Russ New York, NY
Ruslan Karablin, better known as SSUR©, has been an endless personage in New York City's downtown art scene for two decades. Born in Soviet Union Ukraine, Karablin immigrated in 1975 to Coney Island, Brooklyn, at age five. The SSUR© manifesto encompasses popular culture, hip-hop, eclectic music, Russian heritage, the Black Hand, social consciousness, and revolutionary iconography. SSUR© injects a championing of the anti-hero in the modern urban myth.
JenStark
Jen Stark is a contemporary visual artist whose kaleidoscopic artwork brings to mind fractals, rainbows, geodes and topographic maps. Although Stark is most recognized for her paper sculptures she has explored a variety of media including wood, drawing and animation. Her ideas are based on replication and infinity as well as hypnotic, optical designs that mimic mandalas and sacred objects. Using her vivid imagination and an X-acto knife, she is a modern day magician who transforms humble materials like construction paper and glue into fantastic, intricate sculptures that mesmerize the eye. Her optically and methodologically baffling sculptures, animations and drawings gather inspiration from plants, outer space, microscopic designs in nature, color, math and science.
www.jenstark.com
BryanRayTurcotte Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco transplant to Los Angeles, Bryan spent his twenty’s on the road with his band while managing to hold down his job at the legendary independent punk record label Slash. He started publishing company Kill Your Idols in 1999 and won the 2000 Firecracker Award for his debut book Fucked Up + Photocopied: Instant Art of the Punk Movement. Post No Bills Shepard Fairey, Punk Is Dead Punk Is Everything, Metro, Ask The Angels, Seven Years with Rhymesayers, 101 Essential Rock LPs and Message Sage Vaughn would follow. Fucked Up + Photocopied celebrates 15 years in 2014 and will launch a limited edition printing. As an artist Bryan has exhibited all around the world with his own brand of chaotic punk designs mixed with vintage posters, photos, set lists and fanzines. He has produced designs for iconic brands such as Converse, Levi’s, Blood Is The New Black, Hysteric Glamour and Ray Bans to name a few. Bryan co owns Beta Petrol and Ruby Records, a music supervision company and independent record
label. His debut into film making starts with a series of short documentary films for The Museum Of Contemporary Art. ‘The Art Of Punk’ to be released June 2013.
KevinPoon
Kevin Poon is a co-founder of CLOT Inc. After graduating from university with a degree in finance, he worked in the international department of Interscope Records, where he developed expertise in brand consulting and retail design. His current job as Managing Director of CLOT includes controlling the budget and cash flows as well as organizing some of the hottest venues in town. He has made the most of the opportunities his work has opened up to position himself as a pioneer of Asian street culture.
CapitalCities Los Angeles, CA
Capital Cities create buoyantly melodic synth-pop gems that are stubbornly positive in a world that sometimes feels terminally bummed. “Safe and Sound” the first single from the Los Angeles duo’s self-titled debut EP for Capitol Records, is uplifting, sincere, catchy, and, like all their songs, full of heart. Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian sing in unison: “You could be my luck. Even if the sky is falling down, I know that we’ll be safe and sound” — offering up an inviting message of hope.
D*FACE
D*Face is a prolific contemporary urban artist. Working with a variety of mediums and techniques, he uses a family of dysfunctional characters to satirise and hold to ransom all that falls into their grasp – a welcome jolt of subversion in today’s media-saturated environment.
In 2005 D*Face set up the gallery 'StolenSpace', which continues to be Londons foremost contemporary urban art gallery. He is one of Britain's leading "newbrow" artists, and damn if he isn't as sharp and clever - if not quite as surreptitious - as Banksy (and sharper and cleverer by half than Damien Hirst.) - Peter Frank.
PeanutButterWolf Los Angeles, CA
Those who try to pigeonhole Stones Throw Records' catalog are almost guaranteed to get it wrong. Even at Stones Throw's inception, DJ and label boss Peanut Butter Wolf (born Chris Manak) probably wouldn’t have guessed that a tiny hip-hop label born in the Bay Area a decade and a half ago could become a tastemaker, risk taker and archaeological site for genres that included shoegaze, soul and psychedelia. From innovative MCs and producers such as Madlib to retro-styled newcomers such as the Stepkids, no two artists here sound alike. - Nate Jackson, LA Times, December 22, 2011 www.StonesThrow.com
Joshy_D
REBEL8 founder Joshy D. met Mike Giant in the late 1990’s in San Francisco’s then bustling graffiti scene. Joshy ran the popular graffiti website, HiFiArt, and Giant was one of the city’s most notorious writers. Years later, after a couple of brews, a few tattoos, and plenty of joints, Joshy approached Giant about creating a handful of t-shirt graphics. With $500, Joshy printed a small run of tees and sold them out of a messenger bag around the city. REBEL8 was born.
Jake_Davis
A native New Yorker, award winning music video and commercial director, Jake Davis has revolutionized fashion films by shooting some of the most stylish and beautiful people around the world. Jake's work has been showcased by Nowness, GQ, Hypebeast, T Magazine, Elle, Style.com and more. He was recently named one of CNNCTD’s 100 Most Influential New Yorkers at the New Museum and one of the 50 Most Stylish New Yorkers by Complex Magazine. As a director, Jake shoots videos for hip-hop superstars like Drake, Wiz Khalifa, and ASAP Rocky, as well as indie favorites The Walkmen and Vanessa Carlton. On the commercial side, the NYU film graduate is one of the most sought after fashion filmmakers with spots and campaigns for Nike, Supreme, Converse, New Balance, Woolrich, K-Swiss, Billy Reid, Unis, Union, Boast, Sebago, Delvaux, Barney’s, Gilt, JNBY, Wool And The Gang, and FiveStory. His clients not only seek his cinematic touch but also unique creative direction from the filmmaker. As part of what the The New York Times calls "A New Breed of Fashion Bloggers," Jake curates the coolest and most unique menswear on his namesake blog, which has an incredible influence and penetration throughout the industry.
SUPREME
Brendon Babenzien, Design Director of Supreme for 12+years, Runner. Not in a position to judge anyones work but will do if asked politely.
EdisonChen
Edison Chen is a multi-talented artist who starts his entertainment career in acting and singing since 2000. With his love in hip hop music style, he has produced a number of top hits which reflect the local Hong Kong culture. Bringing his career to another level, he established CMD (CLOT MEDIA DIVISION LIMITED) which focuses on artiste management, music production and record publishing. He also established CLOT, the leading fashion and lifestyle brand in Hong Kong.
BOAST
Ryan is currently the CEO of BOAST, Chaos Efficiency Officer. With almost 20 years of experience in fields varying from entertainment marketing to digital marketing to sourcing to design, Ryan Babenzien is a veteran in the apparel industry. Let's just say he's gets shit done. Global Nomad, thought leader, eater of Hamachi belly. He has held a host of executive level positions in developing brands such as Puma and KSWISS. He comes to BOAST from K-Swiss where he created the Lifestyle Marketing department.
BURTON Whistler, British Columbia
Renaissance man Mark Sollors earned his recent notoriety the proper way, starting with Sandbox then holding it down on any and all terrain in his debut major movie release, the 2010 Transworld video, In Color. Handling everything from Whistler backcountry to urban terrain, Sollors’ video part helped him grab the prized 2011 Transworld Rookie of the Year award. But Mark was just warming up.
A committed Canucks hockey fan, mustache farmer, and Grenade Games “Most Radical Dude” complete with a complimentary Camaro, Mark is still one of the most humble guys in snowboarding. Yet during the 2011-12 season, he landed on the cover of Snowboard Canada’s Buyer’s Guide, impressed with a badass part in Burton’s Standing Sideways and represented in his effort for X Games Real Snow Backcountry. He also added more horsepower to the garage, taking home a Kawasaki KX250F dirt bike for winning the Ruckus in the Rockies. Once again, his winter was spent filming deep in the BC backcountry and the result is visible in Burton’s latest film, 13.
BURTON PRO RIDER Highland, Michigan
We all think we know Danny Davis. But the Truckee local and unofficial FREND spokesperson keeps us all guessing with a freeform character that blends elements of superpipe gypsy and backcountry hippy. What surprised everyone last season—except those who tracked his first underdog rise—was a rapid return to contention. In 2012 Danny reached the finals at the Legendary Banked Slalom, qualified second at the US Open and took second at the European Open—displaying the talent and the charge that brought him from the icy hometown hills of Michigan to the all-time pipe runs and big backcountry booters of top-tier pro snowboarding. Through it all, he has never wandered from the relaxed style and soulful vibe that has earned him countless fans worldwide.
STEVEAOKIxDIMMAK Los Angeles, CA
Steve Aoki, the DJ/Producer, among many traits also founded his own label, Dim Mak Records, in 1996. The label has released music by other electro house artists such as Datsik, Infected Mushroom, Dada Life, Zeds Dead, his own collaboration with Tiesto, MSTRKRFT, The Bloody Beetroots, Felix Cartal and Mustard Pimp, as well as by Bloc Party, Battles, The Kills, The Gossip, Klaxons, Scanners, Whitey, and Mystery Jets to name a few. The label has released over 250 records so far.
Aoki’s latest solo album, “Wonderland” was released January 2012 and features guest vocalists and musicians LMFAO, Kid Cudi, Travis Barker, Will.I.AM aka Zuper Blahq, Wynter Gordon, Rivers Cuomo, Lil Jon, Chiddy Bang, Lovefoxxx of CSS, Big John former guitarist of the punk band The Exploited, and others.
FRIENDSWITHYOU Miami, FL
FriendsWithYou is the fine art collaborative of Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, working collectively since 2002 with the sole purpose of spreading the positive message of Magic, Luck, and Friendship™. As artists working in a variety of mediums, including paintings, sculpture, large-scale experiential installations, public playgrounds, published works and live performances, FriendsWithYou’s mission is to affect world culture by cultivating special moments of spiritual awareness and powerful, joyous interaction.
Forging their own brand of post pop visual language a la Murakami, Arturo Herrera and Yayoi Kusama, FWY take a spiritual and serene approach to form and figure. Their reductive and simplified use of geo¬metric abstraction always contains a whimsical touch. Taking Bourriaud’s Relational Aesthetics to heart and hand, the artists make art of the post-Internet era. Alongside the body of works of Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Damien Hirst, FriendsWithYou is a new breed of artist, actively generating culture beyond the traditional art boundaries and reshaping the current contemporary art scene.
Nitrolicious New York, NY
Founded in February 2006 by Wendy, the nitro:licious blog has created a global readership through content that transcends cultures and language. Expanding on content to cover lifestyle and events, Wendy and nitro:licious embraces the concept of fashion as all encompassing. Adding in a splash of personal life with a dash of food and beauty, nitro:licious brings to life “dress:eat:play:sleep” and invites readers into her fast-paced and fascinating world. “dress:eat:play:sleep” and invites readers into her fast-paced and fascinating world.
Gilt Groupe New York, NY
Jared Flint is Art Director of Gilt Groupe. Previously, Jared was Online Director at Antenna Magazine. Prior to that, he was Senior Men’s Market Editor at Nylon and Nylon Guys. Jared has consulted for brands such as Levi’s, Pepsi, Kangol, the Gansevoort Hotel, Dockers and Kanon Vodka. In addition, he has done freelance writing for sites such as Men.Style.com, VMan.com, Complex.com and VH1.com, as well as magazines such as Monocle and Man of the World. Jared has a BA in History from the University of Hawaii.
The Hundreds Los Angeles, CA
Bobby Hundreds is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of The Hundreds. As an illustrator, designer, writer, and photographer, he does a little bit of everything and a lot of nothing.
huf-dbc SF
HUF-founder Keith Hufnagel grew up skateboarding in the gritty streets of New York City's late-80s. Brought up by the very 'DIY' approach that came along with skateboarding, Hufnagel saw an opportunity to give back to that same community which had raised him, and opened a small boutique in 2002 on an offbeat block of San Francisco's Tenderloin District. He named the shop HUF, and over the past decade HUF has exploded into one of the most important and legendary skate lifestyle brands.
HUF WORLDWIDE DBC // EST 2002 // T-1 KCUF
bert_rodriguez Los Angeles, CA
Bert Rodriguez is a contemporary visual artist who works with a range of media, and genres, including installation, performance, and photography. He uses various methods to translate his ideas, which explore the relationship existing between art and audience. He received a BFA in Painting from New World School of the Arts, Miami, FL, and also attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME.
Bert Rodriguez’s work has been shown widely nationally and abroad, including exhibitions at several prestigious institutions, such as in New Work Miami 2010, at the Miami Art Museum, Miami, FL; Convention (2009), at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL; Whitney Biennial (2008), at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; At This Time (2005), at the Rubell Family Collection, Miami, FL; and Becoming Father, Becoming Infant (2004), at the Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY.
Pele Brazil
Today, in a world of 7 billion people, soccer is the foremost sport and Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) remains at the center of "the beautiful game"—Universally recognized and respected in every corner of the globe.
Pelé started his professional career at the age of 16 for Santos Futebol Clube, a club he stayed with for nearly two decades. In 1958, he won his first World Cup for Brazil at age 17 – the youngest winner ever. He went on to win another two World Cups in 1962 and 1970, making him the only person in the world today with three Jules Rimet trophies to his name. Not only is Pelé the all-time leading scorer of Santos FC and the Brazil National Team, but he is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the sport (1282 goals in 1366 matches). In 1974, Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos for the 1975-1977 seasons and led his team to the 1977 NASL championship.
Named one of the "Top 20 Most Important People of the 20th Century" (Time Magazine) and "Football Player of the Century" (FIFA), Pelé today maintains his commitment to the sport and to society by fulfilling various roles as spokesperson, ambassador and philanthropist.
MajorLazer
Years after the zombie apocalypse ravaged the galaxy, Major Lazer went into isolation after bringing peace and order to Earth. With the help of a mysterious shadow government called Cinco he was cryogenically frozen as a safeguard for the future’s wellbeing. Despite a great many years of pursuing peace on the planet, a new threat began to loom on the horizon and the commando was brought out of sleep by the Committee of Five. This intergalactic group faced an opponent that only Major Lazer could defend against: his former superior and commander General Rubbish. Rubbish had come out of deep space hiding with a new weapon...Terror Lazor and was set out to enslave and capture all of Earth's allies to seize inter-galactic planetary control and then destroy Earth. With dwindling resources to defend Earth and it’s allies, the Committee of Five brought Major Lazer out of cryogenic slumber. He was assigned a partner, the female assassin known only as Knife Fight. Together they set out to FREE THE UNIVERSE, beginning on the fortuitous date of APRIL 15 2013.
Krink NYC
An innovator in the art supply industry, Krink offers high-quality products designed and used by artists. Starting out as a staple in street culture, Krink has grown dramatically, embodying a diverse creative culture and offering products for artists of all types. Working in art and design projects worldwide, Craig "KR" Costello developed Krink due to his dissatisfaction with what the market had to offer. Many styles of Krink markers remain unsurpassed in today's market in both design and capability.
DRx Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Romanelli aka DRx is the notorious Los Angeles-based cultural clothing alchemist. His skills lie in his consummate craft and vision when applying his surgical spirit to the doctoring of what he calls, "personalization customization". A singular aesthetic vision where his collaborations are a cut and sew approach re-imagining items into an inimitable DRx collectors object. From limited edition clothing to furniture and toys, DRx reconstructs the world's cultural fashion archives with his signature creative prescriptions and has worked with an inspired and diverse range of collaborators, from some of the world's most iconic luxury fashion brands to the most underground boutiques and cutting edge labels.