With two sleeps to go until the trials and tribulations of Christmas Day 2022, things seem to be becoming more frantic than festive. This week, whilst we dreamt of hunkering down for the holiday period, the news hurtled on.
From brand new look books by Unknown London to new gear sneak peeks from Arc’teryx, there’s no signs of life slowing down just yet. Don’t go anywhere – we’re here to give you the full lowdown from this week…
SIMON WHEATLEY SNEAKS US A ‘SILVERLINK’ PEEK
Following a packed-out Soho launch event earlier this week, cult grime-scene photographer Simon Wheatley has returned with the release of his second self-published book ‘Silverlink’. The book is Wheatley’s first release since his renowned title ‘Don’t Call Me Urban! The Time of Grime’ changed the face of British documentary photography back in 2010.
Exploring the journey of The North London Line through the late nineties and early noughties, ‘Silverlink’ dropped alongside a collaborative calendar with culture brand Wavey Garms for 2023. Now available in a limited run online and in selected stores.
NANDO’S X PACKETS & TABASCO DROP SPICY DESIGNS
Flame-grilled, fan-favourite chicken restaurant Nando’s has teamed up with design studio Packets & Tabasco to drop a saucy new piece of furniture. The collaborative table features the legendary Nando’s Barci logo in full monogrammed glory, designed with Packets & Tabasco’s signature vintage style in mind.
Representing the restaurant’s famous side offerings, Packets & Tabasco paired their flair for classic design with Nando’s tongue-in-cheek charm to create the striking side table.
JD ENTERS THE METAVERSE WITH KANO, KSI & MORE
Sportswear supernova JD Sports have taken their firsts steps into the metaverse by becoming the first-ever brand to launch a global game for sneaker-fanatics on the Facebook platform.
The latest metaverse venture sees JD open a virtual arcade where players can indulge in nostalgic games such as Pinball, The Grabber and Table football. The move follows the release of their ‘King of the Game’ campaign, which features stars like KSI, Anthony Joshua and Kano amongst many others stepping into an other-worldly shopping centre arcade.
UNKNOWN LONDON REVEAL 90’S LOOKBOOK FOR AW22
Premium streetwear brand Unknown London are back with the second drop of their Autumn / Winter 2022 collection. The drop comprises 32 pieces including all-new t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies, alongside the return of their iconic Uniform jersey pieces (in brand-new colourways) and a re-release of their sell-out Rhinestone Puffer Jacket.
But that’s not all – accompanying the drop is a brand new lookbook featuring French rappers thaHOMEY and SLIMKA in a notably nostalgic nineties setting.
LONG LIVE NFTS: SALE NAILED FOR NACHO THE PUG
Spanish fashion and lifestyle brand Armand Basi has released a collective of NFT’s named ‘Nacho the Pug’. Featuring 6 non fungible tokens, each represents a piece from the brands relaunch collection ‘Project #1’ in collaboration with creative director Eva Basi, artist Alfredo Palmero and graphic designer Paula Guallar.
In Armand Basi’s own words, yes – they are “some other “motherf***ers” doing NFTs”. Enough said.
ARC’TERYX LAUNCH LUNAR NEW GEAR
Performance-wear phenomenon Arc’teryx really just said Bunny > Bird with their lates drop-tease in celebration of Lunar New Year. In a move that will surely delight Chinese streetwear lovers, the outdoor apparel label turned streetwear superbrand has put its own spin on The Year of the Rabbit with a sneak peek of their Alpha SV Jacket, Atom LT Hoody and Motus AR shirt emblazoned with rabbit-centric logos.
SALT BAE IN HOT WATER WITH FIFA
Internet meme sensation Salt Bae is in hot water (again), this time with football body FIFA, following the leak of a video where he can be seen kissing and ‘seasoning’ the World Cup Trophy. Stating explicitly that the cup can only be held by a “select group of people”, FIFA are now holding an investigation as to how the chef gained undue access to the pitch.
The news follows the shocking account of an eye-watering £140,000 bill from Salt Bae’s Abu Dhabi restaurant Nusr-Et Steakhouse which caused outrage on social media.
POLKA-DOT DROP: 1ST LOOK AT LV X YAYOI KUSAMA
The first look at luxury leader Louis Vuitton’s collaboration with hallucinatory artist Yayoi Kusama is here, marking the 10th anniversary of the two visionary’s first collaborative collection in 2012. The campaign tease features Kusama’s iconic kaleidoscopic dots printed across LV classics such as the Alma BB bag, plus a range of chromatic orbs adorned across various accessories.
Rolling out on the 1st Jan in Japan and China with global release throughout worldwide Louis Vuitton boutiques following on the 6th, prepare to sign the (polka) dotted line in your chequebook.
GUCCI’S NEW STORE COMES WITH BAGGAGE
Italian luxury fashion house Gucci has opened its doors on Paris’s iconic Rue Saint-Honoré, with the announcement of their first ever stand-alone luggage store in the city of love.
Sharing the news via social media, the brand posted a photo of the 2,900-square-foot shop in all its Parisian glory. The boutique will offer a select range of hat boxes, suitcases and accessories, in a bid to expand their luxury offerings in the world of travel.
NETFLIX SAYS ‘NOPE’ TO PASSWORD SHARING
Uh oh, time to log out of your ex’s Netflix. The streaming service giant has announced that 2023 will mark the end of the password-sharing era, with plans to charge those who share accounts extra.
Following a drop in new subscribers during the pandemic, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos admitted to investors that he knows users won’t “love it right out of the gate”. You may be right, Ted.
YOUNG THUG ENLISTS HIP-HOP HISTORIANS
In the latest update to the ongoing ‘YSL RICO’ court case against rap artists including Gunna and Young Thug, the latter has now recruited the help of a “hip-hop historian” and two “lyrics experts” to serve as witnesses as the musician faces up to twenty years behind bars.
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, the rapper has enlisted the expert support of author Dr. Erik Nielson and university professors Drs. Adam Dunbar and Charis Kubrin, respectively. As Thug’s fellow YSL members begin to accept plea deals, we’ll be watching to see how this latest instalment of the trial pans out.
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