Streetwear

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Author :
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 0500292442
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Streetwear by : King Adz

Download or read book Streetwear written by King Adz and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive history of the world’s most influential fashion trend from the people who wore it best The story begins in 1972 in Jersey City, the birthplace of Trash and Vaudeville, the first- ever streetwear shop; it then moves on to the start of punk, which was a decisive influence on what is considered “streetwear” today. From the dresser/casual movement born out of British soccer culture to the skater scene of California, from the paninari poseurs of Milan to the surfer dudes of Hawaii, the authors show how streetwear has permeated a vast range of seemingly disparate tribes. Streetwear recounts the remarkable history of how subcultural fashion trends have grown into a multi-billion-dollar global industry taking both high-end and fast fashion by storm. The intent behind streetwear remains the same: a powerful sense of identity and belonging. With more than 500 photographs and illustrations, exclusive interviews, profiles of industry pioneers, spotlights on significant brands, and snapshots of key cities, this is the complete history of fashion’s fastest- growing and most influential trend.

Cult Streetwear

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Author :
Publisher : Laurence King
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Cult Streetwear by : Josh Sims

Download or read book Cult Streetwear written by Josh Sims and published by Laurence King. This book was released on 2010-04-28 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Streetwear has become a global phenomenon. From their origins in American workwear, via west coast subcultures, extreme sports and incorporating the best in graphic design, the leading streetwear brands have become influential beyond the sphere of fashion alone, with connections to the worlds of art, advertising, music and interiors that make them as potent as "designer" brands many times their size. Showcasing 32 cult streetwear brands, this book focuses not on the endless me-too labels, but the exciting pioneers that have shaped the market since the late 1980s. Cult Streetwear tells the stories of the people behind the brands—from entrepreneurs to graffiti writers, DJs to surf dudes to sneaker nuts, from LA to NYC, London to Tokyo. Addict • Adidas • A Bathing Ape • Ben Davis • Billionaire Boys Club • Burton • Carhartt • Converse • Dickies • Evisu • Fred Perry • Fuct • Goodenough • Lacoste • Maharishi • Mambo • Mecca • Mooks • Neighborhood • Nike • Obey • One True Saxon • Puma • Red Wing • Spiewak • Stussy • The Hundreds • Timberland • Triple 5 Soul • Vans • X-Large • Zoo York

Streetwear

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis Streetwear by : Steven Vogel

Download or read book Streetwear written by Steven Vogel and published by . This book was released on 2007-09-27 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With over 750 streetwear designs and product photographs, and a global directory of the key streetwear boutiques, websites, brands and designers, here is the definitive guide to cool clothes created or inspired by urban living around the globe.

This Is Not a T-Shirt

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Author :
Publisher : MCD
ISBN 13 : 0374718350
Total Pages : 215 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (747 download)

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Book Synopsis This Is Not a T-Shirt by : Bobby Hundreds

Download or read book This Is Not a T-Shirt written by Bobby Hundreds and published by MCD. This book was released on 2019-06-25 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of The Hundreds and the precepts that made it an iconic streetwear brand by Bobby Hundreds himself Streetwear occupies that rarefied space where genuine "cool" coexists with big business; where a star designer might work concurrently with Nike, a tattoo artist, Louis Vuitton, and a skateboard company. It’s the ubiquitous style of dress comprising hoodies, sneakers, and T-shirts. In the beginning, a few brands defined this style; fewer still survived as streetwear went mainstream. They are the OGs, the “heritage brands.” The Hundreds is one of those persevering companies, and Bobby Hundreds is at the center of it all. The creative force behind the brand, Bobby Kim, a.k.a. Bobby Hundreds, has emerged as a prominent face and voice in streetwear. In telling the story of his formative years, he reminds us that The Hundreds was started by outsiders; and this is truly the story of streetwear culture. In This Is Not a T-Shirt, Bobby Hundreds cements his spot as a champion of an industry he helped create and tells the story of The Hundreds—with anecdotes ranging from his Southern California, punk-DIY-tinged youth to the brand’s explosive success. Both an inspiring memoir and an expert assessment of the history and future of streetwear, this is the tale of Bobby’s commitment to his creative vision and to building a real community.

Unlabel

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1451685319
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis Unlabel by : Marc Ecko

Download or read book Unlabel written by Marc Ecko and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-05-05 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "One of the most provocative entrepreneurs of our time, who started Eckō Unltd out of his parents' garage and turned it into a media empire, Marc Eckō reveals his formula for building an authentic brand or business. Marc Eckō began his career by spray-painting t-shirts in the garage of his childhood home in suburban New Jersey. A graffiti artist with no connections and no fashion pedigree, he left the safety net of pharmacy school to start his own company. Armed with only hustle, sweat equity, and creativity, he flipped a $5,000 bag of cash into a global corporation now worth $500 million. Unlabel is a success story, but it's one that shares the bruises, scabs, and gut-wrenching mistakes that every entrepreneur must overcome to succeed. Through his personal prescription for success--the Authenticity Formula--Eckō recounts his many innovations and misadventures in his journey from misfit kid to the CEO. It wasn't a meteoric rise; in fact, it was a rollercoaster that dipped to the edge of bankruptcy and even to national notoriety, but this is an underdog story we can learn from: Ecko's doubling down on the core principles of the brand and his formula for action over talk are all lessons for today's entrepreneurs. Ecko offers a brash message with his inspirational story: embrace pain, take risks, and be yourself. Unlabel demonstrates that, like or not, you are a brand and it's up you to take control of it and create something authentic. Unlabel is a groundbreaking guide to channeling your creativity, finding the courage to defy convention, and summoning the confidence to act and be competitive in any environment"--

Streetwear

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 364 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Streetwear by : Steven Vogel

Download or read book Streetwear written by Steven Vogel and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With over 750 streetwear designs and product photographs, and a global directory of the key streetwear boutiques, websites, brands and designers, here is the definitive guide to cool clothes created or inspired by urban living around the globe. All fashion designers, stylists and buyers, retail, branding and advertising professionals will adore this book, as will the millions who love buying and wearing streetwear.

Tribal and the Cultural Legacy of Streetwear

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Author :
Publisher : Intellect Books
ISBN 13 : 1789388104
Total Pages : 301 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (893 download)

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Book Synopsis Tribal and the Cultural Legacy of Streetwear by : G. James Daichendt

Download or read book Tribal and the Cultural Legacy of Streetwear written by G. James Daichendt and published by Intellect Books. This book was released on 2024-03-12 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tribal Streetwear is lifestyle streetwear brand that seeks to represent a variety of southern California sub-cultures that includes graffiti, street art, skateboarding, surfing, tattoos, hip hop, breakdancing, punk, lowriders, and custom culture. Based in San Diego, California, Tribal has strong Chicano roots in its aesthetic and spans the globe with retail stores on several continents. The text presents a series of articles, essays, and personal reflections that explore the various dimensions of Tribal Streetwear, and how the impact of their designs continues to balance the precarious act of being relevant and responsible with their resources. The book is divided into four sections. Section 1 features essays that set a context for the text. This includes a history of Tribal and where it fits within the history of streetwear, a personal narrative of the founding of Tribal, and lastly an essay on the uniqueness of southern California aesthetics and the fascination with this southern California inspired fashion. Section 2 is a series of interviews with notable artists, musicians, and cultural tastemakers that have contributed toward street culture and Tribal. These include Mr. Cartoon (tattoo artist), RISK (graffiti artist), PERSUE (street artists), Mike Giant (tattoo artist), Dyse One (graffiti artist), Craig Craig Stecyk III (skateboard culture), Bob Hurley (surf culture), and the Beastie Boys (hip hop). Section 3 includes a series of invited and peer-reviewed academic articles on distinct subjects within the street culture genre that further dive into the inputs and influences of Tribal Streetwear. They include breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding, graffiti, street art, tattooing, music (hip-hop/punk), lowriders, custom culture, and Chicano Studies. Section 4 is a series of photo essays that capture the three decades of Tribal Streetwear and serves as a visual history of the brand and the evolution of its graphics.

Willi Smith

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Author :
Publisher : Rizzoli Publications
ISBN 13 : 0847868192
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (478 download)

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Book Synopsis Willi Smith by : Alexandra Cunningham Cameron

Download or read book Willi Smith written by Alexandra Cunningham Cameron and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: African-American fashion designer Willi Smith, pioneer of streetwear and visionary collaborator, finally gets his due in an exuberant celebration of his life and work. Before Off-White, before Hood By Air, before Supreme, there was WilliWear. Willi Smith created inclusive and liberating fashion: "I don't design clothes for the queen, but the people who wave at her as she goes by," he said. A rising star from the time he left Parsons, Smith went on to found WilliWear with Laurie Mallet in 1976 and became one of the most successful designers of his era by his untimely death in 1987. Smith broke boundaries with his streetwear, or "street couture," and trailblazed the collaborations between artists, performers, and designers commonplace today in projects with SITE Architects, Nam June Paik, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Spike Lee, Dan Friedman, Bill T. Jones, and Arnie Zane. Essays by leading figures from the worlds of fashion, art, architecture, and cultural studies paired with never before-seen images and ephemera make Willi Smith essential reading for the history of streetwear culture and the evolution of fashion from the 1970s to today.

The Future of Luxury Brands

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Author :
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN 13 : 3110732750
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis The Future of Luxury Brands by : Annamma Joy

Download or read book The Future of Luxury Brands written by Annamma Joy and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2022-02-07 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concepts of artification and sustainability are now both at the heart of luxury brand marketing strategies; artification as an ongoing process of transformation in the world of art and sustainability as an indispensable response to the issues of our times. The Future of Luxury Brands examines three interrelated luxury-marketing segments—the art world, fashion and fine wines including hospitality services—through the dual lenses of sustainability and artification. From safeguarding human and natural resources to upholding labor rights and protecting the environment, sustainability has taken center stage in consumer consciousness, embodying both moral authority and sound business practices. At the same time, artification—the process by which non-art is reconceived as art—applies the cachet of art to business, affording commercial products the sacred status accorded to works of art. When commercial products enter the realm of aesthetic creation, artification and consumer engagement inevitably increases. This pioneering book examining artification and sustainability as strategic pillars of marketing strategies in the luxury industry will be essential reading for practitioners working in luxury product companies, as also students of luxury brand marketing.

Sneakers

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1474262929
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (742 download)

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Book Synopsis Sneakers by : Yuniya Kawamura

Download or read book Sneakers written by Yuniya Kawamura and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-01-28 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first academic study of sneakers and the subculture that surrounds them. Since the 1980s, American sneaker enthusiasts, popularly known as “sneakerheads” or “sneakerholics”, have created a distinctive identity for themselves, while sneaker manufacturers such as Reebok, Puma and Nike have become global fashion brands. How have sneakers come to gain this status and what makes them fashionable? In what ways are sneaker subcultures bound up with gender identity and why are sneakerholics mostly young men? Based on the author's own ethnographic fieldwork in New York, where sneaker subculture is said to have originated, this unique study traces the transformation of sneakers from sportswear to fashion symbol. Sneakers explores the obsessions and idiosyncrasies surrounding the sneaker phenomenon, from competitive subcultures to sneaker painting and artwork. It is a valuable contribution to the growing study of footwear in fashion studies and will appeal to students of fashion theory, gender studies, sociology, and popular culture.

Black Designers in American Fashion

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1350138495
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (51 download)

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Book Synopsis Black Designers in American Fashion by : Elizabeth Way

Download or read book Black Designers in American Fashion written by Elizabeth Way and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-07-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Elizabeth Keckly's designs as a freewoman for Abraham Lincoln's wife to flamboyant clothing showcased by Patrick Kelly in Paris, Black designers have made major contributions to American fashion. However, many of their achievements have gone unrecognized. This book, inspired by the award-winning exhibition at the Museum at FIT, uncovers hidden histories of Black designers at a time when conversations about representation and racialized experiences in the fashion industry have reached all-time highs. In chapters from leading and up-and-coming authors and curators, Black Designers in American Fashion uses previously unexplored sources to show how Black designers helped build America's global fashion reputation. From enslaved 18th-century dressmakers to 20th-century “star” designers, via independent modistes and Seventh Avenue workers, the book traces the changing experiences of Black designers under conditions such as slavery, segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement. Black Designers in American Fashion shows that within these contexts Black designers maintained multifaceted practices which continue to influence American and global style today. Interweaving fashion design and American cultural history, this book fills critical gaps in the history of fashion and offers insights and context to students of fashion, design, and American and African American history and culture.

Dressed in Dreams

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Author :
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
ISBN 13 : 125017354X
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (51 download)

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Book Synopsis Dressed in Dreams by : Tanisha C. Ford

Download or read book Dressed in Dreams written by Tanisha C. Ford and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2019-06-25 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of Essence's "10 Books We're Dying To Toss Into Our Summer Totes" From sneakers to leather jackets, a bold, witty, and deeply personal dive into Black America's closet In this highly engaging book, fashionista and pop culture expert Tanisha C. Ford investigates Afros and dashikis, go-go boots and hotpants of the sixties, hip hop's baggy jeans and bamboo earrings, and the #BlackLivesMatter-inspired hoodies of today. The history of these garments is deeply intertwined with Ford’s story as a black girl coming of age in a Midwestern rust belt city. She experimented with the Jheri curl; discovered how wearing the wrong color tennis shoes at the roller rink during the drug and gang wars of the 1980s could get you beaten; and rocked oversized, brightly colored jeans and Timberlands at an elite boarding school where the white upper crust wore conservative wool shift dresses. Dressed in Dreams is a story of desire, access, conformity, and black innovation that explains things like the importance of knockoff culture; the role of “ghetto fabulous” full-length furs and colorful leather in the 1990s; how black girls make magic out of a dollar store t-shirt, rhinestones, and airbrushed paint; and black parents' emphasis on dressing nice. Ford talks about the pain of seeing black style appropriated by the mainstream fashion industry and fashion’s power, especially in middle America. In this richly evocative narrative, she shares her lifelong fashion revolution—from figuring out her own personal style to discovering what makes Midwestern fashion a real thing too.

Hiroshi Fujiwara

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Author :
Publisher : Rizzoli Publications
ISBN 13 : 0847842398
Total Pages : 234 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (478 download)

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Book Synopsis Hiroshi Fujiwara by :

Download or read book Hiroshi Fujiwara written by and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2014-07-15 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first monograph on the "godfather of streetwear," this book pays homage to Hiroshi Fujiwara's influence on contemporary fashion, music, and design. The most comprehensive book devoted to the extensive work of Hiroshi Fujiwara-a pioneer in streetwear, music, and art, and the ultimate arbiter of cool. Known internationally as one of the founding fathers of Tokyo's Harajuku scene, Fujiwara exerts a disproportionate influence over contemporary design culture. Having collaborated with the likes of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood as a teenager in the early 1980s, he merged a seminal interest in punk with hip-hop and skate culture to become one of Japan's principal tastemakers. A musician and producer, Fujiwara is also one of the most prolific sneaker designers, and his kicks are some of the most sought-after collectibles. In addition to his very visible and long-standing collaborations with Nike, he has authored a number of fashion lines and is at the head of the Tokyo-based Fragment Design. Chronicling his reign as the arbiter of hip for more than thirty years, this book presents the breadth of his career, including sections on his highly sought-after artwork and graphics, sneakers, product design, and curated personal effects. With contributions by Sarah Lerfel and Ino Hidefumi, this graphically inspired book provides a unique glimpse into one of the most influential tastemakers of our time and is the perfect follow-up to Rizzoli's Pharrell: Places and Spaces I've Been.

Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem

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Author :
Publisher : Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN 13 : 0525510532
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (255 download)

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Book Synopsis Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem by : Daniel R. Day

Download or read book Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem written by Daniel R. Day and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Dapper Dan is a legend, an icon, a beacon of inspiration to many in the Black community. His story isn’t just about fashion. It’s about tenacity, curiosity, artistry, hustle, love, and a singular determination to live our dreams out loud.”—Ava DuVernay, director of Selma, 13th, and A Wrinkle in Time NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY VANITY FAIR • DAPPER DAN NAMED ONE OF TIME’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD With his now-legendary store on 125th Street in Harlem, Dapper Dan pioneered high-end streetwear in the 1980s, remixing classic luxury-brand logos into his own innovative, glamorous designs. But before he reinvented haute couture, he was a hungry boy with holes in his shoes, a teen who daringly gambled drug dealers out of their money, and a young man in a prison cell who found nourishment in books. In this remarkable memoir, he tells his full story for the first time. Decade after decade, Dapper Dan discovered creative ways to flourish in a country designed to privilege certain Americans over others. He witnessed, profited from, and despised the rise of two drug epidemics. He invented stunningly bold credit card frauds that took him around the world. He paid neighborhood kids to jog with him in an effort to keep them out of the drug game. And when he turned his attention to fashion, he did so with the energy and curiosity with which he approaches all things: learning how to treat fur himself when no one would sell finished fur coats to a Black man; finding the best dressed hustler in the neighborhood and converting him into a customer; staying open twenty-four hours a day for nine years straight to meet demand; and, finally, emerging as a world-famous designer whose looks went on to define an era, dressing cultural icons including Eric B. and Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, Mike Tyson, Alpo Martinez, LL Cool J, Jam Master Jay, Diddy, Naomi Campbell, and Jay-Z. By turns playful, poignant, thrilling, and inspiring, Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem is a high-stakes coming-of-age story spanning more than seventy years and set against the backdrop of an America where, as in the life of its narrator, the only constant is change. Praise for Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem “Dapper Dan is a true one of a kind, self-made, self-liberated, and the sharpest man you will ever see. He is couture himself.”—Marcus Samuelsson, New York Times bestselling author of Yes, Chef “What James Baldwin is to American literature, Dapper Dan is to American fashion. He is the ultimate success saga, an iconic fashion hero to multiple generations, fusing street with high sartorial elegance. He is pure American style.”—André Leon Talley, Vogue contributing editor and author

How to Start a Street wear Brand - South Africa

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Author :
Publisher : Jermaine M. Charles
ISBN 13 : 0620632291
Total Pages : 44 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (26 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Start a Street wear Brand - South Africa by : Jermaine M. Charles

Download or read book How to Start a Street wear Brand - South Africa written by Jermaine M. Charles and published by Jermaine M. Charles. This book was released on 2014-10-01 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Starting your own brand has been a dream of yours for a long time, but how do you get started? Welcome to the second edition of the book series with more content, better tips and even advice from a successful brand owner, Julian Kubel from Butan Wear in South Africa This new edition includes a chapter on social media marketing and an extended workbook.

Covert to Overt

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Author :
Publisher : Rizzoli Publications
ISBN 13 : 0847846210
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (478 download)

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Book Synopsis Covert to Overt by : Shepard Fairey

Download or read book Covert to Overt written by Shepard Fairey and published by Rizzoli Publications. This book was released on 2015-09-29 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The seminal artist’s recent art and poster works, and his triumphant return to his street-art roots with murals, all in work never before published. Shepard Fairey rose out of the skateboarding scene, creating his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker campaign in the late ’80s, and has since achieved a mainstream recognition that most street artists never find. Fairey’s “Hope” poster, created during Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, is arguably the most iconic American image since Uncle Sam. Fairey has become a pop-culture icon himself, though he has remained true to his street-art roots. OBEY: Covert to Overt showcases his most recent evolution from works on paper to grander art installations, cross-cultural artworks, and music/art collaborations. The book also includes his ubiquitous streetwear and chronicles his return to public artworks. His signature blend of politics, street culture, and art makes Fairey unlike any other subculture/street artist working today. This book showcases the significant amount of art he has created the last several years: street murals, mixed-media installations, art/music events, countless silk screens, and work from his extremely successful OBEY brand.

Democratizing Luxury

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Author :
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
ISBN 13 : 082489670X
Total Pages : 417 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (248 download)

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Book Synopsis Democratizing Luxury by : Annika A. Culver

Download or read book Democratizing Luxury written by Annika A. Culver and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2023-12-31 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Democratizing Luxury explores the interplay between advertising and consumption in modern Japan by investigating how Japanese companies at key historical moments assigned value, or "luxury," to mass-produced products as an important business model. Japanese name-brand luxury evolved alongside a consumer society emerging in the late nineteenth century, with iconic companies whose names became associated with quality and style. At the same time, Western ideas of modernity merged with earlier artisanal ideals to create Japanese connotations of luxury for readily accessible products. Businesses manufactured items at all price points to increase consumer attainability, while starkly curtailing production for limited editions to augment desirability. Between the late nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, control over family disposable income transformed Japanese middle-class women into an important market. Growth of purchasing power among women corresponded with Japanese goods diffusing throughout the empire, and globally after the Asia-Pacific war (1931–1945). This book offers case studies that examine affordable luxury consumer items often advertised to women, including drinks, beauty products, fashion, and timepieces. Japanese companies have capitalized on affordable luxury since a flourishing domestic mercantile economy began in the Tokugawa period (1603–1868), showcasing brand-name shops, renowned artisans, and mass-produced woodblock prints by famous artists. In the late nineteenth century, personalized service expanded within department stores like Mitsukoshi, Shiseidō cosmetic counters, and designer boutiques. Shiseidō now globally markets invented traditions of omotenashi, Japanese ”values” of hospitality expressed in purchasing and consuming its products. In postwar times, when a thriving democracy and middle-class were tied to greater disposable income and consumerism, companies rebuilt a growing consumer base among cautious shoppers: democratizing luxury at reasonable prices and maintaining business patterns of accessibility, high quality, and exemplary service. Nationalism amid economic success soon blended with myths of unique Japanese identity in a mass consumer society, suffused by commodity fetishism with widely available brand names. As the first comprehensive history of iconic Japanese name brands and their unique connotations of luxury and accessibility in modern Japan and elsewhere, Democratizing Luxury explores company histories and reveals strategies that lead customers to consume these alluring commodities.