The KOBE 11: Innovation Mastered

I'm sure you've heard by now that Kobe Bryant is playing his last season in the NBA, and in line with that announcement, Nike has recently unveiled the last on-court shoe for him. The KOBE 11 debuts a progressive technology, a stronger iteration of the Nike Flyknit through thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) threads. "Throughout my time with Nike, I've obsessed the details of my shoes. For the KOBE 11, we worked to perfect the Flyknit for basketball," as expressed by the Black Mamba himself. The technical and aesthetic design is developed by none other than Eric Avar, the Nike Innovation Director, who worked with Kobe since 2004. He is proud to achieve Bryant's signature legacy with this model: high performance, lightweight, responsive and sophisticated design. To know more about the shoe, watch the video featuring Eric Avar below. The KOBE 11 will be available in the country by January 2016. 

Vans Classic and Manila Recap

Photos by Maphie Bolalin

Last November 21, Vans Philippines celebrated the second Classic & Manila in the Philippines. It is an event focused on music and art that is done by the brand in different cities globally. This year's Classic & Manila happened at the Powermac Center Spotlight in Circuit Lane Makati. The Slick Barbers Co. gave cuts and fades, various local artists did live tagging, and Team Manila hosted a live Screen Printing session to name a few activities that have happened that day. In addition, there were live performances by Escapone, DJ Jena, Miss Teaze, Coffeebreak Island and Sandwich. The event received around 400 guests who enjoyed all the themed activities that expressed Vans' vision for the event and the brand. Peep the photos we took from the event below to have a glimpse of Vans Classic & Manila 2015.

BLKD x UMPH - Gatilyo (Music Video)

From the cracks of the aftershocks the drop of Gatilyo has left on our local hip hop scene, BLKD and UMPH unleashes the first music video from their collaborative project. The album's first track that shares the same name, Gatilyo is an introduction towards the main points that the whole album wishes to drive home. BLKD raps this one-verse track inside a slaughterhouse, a metaphorical visual presentation of what the emcee wishes to accomplish through his music. The scene then switches to BLKD standing and spitting in the middle of the street, this time performing his verse from Kawal, his song with fellow Uprising emcee KJah. They then close the curtains by posting the first four lines of the poem Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga Tagalog written by Gat Andres Bonifacio. Curated and produced by Ryan Armamento, shot by Kevin Vea, and edited by Cedric Cordero.

Purveyr Instagramer: Kara Chung

Staying true to Instagram's philosophy of #CommunityFirst, Kara has extended beyond her 15.8k followers' phones and into the real world. She truly believes that Instagram is a platform that connects like-minded creatives, and because of this, she has forged connections with Instagramers, models and other creatives from different parts of the globe. Her feed, composed mostly of portrait and fashion photography, shows her versatility and skillfulness in working with different types of people in varying sets and conditions. Playing with cool tones and pale hues, Kara's photos evoke a sense of mystery as each one makes you wonder and delve deeper.

"Hi! I’m Kara, and I work as a freelance artist. When I was younger I started out doing graphic art and music. My first set of pictures I released as a university freshman mainly complemented my design projects- during my time in college I made posters for a bunch of events. I needed to create my own graphics to place on my images, thus I started to take my photography more seriously. 

I identify as an ambivert and photography lets me bounce between temperaments. My work allows me to get out of the house, go location scouting, and meet new friends- but at the end of the day I also enjoy staying alone in my room and immersing myself in the editing process." 

How long have you been using Instagram and what made you decide to give more effort in it?

I started to use Instagram sometime during college. A bunch of photos I took over the past year that seemed to follow a similar theme led me to explore a darker mood. 

How would you describe your approach (style) to photography? 

A focus on color, interesting layers, minimalism. 

What are your usual subjects? 

People - especially when I can show emotion using form and posture rather than facial expression. 

What makes for a good Instagram shot? 

When the photograph tells a story. 

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve done for an Instagram photo? 

I wouldn’t say I do unusual things specifically for Instagram, but I do put a lot of effort into my shoots in terms of assembling teams that help me get the portraits I aim for. 

Are your photos on Instagram solely taken from your phone, or do you use other devices, such as SLRs, digital cameras, etc? Do you think the equipment one uses is a big factor in producing stunning Instagram posts?

I use my Nikon D750. I think that the device one uses does not determine whether or not a photo is good- many photographers I admire use solely mobile photography apps for shooting and editing. 

What inspires you? And how does it influence your passion for photography?

Video games were my first love. I used to play a lot of Zelda on my Gameboy Color as a kid, and I’ve always preferred the 8-bit graphics over realistic renders that came out on later consoles. I found it interesting that the platform could use so little to build intricate storylines, and I’d like to think that this minimalism carries over to what I produce today. 

Who are your favorite Instagramers? 

Maria (@marielleko_) - For her evocative conceptual shots. I love how she lets her subjects interact with their environment. 

Heather (@h.va) - An avid explorer I admire for her editorial work and landscape photography. 

Tony (@bellnjerry) - Tony’s gallery is a mix of light-play and bright shades. Am especially drawn to his cinematic portraits of performers. 

What do you dislike about Instagram? 

-

What is Instagram for you? 

A platform that connects like-minded creatives.

Christmas Light Show at Filinvest City

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and Filinvest City makes it a point that everyone feels the spirit of the holidays with eye-catching decor, exciting events and fun activities lined up all month long. To kick off the season of merriment, Filinvest City launched its Christmas campaign, "The Light of Christmas," at the River Park in Festival Mall with a ceremonial lighting of its annual Christmas Musical Lights Show, plus performances from Jed Madela and A.M.P Big Band. The Christmas Musical Lights Show is a must-see for everyone as it features 350,000 twinkling lights dancing to holiday tunes. If you didn't catch the ceremonial lighting, there's no need to worry since the show goes on for 20 minutes daily from 6 to 9pm.

Christmas is definitely just around the corner at Filinvest City, where beautiful lights and decor can be seen practically anywhere especially along major roads and gateways to delight and excite Southerners and visitors from the north side of town for the most-awaited holiday. 'Tis the season to be jolly, so come home to Filinvest City and feel the magic of Christmas.

WeFXD BRKLSS in Japan: The First Tour

It seems like the cycling community in the country just keeps on growing and getting more exciting every time. We see a lot more people riding bikes around the city, and even outside as well. And it actually goes with all kinds of bikes and riders. However, as of the moment, the group who's making the most noise and appearances in our opinion is the fixed gear community. It may be due to the fact that they can be the most flashy in the cycling circle, and are connected to a lot of other communities. To just prove that, earlier this year WeFXD, a premier fixed gear riding group, organized a tour to Japan. The riders were composed of various personalities in the local fixed gear community; bike shop owners, artists, community pioneers and more. They spent their time in Japan biking around the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo and some more around those areas. To have a glimpse of those rides, you can check out The Breakaway's photo essays here or have a look at their short documentary above. The video is nothing short of inspiring and thrilling, so it's enough to make you be eager to ride as soon as possible after watching it.

Source: The Breakaway