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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SBTG Hall of Fame flicks!

Wasn’t sure whether to put this as art or fashion, I suppose it’s both…Anyways - Sabotage (SBTG) held this beautiful exhibition called Hall of Fame in Singapore. The URL below is a link to a ton of pictures from the event. Some nice kicks, art pieces (they even put some of the screens on the wall w/ paint still on them! sick…), and cute girls to be found here. Via Freshness Mag.

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Ecstatic about Ecstatic!

THE BRILLIANCE! loves Ecstatic! They do work for Supreme, Stussy, Levi’s, VH1, Allure, Spin, and more. Great site - very simple, easy to use, and no candy coated extras. Just what is necassary to showcase their beautiful work. I personally LOVE the ad they did for Supreme with the cutups of the 80’s straight edge/hardcore bands including 7 Seconds, Minor Threat, Bad Brains,and more. That is some hotness right there. FYI - some of the images might not be safe for work - just a light warning. Anyways…Good…Very good stuff.

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Vans x Raf Simmons!

Vans is really branching out with the whole collaboration concept! I think its great for the fashion/design world, so keep doing it. First big one was marc jacobs, then they did some stuff with Supreme I think, and now we have this fantastic collaboration with Raf Simmons for whole Colette meets Comme Des Garcons collective. These are super limited at 100 pairs… And if I read correctly you can only get them in a US size 6. What? Either way, hot shoe… I love the trend we are seeing with collaged/graphic based shoes. THE BRILLIANCE! loves Vans and we have respect for Raf Simmons, they are both doing their thing. Got small feet? Cop them at the link below…

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Nike White Label is…

Just so things are clear… I have HUGE respect for Nike as a brand. Their continuous pursuit of new and innovative products is very inspiring. But THE BRILLIANCE! is honest, and I find their White Label to be quite uninspired. Few things… I don’t have any problem at all with expensive clothing. I love quality, I love supporting true design, etc… But Nike White Label is just a bit over the top for me to justify it. I love how they are bringing back ‘old styles’ while introducing us to wild new price points. $185 for a screen-printed hoody? $65 for a t-shirt? A pair of dunks are $65! Again, I have spent plenty more than that in my day, and I still do. But why do these brands insist on charging these prices for something that is marketed as ‘limited’ but you can get it on Amazon.com?! Honestly… And please, step the quality up, its quite sub-par. And those belts? $195 to look super corny? Wow… Sorry Nike, even Jordan missed a few. Focus on giving us NEW products rather than constantly rehashing old products.

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Krink is Unfadeable

Krink is a permanent ink made in small batches by hand in NYC. Permanent on any surface and, as they say, unfadeable. While I’m not personally a writer, I do appreciate graffiti and the art of tagging. What makes Krink worth posting about is how well it’s branded. Fantastic. The man behind Krink, known as KR, took a culture, a need (good ink), and created an incredible product with that perfect niche feel… Beyond all of that, he created a truly brilliant brand… In terms of packaging, marketing (or perfect lack of), tag-line, and of course the ‘feel’ you have knowing that the product is hand made with what should be considered a ‘secret’ formula…it’s all just perfect. THE BRILLIANCE! has a lot of respect for Krink.

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Prefuse 73

Been a Prefuse fan for a while now. Always loved his mix of hip hop, electronic, and other genres that just came together so well. So the new album “Surrounded by Silence” is real hot - includes appearences by Ghostface, El-P, GZA, Masta Killa, Aesop Rock, and more. That right there should be enough to make you buy this. Then back the album up with track after track of what is in my opinion a perfect driving album…this is just hot. Everything about it - from the art direction/photography in the album to the beats to the scratchy samples…If you didn’t know about this album already, not sure where you’ve been, but check it out…

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Ghostface Canvas/Terryphunk!

OK let me get this out of the way - I absolutely love Ghostface. I love Wu-Tang too, but Mr. Starks is my personal favorite. Now, it should also be obvious that I love art. It’s my life. So what happens when I see someone putting those two things together? Putting an incredible image of Ghostface on a 20x30 canvas? Well, I reach out and talk to Mr. Terryphunk, who did just that. When Ghost’s “Pretty Toney” album came out last year, it included an insert/ad to buy this as a poster or canvas. Terryphunk toured with Ghost on the Projekt Rev tour and has done a lot of work with Ghostface and Starks Enterprises. Listen…if you don’t get one of these canvases or posters, you have an incomplete wall somewhere in your place. Come on, $14.99 for the poster?! Grab one. Now. Oh, and be on the lookout for interviews with the aforementioned people on THE BRILLIANCE! real soon…Now get in line, b’fore you get your lil’ thick-ass tossed up!

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HypeBeast!

Kevin from HypeBeast linked up THE BRILIANCE today and I knew right away I needed to return the favor, since both Ben and I appreciate what he does with HypeBeast. With focus on shoes but also on arts, toys, and street fashion, HypeBeast has been going strong since January 05 and has gained a great reputation and following ever since. THE BRILLIANCE! loves HypeBeast!!!

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Perplex&Lola!

Perplex&Lola is just a cool-ass womens label. I love their whole vibe. I almost don’t want to put them in the same category as Diesel, but if I did they would really smash Diesel and any of the other uninspired half-assed brands out there. They are not another ‘t-shirt’ label doing ‘cool shirts’... This is true FASHION, true DESIGN, and its executed so well… Jeans, tops, track-jackets, blazers, dresses, etc… They have both their ‘kouture’ line and a prêt-a-porter line as well. The designs have been described as ‘wobbles between the playful and the cerbral’... Perfect explanation. The designer behind it all, Milan Tanedjikov is doing it real big… THE BRILLIANCE! loves Perplex&Lola. Wild web site too.

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Virgin Threads!

Something new! Honestly. Virgin Threads is an example of using the internet to really move fashion forward. Jason Yang, who also started SoWear for those who know, started Virgin Threads in 2000 with the goal of giving young designers a conduit to get there ready-to-wear goods out to an educated market. Virgin Threads the way around struggling to get your product in a small boutique or harder yet, getting a buyer to push your stuff to Barneys and other major retailers… Honestly, not all of their product is exceptional, but the majority is quite refreshing. They cater almost entirely to women, but they do have a small men’s t-shirt section. Check out Virgin Threads and buy something for yourself, or your girl…