and moving sneakers hog the spotlight. See for yourself after the jump…
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