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Retail Spotlight: Commissary

Streetwear’s O.G.’s are often seen, but rarely heard. From stores to parties, they’re everywhere that makes up “the scene.” But few give their brand a voice as loud as streetwear icon Andrew Lee does as the owner of clothing line invisible:man and retail chain Commissary.

Though the Brooklyn native is always opinionated, he prefers to let his bold BMX/skate/heavy metal inspired clothing do the bragging for him. Lee opened his first Tokyo flagship in 2001, and is now based in California with two more stores under his belt—one in San Diego, the other in Orange County (pictured above). In addition to invisible:man, Commissary carries brands like Original Fake, Bounty Hunter, and Acapulco Gold. We caught up with Andrew Lee to talk about his stores and get his take on the the influence of online shopping on today’s retail business. Read the quick interview below.

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Just Blaze Wraps Up L-R-G & Courvoisier’s Spring Tour

L-R-G and Courvoisier have travelled a long road together in the past month. The two brands put their heads together for a partnership that has produced an exclusive line of products (jackets, mountain bikes, Nintendo Wii’s, to flat screen TV’s, etc), giving consumers an up-close preview of the limited edition line at pop-up shops nationwide.

Last night, for the final leg of the tour, super-producer Just Blaze and Complex’s DJ Treats turned the Lower East Side’s Reed Space into a virtual sweat box, pumping out heavy-hitting tunes for a memorable close to an even more memorable collaboration. See more photos of JB (sporting his Megatron Don x LRG tee), The Alchemist, DJ Clark Kent, and LRG rep Jonas Bevaqua after the jump.

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Retail Spotlight: Alife’s Tokyo Flagship Opens

Alife’s modest approach to cool streetwear and sneakers has brought them pretty far since operating out of NYC’s Lower East Side store front for over a decade. Try three more stores: Vancouver in 2005, Los Angeles in 2007, and now the brand new Tokyo flagship, all with their own unique design concepts. The latest Tokyo store follows the aesthetic with a quote that greets customers, “Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way.” Once inside, a giant tank with a collection of their signature RTFT and ARC shoes are on display. See more photos of the Japan’s newest import after the jump.

Popularity: 89% [?]

Bun B Welcomes L-R-G and Courvoisier To Texas

You don’t have to be a UGK fan to know that Bun B is the man. Take the recent Complex party with L-R-G and Courvoisier for instance. The underground king hosted the Houston leg of L-R-G spring tour at End Zone Fashions, where he and guests like super-producer Manny Fresh greeted some of H-Town’s finest eye candy. Oh, L-R-G and Courvoisier’s cool line of products from their recent collab were on display too. See what you missed after the jump.

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Brand Profile: Amongst Friends

If you’re looking to hang out at the country club this summer, be aware that the mimosa-sipping retirees might look down on the bold, youthful graphic tees of today’s streetwear. While most of the sports associated with streetwear are skate and snow, Amongst Friends is open to more leisurely sports like golf and tennis, without forcing you to check your style at the door. Founder Mikol Stambough launched his spring/summer line to match the season’s soft colors on their signature New Eras and polo shirts. See a gallery of products from their ‘08 lookbook after the jump.

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Perks and Mini and Friends Tour Italy In New Photo Book

Often, a designer’s inspiration comes from the strangest places—most of which you probably wouldn’t want to visit. But for the design collective known as the Changes, their recent tour of Italy during Milan Design Week was worth a slideshow. Hoping to give fans a look at the trip’s offbeat flavor, they’ve compiled a series of photos in a new book called ITALIENS.

In case you’re wondeirng, the Changes consists of the creative force behind Australian clothing line Perks and Mini plus Fergadelic from Tonite UK, and Japan’s revered Skatething from BBC/IceCream. They all snapped photos of odd sightings for a coffee-table style book that should be shared over PBR’s rather than Café Aú Lait. It’s now available for purchase here, but check out a few crazy images from the book after the jump if you aren’t convinced.

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Brand Profile: Maiden Noir

Maiden Noir is a worldly brand. Taking the bold graphics of California’s T-shirt culture and combining them with Japan’s clean, minimal design, founder Nin Truong, Toshiyuki Suto and Eric Green bridge a major gap in fashion. Based in Seattle, WA, their skateboarding meets grown-man cut & sew approach has everyone under the streetwear umbrella covered. Check out what they have in-store for this Spring after the jump.

Popularity: 88% [?]