Author: Bradley Martinez

Over the last twenty years, Footpatrol has become well known as a hub for sneakers but for ’23 we’re adding a range of apparel brands to our arsenal and the first of those has arrived in the form of Seoul based, thisisneverthat.

Known for their graphic elements, the brand bring a new lease of life to the traditional world of streetwear and since their beginning way back in 2009, have built up some what of a cult like following. Originally an underground favourite, the brand continued to push themselves to which in 2018, they showed for the first time at Fashion Week.

To celebrate, we take a look at some of our favourite pieces from their latest collection which is now available to shop online at Footpatrol here.

Our winner is here! You voted, we delivered. A huge congratulations to our winner, Jason Peate. 

At the end of April, we gave you the chance to enter our bespoke ‘Create Your Own’ competition that was hosted over on our Footpatrol Launches app.

Bringing together Footpatrol, Jordan and Nike we took you on a collaborative journey that saw nostalgic Nike and Jordan box designs from previous years to inspire and help you create your own vision and therefore, putting the creativity into the hands of you, the community. 

The outcome of the competition? We gave you the chance to add to your sneaker collections by creating a one-of-a-kind shoe box. Voted for by you, the winner received their design created and brought to live with bespoke shoe tags, receipt, box tissue, and a dust bag featuring Footpatrol branding.

Take a closer look at the winning box below and make sure you don’t miss out on our next competition by downloading the Footpatrol Launches app here?

Tranquillity and reclusiveness is the subject of our latest collaboration with craftsmanship experts Clarks Originals. Remastering both old and new tenures, we put our own creative spin on the iconic Wallabee boot as well as dipping our feet into the brand’s latest model – the Desert Cup.

Our first inception with the brand hails back to our Tawyer Pack in 2013, under the Clarks Sportswear range, reworking their sportswear-inspired silhouette with a fruitful blend of colour and beaded detail, which came bedded on a Vibram sole for a comforting feel to the lowers. Now we wanted to touch bases with the Clarks Originals line, teaming inspiration from the Japanese Zen garden and its connotations of mindfulness and channelling your inner calmness.

For our take on the Wallabee boot, we champion this serene feeling through our experimentation with motion and texture, employing a circular rake zen pattern design on the toe vamp, followed by further rounded embroidery detailing the rears and heel counter. A combination of long nap Chewbacca and buttery suede uppers take on a minimalist grey build, matching its moccasin overstitch and lace system. The Clarks Originals lace fobs are swapped out with the signature Footpatrol Gasmask logo and an extra set of laces are treated in a darker shade of grey. Footpatrol and Clarks Originals dual-branding on the footbed are a nod to this dynamic partnership, and crepe soles lie underfoot for a sturdy completion to this unique design.

The Desert Trek Cup; also taking a creative nod from the rake patterns found in a Japanese Zen garden, lands in an ankle cut build while Grey suede informs the uppers with a more buttery feel on the sides, with the hairier Chewbacca suede adding durability to its rounded toe vamp. Rake patterns also provide decorative touches to the mudguard, sidewalls, and heels, and the lacing system is bolstered up with an extra set of laces too. Footpatrol branded ankle flaps and lace fob deliver a slice of nostalgia and branded insoles just sit above its thick welded crepe outsole.

Shop the Clarks Originals x Footpatrol collection in-store and online exclusively at Footpatrol.

This summer, we teamed up with Soho Warriors and traded the streets of London for the picturesque vista of the English Countryside for their ‘Clean Air’ activation. 

Taking their team of players out to a hidden football pitch within a forest setting, we hosted a 2 vs 2 championship that saw friendly competition and atmosphere all whilst relaxing and taking some time out from the hecticness the city has to offer. 

Take a look below at the event and definitely head over to Soho Warriors to check out more of their work. 

For our latest Footpatrol Discussions we headed back to Tokyo, this time to talk shop with creative duo Alex Grabowski and Shammond Shorter. We venture into their world and watch them collide culture with creativity as they document car culture and fashion harmoniously.

Taking to the streets of Tokyo, the creative duo catch up with 80Rituto and HenatyokoSupra behind the wheels of their Toyota Supra’s as we combine automotive and sneaker anniversaries with the Salomon XT-6 10th anniversary and 30 years of the Toyota Supra (A80). 

Footpatrol: Hi guys, we hope you’re both well, thank you for taking the time to chat with us, I know you’re both constantly working on crazy projects, so the time is greatly appreciated. Can you both start by telling us who you guys are and what it is you both do?

Alex Grabowski: My name is Alex Grabowski, born and raised in the US currently living in Tokyo, Japan. I am a photographer and graphic designer, currently working as a creative director at Huxham Creative Studio here in Tokyo. A lot of my work involves collaging automotive culture as the main subject and the environments I capture them in, blending the two inorder to fully grasp a viewer’s attention. 

Shammond Shorter: I am Shammond Shorter. I was born in Japan and raised in the United States. I am a photographer and freelance creative. My passion lies in capturing moments in time through the lens of my camera. I strive to immortalise those precious instances that I can look back upon and cherish forever. Photography is not just a profession for me; it’s a way to express my creativity and share my unique perspective with the world. Overall, my goal is to create captivating visual narratives that resonate with viewers and leave a lasting impression. Whether it’s through photography or other creative endeavours, I am dedicated to pursuing my artistic vision and sharing it with the world.

FP: Ok so… Tokyo. How did we end up here? Have you grown up here? Or was this a venture into the unknown, I can imagine it’s a very overwhelming city for first timers?

AG: I initially moved here to study abroad for university in 2015, without any real interest in truly Japanese things. It was definitely a large contrast in comparison to the small town living I was used to growing up. And at first I never really planned on staying after university, I knew that my time in Tokyo was and always is going to be limited based on my work and life here. But for the time being, I feel that I can call this place my home and have no plans for moving back.

SS: Tokyo, holds a special place in my heart. While I didn’t grow up here, my connection to Japan runs deep. My mother is Japanese, and I was actually born in Sendai, a city located a few hours north of Tokyo. However, due to my father’s occupation, I had the opportunity to move around the world during my upbringing, experiencing different cultures and places.

Despite having lived in various locations, Tokyo has undoubtedly become my favorite place to call home. There’s an energy and uniqueness to this city that captivates me. When I returned to Japan in 2019 for what was meant to be a three-month visit, little did I know that Tokyo would leave such a profound impact on me. Somehow, those months turned into four years, and I found myself making Tokyo my permanent residence.

FP: So how did you guys get to know each other? 

SS: We first met during my visits to Japan for summer breaks while I was still in high school. Our paths crossed, and we instantly connected. However, it wasn’t until a few years later that we encountered each other again through mutual friends. It was as if no time had passed, and we picked up right where we left off.

Alex has played a significant role in my journey into the world of creativity and photography. Initially, when we first met, I had a simple point-and-shoot camera, with no intentions of pursuing photography as a profession. However, Alex’s passion for photography was infectious. He became a tremendous source of inspiration and provided valuable guidance as I delved further into this artistic realm.

What struck me about Alex was his unwavering dedication to his craft. He is one of those rare individuals who would willingly shoot photography and engage in creative projects without any financial motivations, purely driven by his passion for the art. His genuine love for what he does rubbed off on me, igniting a fire within me to explore and develop my own creative pursuits.

AG: I met Shammond through a mutual friend in University here in Tokyo a few years back. He had been back visiting for vacation in Tokyo at that time while studying at university in the states. I think maybe two years passed after that and we crossed paths again in Shibuya, but we were both shooting a lot more photography that time around… Since then we have both been shooting and pursuing what inspires us most on a daily basis, and he’s become one of my closest friends. 

And seeing him level up from a point and shoot to how he approaches photography now is inspiring for anyone who works creatively, one of the greatest photographers I know no matter the subject matter. 

FP: What is it about Japan that most intrigues you as a creative? 

AG: For me, it’s how vast the automotive culture is. The passion of the people within those close knit communities hits close to home for me. I was raised around automotive cultures and racing in the states, and seeing that I can share that passion with someone on the other side of the world has inspired me to create works that don’t necessarily speak to only the automotive communities. 

Trying to share what I am most passionate about with an audience outside of that. 

SS: What intrigues me the most about Japan as a creative country is the combination of an endless source of inspiration, the presence of interesting creative people, the nostalgic feeling it evokes, and the passion exhibited by its people for their hobbies.

Moreover, Japan is home to a thriving creative community. The country is known for its innovative design, fashion, art, and entertainment industries, attracting talented individuals from various creative fields.

FP: Alex, i guess most people will be familiar with your editing style, is this something that was trial and error? Or do you have a background in graphic design? 

AG: I think a lot of it at the beginning was trial and error, now I have found a kind of rhythm when it comes to creating collages or editing anything really. My background in design started in University, I was obsessed with swiss graphic design. I started seeing how collaging was used to isolate a subject matter, thus leading to me the classic swiss advertisements for Porsche and BMW. I saw how art and automotive could be combined to create something that complemented both and that has stuck with me the most throughout the years.

FP: Sham, tell me about brainwave400? How did this start? and In a world full of film, what separates it from the rest?

SS: Brainwave 400 is a film stock that I co-created with one of my close friends, Gaku. It all started with a simple Instagram page we created called Oats&Brains. However, as the number of available film stocks increased, we realised how much money we were spending on film. That’s when we decided to take matters into our own hands and create our own film stock.

Brainwave 400 is a passion project that we embarked on without any limitations. What sets us apart from other companies in the film industry is that we are not driven by monetary gains. Our primary focus is to build a community of talented photographers and create a sense of family around Brainwave. 

We want to encourage and inspire people to go out and shoot, regardless of their level of expertise. Our goal is to show that you don’t have to be a professional to create beautiful images and express your creativity through film photography. What separates Brainwave from the rest is our commitment to fostering a supportive community and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with film. We are not only providing a high-quality film stock, but we are also building a platform for photographers to connect, collaborate, and share their work. We want Brainwave to be a catalyst for creative exploration and a place where photographers can find inspiration and support.

Looking ahead, we have some exciting plans for the future of Brainwave. We are constantly working on new ideas and collaborations to further enhance the experience for our community. We encourage everyone to stay tuned and be a part of our journey as we continue to grow and evolve.

FP: What have been some of your favourite projects you’ve worked on? And what have been some of the most challenging shoots you’ve both worked on? 

AG:  One of my favorite projects I have worked on was recently for a brand called PINKFLAMINGOUSA. I had the best possible team on my end, we worked together to make it all come together smoothly and the work speaks for itself. Was the most stress free experience as a photographer knowing that we had everything covered. 

Most challenging experience was working on a project where the conditions were difficult both during the shoot and in post. Shooting at night with video is something that takes skill over time and as one of my first projects alone it took some time to adapt to the conditions at hand. 

SS: One of my favorite projects that I have worked on so far was with a brand called HatClub. This project holds a special place in my heart because it was one of my first significant collaborations. What made it even more remarkable was that it was entirely executed by a group of five friends, without any professional equipment or stylist involved.

For this project, I shot everything using a simple point-and-shoot camera. Despite the limitations, we were able to create deliverables that turned out great and exceeded our expectations. It was a testament to the power of creativity and the ability to produce remarkable results with limited resources.

One of the most challenging shoots I have worked on was a project where I had to photograph 20 different locations in Tokyo within a span of just three days. What made it particularly difficult was the fact that the client did not have official permission to shoot at these locations.

To make matters more complex, I decided to ride my bacross Tokyo to navigate between the various locations efficiently. Without official permission, I had to be discreet and find creative ways to capture the essence of each location without drawing too much attention.

FP: As we celebrated the anniversaries of both the Toyota Supra and Salomon XT6, I wanted to ask you both, if YOU! Were a car, what would you be? And if you were a sneaker, what would you be?

AG: A car I would be a Porsche 911R, if I were a sneaker I’d be a Nike SB Blazer Low GT.

SS: If I were a car, I would be a BMW e30 M3, if I were a sneaker I would be Salomon XT Quest 2 

FP: What projects are you currently working on together? Or even independently? 

SS: Currently, Alex and I have several upcoming shoots planned together, partnering with some exciting brands in the near future. We are thrilled about these collaborations and the creative possibilities they hold.

On an individual level, I am deeply involved in my project, Brainwave400, where I am focusing on further developing and promoting my own film stock. It is a passion project that I am committed to nurturing and expanding.

In addition to my photography pursuits, I am also actively engaged in creating a vibrant basketball community here in Tokyo. I am passionate about the sport and want to bring together like-minded individuals to share the love for basketball and foster a supportive creative environment.

Furthermore, I am venturing into the realm of DJing, planning a few DJ sets and music mixes. Music has always been a significant source of inspiration for me, and I believe exploring this creative outlet will further fuel my artistic endeavours.

AG: Like Shammond stated above we have a lot in store creatively coming up soon this year. Independently I’m working on an ongoing photography series that I would like to release as a full body of work in the near future. A lot of automotive works are included though I am adding some other mediums as well that I am excited to present when the time is ready.

FP: thank you for taking the time to chat with us guys, just wanted to give this time to give any words of wisdom on a career in photography or even just on some do/donts of tokyo! I bet you both know all the spots haha. 

AG: Thank you for the opportunity, this experience has been great through and through! My greatest words of wisdom I can give any photographer is that the gear is never really what makes the photo. It doesn’t take the most expensive camera to capture meaningful photographs. I think photography is truly about being in the right place at the right time, and finding that place and time is when everything starts to flow. If you’re ever in Tokyo a lot of car meets happen outside of downtown, but I highly suggest trying to get out here to experience some of the car culture for yourself.

SS: Thank you for the opportunity to chat with you! 

When it comes to pursuing a career in photography, it’s important to remember that it should stem from a genuine passion for the art form. While it’s natural to have aspirations of making a living from your photography, it’s crucial to prioritise the love and enjoyment you derive from capturing moments and expressing your creativity. Stay true to your artistic vision and use photography as a means of self-expression rather than solely focusing on monetary gain.

Don’t be afraid to explore new techniques, experiment with different styles, and push the boundaries of your comfort zone. Keep practising, keep learning, and keep refining your craft.

When you find yourself in Tokyo, I highly recommend grabbing a film camera and exploring Shimbashi at night. It’s a fantastic location to capture the energy and essence of the city. 

It’s essential to be respectful to the locals and make an effort to learn about the language and culture in Tokyo. 

Engaging with the community, showing appreciation for their customs, and demonstrating cultural sensitivity will not only enhance your experience but also foster meaningful connections with the people you encounter along your journey. Thank you again for this opportunity, and we hope our words of wisdom provide some guidance and inspiration. 

We continue exploring the world of art through our Footpatrol Discussions series. This time, we head over to East London to visit South African born, London based painter Zach Zono. Bringing a vibrant approach to his canvas’, Zach often looks towards memories of his upbringing in Cape Town and the colours of the city with a mix of contrasting colour palettes.

Footpatrol: Hey Zach, It’s great to finally meet! Firstly, how’s things? We see you’re now in a new studio space, feeling like home already?

Zach Zono: Everything is all good this side! Feels good to be in a new space, the light is great and I love the window shapes. It took about a month to settle in and make a mess, so it’s feeling like home now.

FP: For our audience who may not be aware of you and your art, could give us a quick background on you and how you’ve found yourself where you are today…

ZZ: Certainly! My name is Zach Zono, and I am an artist currently based in London. I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, which has had a significant influence on my artistic journey. My childhood memories of the open spaces and vibrant colours of Cape Town’s landscapes have greatly shaped my artistic style. 

FP: When looking at your art, the colours can’t help but make us think back to your upbringing in Cape Town, is this a happy coincidence or was that something intentional from the get go?

ZZ: The vibrant colours, vast open spaces, and the play of light and shadow in the Cape Town landscape have left a lasting impression on me. When I create my works, I often draw inspiration from personal memories and the exaggeration of retelling past memories. Lots of the time I think of the mountains surrounding Cape Town and the sunlight reflecting on the river. While my work may appear abstract at times, there is a subconscious influence from my hometown that shines through. It evokes a sense of nostalgia

FP: Your work has been shown in some great locations! Recently adding Drake’s store on Saville Row to that list. What’s it like holding an exhibition outside of the normal vast spaces galleries have to offer? We can imagine it offers a lot more of a homely feel, especially in Drakes.

ZZ: Holding an exhibition in a non-traditional space has been an amazing experience! It was such a refreshing change of pace, also seeing how people responded to the artwork in store was really interesting for me.

FP: So, Footpatrol… We couldn’t help but check out what’s on your feet today and were delightfully intrigued by the Nike Cortez. What drew your eye to those? 

ZZ: The Nike Cortez are a classic for me. I used to have a pair that I painted in but I lost the left shoe and was never able to replace them until now. It’s such an everyday shoe, I was so bummed when I couldn’t find them anywhere. I’m happy to see they’ve come out with new ones.

FP: We’ve noticed on your Instagram you’re a rather well dressed gent whilst working in the studio, do the heavily paint covered overalls not do it for you? 

ZZ: Haha! While heavily paint-covered overalls used to be the practical choice for me, I found that the paint makes its way through whatever you’re wearing underneath. So, I’ve embraced the idea of owning the occasional paint mishap and making it a part of my wardrobe.

FP: Back to your work, We’ve noticed there seems to be a tradition whereby the pieces are either large and almost room filling or more intimate smaller pieces. Is this something you intentionally do or are we just looking into things too much? Haha. 

ZZ: The juxtaposition between large pieces and more intimate works is very intentional in my artistic practice. Each size offers a different experience and interaction for both myself, as the artist, and for the viewer. 

FP: Couple of quick fire questions… Your favourite colour palette to work with? 

ZZ: I have been really into hues of red recently 

FP: Your favourite medium? We’re guessing paint and canvas but we could be surprised… 

ZZ: Yes! Oil paint and canvas are indeed my favourite mediums to work with.

FP: I think that’s it from us… Massive thank you for allowing us to come down and join you at your studio and check out your work. We normally leave this last question open to you, a chance to share some words of wisdom or share anything upcoming, the not so shameful plug shall we say so, take it away! 

ZZ: Thanks for coming past, Was great! Keep creating x 

For SS23, we receive another helping of one of adidas’ most coveted collaborations from recent years, Wales Bonner.

For this latest venture, the British designer works with adidas to explore the brands long lasting presence within Jamaican culture. This focus produces a four piece footwear collection consisting of two Sambas and two SL72’s that each bring a striking, yet refreshing colour palette that draws on the nations eye-catching landscape and environment.

The two SL72’s for example feature a reimagined upper, this time opting for a knit that offers a new overall feel and look to this archival silhouette. Both are finished in a distinct colour way that continues the collections homage to Jamaican culture.

Shop remaining styles in-store and online here!

An editorial page founded by Tim Suen & Sam Le Roy during the lockdown of 2020. Hartcopy has been at the heart of sneaker narrative since its inception. Cultivating a newfound culture of knowledge, sharing the history across all brands within the industry, lifestyle stories, and unlocking many of those untold truths surrounding some of the most unknown and coveted releases. 

Brimming with sneaker discovery, the ultimate literature hotspot announces the release of its second signature book – Hartcopy Vol.2 which may we add, is now available to shop in-store and online here!

Last year, we supported Hartcopy by hosting an in-store signing, being London’s exclusive stockist for their debut. We are delighted to be celebrating the Launch of Hartcopy Vol.2 through an in-store meet and greet with the brand’s creative mastermind Sam Le Roy in our very own London flagship store, with the aim to bring our community closer and provide you with a night packed with sneaker festivities. 

To elevate this special event, we will be partnering with Clarks to remaster our own take on the Wallabee Boot as an exclusive custom giveaway (limited to 20 pairs), with the shoe fobs and laces taking design cues from our early 2013 Taywer FP collection. As well as some additional giveaway merchandise supplied by Jason Markks.

We caught up with Hartcopy’s Sam Le Roy to see how Hartcopy has taken off since we last caught up at the launch of their first ever publication.

Footpatrol: Sam, good to have you back! Hartcopy since we last spoke has taken off, how have you found it?

Sam Le Roy: Lovely to be back! I’ve been great. Busy, but great – it’s a good problem to have in the grand scheme of things. Hartcopy is absolutely soaring and I couldn’t be any happier with it. It’s surprising the rate at which we’re going, but I think that’s just the nature of the game; I’m sure we’ll have a slow period at some point. 

FP: What’s been the biggest change?

SLR: I think with increased numbers and access to resources from brands comes a level of confidence that isn’t available through any other means. Previously I thought of Hartcopy (and by extension, myself) as this small time blog with little to no real gravity. I thought of the entity as a means to document, but without any weight or ability to influence and/or steer the industry I can now call home. These days, I can say with nothing but confidence that Hartcopy is a massive entity, one that touches millions of people every month, and with that comes a real sense of belonging and fulfillment, as well as real validation and respect from partners and industry leaders. 

FP: It’s great to see you doing so well. With the recent growth over the last year, has the direction and plan for Hartcopy changed or do you plan to keep things the same?

SLR: The plan has always been to showcase and educate, really. The wider plan, at least. Of course there’s a ton of smaller peripheral goals that I’ve got to tick off along the way, but I don’t see Hartcopy diverging from that mission of educating. The only change has really been our ability and success in doing exactly that. 

FP: How do you see yourselves growing?

SLR: Aside from the quantitative side of things, which has obviously grown massively, the real growth for me this year has been witnessing how many real people the account can touch. Further down the line I want to cover alot more lifestyle, and hollow out a real “Hartcopy” image, that’s always respectful to history in the same way I do with footwear. We’re still a super small team, but I’d love to eventually have a group of people in the office that all follow the same moral compass and all love the same things. 

FP: How do you feel Hartcopy’s impact has been received within the industry?

SLR: I think (or I hope) that Hartcopy can be seen as a “cultural encyclopedia”, in that I hope people look at it as an objective, opinionless medium for distributing information on great products. WIthout a shadow of a doubt, we’ve shown people what’s cool and what’s trendy, but more than that I think that the way we present every pair in full context is very important. It’s not “red shoe, blue shoe”, and we actively encourage people to understand what it is that they’re really buying. Looking further down the line I hope that people have a broadened understanding of consumer habits and why it is we want to buy what we buy, and that people slow down a bit and just enjoy what they’ve got. Maybe we’re not exactly there yet, but I hope that one day I’ll be able to have that impact. 

FP: With the amount of reach Hartcopy has and the insight it creates into the product, I’m surprised you haven’t got a collab in the works! With all the shoes you have documented, was there one that you looked at and went, ‘Damn I wanna do a collab on that one day’? 

SLR: We actually do – I’ll leave it to your imagination, but there’s definitely a handful of pairs being worked on. We’ve already worked with Clarks Originals (on two occasions, actually) and are quite far down the line with multiple other brands. Keep an eye out later this year for the start of all that!

FP: Vol.3, are we safe to say it’s already in the works?

SLR: Absolutely – I’ve already been concepting everything and things are looking great. We just need to get a hold of all of the shoes, but that’s the fun part. 

FP: We know you recently launched your book, Aesthetic Survival. Is there a plan to continue growing out the realms of which Hartcopy covers? 

SLR: Aesthetic Survival was really an amazing experience for me personally and it was a great exercise for Hartcopy. Working with Aurora (who co-authored the book with me and concepted the project herself) was an immense pleasure, and it opened my eyes to the opportunities that lie out there for Hartcopy as a publisher on a wider level. It’s very important to me that we continue making these books with creatives around the world, and it’s definitely something I want to do more and more down the line. Who knows, we might already have one in the works with someone else!

For the launch of the Saucony Progrid Omni 9 OG we talked with Artist, filmmaker and designer Aaron Bevan-Bailey talks to us about the founding of ‘Play Attention’. We dive into what drives his creative urges, learning about all things from processes to craft, and as luck would have it a similarity on colour palettes to the OG Omni 9.

Footpatrol: Hey Aaron, hope you’re well, thank you for taking the time to chat to us, could we start by getting a bit about yourself and what it is that you do?

Aaron Bailey: I’m an Artist, film maker and designer and founder of Play Attention. If i’m not painting, illustrating or sculpting Im filming something. Creating and making things with my hands is my happy place. I have a hard time putting a label on what I do because it’s constantly evolving but Play Attention seems to be versatile enough to satisfy a lot of my creative urges. I’d describe myself as a Creator.

FP: We know you’re an artist that has a very distinct style, however, we’re here today to talk about your other project ‘Play Attention Now’ Can you give us some background on how and why this was started?

AB: Play Attention started as an antidote to the more serious themes in my other artwork. It was a sort of playground where I would just freestyle and let my imagination run wild. For me it was a way of injecting humor back into my work. 

I worked as a storyboard artist and Art Director in advertising before starting Play Attention. I felt like it was time to use the skills I learned in the advertising world to do something other than just sell random products. I wanted to do something that mattered to me and inspired other people. I was doing a lot of spiritual self reflection and the name Play Attention came from remembering to find the Joy in that new sense of awareness, not taking myself too seriously. The older you get the more important it is to find a sense of open minded playfulness so you don’t become too rigid.

FP: How do you approach each illustration? The subjects and characters that feature in the works are quite varied.

AB: I start with a very loose idea letting each mark react to the last, sort of like a meditation or a puzzle and let the composition evolve naturally. I like to just draw with ink and no under drawing incorporating the mistakes I make into the final piece. I think that style of drawing really struck a chord with people online. Kind of like advanced doodling. When you watch it in timelapse it looks sort of effortless but trust me its taken a long road of trail, error and practice to make it look that easy.

My inspirations come from everywhere and anywhere memes, reality TV, renaissance paintings, cartoons. Faces will catch my eye and I can already see them as a drawing. I love drawing things that are quite grotesque. I was obsessed with the cartoon Ren and Stimpy growing up. I loved when they’d cut to a close up of something and it would be this beautifully rendered stomach churning painting.

  

When I was a kid I was very into comics like 2000 AD, Tank Girl, Frank Miller’s Dark Knight and anything by Moebius. I would live with my head in the pages of Judge Dread and Slaine. I used to copy the illustrations of people like Dermot Power and Brian Bolland obsessively; that’s kind of how I taught myself  to draw. I love comic book illustration, you have to simplify and distill the marks. One line has to do the job of five in a more realistic drawing. Its more complicated than it looks, the greats can convey weight, physics, sound, movement, texture to the point where you really feel like you could step inside that world, all with simple lines.  

I think my ten year old self would think I have the dream job. I try to remember that when I’m drawing. I keep a photo of myself in my desk from around that age and think about what he would think was really badass. I feel like if you draw things that appeal to your inner child it tends to connect with other people on that level. I always loved the simplicity of people like Kieth Harring. His art can connect with someone who’s 5 or someone who’s 85 and make them both smile. Picasso said “It took me a lifetime to learn how to draw like a child” that always stuck with me. Play Attention is just what naturally comes out if you put a pen and a piece of paper in my hand.

FP: Roughly how long does it take to finish a piece? Is it something you’ll try to get done in a small window of time? Or something you’re happy to visit over a period of weeks or months?

AB: It depends on how inspired i’m feeling.I try to draw quite quickly, the drawings have more energy that way. Some I’ll do in an evening in a single sitting and others I will revisit over a couple of days. The big pieces can take me a week. It also depends if Ive drawn the object/character before or not. When I draw purely from imagination and memory it comes out faster. I try to remember things Ive seen and draw them from memory. One of my idols, the late Kim Jung Gi, was a master at this. He could draw incredibly complex structures like oil rigs and military aircraft from memory. He inspired me to have the confidence to stop under drawing and just ink. If you don’t know his work I encourage you to check him out, you will be both inspired and humbled. You retain way more than you’d think I like to exercise that part of my brain. 

FP: what are your go to pens for producing these illustrations? Is there something you’re yet to try and incorporate or would like to try differently going forward?

AB: I use alot of Chinese calligraphy brushes in my work. I love the lines they give you. They encourage me to make more bold marks. I’m also a big fan of Pentel Brush Pens. They are frustrating at first but once you figure out the right amount of pressure to use you can get so much variety out of them.

I definitely want to start working on a much bigger scale if anyone wants a Play Attention Mural holler at me. 

FP: Do you take commissions through PAN? I’d imagine people come to you with some pretty crazy concepts?

AB: I do take commissions, I like to keep the brief pretty loose so I have space to play. I recently did a piece where someone wanted a bunch of legendary jazz pianists. That was fun. I listen to alot of jazz when I work. I feel like Jazz is all about improvisation and flexing in your art form without being too tired to structure. I like to think my drawings are a bit like that. 

I’m designing merch, posters and stages for this years Secret Garden Party Music Festival at the moment. I’ve also been doing some artwork for Seth Troxler’s new label Slacker 85 that I’m very excited about coming out.

FP: If YOU were a sneaker, what would you be?

AB: If I was a sneaker Id be Jeremy Scott Js Wings because they’re cartoonish and surreal but based on the Campus 80s an absolute old school hip hop classic. I just love that he did that, its such a bat shit crazy design. I want to be that bold when I start doing sneaker collabs.  

FP: Tell us about your venture into apparel, we recently saw you screen printing your designs, if there was a brand you could work with (you never know, they could be reading!) who would it be?

AB: My ethos with apparel is definitely about sustainability. I love reworking, upcycling and extending the life of pre-loved classics. I think the future of fashion depends on it. Coming up without a lot of money it was all about finding that vintage gold and customizing it to make it my own. Streetwear has always been about styling out what you have and juxtaposing things you wouldn’t think would necessarily work together. I like things that are slightly distressed with a bit of character, one offs you know no one else has. 

I don’t want the creativity to stop at the point of sale. I want to inspire people and encourage them to further customize the things I make. That’s something I’m definitely incorporating moving forward. I’m looking forward to doing some pop ups later in the year where we will have a screen printing carousel where people can print my design on their own clothes or customize pieces they buy from the store.  

I really love vintage Carhartt workwear; it feels like a blank canvas to me. I love getting my hands dirty in the studio building things so I like something rugged enough to work in that looks cool. For me it’s the perfect balance between style and functionality. If anyone from Carhartt is out there, hit me up.

FP: Before we go, we just want to finish on giving you an opportunity to shoutout or give any words of wisdom on what the current creative industry is doing well or even lacking?

AB: Learn to accept your mistakes. Let your limitations become your style. 

Shop the Saucony Progrid Omni 9 OG online at Footpatrol.

Ever since ancient times, gold has never been far away from the collective fascination of many cultures and civilisations, often thought of as the ultimate symbol of wealth and importance. From the gold-spun fabrics used by royalty and nobility from the 14th to 17th century, to even older examples of gold-embroidered cloth favoured by the ancient Greeks and Romans, not to mention its sustained use in jewellery over the ages, the precious metal has an unmatched legacy within fashion. For the majority of the last 100 years, this legacy had mainly been associated with opulence, intertwined with esteemed luxury fashion houses like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, but towards the latter part of the century, its cultural association began to shift.

With the emergence of hip hop in the 1980s, gold became the go-to ornamental choice for many of the pioneering MCs. LL Cool J, Run DMC and Biz Markie were leading forces in popularising the gold rope chain and four finger bar ring. Slick Rick would don a gold crown and sceptre combo to accompany his multiple gold chains, and Big Daddy Kane’s ‘Long Live The Kane’ album cover displayed an even greater level of regal imagery, with the rapper draped in gold chains and sat on a gold throne, in a look reminiscent of ancient African rulers. 

Though this lavish era of hip hop fashion gave way to a more casual, workwear-influenced mode of dress in the early nineties, with an emphasis on tougher baggy silhouettes, gold jewellery remained a staple, albeit to a moderate degree. Artists like Dr. Dre and Ice T were often seen with a simple gold curb chain or bracelet, as well as the occasional iced out Rolex, which completed their cleaner, all-black ensembles.

As hip hop’s dominance on global popular culture intensified in the mid 1990s, gold was beginning to symbolise something new. By the end of the decade, hip hop style had pivoted back to more flashy, extravagant form, as the gangsta rap era reached new heights. Gold Cartier frames, medallions and watches accented oversized get ups, with an emphasis on power and money. The West Coast label Cash Money perhaps typified this new image the most as hip hop surged towards the new millennium, setting the tone by name alone, producing blinged-out album sleeves for many of their roster’s early output, notably Lil Wayne’s 1999 debut ‘Tha Block Is Hot’ and B.G.’s ‘Chopper City In The Ghetto’, released the same year.

Another hip hop favourite gaining traction in the 1990s was the grill. Originally seen on the likes of Slick Rick and Flava Flav in the previous decade, rappers like ODB and the RZA of Wu Tang Clan shone a new light on the accessory with inventive designs such as fang shaped canines. Across the pond, Drum n Bass Godfather Goldie learned the craft of creating gold caps to build an impressive 24 tooth grill to match his name. Goldie’s striking visual identity of baseball caps, shell suits and excessive gold jewellery could be seen as a precursor to the UK ‘Chav’ attire which went on to epitomise British working class street culture in the early 2000s. 

The gilded effect of street culture around this era would inevitably be felt in sportswear. Following the release of the groundbreaking Air Max 97 in its iconic ‘Silver Bullet’ colour scheme, Nike sought to further capitalise on the burgeoning interest of metallic palettes across its performance models. In its wake there had been a spate of shimmering sneaker renderings, notably on the blue-hued Air Foamposite in 1997, with its follow up silhouettes, the Air Foamposite Pro and Total Air Foamposite Max, adopting similarly silvery tones for the uppers, and the metallic theme would even seep into

the lifestyle range by way of the ‘jewel’ swoosh, which played a key role in reigniting interest in the Air Force 1 model around the same period. 

1998’s World Cup had seen the unveiling of the Mercurial R9 football boot, a pro model for the superstar Brazilian striker and Nike athlete Ronaldo, which channelled wavy silver accents into its sleek new lightweight design. A stark contrast to the all-black leather boots that had been the norm for brands and players up until that point, and a glimmering sign of things to come for the world’s most popular sporting industry. 

With silver then firmly established as a new core colour for Nike, the natural next step was to turn to gold. Two years on from the Silver Bullet, the Air Max 97 would be the first flagship Nike sneaker to get the gilded treatment when the aptly-named ‘Gold Bullet’ or ‘Golden Nugget’ dropped in 1999. By simply replacing the silver uppers with gold, the shoe kept the visual integrity which had made the AM97 such a success, as both colours complimented the white midsole, 3M accents and University Red swoosh combination perfectly. The Gold Bullet also called back to the famous asymmetric gold running shoes worn by American sprinter Michael Johnson at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where he would fittingly win two gold medals.

The connection of hip hop and streetwear has been cemented thanks to the alignment of culturally significant trends banded between the two factions over the last 40 years, so it’s no surprise that gold is so deeply-rooted in each. Taking cues from the early days of the imperious music subculture, trailblazing streetwear brands such as Stussy and FUCT have often used gold for their jewellery lines, memorable examples being the former’s 40th anniversary gold signet ring and the latter’s Skull Bunny rings and pendants from the FUCT SSDD range.

Gold’s employment within streetwear has also been a way to mimic and subvert designer labels and high end aesthetics. The masters of this are perhaps Supreme, who’s use of the colour stretches back to at least the late nineties, with the release of the ‘Bling’ box logo. The design featured a gold bar with a jewel-encrusted spell out, and was used on a selection of t-shirts and stickers in 1999. By the early 2000s, the New York brand had embraced gold as a staple colour, and whether utilised overtly- such as in 2013’s gold playing card deck or 2017’s Metallic Gold Nike Uptempo, or as a subtle embellishment- as seen on 2003’s Nike Dunk High’s use of gold stars to offset classic Dunk college colourways, the effect is still true to the label’s tasteful but tough aesthetic.

Western street labels weren’t the only ones getting in on the begilded act. As A Bathing Ape started to broaden its appeal by evolving from hip Japanese underground brand into mainstream streetwear powerhouse, many of its staple items would get the golden treatment. Gold-tinged t-shirt graphics, gold foil BAPESTA and ROADSTA sneakers, and a slew of gold accessories including BAPEX watches and Bearbrick figurines would serve to define the brand’s new identity. Even the APE head graphic woven label, situated at the sleeve of BAPE’s iconic tees, would be rendered in gold henceforth.

NIGO’s link up with Pharrell in the early noughties, by way of Jacob the Jeweller no less, explored this angle further, with the pair revelling in the ostentatious nature of hip hop of the time, eventually starting the bling-focused, luxury streetwear label Billionaire Boys Club together in 2003. The N.E.R.D. frontman’s influence on the designer’s personal style is well documented, but duo’s mutual passion for gold-plated nostalgic or culturally significant items becomes even more apparent when you conflate the aforementioned golden BAPE products with Pharrell’s inordinate collection of gold gear the years, which has included a golden Blackberry and a 14k gold-plated PSP console. 

The subcultural fixation on gold has yet to wane. It may have seemingly reached the apex, but the bond with hip hop is stronger than ever. Be it Kanye’s 2013 $750k gold toilets, or Drake’s 2 million dollar solid gold Jordan 8s from 2016, rappers have continually found outrageous new ways to flaunt the precious metal. But aside from these absurd novelty pieces, gold has remained a timeless hip hop fashion statement, and if the current crop’s penchant for layered gold curb chains and grills blended with the key element of today’s nineties revivalism (Cartiers, elaborate pendants) is anything to go by, gold’s popularity appears gleaming. Sneaker culture too remains in step with the metallic zeitgeist, evident in the carefully considered reissues of the Silver and Gold Bullets, built true to the original spec by Nike for the first time in over 20 years, and ready to define another era.

Words by Samuatro