Saturday, July 14, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Here's the thing about me & Russell
Everytime I see Russell Simmons, anywhere. I try to steal a few minutes of his time. 15 minutes would be ideal.
But thats a stretch. Since everyone wants to talk to the dude. I dont know what they want. To touch him or some
shit, take a photo. Something frivolous to post on their myspace page. Like "Yo, I touched Russell, Holy Shit!!!
Im trying to talk with him because his mogul style is stupendous. Its like he never stops. Something I admire.
A 15 minute brain picking session with Russell, priceless. But as usual when this situation arises, its always like
going to speak to Santa. Theres this line of smiling people getting all fidgity as they approach. I really try to stay
away from that and let it happen naturally. Which never happens because the Christmas line follows him everywhere.
So it always ends up with someone getting off of his lap. Picture taken and all. Then there's me, asking for a
Red Rider BB gun. And we all know what happens after that. C'mon Russy Russ give me that 15 minutes baby. I won't
shoot my eye out.
But thats a stretch. Since everyone wants to talk to the dude. I dont know what they want. To touch him or some
shit, take a photo. Something frivolous to post on their myspace page. Like "Yo, I touched Russell, Holy Shit!!!
Im trying to talk with him because his mogul style is stupendous. Its like he never stops. Something I admire.
A 15 minute brain picking session with Russell, priceless. But as usual when this situation arises, its always like
going to speak to Santa. Theres this line of smiling people getting all fidgity as they approach. I really try to stay
away from that and let it happen naturally. Which never happens because the Christmas line follows him everywhere.
So it always ends up with someone getting off of his lap. Picture taken and all. Then there's me, asking for a
Red Rider BB gun. And we all know what happens after that. C'mon Russy Russ give me that 15 minutes baby. I won't
shoot my eye out.
this is for the artwork preview.
The actual auction takes place Sat.July 23rd @ the Simmons East Hampton Estate
Russell and Danny Simmons getting their charity on for a good cause. For more info 212.810.4490
K-Swiss Collaborates with Foucan on Free Running Shoe
K-Swiss Inc. announced Tuesday a collaboration that it hopes will take its new Ariake running shoe to the top of the free running market.
To produce the shoe, the company formed a partnership with free running founder Sebastien Foucan, who invented the sport 18 years ago. Foucan will assist K-Swiss with advertising, product design, a documentary film and a Website dedicated to free running, the company said in a Tuesday statement.
“I am thrilled to collaborate with K-Swiss to inspire others to express themselves through the art of free running,” Foucan said in the release. “This partnership gives me a platform to educate people about my discipline.”
K-Swiss EVP David Nichols said in the release that Foucan was the ideal partner for the new launch. “We are excited about creating great product for the innovative movement of free running and cannot think of anyone better to work with than its pioneer, Sebastien Foucan.”
During free running, participants attempt to avoid obstacles and environmental barriers by moving around them in a fluid, graceful motion.
To produce the shoe, the company formed a partnership with free running founder Sebastien Foucan, who invented the sport 18 years ago. Foucan will assist K-Swiss with advertising, product design, a documentary film and a Website dedicated to free running, the company said in a Tuesday statement.
“I am thrilled to collaborate with K-Swiss to inspire others to express themselves through the art of free running,” Foucan said in the release. “This partnership gives me a platform to educate people about my discipline.”
K-Swiss EVP David Nichols said in the release that Foucan was the ideal partner for the new launch. “We are excited about creating great product for the innovative movement of free running and cannot think of anyone better to work with than its pioneer, Sebastien Foucan.”
During free running, participants attempt to avoid obstacles and environmental barriers by moving around them in a fluid, graceful motion.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Damn The Uma's bit the big one......
The Urban Music Awards gave it's first run in the US this Saturday. All I can say is fucking capital HORRIBLE to the max. I'll leave it @ that but you have to be kidding me. Better luck next year Englishman. Jolly bad show.
What a disaster.
But......
Props to Chubb Rock.
Also props to Dres of Black Sheep for doing an impromptu set due to the lack of performers.
What Dj doesnt have This or That in the crate?
Too bad by this point I was dry heaving.
I have the CD, im good.
Shout out to the cupcake crew and the people that didnt sit @ our table and forfeited on their cupcakes.
And lady next to me: I had no idea that name they called was your husband as I said "Who the fuck is that?"
when they introduced him.
my bad.....
engine, engine number 9
What a disaster.
But......
Props to Chubb Rock.
Also props to Dres of Black Sheep for doing an impromptu set due to the lack of performers.
What Dj doesnt have This or That in the crate?
Too bad by this point I was dry heaving.
I have the CD, im good.
Shout out to the cupcake crew and the people that didnt sit @ our table and forfeited on their cupcakes.
And lady next to me: I had no idea that name they called was your husband as I said "Who the fuck is that?"
when they introduced him.
my bad.....
engine, engine number 9
"I went to the UMA's and all I got was this lousy cupcake"-Bliss
Spragga Benz and Foxy Brown
The Chubbster
The Right Stuff
By JENNIFER CAROFANO*
Going green is becoming an increasingly important part of doing business. From production to promotion, here are seven examples of how shoe companies are making a difference for the environment.
Keen: Taking a Stand
Keen is putting sustainability front and center. This August, the Portland, Ore.-based company will launch its latest environmental initiative, Hybrid.Stand. “There is so much in the media right now about sustainability,” said Bobbie Parisi, VP of marketing at Keen. “However, many people are overwhelmed. They want to contribute, but they aren’t sure how or where to start to make a difference.”
Hybrid.Stand aims to get everyday people involved in the issue of sustainability. Individuals are encouraged to submit their ideas for sustainable living around three themes: Stand Up, those who communicate sustainability; Stand Out, those who act in a sustainable way in their environment; and Stand For, those who care for people and the environment. In each category, the grand prize winner will receive $25,000, and five additional winners will receive $5,000 each. Winners will be announced at a festival on June 21, 2008.
To get the word out, Keen will be showing a film, featuring 10 people already making a difference for the environment, at 50 college campuses across the country. The film will also be shown at the global Live Earth event, a concert series being held on July 7 in seven continents to bring awareness to the climate crisis, including global warming. “We want to give people an opportunity and incentive to get involved and be part of the solution,” said Parisi.
Nike: Product Push
Ever the pioneer, Nike began exploring the possibilities of eco-friendly footwear back in spring ’05 with the launch of its Considered collection. “We started by taking out components, but we are now looking at a holistic approach,” said John Hoke, VP of footwear creative design at the Beaverton, Ore.-based firm. “We have had tremendous learning from the Considered journey.”
The company recently pledged to apply the same environmentally conscious ethos across its entire footwear business with the ambitious goal of reducing waste in product design and packaging, eliminating volatile organic compounds and increasing its use of eco-friendly materials by the year 2011. In addition to the Considered collection, new eco-friendly products will roll out first in the outdoor-specific ACG brand as well as within Nike’s basketball and running categories. For example, the Air Zoom Affinity (below left), set to debut for spring ’08, was produced with 38 percent less waste and 40 percent less solvents and uses 33 percent recycled materials.
“We are trying to eliminate and reduce waste as much as we can,” Hoke said. “That’s our biggest push.” The design ethos will ultimately affect more than 225 million pairs of shoes each year. The company also plans to meet the same requirements for apparel and equipment production by 2015 and 2020, respectively.
Mion: On the Lot
For Mion, the big screen is playing a key role in helping to bring awareness to the environmental cause. The brand, a division of Stratham, N.H.-based Timberland, will announce the winners of its second annual Mion Solutions Environmental Film awards this August.
“Film is a very creative form of communication that can not only inspire, but ... has the ability to resonate on a higher level than many other media,” said Erik Burbank, GM for Mion Footwear, who noted that this year’s competition saw an uptick in the number of entries from the previous year. The first-place winner will receive $1,500 to help fund future environmental films, as well as $1,500 to donate to an environmental cause of their choice. Second- and third-place winners will receive $1,000 and $500, respectively, to use and donate. (Last year’s winning films featured topics as varied as sustainable farming in Ohio, river cleanup in Washington, D.C., and water conservation and protection in China.)
In addition, this year’s winning films will be screened across the country at select Mion retailers. “By partnering with our retailers ... on film nights, we are able to help the filmmakers raise awareness of the issues their films address at a grassroots level,” said Burbank. “We believe that such outreach can and will inspire environmental activism and stewardship.”
Sole Technology: From the Top
Sole Technology wants to impact the environment — from the top down. In addition to installing solar panels on the roof of its Lake Forest, Calif.-based headquarters (above), the company is the first in the action-sports industry to appoint an environmental executive. Named manager of environmental affairs in February, Roian Atwood (above, at right), previously the director of sustainability at American Apparel, is currently overseeing a full ecological survey of the company.
“The first and primary goal is to do a complete analysis of exactly ... what our impact is on the world,” said Atwood, who added that while a standard analysis can take 18 months, he is on track to complete the Sole Technology analysis in six months’ time to meet a June 29 deadline.
Atwood has designed a customized plan for the company that will measure five distinct environmental concerns — carbon emission and other greenhouse gases; total water usage; total materials consumption, including those materials used in footwear as well as in the company’s buildings and vehicles; built environment displacement, or how a building has affected the natural environment where it was constructed; and cumulative toxicity — from shoe production to the environmental effects of a typical office desk.
“At the end of [the analysis], I will have a quantifiable number in each of those categories that represents our metric system,” said Atwood. “For example, how many pounds of carbon dioxide did we emit in 2006, and what are we going to do in the future to minimize that?”
One idea is to create a “green” rooftop on the company’s Fontana, Calif.-based distribution center that would offset both carbon emissions and built environment displacement with a mix of vegetation, solar panels and wind machines. “This is one of the most exciting times in human history, because we are being called to a challenge,” said Atwood. “[The environment] is something humanity can really turn around and, ultimately, determine our own future.”
Earth: Green Donation
Earth is giving back — and gaining a loyal following in the process.
Since 2006, the Waltham, Mass.-based firm has partnered with Earth Share, a network of nonprofit environmental organizations including the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation, which facilitate environmental education and charitable giving through workplace-giving campaigns. For every Earth shoe purchased and registered at Earth.us/showyoucare.asp, the company donates $5 to Earth Share for a maximum donation of $25,000 each year. According to Dave Aznavorian, VP of marketing for Earth, close to 1,000 individuals have signed up since the program’s inception. (The company donates the full $25,000 each year, regardless of how many people register product online.)
“It’s less of a loyalty program and more of [a means] to [show] the way we operate to the consumer,” said Aznavorian, who noted that the most popular product registered is the brand’s animal- and eco-friendly vegan collection (at left). “It’s a different way to create a relationship with your consumer.”
Going forward, the company hopes to invite its registered consumers to participate in company-wide environmental events. “When your brand is [called] Earth,” said Aznavorian, “there is an expectation and responsibility that comes along with that.”
Timberland: Label This
Timberland believes in full disclosure. For fall ’06, the Stratham, N.H.-based company debuted nutritional labels on its footwear boxes that show consumers the environmental footprint of the company. This spring, Timberland took the process one step further with the Green Index (above, at right). The new ratings system shows consumers exactly how the production of the style they purchase has affected the environment. The labels indicate climate impact, chemical use and resource consumption on a scale of 1 to 10, with zero indicating the lowest environmental impact.
“We believe consumers should hold companies accountable for the way they conduct business,” said Betsy Blaisdell, manager of environmental stewardship for Timberland. “Our Green Index provides consumers with visibility into the environmental footprint our business creates. This also creates more transparency and allows consumers to see the design metrics we are working on to improve all product.”
The ratings system will be visible on hangtags and on the company’s Website, and an overall score will be stamped inside select shoe styles. This spring, five styles within the brand’s Outdoor Performance category feature the Green Index, and that number will grow to 30 styles for fall ’07. Going forward, Timberland plans to provide a Green Index for every style bearing the Timberland name, as well as for the company’s Mion and Golite brands. “The public nature of this initiative creates tremendous incentives for us to design product with fewer impacts, and ultimately, this results in better choices for the increasingly informed consumer,” Blaisdell said.
Simple: Warming Trend
Simple is drumming up awareness about harmful climate change by partnering with Stopglobalwarming.org. Founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Laurie David and John McCain, Stopglobalwarming.org is an online community (so far, more than 800,000 people have signed on) offering individuals information on global warming and how they can affect change — both locally and globally.
“We’re partnering with Stopglobalwarming.org because of our shared vision,” said Greg Nielsen, marketing manager for Simple, a division of Goleta, Calif.-based Deckers. “They’re giving a voice to the most prominent environmental issue to date: global warming.”
Last month, Simple debuted a flip-flop in collaboration with Stopglobalwarming.org that features eco tips on the shoe itself, such as “Stop idling. After 10 seconds, you’ll waste 10 percent less by turning the ignition off.” A second thong style hits the market next month, followed by a Stopglobalwarming.org eco sneaker [below] for spring ’08. The casual kicks feature hemp uppers and recycled materials in the sole, footbed and laces. A portion of all proceeds from the styles will benefit Stopglobalwarming.org. “Our goal is to raise $500,000,” Nielsen said.
*footwear news
Going green is becoming an increasingly important part of doing business. From production to promotion, here are seven examples of how shoe companies are making a difference for the environment.
Keen: Taking a Stand
Keen is putting sustainability front and center. This August, the Portland, Ore.-based company will launch its latest environmental initiative, Hybrid.Stand. “There is so much in the media right now about sustainability,” said Bobbie Parisi, VP of marketing at Keen. “However, many people are overwhelmed. They want to contribute, but they aren’t sure how or where to start to make a difference.”
Hybrid.Stand aims to get everyday people involved in the issue of sustainability. Individuals are encouraged to submit their ideas for sustainable living around three themes: Stand Up, those who communicate sustainability; Stand Out, those who act in a sustainable way in their environment; and Stand For, those who care for people and the environment. In each category, the grand prize winner will receive $25,000, and five additional winners will receive $5,000 each. Winners will be announced at a festival on June 21, 2008.
To get the word out, Keen will be showing a film, featuring 10 people already making a difference for the environment, at 50 college campuses across the country. The film will also be shown at the global Live Earth event, a concert series being held on July 7 in seven continents to bring awareness to the climate crisis, including global warming. “We want to give people an opportunity and incentive to get involved and be part of the solution,” said Parisi.
Nike: Product Push
Ever the pioneer, Nike began exploring the possibilities of eco-friendly footwear back in spring ’05 with the launch of its Considered collection. “We started by taking out components, but we are now looking at a holistic approach,” said John Hoke, VP of footwear creative design at the Beaverton, Ore.-based firm. “We have had tremendous learning from the Considered journey.”
The company recently pledged to apply the same environmentally conscious ethos across its entire footwear business with the ambitious goal of reducing waste in product design and packaging, eliminating volatile organic compounds and increasing its use of eco-friendly materials by the year 2011. In addition to the Considered collection, new eco-friendly products will roll out first in the outdoor-specific ACG brand as well as within Nike’s basketball and running categories. For example, the Air Zoom Affinity (below left), set to debut for spring ’08, was produced with 38 percent less waste and 40 percent less solvents and uses 33 percent recycled materials.
“We are trying to eliminate and reduce waste as much as we can,” Hoke said. “That’s our biggest push.” The design ethos will ultimately affect more than 225 million pairs of shoes each year. The company also plans to meet the same requirements for apparel and equipment production by 2015 and 2020, respectively.
Mion: On the Lot
For Mion, the big screen is playing a key role in helping to bring awareness to the environmental cause. The brand, a division of Stratham, N.H.-based Timberland, will announce the winners of its second annual Mion Solutions Environmental Film awards this August.
“Film is a very creative form of communication that can not only inspire, but ... has the ability to resonate on a higher level than many other media,” said Erik Burbank, GM for Mion Footwear, who noted that this year’s competition saw an uptick in the number of entries from the previous year. The first-place winner will receive $1,500 to help fund future environmental films, as well as $1,500 to donate to an environmental cause of their choice. Second- and third-place winners will receive $1,000 and $500, respectively, to use and donate. (Last year’s winning films featured topics as varied as sustainable farming in Ohio, river cleanup in Washington, D.C., and water conservation and protection in China.)
In addition, this year’s winning films will be screened across the country at select Mion retailers. “By partnering with our retailers ... on film nights, we are able to help the filmmakers raise awareness of the issues their films address at a grassroots level,” said Burbank. “We believe that such outreach can and will inspire environmental activism and stewardship.”
Sole Technology: From the Top
Sole Technology wants to impact the environment — from the top down. In addition to installing solar panels on the roof of its Lake Forest, Calif.-based headquarters (above), the company is the first in the action-sports industry to appoint an environmental executive. Named manager of environmental affairs in February, Roian Atwood (above, at right), previously the director of sustainability at American Apparel, is currently overseeing a full ecological survey of the company.
“The first and primary goal is to do a complete analysis of exactly ... what our impact is on the world,” said Atwood, who added that while a standard analysis can take 18 months, he is on track to complete the Sole Technology analysis in six months’ time to meet a June 29 deadline.
Atwood has designed a customized plan for the company that will measure five distinct environmental concerns — carbon emission and other greenhouse gases; total water usage; total materials consumption, including those materials used in footwear as well as in the company’s buildings and vehicles; built environment displacement, or how a building has affected the natural environment where it was constructed; and cumulative toxicity — from shoe production to the environmental effects of a typical office desk.
“At the end of [the analysis], I will have a quantifiable number in each of those categories that represents our metric system,” said Atwood. “For example, how many pounds of carbon dioxide did we emit in 2006, and what are we going to do in the future to minimize that?”
One idea is to create a “green” rooftop on the company’s Fontana, Calif.-based distribution center that would offset both carbon emissions and built environment displacement with a mix of vegetation, solar panels and wind machines. “This is one of the most exciting times in human history, because we are being called to a challenge,” said Atwood. “[The environment] is something humanity can really turn around and, ultimately, determine our own future.”
Earth: Green Donation
Earth is giving back — and gaining a loyal following in the process.
Since 2006, the Waltham, Mass.-based firm has partnered with Earth Share, a network of nonprofit environmental organizations including the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation, which facilitate environmental education and charitable giving through workplace-giving campaigns. For every Earth shoe purchased and registered at Earth.us/showyoucare.asp, the company donates $5 to Earth Share for a maximum donation of $25,000 each year. According to Dave Aznavorian, VP of marketing for Earth, close to 1,000 individuals have signed up since the program’s inception. (The company donates the full $25,000 each year, regardless of how many people register product online.)
“It’s less of a loyalty program and more of [a means] to [show] the way we operate to the consumer,” said Aznavorian, who noted that the most popular product registered is the brand’s animal- and eco-friendly vegan collection (at left). “It’s a different way to create a relationship with your consumer.”
Going forward, the company hopes to invite its registered consumers to participate in company-wide environmental events. “When your brand is [called] Earth,” said Aznavorian, “there is an expectation and responsibility that comes along with that.”
Timberland: Label This
Timberland believes in full disclosure. For fall ’06, the Stratham, N.H.-based company debuted nutritional labels on its footwear boxes that show consumers the environmental footprint of the company. This spring, Timberland took the process one step further with the Green Index (above, at right). The new ratings system shows consumers exactly how the production of the style they purchase has affected the environment. The labels indicate climate impact, chemical use and resource consumption on a scale of 1 to 10, with zero indicating the lowest environmental impact.
“We believe consumers should hold companies accountable for the way they conduct business,” said Betsy Blaisdell, manager of environmental stewardship for Timberland. “Our Green Index provides consumers with visibility into the environmental footprint our business creates. This also creates more transparency and allows consumers to see the design metrics we are working on to improve all product.”
The ratings system will be visible on hangtags and on the company’s Website, and an overall score will be stamped inside select shoe styles. This spring, five styles within the brand’s Outdoor Performance category feature the Green Index, and that number will grow to 30 styles for fall ’07. Going forward, Timberland plans to provide a Green Index for every style bearing the Timberland name, as well as for the company’s Mion and Golite brands. “The public nature of this initiative creates tremendous incentives for us to design product with fewer impacts, and ultimately, this results in better choices for the increasingly informed consumer,” Blaisdell said.
Simple: Warming Trend
Simple is drumming up awareness about harmful climate change by partnering with Stopglobalwarming.org. Founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Laurie David and John McCain, Stopglobalwarming.org is an online community (so far, more than 800,000 people have signed on) offering individuals information on global warming and how they can affect change — both locally and globally.
“We’re partnering with Stopglobalwarming.org because of our shared vision,” said Greg Nielsen, marketing manager for Simple, a division of Goleta, Calif.-based Deckers. “They’re giving a voice to the most prominent environmental issue to date: global warming.”
Last month, Simple debuted a flip-flop in collaboration with Stopglobalwarming.org that features eco tips on the shoe itself, such as “Stop idling. After 10 seconds, you’ll waste 10 percent less by turning the ignition off.” A second thong style hits the market next month, followed by a Stopglobalwarming.org eco sneaker [below] for spring ’08. The casual kicks feature hemp uppers and recycled materials in the sole, footbed and laces. A portion of all proceeds from the styles will benefit Stopglobalwarming.org. “Our goal is to raise $500,000,” Nielsen said.
*footwear news
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