CURATORS OF DOPENESS

This site is the visual expression of one creed: Manifest your OWN destiny.

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

BRAND SPOTLIGHT: CRANES (Interview with Amanda Broussard)

<p>This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you fashion from the street.</p> <p>I had the chance, this past weekend, to talk to a friend of mine, Amanda, the Marketing/PR manager (and former guest contributor here at @COD_713) over at CRANES, one of my favorite fashion secrets here in Houston. They are getting ready to make some moves in the near future and I wanted to be the FIRST to bring you into the world of CRANES.</p> <p>###</p> <p><br> 1) What is CRANES? Brand? Lifestyle?</p> <p>Cranes is a lifestyle brand born out of the necessity to just be able to create freely. We rely strongly on the lifestyle part because it is the core inspiration behind our aesthetic. It is how we live, dress, and express ourselves. All of that goes into everything we create.</p> <p>2) Who comprises CRANES?</p> <p>We have a really small team so it’s very close knit.<br> Follow us on Instagram.<br> @lordxsupreme<br> @thedrugsbaby<br> @theecure<br> @iamrhenya</p> <p>3) How & When did CRANES start?</p> <p>Cranes started about 4 years ago, mainly just by a meeting of the minds between Bryan and a few friends he worked with at the time. We grew into what we are now and the process has been a huge part of why we are so happy with where Cranes is currently.</p> <p>4) Where are you currently based and where can people acquire CRANES?<br> We are currently based out of Houston, but that will be changing soon.<br> Our website is up (creativityreigns.co). However, our webstore is currently closed as we work on our new campaign. </p> <p>5) Why CRANES?</p> <p>It’s an acronym.<br> C.reativity <br> R.eigns <br> A.bove ###

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

HWG Press Waves Series

At the HWG Press our goal is to produce our own books to promote the Guild and its author members.

At the HWG Press our goal is to produce our own books to promote the Guild and its author members.

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihDHBGoR34M)

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

Brand Spotlight: High Hopes Clothing

This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you fashion from the street!

First of all, I want to make an apology to the faithful readers of The Curators of Dopeness Blog, on behalf of the staff. Lately, we have been very busy with other projects as individuals; however, that is not an excuse for us to neglect why we are able to pursue those other endeavors: YOU!!! Please accept this humble apology and know that we will do our best to bring you more of the high quality, original content that we have been bringing you from the beginning.

Now that that is out of the way, let’s discuss High Hopes, the brand that we are spotlighting today. I have been knowing the owner/designer, Tajay, since my days of running around the H-Town Sneaker Summit, which has been about 10+ years. Tajay has been grinding this whole time, with the sole purpose of bringing the mantra of “High Hopes & Hard Work” to life. Now, he has got a dope piece to bring to you for the Fall/Winter 2015, the Ferrari Lifestyle L/S t-shirt, after the jump. Check out the pictures below and go to the High Hopes website,  www.highhopesclothing.com. You can also follow them on social media at the following links:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/HighHopesClothing

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/highhopesmedia

Do NOT wait to make this purchase, because, as I was directly informed by Tajay, these pieces will sell out!

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you fashion from the streets.

This pair of Jordan 1 High OG Retros are my first pair of Jordans. In life.

Very excited when I got them in my possession and I hope to wear them for a long time.

Apologies for being gone so long. Lots of good things happening on other fronts, but we have not forgotten about you. Peace.

Curators Of Dopeness

#ManifestYourOwnDestiny

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

Enjoy! - The Curators Of Dopeness Staff

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

Walk To End Alzheimer's (by Elizabeth Domino)

I'm walking for Sybil, my grandmother, who suffers from late stage Alzheimer's. And who cannot walk herself. I'm walking for Katherine, my mother and John, my father, who both devote every free hour they can to aid in the care of Sybil. And who wish we had more time. I'm walking for Andrea, my sister, and Marcus, my husband, who strive to devote the few moments they have free to assisting when they can. And who feel it is never enough. I'm walking for Charlotte, my daughter, and Maxwell, my son, whose pictures and handprints give her glimpses into the life she lives and cannot remember. And who are grateful for the time we have had. I'm walking for Ed, my grandfather and her husband, who sits by her side, holding her hand. And who is thankful for the days that hand holds his back. I'm walking to help reclaim the future for millions. By participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®, I'm committed to raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. Our future is at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease. I need your support to do my part! Please make a donation to help the Alzheimer's Association advance research into methods of treatment, prevention and, ultimately, a cure for Alzheimer's. For the millions already affected by the disease, the Association offers care, education, support and resources in communities nationwide. Thank you for joining the movement! The end of Alzheimer's disease starts with you. http://act.alz.org/site/TR?px=10899101&pg=personal&fr_id=7822&s_src=boundlessfundraising&s_subsrc=:sub_source

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

I started I ReignSupreme LLC to share my vision with the world, the design reflects that "we" are the superior influence.

This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you the fashion from the street.

This shirt is DOPE!!

Man! If you want to, please support them! BUY THIS SHIRT!

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

These Shoes Will Save The Hood: Reebok Ventilators x Kendrick Lamar “Red & Blue”

EDITORS NOTE: #shoutout to George and the guys at NICEKICKS.com for the images.

This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you fashion from the street.

The shoe above is going to change the hood for the better.

You don’t have to believe me now, but you will believe me later.

Music has tried to bring the hood together before (see below):

Now, Kendrick, with the use of a simple, yet effective piece of design, he will help to bring the hood to a point of being able to reason together.

But you don’t here me though...

Price: $125

Date of Release: July 18th

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

The State Of Streetwear 2015

EDIT: Again, apologies for the late post! It’s been MAD HECTIC around here! Hold us accountable please! This blog stuff is a challenge, but we love it nonetheless.

This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you fashion from the street.

I was riding in the car with my wife the other day and she asked me a question that I have never been asked before of ANYONE: what is going on with streetwear right now?

For a moment, I was REALLY trying to think about the answer to that question. I was trying to, at first, think about the people that I had been talking to and streetwear brands that I LIKE and I have come to the realization that many of these brands are just horrible facsimiles of facsimiles... So sad.

The brands that you need to continue to pay attention to are the following:

Undefeated (http://undefeated.com/)  - They will always bring the noise because they provide a strong message of military & sports.

SSUR (http://www.ssur.com/) - When I found out that Russ is STILL the ONLY designer of this brand and has been for almost 30 years, yeah... #muchrespect

Uniqlo (http://www.uniqlo.com/us/) - I like this brand because they provide ALL of the simple pieces that you need. They are like a cool Old Navy, and an affordable American Apparel.

Supreme (http://www.supremenewyork.com/) - I put them kinda low on this list, since Brendon Babenzien left to re-start, so we will have to see what the brand is doing in the future.

Stussy (http://www.stussy.com/) - I put them low on the list because it is almost EXPECTED for them to succeed. At this point in the game, Stussy can just put out simple things and still be the 3x OG. Ya’ dig.

ONLY NY (http://onlynylives.com/) - I ALWAYS have to throw a curveball when it comes to these kinds of lists... The bold colors that they put on their pieces are daring and, I feel, make you the topic of discussion in any setting.

----

NOW, you know me, I have to talk about my local brands, because that is where the BIG BOYS always start!

Here are some brands you should look out for:

RIDIN’ DIRTY  - Mark my words: this brand will be the Houston version of Supreme. Hands down.

HEAVY METAL RACKET - Founded by the homie Oscar “Black Rose” Ramirez, has the city on lock with his Metallica-font “HOUSTON” merchandise.

STAR RICH SHOES - This is the ONLY independent shoe brand that I have seen from Houstonians. 

----

If you have any particular thoughts about the state of streetwear, please feel free to comment hear, or address me at the email, [email protected]. Peace!

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

Arrrrgh Ohhhh Eyeeee  (ROI)

I've been dabbling in some different circles for the last couple of months.  In the process of building my 4th home on the land I purchased and starting up a couple of businesses.  There's one thing I've noticed.  People who are actually getting money talk different than the average person who talks about money.  I mean you hear a lot of people talking about wanting to get money but there's no real proof of them getting it.  The people that have proof of them getting money show you check stubs and have weekly sales statistics to share.  And they don't mind sharing it either.  They know you can't do anything about their sales.  They don't give you the connect but they want you to win so they'll help however they can.  But let's get into the lingo.

When normal people talk about money they talk about what they want to buy. They talk about what other people have bought and how much things cost.  This is the absolute definition of the consumer mindset.  It's not a bad mindset.  It's just not a "I'm getting paper" mindset.  All you're communicating when you're talking about what you want to buy is that you can't wait to give your money away.  You can't wait for other people to give their money away to everybody else besides you.  This will leave you with no money and a bunch of stuff.

People who are about their money talk WAAAY different.  They talk about ROI. Return on investment.  They talk about how much they are going to make.  They avoid the buy conversation altogether.  They only discuss ways to create money out of thin air from people with a consumer mindset and how they can make the money they get from that transaction make more money.  And this happens in casual conversation.  Let me give some examples.

Average Person: "Man I don't have enough money to buy that."

Money Team : "I don't have enough capital to invest in that right now.  So I'll invest in this."

Average Person: "Man my house is gon be LAID when I finish."

Money Team: "If I spend too much money in my house, I won't have enough to invest afterwards."

Average Person: "I can't wait to take a vacation.  I gotta relax"

Money Team: "I can't wait to take a vacation.  I'll relax a little and have time to look into those investment ideas."

Average Person: "I would do a lot with a million dollars."

Money Team: "As soon as I master how to make a little money, I'll scale it and make millions."

Average Person: "This car costed me $50,000"

Money Team : "I invested $2000 in this car, now I can sell it for $4000 more"

So what am I saying?  Talk like money if you're about your money.  The more you're around it, the more of it you'll own.  Get around people that talk about return on investments instead of what they're going to buy.  You'll soon learn that most people are customers and there are very few producers.  Live the thug life and stop being such a greedy consumer.  Dueces.

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

Yesterday Was The 20th Anniversary of the Film KIDS. Here’s Why This Is Important...

EDIT: This post was made a day late... Apologies.

This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you fashion on the street.

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival debut of KIDS. This movie is crazy, to say the least.

However, many people are not aware that, without the streetwear megalith known as SUPREME, this movie probably would not exist.

But, you don’t hear me though...

Check out the video at the bottom of this post and tell us what you think...

http://www.supremenewyork.com/news/596/images?image=13

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

Hard Facts: 5 Of The Best Online Shops

This is D3 The Concrete, bringing you fashion from the street.

First off, a caveat: apologies for the delay in articles. Been very busy with work and a couple of other things that I have cooking, not just for the site, but for some other things in life as well. TRUST: I have NOT forgotten about you, the readers!

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, here is an article that I got sent from a faithful reader, that is: The 25 Best Online Shops for Men, from which I gleaned the 5 Best Shops Online for Men.

5) UNIQLO

Uniqlo is a GREAT place to purchase some basic, fundamental pieces to the male wardrobe. T-shirts, sweats, even underwear.

It is an excellent place to not only get these pieces, but also getting these pieces for a VERY affordable price. 

www.UNIQLO.com

4) CONCEPTS

First store out of Boston on this list (the other is BODEGA, which will be discussed later). CONCEPTS is a store that has everything from sneakers to hardbottoms (which is another staple for a man’s wardrobe), from t-shirts to button-up oxfords, and also all of the other things in-between. One thing in particular that make CONCEPTS stands out is their propensity to collab with other great brands.

www.CNCPTS.com 

3)NOMAD

It would not be fair for me to list the best menswear stores on the internet, without including a store from our neighbors in the NORTH. Canada. Enter NOMAD Toronto.

If you are trying to get a great winter coat or trench (another piece for the man’s wardrobe). 

www.NOMADSHOP.net

2)BODEGA

This store has one of the best brick & mortar concepts in the world. Imagine: a cornerstore (affectionately known in the East as a “bodega”) selling basic amenities like bread, soda, candies, and beer. You then walk towards the icebox fridge in the back and it slides opens like a motion detected door. You walk through the portal and you see nothing like what’s on the outside. 

shop.BDGASTORE.com

1) UNION LA

Best. Streetwear. Store. For. Men. PERIOD.

I wish they would’ve kept this store logo.

www.UNIONLOSANGELES.com

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

BREAKFAST UV CHAMPIONS: If a Home Run Gets Hit in the Forest…

The was a game played in silence on Wednesday. Silence in the midst of a riot. Let that silence in the eye of the hurricane of racial tension, institutional oppression, and violence serve as a monent of silence for Freddie Gray and what he represents: years of abuse of the Black Citizens of Baltimore at the hands of the ones who lifted those same hands and swore an oath to protect and to serve them. You can expand it to represent the plight of our nation’s architects for the past 500 years. Protestors, looters, activists, criminals, rioters, however you want to label them one thing is for sure: People are now listening. And apparently the protest is spreading to near by Philadelphia. America’s pastime, its grand ole game like many of America’s institutions had to listen in silence and shame to the riot of the unheard.

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

Silent Lover of Mine by Elizabeth Domino

What is there to say? Really, I mean the year has barely started and already it’s gone to shit, and the future doesn't look any better. At least not from where I am standing, but I guess only time will tell...

The economy is tanking, and health care is touch and go, and the unemployment rate is spiking and the food banks don’t have enough provisions for the lines that are getting longer.

Brothers and sisters turn on each other, the nation divides .  Violence spills to the streets and blood washes over the white hoods of 50 year old ignorance paired with $200 tennis shoes, statistics become valued before lives, and color before character.

Murderous mothers are drowning their babies only to be freed into society to continue breeding because of a pharmaceutical mishap know as improperly medicating And yet none of this matters when I think of you.

When I smell you.

Inhale deeply. . . .Can you smell yourself? Woodsy with a hint of musk. . . .Or maybe Jasmine and Vanilla. . . The possibilities are endless.. .open either way I can be creative as you can.

Men exploiting women and women exploiting themselves, Honey-Chiles strutting their stuff in secondhand cutoffs, praying on their knees with their mouths....

Earthquakes rocking nations that are already shaking, turning them inside out to expose their failed support... and yet none of it matters.

When I think of how you taste.

A bitter salt.. . . a smooth buttery chocolate melting on my tongue. . . .Or lingering between my teeth like watermelon seeds I cannot reach,. . .constantly at the tip of my tongue and yet constantly out of my reach.

Lying awake entangled in sweaty sheets, staring blankly at the ceiling, waiting for you to come and release me from this. To somehow fuck me hard enough that life will somehow fade into the background. 

Or at the very least pale in comparison to the barely- having-enough-money routine I go through when I get to the bus stop to make it to work, and then getting there late only to be laid off routine I have become so jaded with.

Or the stack of bills on the table. Can you see them? Creditors vying for my attention, our attention. Let’s just go back to bed. We can fold them into airplanes and throw them off the roof at the annoying neighbors behind us whose house towers at 3 stories. . . .Maybe they will land in their pool.

But then I wake up, alone, tracing your outline with my fingertips....an outline because we have not met and will not. . . .

I do not know your face and the masturbatory episodes I crave to supplement my disdain for life and utterly useless existence. . . .Are just wet spots on the sheets.

 And life is screaming full tilt outside my window and hiding under the covers is pointless. . . .And smelly....

Until we meet adieu my voiceless, faceless, silent love. . . .Try and save the next one. . . .I have enclosed the appropriate prophylactics.

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

#dope

[curatorsofdopenessblog]

BREAKFAST UV CHAMPIONS: SAM GORDON As I listen to my neighbor hack away on his acoustic guitar to some say it ain't so -Zeppelin mixture, all I can say is WOW! Watch this view. Sam Gordon is amazing. #girlpower