The Brilliance!

HTTP://WWW.THEBRILLIANCE.COM

We’re really internet and we’re really back. A website about things Benjamin , Chuck , Virgil , and various friends & guests think are interesting. Little-to-no specific focus, a bit odd, speling errors, and incredibly culturally relevant.

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Rolling Stones world tour!!!

I tip my hat to anybody who is 61 years [young] and is still doing their thing in a big way. I mean - in the sports world, when you turn like 35, you’re among the almost-retired old fogies. In the music world? First off, hardly any bands in the world can manage to pull this off and pull it off well (do they even need this introduction!?), but The Rolling Stones can. Jagger and Richards are 61, Ron wood is 57, and Charlie Watts is 63. I think it’s incredible that they are still going strong. I personally love and admire to death people who never stop growing and are consistently pushing things forward. You can’t really dislike the Stones, you have to at least give some respect to Richards whose face kind of resembles an old boot…So all I’m saying is - this is pretty incredible. Also - the New York Dolls are back on the road. Nice, very inspirational…

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Electric Heat!!

Nigel Dennis has been a close and personal friend of mine for about 6 years now. We met a while back and have been good friends and done work together ever since. I have personally witnessed his style and creative maturity grow and develop like wildfire in the last year. Check out some of his new work and I’m sure you’ll agree - he has become one of the more exciting designers around. Great stuff coming straight out of luxurious Lansing, IL/east Indiana - the art/designer capital of the world!

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Entire KAWS Chum collection!

This is the first time I have ever seen anybody sell an entire collection of KAWS Chums on eBay. They usually end at aboue $300-$400 a piece, if not more…So - this whole collection? 4 days and 15 hours left as of this posting and the 6 toys are already at $1,219.44 with 12 bids. I can’t even make a guess what they’ll end at. No doubt closer to $2,000. Yellow, clear, pink, white, black, and a rare Michelin Man figure which is what the Chums were inspired by are for sale. If you’re a collector but missed out on the Chums when they came out, this is a great opportunity, however, you’ll put a nice dent in the wallet for these. The black one is signed as well. Crazy…One word: investment.

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Perplex&lola fall 2005 collection from 2577!

Perplex&Lola is at it again with a sick new women’s fall line for fall 05… I got a quick sneak peak, and please believe, it’s incredibly fresh. I would describe it as ‘very new’ in terms of it’s overall feel. But it’s not doing that overly conceptual-futuristic thing. It’s very wearable, something that is missing a bit in today’s world. The inspiration for the line is wild creative… Check this… The line is inspired by a futuristic corporation called Nucleus Labs that took over the world by commercializing genetically modified products and NUCLEUS PLAZA is the place where things are happening in 2577.” I love it… Some science fiction type stuff. I’m not sure when the new collection will be on their site but stay tuned for that and their new catalog… Keep doing your thing Milan!

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Mexico is the new black!

Jokes aside. This is what I love. I am so fascinated with things like this. I love watching something that is ‘left-field’ become super popular due strictly to its heritage and originality. Fashion and global trends are often times steadfastly connected or cross-referenced to the country or area that they were born in. And let’s be quite honest, Mexico hasn’t gotten a whole lot of shine in the past 100 years. But lately there has been a distinct ‘stir’ from Mexico in terms of fashion, design, and just overall style. I know I personally started to get heavily inspired by and effected by their whole look, feel, style and all that about a year ago. Their culture is so ‘thick’… I love it. Style.com did a PERFECT write-up on this in their men’s section. Check it out at the link below.

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Arkitip X Michael Leon X Marc Jacobs

The newest issue of Arkitip comes packaged with an Arkitip X Michael Leon X Marc Jacobs deck of cards based off of Michael Leon’s latest work using skulls and the new Jacobs glasses. Pretty hot - $30 for the issue and the cards. Not much more to say about this…so…While you’re at the site, check out the past issues as well as the Accessories section where you can grab stuff from Mark Gonzales, Phil Frost, and more.

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Corset piercings…?!

OK let me get this out there first - I am a very open-minded person. I do not think conservatively when it comes to tattoos, and I don’t mind a few piercings here and there…Although anything TOO excessive is just tacky (albeit a nice sleeve here and there…I love that…). But come on. This is just…I’ve seen some weird stuff, ESPECIALLY on the BME site (a site devoted to modifications, tattoos, piercings, and more) but this might take the cake. These girls are getting these piercings all down their back and having ribbon strung back and forth similar to a corset styling. I can’t really get into this. At all. I just think this is tacky. HOW are you going to wear a t-shirt without looking like your back is straight out of Alien Vs. Predator?? Whatever though…Aesthetically, it looks kind of cool…but…SO!!?? Damn, just get a butterfly on your lower back and call it a day or something.

**PLEASE - do not visit this site if you are squeamish or easily offended. If you start clicking around the site, you are sure to find some things that will make you throw up in your mouth a little if you are bothered by weird things like this…But regardless, BIG respect to BME for being an incredible resource.

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KAWS x BAPE @ VintageKicks.com!

Yes, more KAWS/BAPE shoes. These are probably the most classic look that this collaboration could embrace. It’s very simple, pretty hot… Personally, the gray ones are my favorite…the white and black ones don’t do the KAWS part justice since they blend so much w/ the color. Then there’s the ones with the little flower and Milo graphics inside of the “Bape Swoosh”. Anyways, these are available at VintageKicks for $300 a pair (white multicolor Milo are $325/$350 depending on size). If you’re new to VintageKicks, or expensive ‘urban fashion’ shoes in general and think $300 is a lot…Well, just click this. Hmmm…pay rent this month? Or buy shoes…

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Translated Nigo Interview!

Wow. You don’t have to like him. You don’t have to like Bape. You don’t have to like his robotic teak wood floored garage either. Odds are Nigo doesn’t care. I probably wouldn’t either. I’ll be honest, I don’t really wear Bape, but it is truly one of my favorite brands to watch. So unbelievable from its inception, its imagery, its unreal following, the enormous wealth it has generated for Nigo, and how long it has lasted. It really doesn’t even seem ‘real’ when you think about how far fetched it all really is. Either way, I have always wanted a translated Nigo interview and pigmag.com finally hooked it up. Great read and fresh photography, real fresh photography. I want a tour of Nigo’s house. Thanks to Being Hunted on this one.

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Vlieger & Vandam, Gun Bags!

I can’t really say exactly why I like these, but I do. Actually I love them… But real quick, I like them for girls only, the site shows some dude rocking one, just doesn’t quite work. This is perfect for that jeans-and-tee aesthetic girl. Cuffed jeans though. Anyway, the bags come in quite a few different sizes and shapes… All super classic in shape made from black leather with the embossed felted wool on the outside. Perfect. You can get a hand gun, looks like a Glock, or they have a crocodile-dundee looking knife version too. I would go for the gun version for whichever I girl I buy it for. They go for roughly $250, or 190 Euros at whatever today’s rate is. THE BRILLIANCE! loves these…