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Murakami @ Fabrik Gallery, HK

2008-08-19T00:16:00.003+08:00

FABRIK CONTEMPORARY ART UNVEILS A NEW SPACE

WITH A MURAKAMI SHOW

10 – 30 September, 2008

Takashi Murakami +

“Artist, Curator, and Brand Promoter Takashi Murakami is a lord of an empire that knows no borders or creative limitations.” – ART + AUCTION

Takashi Murakami is well known in the art scene for making thought-provoking paintings and sculptures, running the influential artist-led art enterprise Kaikai Kiki artist management group, curating the visionary Superflat show, and collaborating on high-end, high profile projects with Louis Vuitton.

Takashi Murakami is often billed as the next Andy Warhol. Like the American pop art icon, he fuses high and low, pulling imagery from consumer culture to produce visually arresting, highly original work. He is vigorously, ingeniously self-promotional. In the past few years, Murakami has swept across the US and Europe, receiving fawning media attention and exhibiting at big-name museums.

THE SPACE

Following a successful run of exhibitions (LOVE ART featuring BANKSY), Fabrik Contemporary Art for the first time opens a new space in Lan Kwai Fong presenting their collection of works by Takashi Murakami and Kaikai Kiki artists Mr. and Chiho Aoshima. The idea was to create a project room in which works could be presented within a focused environment. The gallery will also house their selected collection of Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Maurizio Catellan and the Chapman Brothers.

THE SHOW

The exhibition will show prints and canvases from 2001 to 2008 noting his famous DOB, Murakami's little mouselike leitmotif, a cartoonish and clueless creation whose name derives from the slang expression "dobojite," meaning "why?". DOB was an exceedingly clever invention, as he gave Murakami an alter ego with which to tap into and comment on Japanese society.

Like Warhol, Murakami has turned to silk-screening to get the flat, non-painterly look his art demands. He understands the popular appeal and refreshing accessibility of art as wallpaper or a helium-filled balloon. Most importantly, like Warhol (who once quipped, "I don't read my magazine reviews, I weigh them"), Murakami is well aware of the importance of zealous self-promotion.

THE ARTIST

A highly trained academician steeped in the esoteric art history of Japan, Murakami was born in 1962 in Tokyo, and received his BFA, MFA and PhD from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He founded the Hiropon factory in Tokyo in 1996, which later evolved into Kaikai Kiki Co., a large-scale art production and art management corporation

Murakami’s work has been shown extensively in group exhibitions around the world, and in one-person exhibitions at leading institutions such as Fondation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris and the Serpentine Gallery, London (2002); Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (2001); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2001); MoCA, Los Angeles (2007); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2008); Museum fur Moderne Künst, Frankfurt (2008) and the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2009).

For more information and high resolution images, please contact Jürgen Abergas at info@fabrik-gallery.com

* Press Preview: 10 September 2008, 3-6pm

* Preview (By Invitation only): 10 September 2008, 6-8pm

Gallery Address:

412, 4F Yip Fung Building

2-18 D’Aguilar Street

Central, Hong Kong

Tel +852 2525 4911

Catch the pigeon...catch the pigeon...

2008-08-01T15:45:00.014+08:00

Here's another Sole Obsession scoop!

Yes boys and girls, no need to rub your eyes in disbelief and do a double take, you didn't see it wrong. These are not the mad coveted, sneaker riot causing, sell mine on ebay for US$1,500 Pigeon Dunks of years past.

They are even better!!!!!!

And you know what...

They are coming to a store near you! Yes, you....you here in our tiny island of Singapore!

RELEASE DATE: WEDNESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2008
STORES: LEFTFOOT + LE VAULT

WE MUST HIGHLIGHT THAT THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN EXTREMELY LIMITED NUMBERS...AND WE DO MEAN EXTREME IN THE UTTER MOST SENSE OF THE WORD!

This info came out of the blue...no warning and tiresome repeated photos over the span of a year. This was what sneaker drops used to be like my friends! Nostalgia induced sneaker launch hype at it's finest.

Get....your...queue....on

Check out this awesome article about the man himself, Jeff Staple, and the shoe at Sneaker Freaker

Dial 991(of 1) for your Sole Obsession

2008-07-22T01:12:00.001+08:00

We are indebted to the lovely gents at the New Balance Factory in Flimby for knocking together this unbelievable, 1 of 1, pair of 991's during Sole Obsession's visit to the legendary Cumbria-based factory. In anticipation of the 2009 New Balance range, which is lead by the historic 99x series of running shoes, we have decided to pay tribute to two much anticipated shoes that are due for release next year. In view of the 99x series of sneakers for 2009, we chose the 991 model to work on, applying colours closely associated to the original 850 colourway that is also being retro-ed in early 2009.

Full croc uppers complemented with a colour splash of turquoise and pink nubuck highlights. The use of materials lend a premium quality to the entire shoe, giving it an overall subtle look from far with basic white and black uppers, but upon closer inspection reveals the lux nature of the croc embossed leathers.

Sole Obsession 991(of 1)

Stay tuned for an article on the factory NB fans!

New Balance China Mask 576 launch party, Shanghai

2008-06-29T11:43:00.000+08:00

Sole Obsession, along with our Streething brethren, were invited up to Shanghai for the inaugral revealing of the much anticipated New Balance 576 China Mask shoe. Inline with New Balance's 20th Anniversary celebration of the 576 model, coupled with the world's attention turning to China in view of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, this celebration of Chinese culture and sneaker fanaticism has given birth to this special project.

Being an Asia-Pacific exclusive, NB reps, media and key accounts from around the region were flown in to revel in the cosmpolitan city of Shanghai. What transpired was a night filled with cultural performances, unveiling speeches and much alcohol induced antics and debauchary, as NB Asia came together as one!

Peep some snaps of the event and the who's who of Asian sneaker culture.

Media interview with Tetsuya (NB Japan) | Marco Liang | Qing (NB HK)

Entrance to the party at Bling club, Shanghai.

Performances | NB head honchos holding the uber limited China Mask (576 pairs only) | Display

OG 1300 | OG 1400 | OG 1500

OG 1600 | OG 1700 | OG 2000

Atmos Raijin/Fujin/Face-off | Mita CMYK | Atmos Face-off

Above: Anthony (Leftfoot) | Sato (Atmos) | Kunii (Mita) | Kevin (Hypebeast) | Tetsuya (NBJ)

Team Co.JP

Coolest street photographer Mr Julian Loh! (Streething)

Helga (NB Korea)

Grace (NB HK) | Choo Ee (Streething)

Dick (ACU) | Anthony (Leftfoot)

Hellboy for the Trefoil

2008-05-22T22:25:00.000+08:00

Adidas haven't really done anything of worth recently bar the instant classic Footpatrol Campus. then out of the blue they hit us with this!

I don't know if these are official yet, but if they are put to production I'm gonna take one each please. Goes to show that the Three Stripes still have the means to put together a solid collaboration sneaker, that reminds us of the 35th Consortiums and the Tracksuit Forums of years past.

No ounce is spared on the two models used, a Forum Mid and what looks like a Stan Smith Mid. Insoles, tongue tag, box, soles and main body of each shoe have been given the Darkhorse/Hellboy treatment.....SOLD!

Image: http://www.sneakersbr.com.br

New Balance X Provider 1500

2008-05-16T23:54:00.000+08:00

A sight to behold...the lush suede, the striking colourway, 4 sets of laces, made in England goodness.

This fellow sneaker fiends, is how a proper collab should and is done! The guys over at Provider store in Melbourne have put to amazing use the finest materials from Flimby to create the hottest NB collab for the year thus far.

Only available at select premium sneaker stores around the globe, Singapore is honoured to be graced with a run of 24 pairs of this highly anticipated release.

Launch date Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Leftfoot and LE Vault

Caught between Heaven and Hell

2008-04-17T01:03:00.000+08:00

RELEASE INFO:
SGD$249

6PM, FRIDAY
18 APRIL 2008

LEFTFOOT
14 Scotts Road, Far East Plaza
#03-94
Singapore 225213
Tel: 65-67343227

In line with the 20^th anniversary celebrations of their classic 576 model, New Balance and renowned Singapore sneaker store Leftfoot have collaborated on an effort of epic proportions. Leftfoot has engaged two of the best in the sneaker-world, Singapore-based SBTG and LA-based Methamphibian, to help them embark on their first ever store collaboration shoe.

Leftfoot was established in 2002 and at that time was Singapore’s first ever specialty sneaker store to offer limited edition sneakers from all over the world. Leftfoot has flourished into a chain of stores locally and has even expanded its reaches internationally beyond Singapore into Taipei, Taiwan.

Descending into the darkest recesses of hell before ascending upon heaven’s infinite dawn, these two sneaker design/custom maestros pitted their skills as one force to bring us a physical manifestation of Heaven and Hell. The union of SBTG’s and Methamphibian’s minds is translated onto two pairs of New Balance 576. Derived initially from the concept of two extremes - east (SBTG) versus west (Methamphibian) - it eventually evolved into the story of an ethereal battle amidst good and evil, between Heaven and Hell. SBTG and Methamphibian set out to create two contrasting 576, one white (Heaven) and one black (Hell). Although the theme and colour of both 576 seem a stark contrast, the two shoes are married in this incessant war among angels and demons.

Adhering to the saying “The devil is in the details”, the humble 576 silhouette features a host of details that lies beyond the initial base shoe. On the surface both shoes emphasise a strong mono-coloured exterior, but upon further inspection detailing such as splashes of patent leather, perforated leather inner lining, tonal tiger-stripe camouflage print on the front toe, holographic camouflage material on the middle panel and heel tab, snake skin New Balance logo, individualised tongue tags (Heaven – Five Heaven Six, and Hell – Five Seven 666), waxed laces, and logos screened on insoles, reveal a hidden depth that goes beyond conventional sneaker design. This covert agenda in aesthetic design was the intention of the two designers.

“We wanted to create a separate black and white sneaker for Leftfoot that encompasses concept, depth and story into a New Balance 576 shoe. And I firmly believe we achieved that. Both shoes have been designed as a collective effort between Meth and me, not as individuals.” – Mark Ong, aka SBTG.

The New Balance X Leftfoot Heaven and Hell 576 comes packaged in a commemorative drawer box in the accompanying colour of each shoe. The box is covered in tonal tiger-stripe camouflage prints and features artwork on the side panel of the inside drawer which can be put together to form the entire original piece, depicting the war between Heaven and Hell.

New Balance Singapore is excited to present this first special collaborative effort between Leftfoot Singapore, SBTG and Methamphibian to New Balance lovers. The New Balance X Leftfoot 576, with a suggested retail of $249, is limited to 444 pairs per colour worldwide and will be made available at Leftfoot stores on Friday, 18 April 2008, at 6PM.

Also on the night there will be a special official launch party at 54, Ministry of Sound.
SBTG will be on hand to tag the first 100 boxes for fans.

Entry is free for the first 600 who present the flyer at the door. Flyer can be obtained when either Heaven or Hell is purchased from Leftfoot.

A Killer Exhibition...

2008-04-14T15:45:00.000+08:00

Geseho presents...
with support of Sole Obsession (SG) and Streething (KL)
brings you...
the 'Family' art exhibition by Killer Gerbil.

Sat, 26th April, 08'
7-10pm
Geseho Guerilla Store
1001 Bukit Merah Lane 3
#01-47, Singapore 159718
Opposite Queensway Shopping Centre)

Direction at www.geseho.com.

Free beer and $1 dogs all nite.

New Balance MT580 Spy vs Spy

2008-04-10T16:31:00.000+08:00

The iconic MT580 is finally making its international release in 2008. It has always been the model of choice for collabs between NB Japan and well-known sneaker store Mita. Drawing inspiration from the comic Spy vs Spy, a wordless black and white comic strip that has been published in Mad Magazine since 1961, 2 colourways are available in this pack - a Black and White (representing the 2 spies in the comic strip). Each version will feature a stripped lining and tongue. The black version has a red embroidered bomb on the heel while the white version has a red embroidered stick of dynamite.

This pack will be available worldwide at all respected sneaker stores in April 2008.

SBTG X PHU

2008-03-22T18:47:00.001+08:00

Fastest fingers first boys and gals...

In memory of: Footpatrol, London

2008-03-21T14:42:00.000+08:00

To all valued customers, suppliers and visitors to Footpatrol, Footpatrol opened in 2002 in Soho, London stocking select sneakers and footwear. Our mission was to find the best of the best across various footwear brands and to create special projects with our partners. Our lease at 16A St Anne’s Court has come to an end and we have decided not to renew. We will therefore close the physical store at the end of March 2008. In the meantime, we will be having a clearance sale at 16A St Anne’s Court. We are continuing to work with our suppliers on some special projects. These will appear over the summer at our other stores - Stussy on 19 Earlham Street and The Hideout on 7 Upper James Street. Please check our websites and Crooked Tongues for more information closer to the release time. Thank you for your support and custom over the past five years.

The Footpatrol Team

A legend, an institution in the sneaker scene of yore is closing its doors very soon. Footpatrol had established itself and stamped a giant footprint in the echelons of sneaker culture ever since its doors slid open in the cranny that is St. Anne's Court in London.

Though small for a sneaker store, this was not your average run-of-the-mill sneaker store. In the following years since opening, one could walk in and find some of the rarest and most sought after releases, if you were quick enough to beat away the crowds of frenzied sneaker lovers baying for the hottest tier-0 drops. With its caged interiors displaying only the most exlcusive, limited edition sneakers, it soon became a must go store for any sneakerhead who lives in or visits London. Coupled with Footpatrol being located in an obscure little alley away from the highstreet stores, it made true a sneaker lovers dream of tracking down that hard to find store that held many a treasures.

Once people caught wind of London's only tier-0 account, queues started to form before hyped releases. Footpatrol played host to a multitude of rare releases which include Stash AF1 Hi's, London Dunk SB, DUNKLE, Amsterdam AM1, HTM releases, the first Adidas Consortium series, and a host of queue-snaking warranted shoe releases.

What set Footpatrol apart was the top notch customer service one would get, no matter where you were from. The guys there were accomodating and knowledgable with enough time for good customer service to boot. Always up for a chat and well organised when it came to crowd control when queues formed overnight, they even went out of their way to provide extras for enthusiastic campers...from pizzas (DUNKLE drop) to tea and biscuits in a FP mug (FB Stab drop), they made every exclusive drop that much more special with freebies and stickers.

Camping out at Footpatrol with fellow sneaker mates was always good fun. Never once have we experienced a hostile queue and everyone was out for a laugh an a bit...brilliant vibe.

Footpatrol holds a tender place in our Sole Obsession hearts...it formed a part of us and moulded what Sole Obsession was borne out of. We remember the 15 hour camp out in the cold for London Dunks, New Year's day queue for Adidas Consortiums and just tapping on that sliding door, awaiting in anticipation what one could find in the caged display. With the internet and online sales and auction sites taking over the hunt for limited edition sneakers, the balance has unfortunately shifted and physical stand-alone tier-0 stores are being swept aside in view of bigger scale sneaker supermarkets that stock everything from general releases to quickstrike to garbage basically.

We hope among hopes that Footpatrol will resurface physically in the near future, the shop may be gone but their presence will definitely live on....tribute!!

Lazy x Darbotz x Ubiq EL custom

2008-03-10T03:16:00.000+08:00

Acclaimed Singapore sneaker customiser Lazy and Indonesian graffiti artist Darbotz pitted their minds and skills together in this explosive first collaborative effort by the two. What transpired can be seen on the unconventional weapon of choice, the Ubiq EL.

Subtlety is the keyword here, with the centrepiece being the custom-made wooden replica of a Ubiq box complete with inner Cumi Cumi signature artwork by Darbotz. The shoe itself is re-worked with Lazy's logo tag below the tongue tag and Lazy's signature hand carving skills interpreting Darbotz Cumi Cumi design on the leather ankle strap of the EL. The whole package is finished off with customised insoles.

New Balance 576 20th Anniversary @ Leftfoot

2008-03-08T21:54:00.000+08:00

Friday, 7 March 2008
Leftfoot Anthropology store, Holland Village, Singapore

New Balance with an impressive setup to celebrate the launch of the 576 20th Anniversary campaign in Singapore. The first hour was a media only preview, but we managed to sneak our S.O's in to snap some photos before the hordes descended upon the latest installment of local sneaker chain store Leftfoot.

The entire store was transformed into a New Balance haven, with an epic room that should contain a health warning label at the entrance. One could suffer a from dehydration due to loss of fluid via drooling at the amazing selection of rarer-than-your-grandad's-porn-stash display of NB sneakers. A revolving exhibit of past, present and future models of the 576 gave us a glimpse of what our great-grandchildren could be wearing (shudder).

A vast NB exhibition of close to 200 pairs of kicks, pumping music from DJ Ume (Tokyo), booze and finger food that flowed like our bladders after too many beers, and a live installation by renowned graf artist Jahan, made this a benchmark event for all to follow.

Huge shout out to New Balance Singapore (King Arthur and Prince Patrick), Anthony and Kevin, all of the Leftfoot crew, DJ Ume, Jahan, and all who showed up to show love and support.

Accompanying artwork by SBTG and Meth for their collaborative effort on the Leftfoot 'Heaven and Hell' 576. This graphic will be incorporated somewhere as part of the whole packaging...stay tuned!

The vege-tan premium as a $5000/hour escort 576. Made in England goodness with all the bells and whistles you could want. Smells as good as it feels, trust us, we sniffed. Don't forget, free re-soles after 5 years of wearage!

Top left: Patrick (NB) and Tetsuya (NB.jp), Top right: Installtion by Jahan
Bottom left: Flowers bestowed by well-wishers, Bottom right: Streething's photo-maniac

Top right: Mr and Mrs SBTG, Top left: Who needs DJ Ume?
Bottom left: The Random Rambler caught!, Bottom right: Ben Yeo and Patrick

Bottom pics: Anthony (Leftfoot) kneels in honour of the King! King Arthur rightfully claims his throne.

Coverage: Hypebeast

2008-03-08T01:35:00.000+08:00

Massive Singapore thanks to the good folks at Hypebeast for the coverage

Coverage: Freshnessmag

2008-03-08T01:24:00.000+08:00

Cheers to Freshnessmag and our boy Masa for the coverage

Sole Obsession x Lazy x NB 576 20th Anniversary Purple Rose T-shirt

2008-03-06T18:56:00.000+08:00

Sole Obsession x Lazy x NB 576 20th Anniversary Purple Rose T-shirt

Only 50 pieces made to be given out at the invite-only 576 20th Anniversary launch party at Leftfoot Anthropology, Holland Village, Singapore.

New Balance "20th Anniversary of 576" Launch Party @ Leftfoot Holland Village

2008-03-04T21:56:00.001+08:00

New Balance X Limited Edition store NB577 launch

2008-03-04T01:32:00.000+08:00

As usual Sole Obsession tries to bring coverage of every sneaker event here on our small island.

Loads of sneaker porn-love to LE and NB for the launch of Singapore's very first collab shoe...who would have guessed it would've been a New Balance sneaker busting out from all the other brands to grab hold and stake claim to the title of being the first LE collab shoe. Only shows NB is stepping it's game up in the right direction....nice one lads!

On to the photos...

Choo Ee (Streething) and Wilfred (Adidas)

The Man who made all this possible...King Arthur (NB)

Arthur (NB) and Mandeep (LE)

Leftfoot head honchos with Streething and Patrick (NB)

Wilfred (Adidas) and Tony (Lazy)

Patrick (NB) giving some fool a Made in England headlock

King Arthur with his little princess

Aaahhh bless!!!

Cheers to all that made this launch happen!

LE Jordan XXIII Launch and Exhibition

2008-02-25T04:08:00.000+08:00

Limited Edition (LE) held the much anticipated launch of the Jordan XXIII at their Queensway store on...when else, but 23 February. The whole LE store was cleaned out and transformed into a Jordan haven for the night. Jordan wallpaper lined walls and display cases contained a full timeline of Jordan releases along with some highly coveted gems that even the big man would salivate over.

The evening's festivities kicked off with a ballot and lucky draw as well as free Jordan posters being handed out to the crowd. The launch was limited to only Jordan Club members but we managed to sneak our arses in when the doorman wasn't looking! Once everyone was inside, a special video package of all the Jordan commercials made to date was screened for all the fanatics who showed up. After the video was over they dished out some prizes for the lucky draw and the baying crowd finally got round to ringing up the cash register with some XXIIIs.

Much love to Nike, the LE crew and Mandeep for such a brilliant showcase and launch event.

Look at all those baby Jordans!

...and the kid that owns them all!

New Balance head honcho shows support for Geseho!

Choo Ee likes his sandwich with brown bread...

Suraj (know it nothing), Shaun (Hypethetic) and Choo Ee (Streething)

Arthur and Patrick of NB in sneaker blasphemy.

Last but not least Choo Ee with LE chief Mandeep

Streething / Sole Obsession All in the Family

2008-02-19T18:45:00.000+08:00

Once again we find ourselves in the familiar premises of KL...more specifically Zouk KL! Streething had asked us to support their All In The Family event that features street art, streetwear, customised toys and sneakers, and the highlight being a live installation by Dave White, Lazy and SBTG on the same stage all at once!!!

We were there for the free booze...oh and of course the tees we designed and printed for the event. Shout out to Darbotz for his killer monster design!