I be that “Pretty Fucking Blogger”, London’s where I’m repping.
I’m in one big city full of LUSH biiiiiishes!
Yea as idyllic as that sounds it couldn’t be any less of a lie! I haven’t ventured out of ‘the ends’ whilst the suns been out but I can only guess that since everyone gets gassed and tried to get as near to being naked as possible, for every TOP BIRD there’s always a few sun burnt MUNTERS! Yea them fucking munters, the ‘butters beanies’ who should be confined to stay under the stairs and think it’s ok to get their tits, crack and other bits out in the hope that they’ll entice someone that’ll impregnate them in the sordid part of the public park that no one dares venture to…
The sun also brings out many cruffs and the stick thin monkey men who’ve spent five months in the gym trying to BULK up for summer. They’ve been hitting the gym religiously on a diet of Rick Ross -ironic right- and Lex Luger beats just so they can prance around in a vest or worse off without one. The funny thing about the stick thin monkey type turn gorilla dudes is that they end up looking like carrots, why? Because they’ve strained themselves to work out on the top half and left the bottom half of their body to the wolves. I really don’t understand how they can stand up because the upper part of their body is equivalent to the weight of an Acme Anvil stood on two matchsticks, it defies all logic.
The beautiful thing about the summer is the sunset, the romantic, idyllic sunset that makes you forget about the weeks of misery you endures whilst the rain had you trapped indoors wondering when the spate of SAD will end. All that’s missing from the sunset on the pier is the kiss and marriage proposal, no I’m not getting soppy at the mature end of my quarter life crisis, I’m what you call a romantic. I hate being out in the rain but I love how dramatic it looks from inside a cafe, sat by the window people watching.
Tips for the summer
Wake Up Earlier: The best part of the day for me is around 5:30/6am when the sun is fresh because you can go for a walk along the riverside, catch the refreshing breeze and admire the city without the crowds of tourists or ugly people that make you wish the sun was behind a cloud so they wouldn’t venture from beneath the stairs.
Drink Water: According to Wikipedia, 50-65% of the adult human body is made of water and according to the 2L bottle of Evian, this body water renews itself every 6 weeks. If you want clear skin, drink water, if you want to stay cool and don’t want to sweat, drink water.
Eat Healthy: No I’m not talking about salads, gluten and wheat free nonsense and super veg, I’m talking regular meals such as breakfast, lunch and supper because if you eat at regular times you’re less likely to snack on nonsense and gain weight or fill your body with too much toxins.
Work Out: I’m not talking about bulking up, I’d like to stay on the balanced area of my B.M.I thanks, but stay trim and healthy.
Don’t Get Gassed: Don’t be naked in public, drive safely, don’t cut someone else’s lawn, don’t over do the tan.
Back in ’97 I spent the whole summer in a Dimona kibbutz in Israel‘s Beer Sheva desert. I stayed with the Hebrew Isralites, a movement of African Americans who trace their roots back to the original Hebrews who settled in the ‘Holy Land‘. They practiced the ‘Shabbat‘, where there’d be no electricity or food to be eaten from friday sunset til saturday sunset. I thought it was weird at the time but looking back, it was great to practice spiritual abstinence and observation. I’ve actually been thinking about applying this to my lifestyle…
A whole lot has changed in the fourteen years since I visited, but here’s part of a documentary filmed by South African film director, Tarryn Crossman of Black Rage Productions. Tarryn travelled to Dimona and stayed for three days, hardly enough time to win their trust to get a well rounded story but more than enough time to document parts of the culture. Having lived with the Hebrews in that very settlement, I wish she would have buried her western perspective and observed using the ethnography approach -participant observation, rather than ethnology -constant comparison to western culture and stating obvious self absorbed opinions. As I said before, three days is hardly enough time to carry out a socio-cultural anthropological study.
My life’s always led me on somewhat of a spontaneous path because it’s always been openly diverse and spiritual: Rastafarian Father, Christian Mother, Parents embraced Islam in the early ’80s, didn’t force us into any particular path but instilled a sense of self exploration to find our own truths through getting to know ourselves and the spirit externally and within… I have a great set of parents.
At the moment I can’t exactly implement my ‘No business on weekends’ policy because I’m not in a position to take days off yet. When I’m on my feet I shall simply switch off all technology such as the phone and laptop on 00:00 on a saturday, and switch back on 09:00 monday morning.
I can’t front watching that vid brought back memories but my biggest regret, if I ever had one would be missing the coach trip to the Dead Sea…
Today whilst a majority of you are getting bladdered, watching bollocks on tv, or just smoking, snorting, injecting, or fucking your life away, I’ll be poshing it it up at the BBC Proms!!!
It’ll be my first time going to the Royal Albert Hall and my lady friend has booked out a box to view the show. I ain’t talking about a cardboard box you eeeeediats, I’m talking about the boxes where the regal aristocrats used to sit, in those old black and white movies, the same boxes where Lincoln got assassinated, and the one where Michael Corleone had in Godfather III and could of got assassinated, had it not been for one of the twins (if I remember correctly).
Boxes, seats, film, and belated surprise birthday gifts aside I’ll be going to see…
A lot of love, cuddles, and kisses go out to my lady friend Sousy Deuce for surprising me with such a kind and thoughtful gesture. She’s trying to tell me to do the smart/casual-trouser/shoe/blazer thing but if truth be told, I’d rather roll up as Khalid -comfortable and suaver than usual I spose haha!
After my failed attempt to see the Kids Of Grime x Y’OH exhibition at Pure Evil Gallery because of a street party, I casually encountered Left Brain, from Odd Future, casually chilling in Shoreditch before the show at Village Underground.
Left Brain repping Up In The Ear
Left Brain is a real quiet and humble dude, considering he’s a member of the most outspoken and controversial Rap group to hit Hip Hop and Popular Culture since N.W.A. Left Brain expressed his excitement to be travelling to Amsterdam after Village Underground and his love for posh British women in frilly top socks. Also Left Brain mentioned his visit to the capital last november, and his fondness for the British ladies.
MellowHype is a alternative hip hop duo of Hodgy Beats and Left Brain from the collective OFWGKTA. They have released two albums, YelloWhite and BlackenedWhite, both of which are available for free download from the Odd Future website. On February 16th, 2011, Hodgy Beats (along with Tyler the Creator) performed the song “Sandwitches” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. A remastered version of BlackenedWhite will be released summer 2011 by Fat Possum Records.
Last month I stumbled upon a Grime obsessed designer and intellectual by the name of Kara Messina. I was scrolling through my twitter and read a retweet with a link to an article about a designer who was currently working on a menswear collection to be launched on 280411. I started following both Y’OH and Kara after reading an interview which housed this image on March 18th. After various twitter exchanges on the beauty of Air Max 1s, I learnt that Kara Messina was a accomplished pattern cutter who worked in high fashion for 6 years, with a background working for award winning footwear designer John Richmond, as well as pattern-cutting for designer labels Basso & Brooke and Aquascutum.
Her skills as a pattern cutter allowed her to cut the collection herself so even the fit of the garments aren’t stereotypical to what’s around at the moment. She describes the silhouette as having a 90s feel to it “No skinny looks, Big Up oversize!”.
For Y’OH I’ve NOT used any checked fabric. There’s no point in rehashing another version of something that is already great as it is. Instead I’ve selected an existing cloth that has the potential to function as a “new classic”. Yeah it’s bold so I’m expecting some people might find it objectionable (hence the collection title) but it’s also a very beautiful fabric so if men can appreciate that, it can’t fail. What makes it so original is the context in which it is presented, which is streetwear.
So this is a designer who understands that it’s better to find your own niche rather than jump on to something that’s already been accomplished, similar to Missoni and their signature knitwear, Levi’s emphasis on denim, Nike’s emphasis on sport shoes. All brands just mentioned all respect their specialities, all have their signature ‘stock’ products which almost never change, whilst they may introduce a product to the market or reproduce a product under their brand, the question is: What gap is Kara going to fill, with no press shots of the collection, everything is pretty much a mystery unless you’re apart of her inner circle of creatives, family, friends, collaborators, and creatives.
Cut in three colours, one of which is printed fabric
Y’OH will consist of outerwear, shirts and non-jersey tshirts. The context of the printed fabric used in the collection is set to blow your minds. Inspired by comparing Hip Hop to Grime; Mens transition from youth to adult; 90s Fashion; Subcultural affiliation to brands and functional performance garments. The market level is in between luxury and streetwear and will be sold on the online Y’OH store. The collection itself intrigues me because Hip Hop and Grime are basically the father and son when it comes to Culture and Sub Culture. Also many of the grime kids go on to become pop stars on music that is much slower in pace and closer to Hip Hop. Whether this transition is so one can tap into the global phenomenon of it’s father or artists leave grime behind because they don’t believe in its commercial viability is unknown but when mentioning Hip Hop, or their progression, a whole host of these artists use the terminology ‘growth, progression, and transition’. Does this indicate that when MCs were making grime they were young, sub culture, but when they grew to adults -not indicative of age- and made Hip Hop, father culture?
Either way, I’m intrigued to see how well Kara straddles the line between the two in order to plug the gap, and whether she answers the questions raised in the form of her collection ‘Heads Ain’t Ready’.
The concept for the first collection “Heads Ain’t Ready” came about though contemplating the popularity of the checked shirt. The much-loved garment that is timeless and unrestricted in that it crosses over into different generations and subcultures (Hip Hop, Skaters…) The checked shirt is considered such a classic, that regardless of the number of colours, wearing it is almost like wearing black. It performs in the same way that it pretty much goes well with everything. Camouflage print also functions in the same way.
Judging by this in depth and revealing interview with Full Frontal Fashion, Kara seems to aiming to take something that is already a classic garment and innovate in a contemporary forward thinking context. Kara knows that trend cycles come around every so often, but iconic designs such as the checkered shirt shall forever remain -most notably the Burberry print which has lasted several generations and still remains a staple house in chequered shirt design, or its lesser known but cult rival, the Aquascutum print, or even the Lumberjack checkered designs and those by Pringle (Argyle) to an extent.
My interpretation of Kara’s collection would be what Ralph Lauren did ,in the early ’90s, with the Oxford (candy) Striped shirt. The Oxford shirt rivalled that of Burberry’s iconic check which was created in the 1920s, first used as a lining in it’s military trench coats. After Polo dropped the ‘candy stripes’, Ben Sherman resurfaced out of nowhere to become the brand of choice after RL and Burberry for a checkered -oxford style shirt.
Shirt Fusing: 1 is the top collar, 1 is the underneath collar (a little smaller), 1 is the collar stand
The more interviews I read was the more the anticipation for the collection grew, I began to realise that Y’OH is more than a street label, it’s more than clothes, cuts, garments, and image. Y’OH is a philosophy of contemporary sartorialism, it’s not just about the aesthetics of an item, but whether its ergonomics are conducive to both user and lifestyle. Not only was Kara research trends, styles, cuts of clothes but she was going further afield by delving into cultural anthropology, semiology and semantic, social studies, esoterica and attending the free afternoon lectures at the LSE to see if there was anything she could apply for her craft.
I’m also a fan of the free lectures at the London School of Economics. My job is to find out what is missing and provide it. I am at an age where I don’t strive to be unique — or, to be more specific, to go out of my way to be different.
It was here that I began to respect Kara rather than just admire her for being an accomplished pattern cutter who was in the process of creating her very first solo collection which she had conceptualised, illustrated, designed and cut herself rather than outsource the work to outsiders, it’s a purely individual effort. Y’OH to me already signifies individualism and style before fashion, and the more importantly a lifestyle because Kara is at the helm of all activity and decision making, working to her strengths and showing strengths in outsourcing the sewing and assembling of the garments to local factories. it’s at this point, before anything has been seen that you respect Kara for supporting her local factory rather than taking the cheaper, less hands on approach and sending it to some sweatshop in a third world country. I’d support the brand purely on the basis that she cares enough for her local economy and the quality of her garments, as well as making the garments ready to order to make sure all items are fresh rather than piled up in an asbestos riddled attic being eaten by dust mites.
I see my work as providing a service, especially being a young female designing menswear. I am very careful to be thorough in my research. Hence images alone won’t suffice, and I spend a large proportion of my time reading cultural textbooks on subjects from music to advertising through to religion.
This is the front of a shirt (pattern) before it gets cut out & sewn up
I support what Kara is doing because she’s immersed herself in a subculture that people often forget and leave behind when they progress into the charts. For me, this is not just clothes, it’s the resurgence of a culture, a rebirth of something which formed an integral part of my life as well as many others. This is the rebirth of that which, had I not had it whilst growing up, I would never have learnt some of the most valuable lessons, and I would never have had a creative outlet for all of my teenage angst, and adolescent rage. Had it not been for Grime, I would never of had a dream, I would never of had something to keep me on the straight and narrow because of my firm belief in turning a negative circumstance into something positive. Besides, the emphasis of the collection is transition, and Kara seems to be attempting to cater for the gap in between boys to men -a demorgraphic which grime caters to because of its unadulterated energy. Maybe Kara is saying that Grime is not just for one particular demographic with this new collection she has made the choice to build her foundation in the gap between the childs innocence of eye, Grime, and its much worldly ancestor, Hip Hop.
Will the Y’OH collection be the catalyst of change, if Kara has immersed herself in the Grime subculture will she become the Dame Vivienne Westwood of our beloved culture, will this encourage other creatives as well as those who have already been a part of the culture, in some shape or form, to take more of an active roll in pushing it forward?
I don’t have the answers, I doubt she has either, but I believe that the stars only align themselves once so if your in the London area on 280411 make your way down to Pure Evil Gallery in Shoreditch and see for yourself.
Here’s a lil teaser… I was thinking the same when I saw this it was cleverly put together by Beatrice Alessio
Stayed tuned because now I’ve dealt with the culture’s Vivienne Westwood in a part 1/2 feature, I will do a spread on Grime’s Annie Leibovitz in the near future…
I don’t know about anyone else but I find it difficult to sleep on planes, whether it’s excitement of the pending adventure or the prospect of … Lemme not go there as I’m writing this on the plane … I’m currently on my way to Kuwait to attend a fashion show. What I initially thought was just a fashion show will turn into a diplomatic adventure, I may even meet the sovereign of state!!! *extremely geekish prospect for someone like me who’s very fond of the region.
Dinner, Bagdad, Egg & Salmon Roll, Magic Carpet
Geekish digressions aside in the last six hours I’ve see the face of the moon change from half to full and I’ve flown over a warzone, Mesopotamia to be exact -Iraq for the unitiated. I’ve had a gourmet flight dinner of chicken ‘suttin’ and cous cous with a ginger ‘suttin’ crumble desert and a dry seedy breast bread with a cup of orange juice… “Charming”. Breakfast was a joke ting!!! Seriously! Has anyone heard of an egg mayonnaise and salmon roll?!?!? I swear they were fucking with me right there!!?!? British Airways parrred me! I’m flying over a warzone: Bagdad, An Najaf – (Falluja and another place that was on the news)… *technically we flew around these places because it was more to the east but all the same, warzone hahahaha (I’m just exaggerating) the salmon and egg was fukarrrrah though.
0509 GMT
I’m ere now and I’ve discovered that Kuwait’s currency is stronger than the pound #losing, I’ve also got to pay for visa on entry resulting in bank charges galore if I use an ATM!!!! So yea not such a great start being two hours in front, getting no sleep and currently stuck in the visa part of the airport with a mahooooosive guy sat across from me who’s so mahoooooooosive he can rest the laptop on his belly whilst sitting down!!!! ‘realllllly??????’ yea!!!! “I know!!!!!” ha!
Well as you all know I’m not moaning, this is an adventure afterall and I’ve already thought of a title for my adventures – Khally In Kuwait. I’ve also decided to trade under Khalid Omari, being that my name is the equivalent of Adam or John over here.
Time to explore the desert…
2307 GMT (To Kam -was gonna post on fb)
Tell mummy I arrived safe but I’ve got no phone because my iPhone and t-mobile refuses to roam -not so baaaad as my bill is already daylight robbery comparable to you buying a snickers and someone dressed as the mc Donald’s burger robber man thing coming up to you and snatching it from out of your mouth, like actually opening up your mouths and picking the chocolate bits out of your teeth and scraping the taste off of your tongue before you enjoy it (laugh innit because if you don’t you’re a fudging -mummy might be reading- twat!). The conversion rate is £0.4 to every KD, so don’t expect any gifts except probably some dust from the frequent sandstorms ha! I doubt I’d be on ere much because wifi is non existent, and I’m using a usb thing that’s slower than the tortoise that didn’t beat the hare…. (funny haha!)
It’s really nice out here and to fill a whole tank with petrol is £2 (5th biggest oil exporters in world go figure). Boys hold hands and greet each other with kisses on the cheek -its a cultural thing, ladies wear Hijabs with heels and mini skirts (paradoxical to say the least) and we are staying in the most deceptive housing complex -on the outside its dusty but when you step inside the apartment its a 3 bedroom 3 bathroom/shower/wetroom with kitchen, and massive dining room/living area house on the 7th floor with views overlooking the city when the air is clear of dust. Also residents don’t pay electric bills so they can bun out the aircon and electricity as they please and outsiders don’t get residency they can only lease… There’s a saying in Kuwait that goes:
Kuwaiti’s own the land, Westerners manage, and Indians do everything else.
That’s a par to say the least but Kuwait’s government give each resident 1000KD each independence day, and free food -necessities for a year, expectant mothers get a further 1000KD for each new born born within a two week period -apparently there always a rise in caesarians at that time of year… Hmmmm.
For everyone telling me to be careful, theres no need to worry about me or OG because from what I gather the country looks after it’s citizens. Investments are rife, the country is conservative in many ways -alcohol is prohibited but me and OG get a pass because we’re riding with the Jamaican Embassy on this mission although we haven’t tasted any yet, women can drive and do everything a man does -they also can dress how they want -dependant on area to be honest but hey it’s the first day so I can’t really call it yet. *word on road is everyone flies to Dubai and bahrain to get drunk on weekends and return on the sunday for work ha!
All in all I really didn’t have to elaborate so much but I really wanted to be a bit twattish to compensate for not being able to finish my article, nor receive and correspond to important emails due to having no phone, wifi connection or sufficient speedy internet connection.
Speak soon
Khalid
Oh yea, I’ve got man from mumbai cooking my chow mein, which tastes like one of those fucked up Iceland microwave dishes for a £1 when in actual fact its about £8 when you convert it (mahoooooosive exaggeration hahahaha but yea the mumbino is cooking my chinese), also the bottled water is a madness but there’s this strawberry drink in a can called collossas or summin which is lovely. There’s also a Fish and Chip Shop (I knowwww! expats) which may be the most expensive I’ve ever tasted -could even be guilded with gold knowing how elaborate the folk are round ere.
I love reading books. There are times where I go without reading a book for months because the last book I read before that was epic, and I can’t see myself ever topping it. Books are special because they set the imagination racing, and you learn new words -I have a list of words in my notes that I write down, which I plan on looking up in the dictionary and writing out the definitions in my notebook as well as similar phrases in the thesaurus. *I’m a mahoooosive nerd in that respect
I love books because I’m inspired by how moved by the story of something. It’s also a great way to learn through the eyes of another because you have the opportunity to see things from a fresh perspective, in regards to events you have previously been in yourself. Reading inspires so many emotions, and with each book I view the world differently, not to mention the amount of new words I acquire and the fresh contexts to apply them to. At this moment in time I’m absolutely loving fictional literature, a few years ago I used to love the non fiction but I rekindled my love affair with Graphic Novels (Comic Books) before discovering the likes of read the likes of I Am Legend, Celestine Prophesy, and Kill Your Friends, all of which influenced and inspired my journey into writing literature. I think one of the main driving forces behind re-igniting my literary flame was X-Men: Phoenix Saga and Phoenix Endsong, one I discovered whilst studying an Access to Engineering course at Lambeth College, the other I discovered some time after when I happened to look in the back of a comic I had brought and got excited to see a saga involving the Phoenix. *I discover things in weird and coincidental ways -uncanny indeed.
I’m drawn towards anything involving outer space, romance, and epic tales of survival, I find these tales intriguing because they’re full of adventure. These tales are littered with gems because they give you an insight into circumstances you go through everyday, in a different context. I must admit that at the end of the Phoenix saga, and Endsong I was quite sad because the Phoenix died, leaving not only Cyclops, but Wolverine and the rest of the team in pieces because they had to conquer and defeat a friend -Endsong, whilst protecting her from the enemy of the Shi’ar and trans galactic alliance.
Out of the X-Men I‘ve always related to Wolverine, or rather he relates to me: wandering reclusive who’s deeply pensive searching for a purpose, the anti-hero type of dude -no sob stories or violin cues. I feel sorry for Wolverine because he loves Jean Grey but has to stand by and watch her waltz off into the sunset with Cyclops -captain of the team to whom Wolverine doesn’t take orders from, seldom takes orders from anyone. Wolverine also has a crazy ex girlfriend who he thought they killed but tries to return to enact revenge whilst Sabretooth is his arch-enemy always crawling around for a fight… Anything other than being the silent reclusive doesn’t apply in the obvious context but in other respects they may linger in some shape or form.
I’m drawn towards literature with one character as the focal point, set within an environment of someones life where you can immerse yourself within the plot -almost as you see the story through your eyes. A book that did that for me, and had me gripped was I Am Legend. I was hooked, Robert Matheson did so well on the descriptiveness of the inside of Robert Neville’s mind -I actually felt as if I were there living it as the last man alive. When I read John Nivens book kill your Friends, I was blown away by the might of lead character Stephen Stellfox. From the get go Stellfox instantly connected with me -I seldom admit that I relate to the villains more so than the heroes but hey now is the time nor place for such debates, Stellfox is simply misunderstood. Kill Your Friends made me want to become an A&R, and a piece of the wider industry machine until I became manager of a Pop duo and realised how annoying I find other people -especially when they’re whingeing all the time, I don’t know how to change nappies, I don’t like babies nor kids and since being an A&R/Manager is like babysitting, I thought fuck that shit… Besides I loved Kill your Friends because it provided me an insight into the world behind the smoke and mirrors -regardless of how exaggerated.
I also love books that put spirituality in a whole different context, not in the sense of trying to preach but giving you a new perspective on the way your thinking affects your everyday activity. The Celestine Prophesy does that with the art of coincidence and how you should learn to read into things rather than dismissing your instincts. Alchemist is great too because it teaches you to follow your heart. Both these books left me with a new state of mind afterwards, both were books that I could put down.
My current literary excursion takes me into the mind of one of France’s most accomplished diplomats, a man who advised Napoleon, realised the monster he had created and brought about the downfall of an Emperor by using Emperors own arrogance as a weapon -excellent lesson to all to keep their own counsel, be humble and maintain a level of humility at all times. I love this book because it’s one mans wrestle to maintain the ways of old whilst trying to gracefully outlive all enemies, which he did end up doing. Entertaining to say the least, I’m on the last few chapters and I’m already seeking my next literary adventure. I’ve got Steven Hawking‘s A Brief History of Time in the post -a return to non fiction, although I still have Homer’s Odyssey to complete but I should really read the prequel -Illiad, which I’ve got as a conjoined novel after purchasing from a Greenwich book store. Speaking of unfinished literature, maybe I should finish reading the strategy books I began reading years ago or the many books I borrowed from friends -I shall start them all again with the intention of completion.
Simply put… I love reading a variety of literature and I find my books in so many different ways:
Celestine Prophesy – Picked up at my local library for 50p on a whim -the blurb had me sold!
Kill Your Friends – Recommended read by Joel Harrison
Alchemist – My sis
Kill Your Friends – Picked it up from my brothers desk
The Odyssey – Recommended by Fleanne (unfinished)
Dark Phoenix Saga – Lambeth College Library
Phoenix Endsong – Flicking through comics in the newsagents
The Third Lion – Wiki reading (nearly finished)
The Prophet – Recommended by Sousy (still ain’t finished yet)
Some say knowledge is power but i agree with Einstein who believed the imagination is supreme, the more books you read the greater your imagination shall become.
