On surprise packages ~ fresh from Spain ~ just got an adorable surprise from one of my favorite super awesome artists, Catalina Estrada! She sent over a little notepad ~ and one of her new Grenade shirts! (she has a store filled with tees and prints and pillows!!!) ~ detail i never noticed in the pics before ~ her's like the NOTCOT girl have that one droplet of blood coming down her forehead... and i'm loving the geometric shapes and grenades... Anyhow, quick post before i run off again ~ see more pics on the next page!!! ...and THANK YOU, Cati! I don't know how you guessed, but it's a perfect fit too!

TO PAGE 2 of "Catalina Estrada Surprise Tee"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - reviews - shirts - shopping - weapons

GET EXCITED AND MAKE THINGS!!! I can't think of a better message for today... or any day! While there are far too many keep calm and carry on knock offs lately ~ this one just made my Friday. Love the Maker crown of wrenches and all! This is the latest of Howies T-Shirt of the Week ~ Made in Turkey, Designed by Matt 'Black Belt' Jones, and Printed in Westest Wales. Available in Mens and Womens!

Tags: fashion - gifts - graphic - shirts - shopping

Oooh don't forget your green this St Paddy's Day ~ just saw these refreshing on Tcritic from Haha Press. From Haha's founder, Ian Law, there is the 4 Leaf Clover Patch ~ where there may or may not be a 4 leaf clover mixed in there! From Soko, there is a gorgeous Kiss Me Clover tee that applies "a typographic treatment to class-up the classic St. Pat's saying "Kiss Me I'm Irish." See close ups on the next page! And if you want one, shop quick! Both are in limited runs of 50!

TO PAGE 2 of "Haha Press St Paddy's Day"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - graphic - green - shirts - shopping

Finally! An artist's twist on the usual city tourist t-shirt ~ a much classier more exciting gift for those who didn't get to go... Starting today, 3 limited edition t-shirts will be available at The Standard Hotels in LA, NYC, and Miami... Andre Balazs has commissioned three contemporary legends, Natas Kaupas, Eric Haze, and Jose Parla to design these t-shirts for their respective cities, and only 1500 of each design have been produced! When first described to me, i wasn't sure what to make of it, but upon seeing images, it is gorgeous black and white typography bringing out the feeling and culture of the cities ~ and especially when seen together you can really feel how different the vibe is of each... not surprising my favorite is really the LA one, NYC next... and for designs which are so blatantly screaming out the name of a city, they feel more like artwork than branding. Also adorable? The red pouches sporting the artists signatures that the t-shirts come in!

So check out the shirts and more about the artists and this collaboration on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "The Standard Hotels Limited Edition Shirts"! ----->

Tags: art - fashion - gifts - hotels - luxury - shirts - shopping - standard

Hard not to be intrigued when you get an email saying "RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN PARTNERS WITH THE THREADLESS SELECT SERIES TO LAUNCH FIRST-EVER GUEST CURATED SERIES Collection Curated by RISD President John Maeda to Launch on November 6 Featuring Theme of Newness, with Exclusive Designs by Faculty Members"

Art school president and art world superstar team up with ugc t-shirt company.... that would sound pretty incredible already, but the idea of Threadless Select reaching out and working with John Maeda and RISD staff to create 4 t-shirts just blew my mind a little. So take a look at all 4 designs on the next page, as well as the press release!

TO PAGE 2 of "Threadless Select + RISD"! ----->

Tags: art - gifts - holiday - shirts - shopping

"RVL7 - "REVEL SEVEN". Revel means "to celebrate" - the 7 comes from "24/7". RVL7 has been created to celebrate living a sustainable lifestyle 24/7."

Discovered RVL7 in the Eco-Lands of Outsde Lands - amongst the standard white tents, it was refreshing to see this pre-fab woody oasis of a t-shirt bar filled with stickers, buttons, and gorgeous graphic organic tees... see the pictures on the next page to see some of my favorite designs, and the experience within!

p.s.
Unfortunately the RVL7 site doesn't have a store, gallery, etc etc etc up yet, but hopefully coming soon!

TO PAGE 2 of "RVL7 - prefab t-shirt bar"! ----->

Tags: events - fashion - gifts - green - Outside Lands - shirts - shopping

American Apparel Thermochromatic Sheer Jersey T-Shirt!!! I know this is going to sound pretty silly, but first i went over to American Apparel because i was in disbelief that they are making Oxford Shirts... and quickly got distracted by the idea of heat-colorchanging/mood shirts! At which point, Linhchi quickly caught me up that they were bringing the 80s/90s back - and somehow i totally missed that trend as a little kid... but i want one! To play with? Work out in?

And then we hit up Wikipedia - so, catch up on Hypercolor: "Hypercolor was a line of clothing, mainly T-shirts and shorts, that changed color with heat. They were manufactured by Generra (now a division of Public Clothing Company) and marketed in the United States as Generra Hypercolor or Generra Hypergrafix and outside the US as Global Hypercolor. They contained a thermochromic (temperature sensitive) pigment made by Matsui Shikiso Chemical of Japan, that changed between two colors-one when cold, one when warm. The shirts were produced with several color change choices from the late 1980s until the early 1990s. Unfortunately the effect could easily be permanently damaged, particularly when the clothing was placed in a hotter than recommended wash." and on vaguer research, read about Thermochromism (think mood ring tech)...

OH - and see the video of the AA girl microwaving the shirt to white, then wearing it into the freezer!

Tags: fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping

For some reason, these new Tank Theory tee illustration graphics have really grabbed me tonight while i was browsing 80's Purple: I'm not a violent person, Revolution! (close up below of the black/gold going across the back as well), Survivor!... and there is also the Comrade tee below, with the gun behind her back... and on exciting Tank Theory news, i just noticed the really sweet Dungeons buckle that we've gushed about before is back in stock (images below to remind you which one)!

TO PAGE 2 of "I'm Not A Violent Person"! ----->

Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping

Respect Your Mother by Local Celebrity... as a t-shirt, this one sky rocketed around the celeb world in green and blue, and as trendy as some things can become, i've always had a soft spot for this design. Loved it secretly, but part of me would never wear it here in LA, maybe while abroad though! BUT, i just spotted that they now have a canvas tote bag with it, and simply had to add it to my pick of the moment for reusable shopping bag options... or for my laptop and other random "won't fit in purse" schlepping. Close up below, and expect this one to show up on the green gift guide to come!

TO PAGE 2 of "Respect Your Mother Tote"! ----->

Tags: bag - fashion - gifts - green - reusable - reusable bag - shirts - shopping

I've been off t-shirts lately, we've been inunddated with them to the point that our closets can no longer handle it and its getting pretty wasteful! BUT the trend of in your face, bold, large fonts on tees to state your cause of the moment has been coming back in a huge way, and there are some pretty nice options out there. (Or perhaps i've just been more conscious of them since the Social Atelier launch) - I just noticed these Katharine Hamnett ones in Domino and the "MAKE TROUBLE question everything" Chomsky tee is terribly tempting as a holiday gift to everyone i know. Other favorites are Clean Up or Die (with skull!), STOP and THINK, EDUCATION not MISSILES, WORLD PEACE NOW, CHOOSE LIFE, SAVE the Rainforest, SAVE the SEA! Anyhow, you get the point, i don't need to keep screaming them at you (do i?) ~ and sure its pretty easy to just grab a sharpie and go at a plain tshirt for a similar impact, so i'm really showing you the Katharine Hamnett line because i also love the way she's shot the shirts on playful models (although a bit borderline AA) and has a sleek website. See more of my faves below!

TO PAGE 2 of "Katharine Hamnett"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping

Nothing some good old fashioned shopping can't cure. Just spent a few hours at Century City ~ and couldn't resist this C&C California Women's Octopus Tank from their Summer Malibu Collection! Although seldom a fan of their printed pieces... how sweet are these octopi? Currently on sale over at Cusp (Neiman Marcus equiv of Barney's Coop). Also check out the "faded black" (can we just call it GREY?) dress version below ~ not nearly as fun.

TO PAGE 2 of "C&C Octopus"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping

Imaginary Foundation show opened at the Stussy store on Haight tonight, so i stopped by on the way to Magnolia. Here are some pics to give you a feel for the show... my favorites were their sculptural pieces (see that floral gramophone, the cup in the store window, and the magritte like door)... the shirts and prints didn't blow my mind as much as i'd hoped.

TO PAGE 2 of "Imaginary Foundation @ Stussy"! ----->

Tags: art - fashion - shirts - shopping

On mysterious emails (leading to images and next to no info) too good to resist... here's the latest, apparently Generation Praktikum has a pop up exhibition over at the Frankfurt Fair "Design Annual" that is happening as i write this. All i know? It is brought to you by the brilliant NY based 2x4, and there are some very fun simple vacuum packed yellow tshirts and great portraits of people holding them behind this link. Will keep you posted as i find out more.

Tags: art - shirts - shopping

Social Atelier had an Ethical Night Out tonight in Culver City ~ in a combination that no place can pull off quite like LA. Darfur Benefit + Ridiculously Comfy Tees + Provocative Typography + Fred Segal Man Pop Up Store + Men with no tees, but still typography + Cupcakes and Brownies + Larger than life pictures of hungry kids + Models sporting the 39" 19" 33" tanks + Acai Liquor flowing freely + MySpace Impact crew + and your usual LA social scene. *phew* Can you imagine that? Well if not, you can still picture it after the jump. It fit all things NOTCOT ~ art/design + fashion + food/drinks.

Talk about synergy, kismet, serendipity,... or do you not believe in coincidences? I caught up with Social Atelier's Andrei Najar for a few moments, and it sounds like he and Ya'el Afriat's idea to try to create change, instigate awareness, and make some great tees were meant to be. And all from dropping off a look book at Fred Segal Man, which happened loved the line so much they decided to not only take it on, but showcase it in their windows as well as launch this event with all proceeds of the shirts sold tonight going to benefit Darfur?

TO PAGE 2 of "Social Atelier"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - green - shirts - shopping

Apparently its mannequin hunting season. At least over at Attus Apparel, where they have just launched a limited edition series of 4 (one in each size) polos that have been Shot Up (complete with documentation of the shootings in both photo and video form). And silly as it sounds, i fully understand their thinking here... people buy cut up, distressed, destroyed jeans, tees, jackets, etc... why not polos? And with the all the murder porn on TV constantly (CSI, CSI: every other city, Law&Order and all the many spin offs)... maybe this has a chance? Either way its intriguingly hilarious from an artistic and cultural standpoint. More imagery and video from the shoot below.

TO PAGE 2 of "Shot Up Polos"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping - video

YES - you can text my shirt. There are social networks online - then there is good old fashioned face to face networking. And then there is everything in between... latest comes from Textmarks + Revl Industries - the fashion house that brings you Headline Shirts, Gytha Mander, Revl - there are now Reactees... combining the genius of your tshirt as your billboard and text messaging. Someone can now stand right in front of you and get a message from your shirt via text - and you don't have to say a thing.

Ok, but in all seriousness ~ imagine the possibilities... at a club, conference, televised sports game... you can leave notes to strangers (you can textmessage and update the automated response at anytime) and future friends. You can give people a way to contact you without knowing your phone number, and you can call/text them back once they request the Reactee shirt's automated message.

I stopped by the Revl Industries HQ earlier today to pick up my shirt you see above ~ and conceptually it's fascinating... for a mere 20$ you basically get a magic code people can text and get a message from you (yes you could update this like you do twitter) AND a shirt. You could even print this code on business cards, put it on away messages,... get creative. Additionally these guys know quality and are as anal as we are about making things look gorgeous (and they are also sticklers for comfort and as eco friendly as possible)... more below! and images of their studio.

TO PAGE 2 of "Reactee"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - phone - shirts - shopping - technology

I never thought i'd say this, but this must be the perfect present for the teenage mom studying for SATs in your life... or your teenage babysitters... or your mail order bride. I mean, lets be honest here, its clearly not for the baby to learn some vocab early, they're barely on making sounds at that stage! But none the less, turning your child (or any child) into your human flash cards just might be crazy enough to help you score a few more points. SATees.

Tags: fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping

Hard to believe its time for America's Cup already again ~ and checking out Style.com's nautically inspired slide show, i discovered Rogues Gallery. Gorgeous men's line for the sailors and captains in your life... and something about the combo of the line, their models, the photography... makes you swoon a little, no? Loving the graphic design... and check out the simple hoodie below as well as a few others.

TO PAGE 2 of "Rogues Gallery"! ----->

Tags: fashion - luxury - shirts - shopping

Sub Urban Riot ~ i've fallen for this Extinct shirt ~ silhouettes of dinosaurs forming a skull and cross bones ~ and black and white. Also the egg of birds and the baby of mammals... more images below of their adorable dresses and site.

TO PAGE 2 of "Sub Urban Riot"! ----->

Tags: fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping

Antenna ~ go write it down. This is a magazine to look out for this summer! Preview issue just showed up and i'm smitten. As much as blogs amuse me, they will never replace my need for magazines... something about precise layouts, the touch and smell of paper, the way you can FLIP through a stack of pages... its not to be replaced! That being said, Antenna got my magazine excitement going again, especially since it has some fun graphic design, and reads like a mix between Lucky magazine and design magazines with a dash of the street/skate scene. (oh and its more guy slanted, but without the softcore)... this issue literally goes from A to Z as you can see in the contents page, and between the "real" articles... i'm loving their layouts for themed pages... like roundups of great glasses, cell phones, candy, condoms, bomber jackets, skateboards, and so much more... so here's a sneak peak of some of my favorite pages to keep you going until August 2007! [and the (N)EEDS- morning after section cracked me up.]

TO PAGE 2 of "Antenna"! ----->

Tags: fashion - magazines - shirts

Humility is no issue for these guys... Insanely Great Tees. But as i sit fighting with the ever crashing photoshop tonight, these tees caught my eye as i clean through the inbox... clean, subtle, playful, and oh so design geeky... i think the eraser is my fav right now.

Tags: fashion - gifts - shirts - shopping