YEEZY Gap

“Yeezy, Yeezy where you been, uh?” Making history, of course. Back in June 2020, megastar creator Kanye West took to Twitter to officially announce a colossal joint venture with his brainchild brand YEEZY and Gap.  Finally, after a full year of anticipation the garment giants have unveiled the first release of their whopping 10-year partnership.

The YEEZY Gap “Round jacket” is a bold outerwear piece made with recycled nylon and boasts an eye catching blue hue. What’s truly unique about the unisex puffer is its unconventional collar—well, technically there’s none.  Furthermore, the jacket does not feature a closure so there’s no way you can hide that winter gut (I mean, there’s nothing wrong with having one…just sayin’).

Last week in Los Angeles, Ye himself was snapped wearing the jacket with a pair of Nikes! (::Gasps:: talk about marketing!).  Priced at $200, The YEEZY Gap “Round Jacket” will be available for preorder starting June 7 exclusively in the good ol’ US of A on Gap.com.  Unfortunately, shipping is scheduled to take place this Fall.  Check this out though, in order to access the preorder you must first enter your contact information, shirt size, pant size, shoe size and social security number (just joking…pretty believable, right?).

In grand Yeezus fashion, YEEZY Gap will showcase its “Round Jacket” floating projections in major cities starting with New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Peep the exact locations below:

New York City
Madison Square Garden
Guggenheim Museum
New York Public Library
Spring Street Salt Shed
The Met Breuer
New Museum
166 Lafayette Street
142 Spring Street
184 Wythe Avenue
Essex And Rivington Streets

Los Angeles
Disney Concert Hall
Hollywood Palladium
LACMA
Staples Center
The Broadflower St And W Olympic Boulevard
Melrose Avenue And N Virgil Ave
Abbot Kinney Boulevard And San Juan Avenue
Dolby Theatre
Santa Monica Avenue And 2nd Street
Vine Street – Walk Of Fame
8349 Sunset Boulevard

Chicago
Michigan Ave And Roosevelt Road
1601 N Milwaukee Avenue
1453 N Milwaukee Avenue
1927 N Milwaukee Avenue
621 W Fulton Street

The King of Thrifting

Two years ago I conducted an incredible interview with none other than the hypest of the hypebeasts himself Ang Nits. Since I dived deep inside the mind of a “user”—in this case, a bright-eyed individual who unabashedly buys highly popularized (and often criticized) gear for his own enjoyment—it’s time to finally hear from the “dealer.” Yup, you read that right, I’m talking about a dope garment slangin’, bandz getting reseller.

Allow me to present the culprit at hand Josh Dzime-Assison, better known as Dizzy. What makes the determined DMV native so unique is that he specializes in reselling sensational pieces from thrift stores. Dizzy actually has his meticulous thrifting ways down to a science. Don’t believe me? Simply head over to his Instagram page and you’ll find informational posts on how to properly cop and resell vintage threads: from refurbishing old boxes to send out packages, all the way down to clutch reminders like not forgetting to look through the bedsheet and hand towels section for hidden gems. (Earlier this month he bought a 1970s Yves Saint Laurent towel set for only $8. It was resold on eBay for a whopping $240.)

I recently sat down with the eCommerce expert to discuss his come up, fashion, business and future endeavors. Check out our insightful conversation below:

FRENDY: I could have easily named this piece, “The King of Reselling” because you are a Jedi master of flipping items, but I truly believe you’re even better at buying archival pieces for the low low.  When did thrifting become your thing?

DIZZY: I stumbled into thrifting as a teenager, maybe 14 or 15. I was a fanatical sneaker collector at that time. I remember going in a thrift store (before it was acceptable and trendy to wear used or secondhand items) and seeing some really dope older Jordans. One of my first thrift store purchases was a pair of original powder blue 9’s from 1994. I think I paid $10 for them, took them home, scrubbed them and they broke everyone’s neck at school the next day and on NikeTalk that night when I posted my outfit. I was hooked on thrift stores after that.

FRENDY: Jeez, only $10! A regular teenager back then wouldn’t think about hitting up a thrift store to cop some gear.  You were ahead of your time. Is it safe to say that you were introduced to fashion and style by your OGs at a real young age?

DIZZY:  I wasn’t really introduced to fashion by OGs, I grew up on 90s basketball and Eastbay. At that time, my focus was strictly sneakers, and the love for sneakers helped me develop my style and taste in fashion a little later. In high school, I probably already had close to 150 pairs of sneakers and I was starting to build a reputation on message boards like NikeTalk and ISS. That slight Internet buzz was fun, but the Internet was fairly new as far as understanding the power and reach that it had. So I was just beginning to tap into my influence at that point.

FRENDY:  Where exactly did you grow up in the DMV area?

DIZZY: I grew up in Adelphi, MD, which is Prince George’s County if anyone is familiar with the DMV area. Around 10th or 11th grade, my family moved to Silver Spring, MD which is a suburb of Washington, DC.

FRENDY:  I read that Maryland has a lot of county pride. When you tell people what county you’re from, it’s like telling them part of your identity. Do you believe that’s true? If so, what attributes have you inherited from yours?

DIZZY:  Yeah, there’s a little bit of that. It’s not as serious as the boroughs in NY, but people definitely want to know where you’re from. I think the issue comes from people that are from MD claiming DC and people from far suburbs claiming DMV. I think people just want to know that you’re actually from the area.

Growing up in MD was dope though because it’s a racial melting pot and an economic melting pot. I was able to see and experience so much in those younger years. I had white friends and black and hispanic friends. I had rich friends and lower middle class friends. It was just a really well rounded upbringing. I think it prepared me for how diverse the real world is.

FRENDY:  Amazing. Damn, I guess I watched too much of “The Wire’ growing up because I ignorantly thought the whole of Maryland was filled with violence *Laughs*.

DIZZY:  “The Wire” just showed some parts of Baltimore, which is like 45 minutes away from Silver Spring and an hour from Washington, DC. For the most part, those suburbs around DC are consistently some of the wealthiest counties in the country. I think Prince George’s county has the wealthiest black population of anywhere. So as amazing as “The Wire” was, it was telling a very specific story. I recently was in Colombia in South America and from what we see in movies and on TV, we just think it’s all cocaine cartels. When I got there, it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Same thing.

FRENDY:  That’s why we actually have to experience life instead of agreeing with force-fed information from mainstream media.  Speaking of which, in an interview with The Fader last year, singer Brent Faiyaz stated that Maryland is extremely competitive.  Have you experienced any sort of competition or haters downplaying your entrepreneurial grind out there?

DIZZY: I try not to pay attention to it. That’s everywhere though. People will tell you that same story in any city. I just always try to show love and it’s worked out for me. At times, I’ve struggled with the feeling that people were smiling in my face and hating behind my back, but that was something I had to get over and grow past. So now I just focus my thoughts and energy on things I can control.

FRENDY:  This is the same energy I carry. Your company is now based in New York.  What inspired the move there from your hometown?

DIZZY:  I’m actually back in MD now, man. I was in NY for 7 years. I originally left MD because I was able to have some success at a young age and I was curious to see how that stacked up in a big market. Everybody in this industry wants to be in NY for the opportunities, the relationships, resources. There’s just so many things that NY offers that you can’t get anywhere else in the world. So living and hustling in NY for those years was a great experience for me.

FRENDY:  What compelled you to actually carry out the plan of opening up your online shop selling thrift goods?

DIZZY: The plan started in MD. I opened the first consignment sneaker store in the MD area in 2007. I did the physical location thing for a little while and when that ended, I just continued the hustle online. I had always been selling, but before that I was selling on forums, from my blog (I was blogging heavily back then) and on MySpace. From there, the transition to an online store platform was pretty seamless.

FRENDY:  Why did you decide to shut down the physical shop?

DIZZY:  Unfortunately, someone broke into it and stole a lot of stuff. So dealing with the logistics of recovering from that and also repaying thousands of dollars to people for their consigned items was overwhelming to deal with at 21-years-old. So I just took a break from it and shifted directions.

FRENDY:  All things happen for our greatest good, even when we don’t even understand it at the moment.  I’m glad you kept your dreams alive. You have a vast amount of customers from all over the country. How did you build such a loyal and expansive following? Word of mouth or social media?

DIZZY:  I believe that 100%. Initially when I started selling online, I was running a really popular blog. Get Dizzy blog at one point was getting like 10,000 viewers a day. So I combined my sales platform to my blog, which was already generating crazy traffic.

After that, I think it’s just been about consistency. When you do anything for over 10 years without stopping, people take notice. I also try my best to do good business and make the transactions as personal as possible, which creates a bond and loyalty between me and my customers. I also sell on almost every platform (eBay, Grailed, Poshmark, Etsy,Instagram, etc) and I direct all those buyers back to my site. So that helps with growth also.

FRENDY:  Genius move.  How much research do you do when it comes to finding the perfect vintage shop?

DIZZY:  I literally go to all of them *Laughs*. I make a list depending on what area I’m in, then I hit them all one by one. The ones that are good, I start going more consistently. So over time, I’ve found about 20-30 stores in the DMV area alone that I shop at regularly. So my research is hands on. I go there and see each spot for myself.

FRENDY:  What are your thoughts on Tokio 7 in New York?  How does it hold up to your standards?

DIZZY:  I love Tokio 7. That’s one of my favorite spots in NY. I’ve shopped in there with ASAP Rocky, I’ve shopped in there with Nick Wooster, you name it. It’s an amazing spot to find crazy pieces for my personal collection, but it’s not a spot I would consider to buy and flip from. I’m a true thrifter. I find gems for $5-10 and turn them into $50-100 or even $500. So I like the thrill of the hunt and I enjoy digging. Tokio 7 is very well manicured, the items are carefully screened and handpicked, so it doesn’t provide me with the thrill of the hunt.

FRENDY:  I had a feeling you’ll love that spot.  I do as well. How does reselling differ from when you started back in 2007 and now?  Should people even enter the game at this point?

DIZZY:  I think this is a great time to get into reselling. The information and tools are all readily available. I used to have to buy every item based on my gut instincts. Now a reseller can literally compare prices live on eBay or other sites right from their phone to make sure their making a good purchase. There’s a ton of resellers out there now, which makes finding items a little harder, but if you have some knowledge and work ethic, you can kill it.

FRENDY:  What are you favorite brands right now? And why?

DIZZY:  I wear a lot of Saint Laurent, Fear of God and Chrome Hearts. Those are probably my favorite brands currently. I usually wear mostly black so they just fit my look. I like what Rhuigi is doing with Rhude. He’s been leveling up like crazy over these past few years. I really like Greg Lauren because of the way he fuses different types of pieces together. On the streetwear level, I like Human Made—Nigo is a legend so that’s self-explanatory. I’ll also always love Visvim. A lot of the pieces don’t fit my daily look, but I think Hiroki is a genius and his attention to detail is next level.

FRENDY:  As far as shopping for retro pieces, what sticks out to you the most?  How do you know that it will actually resonate with customers?

DIZZY:  The dope thing about fashion is that it’s cyclical. Styles and brands come back around, so sometimes you can predict those things. A lot of vintage shopping also plays on nostalgia. People want to buy things they had when they were a kid or wanted badly when they were a kid. For international buyers, they love a lot of iconic American cultural things like 90’s hip hop brands and beer brands, etc. Over time, after thousands of sales, you just develop a great view of the market and the type of items that are in high demand.

FRENDY:  I honestly appreciate your mantra, “Patience. Persistence. Progress.”  It’s practically embedded in your personal branding. In what areas of your life do you exercise it?

DIZZY:  That mantra literally defines the whole process for me. In life, in business, in relationships, it applies to everything. You’re always in one of those stages. It’s just a reminder to slow down, take your time and stay with it. A lot of people rush the process (no patience), or quit too early (no persistence), and then end up never progressing. The dope part about it is, once you make some progress, the cycle starts over again.

FRENDY:  Perfectly said.  For the most part, your Instagram captions are thought provoking and hilarious. One of my favorites is “rappers should have all their clothes taken away, if they can’t pronounce the brands,” written under a flick of you showcasing a first person perspective your own fancy threads. Do you think of these witty sayings on the fly or have them saved up on your notes somewhere?

DIZZY:  Thanks man. I realized that you have to find ways to showcase your personality on Instagram which is a visual platform. Everybody’s captions are either extremely literal or some song lyrics or something. So usually those captions are just tweets that I’ve posted earlier on Twitter. I try to keep the captions as random as possible with no relation to the picture. I think that just makes the comments even better.

FRENDY:  You love your friends dearly, always giving them roses while they can still smell them. “No matter what, squad gon eat.”  Have you ever experienced any sort of disloyalty?

DIZZY:  I have, but that’s life. I also might not have been the best friend either so I can’t point fingers. But with maturity you learn to realize that you don’t need 50 friends, you really only need 3-4 REAL friends. The friends that give you positive peer pressure and hold you accountable and have your best interest at heart. The ones that support your work like it’s their own. It just takes some life experiences to weed out the fake ones and find out who those real ones actually are.

FRENDY:  With so many lessons learned, will you ever end up opening your own brick and mortar shop again?

DIZZY:  I’ll never say never, but I think that lane is really congested right now. Round Two is killing it, but everybody can’t be Round Two. As the power of the internet grows and the way people shop and interact with items changes, the retail experience should change also. I see new stores opening every day, but they’re using an outdated business model. I can’t go too much into detail about what’s wrong with the model because I have some plans and tricks up my sleeve. I’ll be opening some brick and mortar locations in the future, but the concept will definitely be different. I’ll be in a lane by myself.

From France With Love

The second floor of the shop (if you don’t know which one by now, please unfollow me on all social media platforms) truly allowed me to be up close and personal with not only outstanding New York locals, but also a plethora of fascinating individuals from all over the globe. Marseille’s very own  Alexandre Meyrand is one of them.

Alexandre,35, was introduced to me about six years ago by our mutual friend Alex on an extremely slow day at work.  Usually when there isn’t much traction on BAPE’s main floor, my supporters, frequent shoppers, and many of today’s brightest stars would all scurry upstairs, find a comfy spot on the infamous ape head camo couch just to speak with me for hours on end without any major interruption. When they overstayed, though, I was forced to politely kick them out.

Meyrand and I, on the other hand, didn’t converse much when we initially met—but I easily sensed his genuine nature so we kept in touch via social media. Believe it or not, we never really had a proper conversation until now!

Check out the transcript of our very first full length dialogue where we spoke about his younger days in France, fashion, booming business, and hotspots in Marseille.

FRENDY:  What’s good, Alexandre?  Let’s get it poppin’!

ALEXANDRE:  Yo, bro! I am good.  It’s the end of the day here, but it was a great weekend in our sunny city.

FRENDY:  I know there’s a huge time difference between us.  I really appreciate you for staying up late to chop it up.

ALEXANDRE: It’s a pleasure to be featured here, my man.

FRENDY: I’m humbled, thank you. Before we get deep into our conversation, I must ask: is there a friendly competition between Paris and Marseille?

ALEXANDRE:  I don’t know if there is a friendly competition, maybe if you are talking about soccer *Laughs*. But I love Paris—it’s one of the best places in the world because of its architecture and history.  Marseille is also one of the best places I have ever lived.

FRENDY:  Oh yeah, that’s right.  The two cities do have a great soccer team. I’m not familiar with their players, but I know the superstars for each squad *Laughs*.  Marseille is known for its beautiful port and scenery, yet it is stated to be a victim of bad reputation...as far as violence.  Is that true?

ALEXANDRE:  Marseille is a big city so things happen, but violence is everywhere. I think that the media only show what they want to so that gives us a bad reputation.  And that’s wrong. Things happen in every big city and violence can be anywhere. What’s totally true is that Marseille is one of the best destinations in the world.  [There are] so many cultures here. So many good vibes.

FRENDY:  How was it like growing up in the second largest city in France?

ALEXANDRE:  *Laughs* The funny thing is that I didn't grow up in Marseille.  I was born in St. Etienne (a city close to Lyon), and I moved to the South of France in 2005.  I spent my first years in Aix en Provence (25 minutes from Marseille), and I’ve been living in Marseille for the past five years.

FRENDY: What was the reason you moved from St. Etienne to the South of France?

ALEXANDRE:  I used to work in a cool shop called Uptown, but I had the opportunity to move to the South of France for the opening of a big store called Corezone in Aix en Provence.  My ex-girlfriend was also living there...so that was an easy decision for me.

FRENDY:  Women always make matters easier *Laughs*.  How old were you when you moved to work at Uptown?  What was your position there?

ALEXANDRE:  I was still young and fresh *Laughs*.  I was only 21-years-old when I moved.  I was just a seller at Uptown, and had the same position for the first years I spent at Corezone.  When I moved to Marseille I became Store Manager and Buyer also (they had four stores).

FRENDY:  You started in the retail game pretty early.  When did your love for fashion come about? Was it through music or your own self-expression?

ALEXANDRE:  I always loved fashion and I was inspired by so many things.  Music is very important for me (you are right), I’ve been listening to a bunch of cool bands since my childhood (I’d like to thank my father for this).  Art, tattoos are also things that feed my brain. I’ve always wanted to have my own style.

FRENDY:  Which bands captivated you growing up?

ALEXANDRE:  Maybe the bands I have seen perform live first.  My father took me to a Marillion show at Le Zenith in Paris when I was 8 years old—when you are a kid in that big crowd everything seems so crazy! It’s still one of my best memories. I have also seen The Cure. I love their music, but their aesthetic is even crazier! The charisma of Robert Smith and all the fans that dressed like him in black makeup.  You between fear and the energy that they give you!

FRENDY:  Your senses were on overload due to all of the vibrant energy.  Who are your favorite brands currently? Does Hip Hop influence your lifestyle as well?

ALEXANDRE:  I have been listening to a lot of Rock, but I listen to a lot of Hip Hop too. Yes, Hip Hop has a big influence!  Most of the sounds we play at my shop now is Hip Hop.  I have so many favorite Rock bands including: Marillion, Tears for Fears, Genesis, The Cure, Metallica.  I grew up listening to Blink 182 (Travis Barker was one of my biggest inspiration as a teenager), NFG, Underoath, Taking Back Sunday, GC. As far as Hip Hop : Wu tang Clan, Future, Shyheim, Mobb Deep, Kanye, Jay Z, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott , Drake.

FRENDY:  Man, I’m not going to lie, Blink 182 was one of my favorite bands growing up as well.  So you are pretty flexible when it comes to your sonic indulgences.

ALEXANDRE:  Yeah, I can’t only listen to Rock.  I need motivation so I need to listen to different genres. Depends on the mood I am in when I wake up, but I never listen the same thing in the morning and end of the day.

FRENDY:  How’s the streetwear scene in Marseille looking like?

ALEXANDRE:  The streetwear scene is pretty sick these days.  You see a lot of people with great style in Marseille now.  The scene has changed a lot, maybe because of Internet, but Marseille was always into streetwear.  We have big scenes here: skate, graffiti in the whole city. A lot of budding musicians too. Marseille = Street!

FRENDY:  You said the scene changed a lot before the internet. How was it like before?

ALEXANDRE:  Yes, because if you wanted to have your own style, it was only easy if you were able to travel and bring back cool stuff. Most of the people were dressing the same, but the business of fashion has changed and it’s easier to find more brands to dress like your “icons.”  People are more inspired in Marseille now with the internet because they have access to so many things.

FRENDY: What are your favorite brands currently?

ALEXANDRE:  My favorite brands actually are Converse (only the 70s collection), the chuck taylor is a classic sneaker and I love its silhouette.  Sacai is a very interesting brand, and I love the work that Dr. Woo did on the last collection. Needles, FDMTL and Kapital are also brands I love, they are part of the whole Japanese wave. I still love Stussy because it’s real streetwear, and of course I love Goudron *Laughs*. It’s becoming a brand now, not only a store.

FRENDY:  Hey, I’m a living person and I’m a brand *Laughs*.  Nothing is impossible!  Whose style do you admire in the entertainment industry?

ALEXANDRE: Axl Rose, Travis Barker, Pharrell Williams, Scott Campbell, and Nigo.

FRENDY: Is there a particular meaning behind the name of your store, Goudron?

ALEXANDRE:  Yes, there is a story behind the name.  My brother ILK wanted to give me that name as a gift when I told him my plans to open a store. He said to me he saved that name for years in case he decided to make a brand later or a special project.  So I thought a lot about it and I accepted “Goudron,” because I loved the name too—it’s short, easy to say in any language.

Goudron color is dark also, and black means a lot for us.  We decided to add ILK in the project too because he is a sick graphic designer and a typographer.

FRENDY:  It’s always great to have friends that actually care about our projects.  No better feeling in the world than genuine support. Does “Goudroun” mean anything specifically in French?

ALEXANDRE:  That’s true, brother.  We are three partners and three very good friends. Yes, Goudron is like the asphalt, it’s something you walk on everyday so this is a part of the street.  And we represent the streets too by selling these brands.

FRENDY:  Perfect name. What was the process of building your own streetwear shop?  Was it an extremely difficult one, or did you already have the moving parts to make it happen?

ALEXANDRE:  It was not really easy.  I stopped working at Corezone because they sold the stores. I had different projects and we talked a lot with Seb (my other partner and one of my best friends) about opening our own store. I had the support of brands and people who knew me [at my old jobs] so we decided to go ahead and find a good location to build a shop of our own.

What we wanted to show to the city of Marseille and also the aesthetic was very important for us, like our floor for example.  It was one of the hardest things to do but everybody knows now that it’s us.

FRENDY:  Where is Goudron located in Marseille?  And what made you choose that particular location?

ALEXANDRE:  Goudron is in the city center, not in a main street but close to everything.  The thing that we always wanted is to be located at a street corner, that’s why we are here.

FRENDY:  Y’all have the whole aesthetic down packed!  How long did it take to actually open up the shop?

ALEXANDRE: Let’s say around a year to prepare everything...to rebuild the inside of the store, to work on the name, to create the logo and to start to communicate.

FRENDY:  That’s not a bad turnaround time at all. Did you guys cry on its grand opening? *Laughs*

ALEXANDRE:  *Laughs*  Yes, we had a cool opening and people were lined up for the first day so that gave us big fuckin’ energy!  We also did an opening party months after and it was dope! Everything that happened gave us motivation to go harder.

FRENDY:  What brands do you sell at the shop? How did you formulate a relationship with them all?

ALEXANDRE:  We only sell brands we love and believe in.  We are actually working with Neighborhood, Futur, Stone Island Shadow Projects, Harmony Paris, Edwin Japan, Levis Vintage, Converse, Grenson Shoes, Stussy, Asics, New balance (UK and USA stuff), Vans Anaheim, Goudron. I have known most of these brands in the past and some are friends that created their own line.  I have good relationships with people because I think that I am true person and an honest guy so this helps people to trust me in the project.  It’s important to be right with everybody.

FRENDY:  Amen, that’s how I became the brand I am today.  Treating people right really goes long way. I’ve been back-stabbed numerous times and it made me lose hope on the human race *Laughs*.  But I learned that I played a huge part in my suffering as well—the victim mentality. Now, I’m stronger, smarter, and kinder than ever! One of the reasons why I wanted to have this conversation with you is because I knew you were a good dude since Alex introduced me to you.

ALEXANDRE:  Thanks for these words, bro. I remember the first time Alex introduced me to you at the store.  He is still one of the best person I met in my whole life.

FRENDY: Yes, such a great guy.  Very kind, humble and considerate.  How did you guys meet anyway?

ALEXANDRE:  I met Alex at a dinner during a trip to NYC in 2013.  Kristi, a close friend, introduce me to him and since that day I knew that we must be friends.  He’s a very interesting person. We have a lot of things in common, same love for music, passion for tattoos, same love for fashion, and great minds *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  Word, and same names *Laughs*.  Birds of a feather, flock together!  Alex is tattooed from head to toe, so are you..literally!  How many do you have?

ALEXANDRE:  I can’t tell you how many, but there’s a lot *Laughs*.  I started getting tattooed at 19-years-old and I haven’t stopped. I am almost full too.

FRENDY: Do you remember your very first one?

ALEXANDRE:  *Laughs* Yes, it’s at the top of my left arm.  I had some old school stuff, but I blacked out my arm three years ago and got some cool stuff from [tattooist] Scott Campbell (white ink on black ink).

FRENDY:  I skimmed through Scott’s Instagram and realized that he also tatted up Travis Scott’s head.  His price must be pretty hefty, but well worth it obviously. When did you first meet him? And what do you like about his tattooing style?

ALEXANDRE:  I got my first tattoo from Scott four years ago in NYC.  I always loved his work, dollar bills sculptures, he has his own style of tattooing too—Scott’s lines are perfect.  I love the atmosphere of his Tattoo studio as well (decorated with skulls, reapers, roses). His scripts are crazy and perfect!  I love all the details and aesthetic around his work.

We did a big session the first time when Scott did my whole back (it took about seven hours and thirty minutes), and since then I have been friends with him.  He is a very talented and humble person. There is a real connection formed when you get tattooed for hours.

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A post shared by scott campbell (@scottcampbell) on Aug 16, 2018 at 6:00pm PDT

FRENDY:  Are you planning on tattooing your face as well?

ALEXANDRE:  No, I will never do that.  I am not into face tattoos. Even if I have a lot of tattoos, this is another step in your life.

FRENDY:  Totally!  Like New York, Marseille is a melting pot of different cultures—no wonder why you like traveling here so much.  What are some of your other favorite cities to visit?

ALEXANDRE:  I love NYC so much, fam.  I got so many friends there!  I love London also, Los Angeles is so chill too.  Barcelona, Milan, Lisbon are also great cities…but there are still so many places I haven’t been.

FRENDY:  There are more street food trucks in Marseille than in Paris because, as one chef said: “the kitchen is very strict.”  What are some of your favorite spots to eat in Marseille?

ALEXANDRE:  We have a lot of good spots in Marseille and so many different kinds of food.  Here is a list of my favorites, Coffee spots: La fiancée (best cookies on earth), Deep coffee roaster, Le Café de La Banque (Paris in Marseille).  For a drink : Gaspard and Copperbay, Le Petit Bistrot, Le Café de L’abbaye. One of my fave restaurant is OTTO, an Italian restaurant. Always a good vibe there, fresh stuff and the boss Pierre Antoine is a good friend. He puts all his love in this place.  Other cool restaurants include: Sepia, La Cantinetta, La Marmarita, Fratelli, Pastis & Olives, Shabu.

FRENDY: Damn, whenever I visit please take me to all those spots!  Seems like life is less complicated in Marseille than Paris, all the way down to the simple yet delicious dishes. And people are said to be nicer in the South.  Why do you think that is the case?

ALEXANDRE:  I will bring you there, my man.  Life is less complicated in Marseille because its more relaxing maybe, it’s not the same way of life. I love Paris, but people are more stressed and always in a rush.  Plus, it’s harder to get a smile out of them too *Laughs*. But the city has so many beautiful places.

When you live in the South of France, it’s like you are on holidays most of the year.

FRENDY:  The Old Port is a major tourist attraction in Marseille.  Are there any hidden gems in the city someone like me can check out?

ALEXANDRE:  Yes, there are a lot of beautiful things to see here.  I will bring you to Le Vallon des Auffes, Notre Dame de La Garde, Les Goudes, and one of the best thing is “Les Calanques” (we might drop a t-shirt soon with them).

FRENDY:  Bet!  Man, you’re living such a wonderful life in Marseille. You’re well-traveled, have a successful business, great friends, and family.  What else are you looking to accomplish in life?

ALEXANDRE:  I just want to make Goudron bigger, have more projects with my partners, and also have kids in the near future.  I think I will be done after this *Laughs*.

The Flame Style 36 SF

These new kicks from Vans are absolutely fire in every sense of the word! This summer, my shoes of choice were the Flame Old Skool Blacks from the popular American skate company so I’m really happy to see that they’ve made a new iteration of the scorching silhouette.

Coined the Flame Style 36 SF, the fiery footwear is made in a monochrome colorway (unlike the aforementioned sneaker with orange and red flames embellished on each of its side).  The Flame Style 36 SF features an UltraCush insole and a rubbertoe cap. Furthermore, the Style 36 SF Vans includes sturdy canvas and suede uppers, water-based inks and glues, and classic waffle rubber outsoles.

Cop your pair now for a measly $62 here.

CDG PLAY x Converse Fall/Winter 2018

COMME des GARCONS PLAY and Converse are gearing up to unleash a new shoe! The iconic labels have been collaborating since 2009, spewing out various sneaker silhouettes with CDG’s beloved ‘heart with eyes’ logo.

Their latest offering utilizes the American shoe company’s Chuck Taylor model with the aforementioned motif, appearing nine times around the base of its upper. I might be wrong, but I think this is the very first time a CDG PLAY Converse is splattered with this much hearts! Usually the CDG Converse Pro Leathers are flooded with them.

Available in white and a new khaki colorway, the collaborative leisure sneaks are valued at approximately $145 USD in either high or low top iterations.

Interested in copping a pair? If so, they will be available for purchase at all Dover Street Market locations on September 21st.

Seven Is The Magic Number

As part of its Fall/Winter 2018 collection, Balenciaga is turning up the heat (literally) by releasing a coat with not one, not two, but a whopping seven layers for your ultimate cozy needs.

This is the type of parka that'll make you feel like Kanye West after he's been asked a demeaning question by the paparazzi about his possible venture into the fashion industry: "Do you see this coat?!  Come on, man."  Fortunately, being a style icon isn't a requirement to rock this jacket, but you better be sure to have a sufficient amount of funds in your bank account (or mattress, for the trappers reading this) to cop.  Valued at $9,000 USD, the luxury fashion house's prized outerwear piece consists of different garments, ranging from plaid shirts all the way down to fleece jackets.

Interested in upgrading your skier aesthetics this winter? Pre-order this item here.

In other news, my good friend Elisabeth Hadida is gearing up to leave Balenciaga after working there for almost a decade!  Revisit my Original Story on her by clicking the link: Elisabeth Hadida.

The Rick Owens x Barneys Burger

Food lovers and fashionistas rejoice!  The Rick Owens x Barneys New York burger has arrived.  What I just wrote seems like a soundbite from Zoolander, but it is absolutely true.  

The famed designer linked up with the head chef of Barneys signature restaurant and made the fast-food favorite to coincide with his "Subhuman Inhuman Superhuman" retrospective at the luxury department store.  The exhibition takes a look back at Rick's illustrious 24-year career in the industry.  Why did the Paris-based designer decide to make a cheeseburger out of all things?  Well, before the Goth god relocated to the City of Love, he ate a burger daily from his local restaurant in LA. Hey, maybe all this time he stayed in shape just to not feel guilty about consistenly indulging in scrumptious sandwiches.

The OwensBurger is only available for a few more days at the upscale cafe chain Freds Downtown at Barneys, which is located in Chelsea.  You're probably thinking, "Damn, how much are these joints?!?"  Fortunately, the burger is a mere $28 (sounds type crazy, but at least it isn't as pricey as his alligator leather jackets).

Check it out and let me know your thoughts below!

Human Made Spring/Summer 18

Commemorating the release of Nigo's Human Made Spring/Summer '18 collection in stores, a lookbook is now available showcasing how to precisely put together killer fits using its threads.

Focused on perfecting heritage Americana, the BAPE founder's latest pieces include graphic tees and garments with very subtle detailing (including seams and buttons from aged mills that have been preserved in Japan).  My favorite item from the collection is Human Made's Peacock Aloha top featuring hand-drawn artwork.  That joint is smooth and extremely suitable for the calm summer nights in NYC (or any popping' city, really).  

Check out the rest of the apparel below.  Furthermore, you can cop the entire collection here.