Roots by Be Unequaled

I've always been a big fan of Futura and his work. More recently, his photography has been entertaining me more than his work, but I came across this video and just had to share it!

A master at work, it's amazing to see the accuracy he can get with a spray can and some of his techniques.

Hope you enjoy the video as much as I did!

The Q & returns with Urban Industry, a great store from the South Coast of the UK!

Where, why and when did Urban Industry begin?
Me and Vicky started Urban Industry back in July 2002, the store opened in November 2002 and we switched live the webstore in May 2003. The store's home is in Eastbourne on the south coast of the United Kingdom. Probably like most store owners we thought our local town could do with some quality street wear!

Who or what does Urban Industry represent?
We've always wanted Urban Industry to represent the freshest street wear, clothing, sneakers and accessories. The main thing though was that we want to be accessible to people that don't read the latest hype blogs or the right magazines so having premium brands is equally important as having slightly more mainstream brands to tie it all together.

Where did the name Urban Industry come from?
The idea behind the name is to describe the how taking our pastimes and passions like BMX'ing, skateboarding, graphic design, filming etc etc can be developed into a small business and developed and built like any other big business. I liked the idea that a proper business could come not from going to university and learning about it but from a grass roots approach and from doing what we liked to do.

Urban Industry has had a lot of custom graffiti work done to the store, how did that start?
We have 3 big windows at the store and when we had a few brands come down to do stock booking appointments it often came up that we could do something cool for the store using the windows. Eastpak stepped up first with German artist Kabe and after that we had Butch from the Attai Press to do the front window. We also got Matt Sewell in to do our changing room doors which look great.

Is there anyone else lined up for more?
Not presently as we are moving but we have talked to a few brands for future collaborations

What do the header graphics on the website represent?
nothing too in depth, most of them are cool visuals that some of our brands have produced, we try to keep them fresh and may well do some seasonal banners as we go.

What can we expect from Urban Industry in the near and far future?
We're right in the middle of the 3rd move in 5 years at the moment. we're the gypsies of the street wear world! We're moving to a much bigger warehouse and shop fitting a destination boutique store into the warehouse itself. We're adding in features like a small kitchen so we can serve customers coffee while they browse the goods. Lots of things in the pipeline including a Hip Hop Mix CD with Evil Ed, an underground UK producer and dj plus we're developing our our label. lots on the go!

Urban Industry looks like one of the few stores in the urban/street scene that makes an effort to cater for women, is there a lot of interest?
we're re-looking at our womens offering at the moment as in the UK womens fashion is going through a super cheap period where high street stores are pumping out cheaper and cheaper items. We can't compete with the more expensive brands we carry and it seems women aren't that interested in the brand rather the look.

Who is your target audience?
I think our target audience is anyone who wants something different from their fashion and clothes, any age from 16 - 60. We have one 80 year old that likes Addict records bags and has bought 3 in the past year! We try to appeal to the people out there interested in the off centre, anything out of the mainstream, something that has a story and a background.

What word or phrase sums Urban Industry up best?
The independent shall inherit the earth.

and finally, what makes Urban Industry really stand out from the crowd?
Hopefully the design and style that we put into our web store and forthcoming, new shop. The fact that we're not fashion snobs or elitest. we're stocking the cool brands but we're still totally accessible for customers who are long standing street wear buyers or to the person buying their first Stussy t-shirt.

Many thanks to Dan at Urban Industry for his help with the Q & A.

Was it tough to get started?
No it was easy. It's all came really naturally. It was something I really wanted to do, and whenever I want to do something it never seems hard.

If so, is it still tough going? If not, what changed to make it easier?
The toughest time is shipping time!! It's also the most stressful and uninspiring. But once everything is out the door I do feel a HUGE sense of accomplishment. Plus, that's when I start seeing the MONEYYY so its always a good time.

What's been your biggest hurdle so far?
I really have to get over not wanting to be the face of the brand. I just want the clothes and the aesthetic to speak for itself. Im not good at putting myself out there as a spokesperson. But I guess this is America and in the land of P Diddy you have to be like that.

The 'streetwear' industry is heavily dominated by male influences. Forum's get aggressive, blogging is repetitive and the hype is ridiculous! What's your take on it all?
Yes, the streetwear industry is very male dominated, similar to a lot of industries. Honestly, I don't pay attention to much of it. I am too busy to go on blogs and forums. I just know what's going on by being immersed in it everyday. I work at Supreme and I live in the Lower East Side so basically I eat streetwear for breakfast. I actually really like being one of the few girls brands in the land of 'boy's'.

How did you get involved in 'streetwear'?
I began my 'professional career' at Umbro working on the Kim Jones collection. While at Umbro I worked with the Supreme Team to do a 2 season Umbro x Supreme collaboration. Then, I got hired on by Supreme as a production manager.

The current season has a real 70's influence, any particular reason?
It's really funny to hear what people think of the brand, because I wasn't going for a 1970's vibe at all. But now that you mention it I see where you are getting it from, the POP ART print on the leggings and the Miss America 1/2 Top. I think I always have a huge early 1980's influence. I look to the 1980's as a period in New York that was really inspiring to me. All of my favorite artists and musicians came out of the Lower East Side in the early 1980's, Sade, Madonna, Keith Haring, and Maripol. I take a lot of direction from that time period.

What else can we expect from this season?
All of the Spring 2008 product has shipped to stores, so look out for MadeMe at all the freshest boutiques around the world. There's a new look on the site, so check out www.mademeclothing.com and cop some of your favorite spring gear.

Who is your target audience?
I don't think like that. I only make product that I like, and that I would wear. I strictly produce clothes for me. That's where the name comes from, and I firmly believe that if always remember that, then MadeMe will always stay relevant. I refuse to make things that I think someone else MIGHT like, or MIGHT buy just for the sake of making extra money.

Any plans for a men's branch?
No, no plans of doing men's clothes in the near future. Unless I stop sleeping, since I am really busy at the moment making the brand come to fruition. MadeMe's whole aesthetic is very masculine so I think it would take away from the vibe.

If you collaborate with a male orientated brand, which one(s) would you choose?
I don't see myself doing that, but who knows. If the right opportunity came I would definitely jump at it.

Is there a brand you wish did more for women?
I actually wear a lot of men's clothes and I would have to say Dior Homme. But then it wouldn't be 'Homme' anymore would it?? And I don't think I would like it as much if it was designed specifically for women.

What are your ambitions for yourself and for the brand?
I am very ambitious. I want MadeMe to keep growing naturally and genuinely (like it has been). I see MadeMe getting bigger and better everyday, I see it in Bloomingdales, I see it at Fred Segal. I want to collaborate with brands, artists and musicians that inspire me and are in alignment with what MadeMe stands for. There are so many things I want to do with MadeMe, its hard for me to answer that question.

And finally... what makes MadeMe stand out from the crowd
Its well made clothing. It's women streetwear from an educated and fun perspective. And its really fucking cool.

Thanks to EM for the answers to the Q & A!

What is XLARGE?
XLARGE is a clothing/lifestyle brand based out of LA.

Who or what does XLARGE represent?
XLARGE represents quality and creative clothes and items.

What was the main idea behind XLARGE?
It started off as just a retail store. Workman's clothes and deadstock Adidas were the staple of the inventory. That grew to producing clothes under the label XLARGE for hip hop/alternative kids. Back then there really wasn't a thing called "streetwear". XLARGE helped cultivate the market back then to what it is today.

When and where did it all begin?
XLARGE started in 1991 in the Loz Feliz area of Los Angeles.

What's been the biggest influence on XLARGE?
LA culture has probably been the biggest influence to XLARGE. Even though it has a following all over America and the world, LA's culture and scene has always been an undercurrent to the way of thinking for this company.

How easy it to relate to your audience when you have stores spread across the world?
With the internet and blogs and with people traveling from all over the world to our flagship store in LA, it's not as difficult as one may imagine. The world is becoming a smaller and smaller place. We also trust that our reps in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan have their ears to the ground.

Does one market get preference or do you try to cater for them all?
We listen to suggestions from everyone, but at the end of the day it's Eli's company and he does what is best for XLARGE.

Do you have a target audience?
The company usually attracts people between the ages of 16-35, urban, artistic, fashion aware individuals.

16 years and still going strong... what's your secret?!
No secret really. Everyone has to keep to their original standards that they set, but also grow with the times.

What does the future hold for XLARGE? Are there any ambitions left to fulfill?
We're expecting to continue building with old friends and working on projects with new ones. There is a gallery space in our flagship store dedicated on showcasing the best artists around the world. We recently worked with The London Police, Logan Hicks, Dez Einswell and will work with Tyler Gibney, Andy Howell, Tim Barber and others.

What word or phrase sums XLARGE up best?
Streetwear is back.

and finally, what makes XLARGE stand out from the crowd?
I think longevity and being one of the original streetwear brands, but also XLARGE just makes cool clothes that people like to wear even if they're not streetwear kids.

Many thanks to Paul at X-LARGE for his help with the Q & A.

This Q & A features German store jues.

What is jues?
Jues is an independent retailer for local and international streetwear

Who or what does jues represent?
Jues represents Dusseldorf-Flingern and everybody who is down with subculture

What was the main idea behind jues?
To offer people in Dusseldorf a nice place where they can stop by, hang out and check out nice garments remote from the usual fasion pap. This local aspect was always and is very important to us. Besides that we do events with artists and brands from time to time.

When and where did it all begin?
It all began back in Summer 2005

What does the future hold for jues?
If I would tell you, it would not be a suprise anymore. But i can tell you that there will be some killer-collabo stuff!

Who or what has been the biggest influence to the store as a whole, or to your running of Jues?
Jues is the first Job we really can identify with. Everybody needs job to earn money for living. We are in the lucky position to earn money and do the stuff we would do in our freetime and call it a job.

The jues online store has launched very recently, was it something that had been planned for sometime?
Honestly, it never was planned. But it was economically necessary. There are too few people we are able to reach here in Dusseldorf to survive as just an physical store with this kind of specific clothes.

Jues is home to a lot of brands, is there any one in particular that your customers seem to prefer?
No, all brands are sold equally.

You currently have a limited edition Adidas shoe, who else should we be looking forward to!?
As i said, there is a lot to look out for! We have a few very nice thing in the pipeline!

Who is your target audience?
Our target audience is everybody who stops by the store and likes our way of life and selection of streetwear!

and finally, what makes jues stand out from the crowd?
Jues is not just a store, its a community meeting-point.

Many thanks to Mirko at jues for his help with the Q & A.