AR at Project Wooster...

While showing the FW12 Men's Collection at Pitti Uomo last month in Florence, AR had the honor of being invited to participate in this season's Project Wooster in Las Vegas... We seized the opportunity and took the voyage into the dessert and the city of sin. The flight across the country was a little bumpy, but Prince's Purple Rain was on the TV, and that made it an easy flight. Arriving at the venue, my first thought was that the show was huge... Project Wooster was a small corner in a massive fair, but as we merchandised and the booth came together, we could tell how special of an environment it really was. When the doors opened to the public on Monday, Project Wooster was a magnet, drawing people in from all over the fair... During coffee breaks we would see people studying maps quite far away from the booth, mumbling the words Project Wooster like it was a mythical place. For us, it was a nice oasis of well curated goods and we were very happy to partake! Nick Wooster and the Project team did an amazing job, and we would like to thank them for the opportunity...  Below are a few pictures that we snapped over the 3 days of the fair.

 

   
   
There was a lot of press surrounding Project Wooster, and as the storm of fashion week passes a lot more will see the light. For now check out the reports from On&Beyond, KRT, 2"Cuffs, HS , Raoul and Poggy. Here are a few more pics from our time in Vegas... We stayed in a PYRAMID!!!!

 

 
   
     
       

Watch the Throne!

A few nights ago I got the chance to check out Jay Z and Kanye West's WATCH THE THROWN tour at the Izod Center. The show was pretty amazing! Individually, these guys are powerhouses, but together they were almost too much, in a good way. If you have a chance to check it out, I highly recommend it. Because of the stage set up, there wasn't a bad seat in the entire building! Well done boys... TOUR DATES & TIX

  

Setting Sail...

A few weekends ago I went on a little trip to the Bahamas. My lucky wife had won a cruise, and I got to tag along. It was unbelievably fun, and after getting over the very NY part of me that couldn't relax and just DO nothing, I really enjoyed the trip and it's slow pace (which made a weekend feel like a week!). Below are a few pictures of my trip that I'd like to share with you. The cruise was actually part of a beer companies promotion, so it was quite wild and the ship was full of other winners. We had a stop on the island of Nassau and took a day trip to Atlantis's Water slides, shark tanks, and super mellow Cain pool. All highly recommended! After a Halloween party on the ship that night, the culmination of the trip was a concert on a private island with Matt and Kim, Incubus and Pit bull the following day. Pretty sweet... A  boat cruise almost seems too old fashioned, but I would consider doing it again. There is a beauty in the detachment, and not being able to check your email (for a day). Enjoy the pics!

 

   

   

   

RESTOCK!!! Samudra Pouches

Missing the beach and sand? For those who are having the post-Summer blues, you can always be reminded of your favorite warm moments with these Samudra pouches. The beautiful cotton photo-printed pouches have been restocked in various scenes!! The sizes are great for carrying all your essentials , and have a simple and easy zip closure. Check out the Samudra collection at Aloha Rag here! 

New York Community...

Today the Shooting Team jumped over to Saturdays Surf to work on an upcoming project. It's great being able to just pop in and work on things, and that's what makes NYC perfect. There are so many creative and driven people here, all working on their dreams, and usually within a couple of blocks from each other! The community that surrounds us here is so powerful and talented, and we are glad to be in this space. 

 

While at Saturdays store I noticed this book, Tahitian Beauties, about a French photographer that visited Tahiti and documented it from 1904-21. The faces in the book are so amazing, and they reminded me of the faces of the native Hawaiians I grew up with. It also reminds me of how much photography has grown in such a short period of time. We shot maybe 200 photos in 30 minutes at Saturdays today, but the french photographer was only really able to make maybe 3 pictures at most in 30 minutes those days. He really thought about his shots a lot longer, and he took some amazing ones, ones that will be remembered forever! Check out the book if you get a chance, and we just uploaded a bunch of new Saturdays clothing to the website!!!

Balmain FW11 Men's Collection

 

The Balmain men's collection took military references as it's major theme for FW11, and continued to showcase the rugged feel the collection is known for. We received strong statement jackets and coats, such as the Hooded Parka with Raccon Fur (left) and Navy Pea Coat (center), that create a major impact and actually keep you warm at the same time! As you can see the looks above, the silhouette stays sharp and trim even though they are layered up.  The biker pants and denim have a great silhouette, as always, and the trademark style subtly upgrades your look modestly. You can see all the Balmain collection we received / will receive for FW11 here! For any question regarding the items, please contact us. 

 

New York : 1-212-925-0882 / 505@aloharag.com

Hawaii: 1-808-589-2050 / love@aloharag.com

Lanvin "HAPPY" Bags

 

 

It could be the timeless sophistication in it's design details, or it's modern touches to the classics, but there is always something special about Lanvin... The Happy bag has everything that Lanvin is about, the delicateness, the elegance, and the charm! The complicated quilting adds a luxurious feel to the buttery leather and suede, and the ribbon woven into the chain is a simple, but significant detail. Besides the three in the picture above, we will receive exotic ostrich and sea snake Happy bags soon!  These bags will sure make you smile, as the name promises... View all of Aloha Rag's Lanvin collection here.

Art Show: "Still Here Now"

 

This Wednesday, June 16th is "Still Here Now", an art exhibition at Panda Gallery. If you are around the area, stop by and check out the show!

 

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"What are you doing? Planning for the future?Well, It's all right now.But later?..................Forget it Baby, that's later.NOW IS NOW, are you going to BE HERE, or not?Its as simple as that."

-Baba Ram Dass

 

In today’s world, the present is often overlooked; thought of only as the stepping-stone to tomorrow.  Many are overly concerned with the future when, in fact, we should celebrate today - the present.  Today is the day we are alive. STILL HERE NOW is the second incarnation of an exhibition of works by: The Bare-man, Daniel Albrigo, Nicolas Atkins, James Blagden, Tim Diet, Eric Elms, Sam Friedman, Jeff Henrikson, Matthew Hollister, Maxwell Holyoke Hirsch, Mac Huelster, Mike Jones, Greg Lamarche, Fernando Lions, Jeremiah Mandel, Kiji McCafferty,Rich McIssac, Soner On, Peter Paquin, Chip 7, Joe Whiteley and Chris Yormick. Originally titled BE HERE NOW after a book of the same name by Baba Ram Dass, this group show was first held at a Los Angeles gallery in 2009.  Now, in 2011 New York City, the show has grown to include a collective of artists and friends who have been working closely together for the last five years.  Each artists resume stretches around the globe and back with both group and solo exhibitions alike.

 

STILL HERE NOW opens on Wednesday June 16th, 2011 with a private reception at Panda Gallery (139 Chrystie Street, between Grand and Broome) from Wednesday, June 16th to Saturday July 16th.For more information, please visit stillherenow.tumblr.com or call 646-327-6618

Art & About: Andrew Schoultz @ Morgan Lehman Gallery

 

Last week, Andrew Schoultz had a great opening at the Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York. I have been a fan of his work for a while, and this really was a great showing. His  paintings have gotten so complex, yet the layering is distinctly ordered, giving the pieces a manageable chaos as well as depth. You can get lost in the paintings, but always seem to find your way, although it is quite possible you will find a new detail every time you look. The repeated themes in his earlier work are mastered and his technique is fully ripe. I am pretty excited to see where he goes next... Below are a few detail shots from his works. Most of these details are about a square foot of canvas in much larger works and to fully appreciate the scale, head over to the gallery in person, or to their website to see the installation view!

 

    

   

Song of the Day: 05.20.11

New York, New York, big city of dreams....

Surfing in the City...

 

Growing up around the beaches of Hawaii was an amazing thing. When I moved to New York, I never thought I would miss the ocean as much as I do. Yoda and I have plans to hit all types of beaches up and down the East Coast this Summer, but when I saw this video, I knew I could have a day of fun on land when the waves are manini. I haven't watched this video with the sound on, so forgive me if its silly, but if you have a large tarp and a plot of land you should try this out! It looks so FUN, bring on Summer!!! 

Mackintosh x Converse Jack Purcell Now Available Online!!

 

Mackintosh arrived on the scene more than 150 years ago with a utilitarian mission to provide warm and dry rainwear for the citizens of rainy Great Britain. Recasting the iconic Jack Purcell shoe using signature Mackintosh waterproof rubberized cotton with contrasting color details created a clean and eye catching sneaker that fits well with both the Converse First String and Mackintosh brands. Limited to 140 pairs in the US. The timeless shoes are available at Aloha Rag in all colors; navy, green, and putty!! Get yours before they are all gone...

 

  

Art & About: Dear Japan @ Open House Gallery

Last Friday, the 3.11 Project hosted a benefit entitled "Dear Japan, We Love You" at the Open House Gallery in Soho. The show was in the silent auction format, and was quite a success, with a line around the block to get in and bid on the works. The organization was perfect and at the last minute of bidding, people were running back and forth between artworks trying to win! Check out some pictures of the event here and here. For more information on the project, and to view artworks that were in the show please check out 3.11's website. Also, you can watch the short video clip about the show from here. 

Tonight: DEAR JAPAN, WE LOVE YOU.

 

I am very pleased to have been asked to donate a photograph to the benefit show, "DEAR JAPAN, WE LOVE YOU." The opening reception is this Friday (4/8/11), and the roster of artists is heavy with talent. Here is the official Press Release if you would like to read a little further about the project and its charities. Please re-blog, re-tweet, socially network and share away. This is a great cause and I hope to see everyone in the NY area there!

 

Art & About: Colin Dodgson @ Sara's Apartment

Last Thursday night I checked out photographer Colin Dodgson's one night show at Sara's apartment. Sara's apartment isn't a gallery, its an actual apartment that was emptied out for the night, and the show installed. This may seem like no big feat, but it was really a great show, free of all the art crowd BS. No lines, no lists, and enough room to actually view the work. Bravo...

 

Besides having a youthful charm, Colin's work is hard to define. The pictures have a casual undertone, similar to "first love" snapshots, but the intimacies captured are staged. Scenarios dreamt up, and captured later. Colin has been pretty active, so pop over to his website or google him for further images. Below are a few images I snapped at the show, but here are way better pictures of the install! 

 

          

RIP Don Hill

 

It is with great regret that I share the news that NYC nightlife king, Don Hill, has passed on. Don will be best known for his years of owning two of the best Rock and Roll clubs in New York's history, The Cat Club and Don Hill's. But Don was actually more then that to Aloha Rag, he was our neighbor, and guardian angel. He took us under his wing and showed us the ins and outs of a neighborhood he had pioneered, and seen change over the years. Plain and simple, he was incredibly genuine and  courteous to us and others, a trait not always synonymous with nightclub owners. He always had time to share a story or two to a hungry ear, and I will truly miss him sitting out in front of the club on one of his bar stools in the summer time, soaking up the sunshine looking truly content and appreciating his surroundings. The picture above is Don and Myself taken at our NY Grand Opening party a few years ago, held at Don Hill's. I am glad to have know him, and Aloha Rag's respects go to his friends, family, and staff. Rest In Peace...

Art & About: Ari Marcopoulos @ White Columns

Besides it still being COLD in New York, which only extends the use of my lovely winter coat, this time of year sees art openings galore. I stopped by the Ari Marcopoulos show at White Columns Gallery last night, and I highly recommend you do to if you get a chance. The show is simple and straight forward, xerox copies of pages from his upcoming book with Rizzoli, but is hung in a overwhelming way that just fills you with curiosity. Check out Maggie Lee's photos of the openning, or better yet, just go!

 

     

Adam Kimmel is an avant gardiste?

I stopped by the store today to grab a few things for a shoot this weekend and spotted this Adam Kimmel shirt. I was intrigued at the rather avant garde placket attachment, and thought that (although Adam could pull it off) it was pretty out of character. Zachary (our NY store manager) pointed out that the shirt had a detachable collar and it was simply a way of displaying the second collar. Stoops... The shirt is amazing, you can have a perfectly bright summer plaid collar or a slightly longer "rim" patterned one. The "rim" design is sophisticated, but pretty gangster, which fits right in with Adam's Snoop Dogg inspired collection... The shirt will be up on the website soon! For now please enjoy these quick pics!

George Condo At The New Museum...

I stopped by the George Condo show up at The New Museum today. I am only recently aware of his work, but I like it... a lot. His crazed and gleeful characters have a really relatable characteristics, and the playfulness of them makes the heavy themes really easy to swallow! Even his Bronze sculptures were really accomplished and I think I was most impressed by them. He has been more present in the public eye recently because of his work on the Adam Kimmel FW10 line and Kanye West's new album artwork.  I was short on time, but got it all in, so if you have a spare sec, Go! The show at The New Museum will be up through May 8th... I don't have any personal photos to share because I got yelled at every time I tried. =) I would like to commend the security guards on a job well done... here are some shots from smoother criminals via Google Image Search....

JUST IN: Shopping Bag / Common Projects & Martin Margiela

 

New season, new bags... The Common Projects Shopping Bag is made with buttery soft nappa leather and has buckled adjustable hand straps. It has enough room (and even a pocket) for your laptop, some magazines, and a few odds and ends, and the leather texture will patina nicely after some use. The simplicity of this bag will never be out of fashion. As you may have experienced before, small objects such as phones, wallets, keys and pens are easy to get lost in the big bag. You can keep those items in this bags detatchable pocket with snap buttons. We have it in black and tan, so please take a detailed look by clicking on the images below.

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Speaking of "shopping bags", check out the new version of Martin Margiela's well-known Furoshiki bag. The shape of the bag is taken from a standard plastic shopping bag, which gives the bag humorous and unique character. Of course, what makes the difference is Margiela materials and craftsmanship.  This bag is made from a tiny beads arranged on leather to replicate stingray texture. The glass beads also slightly reflect light, so you bring the sparkle where ever you go, and it has a big capacity. If you are looking for something different, you will love this bag. Check the images below for a close up view of the bag!