This wouldn’t normally be something that I’d be bothered about but for some reason this one caught my eye. Nice when some one does something a little different.

Skateboarding 3D is a stunning book that was photographed by Sebastian Denz. It will be available soon in UK Stores in London and Manchester from 4th February at the Launch Party (more info to follow) priced £40.

(via The Carhartt Store)

This is going to be an going thing with no deadline so if you want to help out drop me an email at hello@kartelinc.co.uk.

OK. So I know I ripped into this collab a few days ago. But you’ve got to admit this is pretty special.

In the past he’s worked with the likes of Vans, Maharishi and Silas but today he posted on his blog about a new project he’s got coming out in ‘11 for WeSC. Obviously we’ve just crawled in to 2010, and 2011 is long minute away, but I reckon this will be a one to keep an eye open for when it emerges. There isn’t a lot of info on it at the moment but keep on the Fats’ blog for more info soon.

Customers like and appreciate the story and work ethic behind my brand. I started this as a joke from the trunk of my beat up ‘89 Toyota Camry. A college drop out with a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle, I never wasted my time going out and partying but instead focused only on brainstorming and sketching up my wacky ideas. I turned down investors and took countless risks like keeping my shirts out of chain stores.

Yeah, once I became better known I could have made a TON of money real quick, but instead I chose quality over quantity.

I’d rather have a strong brand filled with knowledgeable customers who truly enjoy and appreciate what I’ve created instead of making a quick buck– being just another fad. People like what nobody else has, and I love coming out with limited edition, exclusive shirts rather than mass-producing things. Once a shirt is sold out, I never produce them again.

The latest release is a collaboration with Warner Brothers and Looney Toons due to drop in time for Valentines Day. You might need to stay awake for this one because new releases fly off the shelves super quick.

Now I like a colab as much as the next guy but I can’t help but think the hype on this one is a little bit over the top. For the most part the product is OK, but lets face it its nothing special, especially considering that most of it looks like it was made for the mad collector rather than general consumption (i.e. the ‘Best Scenes Micropacer’) and would be ripped to shreds if it wasn’t carrying the Star Wars name.

adidas have commissioned a big bunch of creative studios to produce a wide range of promotion videos, art work and other non-sneaker related product to market the release outside of the normal channels and create a bit of added value the for the ‘brand’ which is rarely a bad a thing but doesn’t exactly cut to the core of what the product is all about.

Lots of film/sneaker collaborations come and go without much fanfair (Godfather Reebok, Nike Transformers or Nike Dunk SB ‘Spiderman’ anyone?), but very rarely do any stick around long enough to make an impact, regardless of marketing budget or hype, and to be honest I don’t see these being any different. But once the dust settles only time will tell, personally I think I’ll hold out for these Twilight ‘Converse’. Whaat?!

The first drop will be available from End Clothing from the 16th Jan with the others to follow and you can see the full range here.

You can see the full map and listings here.

At some point I will open this collaboration but for the mean time if you know a store that needs adding then drop me an email. Let me know the name, website and city and also any experience you have of the place. If you think I’ve missed anything just holla.

This directory is purely for stores with premises but in the next month I’ll also be doing a similar directory for online retailers.

Vans introduces a new pack from its Vault campaign for the Spring 2010 season. Dubbed the Surf Shaka Pack, the sneakers take obvious inspiration from the famous Jim Phillips screaming hand graphic. Taking on an all-over print design, various colors are brought to the forefront as the set includes styles from Vans’ more popular models, including the Era, Slip-on, and SK8-Hi. A release is scheduled for May and June of this year. via Hypebeast

If these don’t make you wish Summer was here already. Then I don’t know what will

I first saw these in End Clothing a year or so ago and since I’ve seen a lot of people wearing them, personally I rarely wear a watch so didn’t bother but I still appreciated how nice they were. Normally watches like this turn up, stick around for a while then fizzle out to be replaced by the next fad but considering they’ve been on the go since 2005 the company have managed to keep things fresh and relevant by releasing a few new lines and updating the collection.

Since first seeing them I’ve never come across anything that was anywhere near as good, until about 3 weeks ago when I walked past a local jewelers and saw one of these almost identical watches.

At first I thought it was just a ripped version of the TWC watch as the price was closer to £50 than £130 and I noticed that the logos weren’t all that different, that was until I found their website today.

Appartenly LTD have been making their watches since 2009 and from the looks of things they have a following. According to the website their watches are based on the idea that each colour way is only produced in editions of 150 then never made again and they also claim that “Dizzee Rascal to Calvin Harris to JLS” are fans of the product (even though most of the ‘press’ photos look to be from one T4 event) with “all the big names are rocking their favorite colour ways of this new watch sensation”. They’ve got a Twitter account and Facebook page each with a few followers and what seems to be quite a bit press for a short life time.

However what is strange is how similar the two products actually are. The TWC Fluo watch is and has always been advertised and promoted as being based on Rolex’s famous Submariner model down to the ‘Oyster Braclet’ which is mentioned on their official website and by most of the retailers, but for some reason LTD failed to mention the same. They’re also made from the same material (policarbonate), have the same hand and date display style and the same dial markings, in fact the only thing that separates one from the other is the build quality, given that the LTD watch looks no where near as good.

It’s weird that two different companies could push out such a similar product without one or another knowing, especially when LTD Watches are available from online retails like Asos, Topman and Peter Burrowes. Toy Watch Company watches are awesome, no doubt about it, and even at £100 – £130 are a total steal for a good watch, the LTD Watch for £30 – £50 on the other hand… maybe not.

Toy Watch Company are available from End Clothing, Newcaslte check it and if anyone has got any more info on LTD Watches, hit me up.

*UPDATE*
By the looks of things anyone can get there hands on this style of watch and stick their own brand on it. Like these ones from Yukka.co.uk ‘limited’ to 100 pieces.

Originally from Japan (and now its number one clothing retailer), their clothes are renowned for their simple design, low cost and build quality, and like similar brands they stock everything from outerwear and knitwear to jeans and t-shirts but a line they’re really pushing at the moment is their Quilted Reversible Parkas.

I don’t normal go for this kind of jacket but I’ve sampled one of these myself, and for £20 they’re a really nice outer jacket, they’re pretty light weight and well fitted, but best suited for less colder days than we’re having at the moment. In total there are 14 different colour ways available in mens and womens and like most of the clothing from Uniqlo they’re fairly bright, plus they’re revisable with a two colour inner.

£20 for a limited time only the regular price is something in the region of £25. For more information checkout the Uniqlo UK online store.