The In Crowd

For the ladies....

"Super Models Coco Rocha and Behati Prinsloo, model the hottest womens Fall 2009 fashion trends presented in a video montage shot on location in Toronto's historic Gladstone Hotel."

For those unaware, Holt Renfrew is kind of like the Toronto version of Sak's meets Barney's. To see the looks inspired by this video, click here.

Tropicália in Furs, a hole-in-the-wall Brazilian record shop in the East Village, is the kind of place New Yorkers worry will disappear from the city forever. A tiny alternate universe where Technicolor dots bounce off glossy LP covers by Os Mutantes, the Cramps, and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, it's never crowded or empty, and the same affable connoisseur is always behind the counter.

Joel (pronounced "jo-EL") Olveira, whose old-school afro and proto-hip-hop wardrobe make him look younger than his 36 years, opened the store's first incarnation five years ago in a flooded basement on the Bowery under the motto "Buy, Sell, Barter, Chit-Chat," quickly attracting a following with his warm demeanor and overflowing knowledge of late-'60s psychedelic Brazilian rock. Among serious collectors and DJs, word began to spread about the unequaled treasures Olveira kept hidden in a crate in the back of the store—possibly the best collection of obscure Tropicália singles on earth.

Click here for more from The Village Voice.

Online:

Tropicália in Furs

The popular mass market but hip UK clothing chain finally opens their first store in the US. Read more about it here.

Online:

Topman US site |  Topshop US site

From the NY Times:

"They made trips to Italy, where Kiton apparel is carefully sewn by hand and doled out to retailers in modest quantities. Gradually, they were able to offer a limited selection in places like Beverly Hills and Chicago. Finally, Saks’s dream of opening a sumptuous Kiton boutique in New York came true — just in time for the worst recession in 70 years.

The people who run Saks are only a tiny bit sheepish about introducing such costly garments at such a dire moment.

“These are decisions that are made with significant advance planning,” said Ronald L. Frasch, president and chief merchandising officer for Saks. He emphasized that he would not undo the decision even if he could.

“A store like Saks needs to have the best product available,” Mr. Frasch said. “And I do think the man who wants to present himself in a certain way, he’s still out there.”"

Is he right? Somehow I doubt it. Click here for the full article. [NY Times]

Now this is a muscle car with swag and style!

For those of you with real paper, bid on this beautiful work of art for a good cause. Click here for more details on the car & the auction and click here to bid.

From a Giant Step e-blast last week:

""This is a historic moment for Wax Poetics. We're very proud to be the first U.S. magazine that has ventured into the digital music arena. We are excited to have the opportunity to further our message of 'Music in Context' through this new medium."
-- Andre Torres, Editor-in-Chief

Music-sharing websites are everywhere. The online equivalent to harshly lit department stores number in the thousands. Despite the overwhelming number of digital music providers, there's a glaringly obvious element missing: heart. Wax Poetics aims to change the point-and-click culture that has consumed the music-buying experience. Music appreciation is making a comeback with the Wax Poetics Digital download store.

The tasteful, knowledgeable publication you know and love breaks ground on the most visionary, high-quality record store around-in digital format. As local record shops bite the dust each day, Wax Poetics Digital aims to replace them with a specialized selection and replicate the brick-and-mortar experience with easy browsing and relevant recommendations-something the larger stores can't possibly accomplish. This is the new era of digging."

Click here for more.

Online: 

Wax Poetics' Digital Download Store   |  Website

Rime is an excellent new streetwear boutique that I just discovered that recently opened up in my Brooklyn neighborhood (Carroll Gardens/Boerum Hill). It's located at:

157 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-797-0675

Worth investigating if you're into shops like Vinnie's Styles, Atmos etc. 

Online:

Rime - website
 

I discovered this place on a recent vacation to Colorado. Quality designer street & snowboard wear in the heart of swanky Aspen. Check it if you run in 'those' kind of circles and happen to be out there some time. Just make sure your private jet has enough space for all the gear you're likely to cop!

Online:  Website  |  MySpace 

This is a GREAT idea for a Christmas gift or charitable donation:

"The mission of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child. In order to accomplish our goal, we need people who believe in what we’re doing and want to help make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege.

Since November 12th, OLPC has been offering a limited-time Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. During Give One Get One, you can donate the revolutionary XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and also receive one for the child in your life in recognition of your contribution."

Click here for more details.

Jacked from my own review on Amazon.com:

Within 2 weeks of regular use both ear buds on the first version of the Maximo iM-390 headphones I received had broken. Needless to say I was not happy or impressed. However, when I wrote the compnay to complain, I have to say their Customer Service dept. was extremely helpful and VERY hands-on in trying to address my concerns and making sure I got a new replacement set of headphones quickly and hassle-free.

I wanted to try out the new set for a while first and see if the would hold up better before posting a review here. After a couple months now though, performance-wise they've been great. The sound is nice & clean and the low-end response is decent for in-ear style headphones and can be improved by experimenting with the other two sizes of rubber ear buds included with the headphones.

Overall, if you're looking for a low-cost alternate with decent performance to some of the more costly in-ear headphones in the market like the BOSE ones that also look great, these are definitely worth your consideration.

Buy them: Amazon.com  |  Maxwho.com