Author: Vice Style Content Team
OK, we know jeans are about as exciting as vests, but the Stockholm-designed Noko Jeans are made in North Korea, which makes them go from te-di-ous to what-the-fu*k in a split second. In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, walking around in jeans would be like wearing the US flag. Still, the three young Swedes behind the Noko Jeans label have produced 1,100 pairs in the heart of North Korea. However, the shop where Noko Jeans were supposed to be sold chickened out and removed them from their shelves to avoid controversy. The first two jeans models, Oke Loose Fit and Kara Slim…
Vice: Hello, Noko Jeans, guys. Why would you produce jeans in North Korea? Jacob Åström: Jeans happened to be our way into the most secluded place on Earth. Everything in the world is accessible through Google and Wikipedia except for, well, North Korea. It turned into an obsession. North Korea doesn’t even have a website. Tor Rauden Källstigen: The closest you get is a fan site, Korea-dpr.com, run by the Korean Friendship Association. Hungover on Tor’s couch on a Sunday morning in the summer of 2007, we discovered the KFA had a business section. You could produce stuff like motorbikes, tanks, cosmetics…
Of course, Moncler’s outdoor show would have to happen on the coldest day of fashion week. Moncler makes winter wear for wealthy people, so it made sense that they would choose the Wollman Rink in Central Park for their presentation. Ice skating is a hobby I’ve always associated with rich folks, but maybe that’s because I’m from a part of the Midwest where immaculately manicured rinks don’t exist. The closest I got to my childhood figure skating dream was a gig as a roller-skating waitress at a 50s-themed restaurant. Of course, Moncler’s outdoor show would have to happen on the…
Backstage, Siki told me, “My inspiration is very simple—Michael Jordan.” I giggled, but then I surveyed the scene, letting it all sink in. Surrounded by over a dozen male models in various states of undress in all burgundy and black with dewy faces and rosy cheeks, it started to make more sense. The syllabus handed out during the presentation elaborated further. The collection, named LOGOS, was essentially an exploration of American branding through one of its ultimate icons. Yeah, yeah, I get all that, but really? A Michael Jordan theme was not what I was expecting from the former architect,…
Vogue Japan’s editor-at-large Anna Dello Russo’s weirdly ugly website has a byline that reads, “I don’t want to be cool; I want to be fashion.” Maybe in Anna’s universe, fashion is all about commerce, and cool is too committal. Whatever, we’ve always thought her hyper-insane outfits were refreshing. Teaching Italian with a boat on your head, for example. When she said she wanted to be a pop star, we even got a bit excited. Unfortunately, the song and the video are horrendous. “Fashion,” she sings, “is always uncomfortable; when you get comfortable, you never get the look.” Lady, you can do all…
After Nike’s underwear-moistening sneak peek at the Back To The Future Air Mag, this promo video and the shoe’s official website went live today. Sneaker freaks and die-hard BTTF fans are going to be so bummed seeing as only 1500 pairs were made and they’re only being sold on eBay, where bids have already reached $8,000. But, they need to check themselves before they start freaking out and complaining that it’s unfair, because all proceeds are going to Michael J. Fox’s Parkinsons foundation. 150 pairs will go up every week for the next 10 weeks, so if you’re loaded, or don’t mind re-mortgaging your home, do your bit for…
For all I know, “fashion” means trying to sort out a decent look out of two H&M rags and a couple of things I stole from my mom, which is perhaps part of the reason why I got the willies as soon as I did some preliminary research on Franco Jacassi. Having assumed that Signor Jacassi, aka Mister Button, aka the man with the largest private collection of buttons in the world, was going to be a dusty historian with maybe a dash of the quirky collector, I was somewhat taken aback when I found out that he is very…
