'08 in Photographs.

I came across this post while browing through Hypebeast and thought it would be a cool thing to share with you guys. Outlining some of the most significant events of 2008, as well just some cool picutes, this compilation of shots (the first two series have released but not the third) is comprised of 120 images and its pretty damn cool to see the huge amount of differences between the world's cultures and how they are behaving. Check out the two links below:

Part 1: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/the_year_2008_in_photographs_p.html

Part 2:http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/2008_in_photographs_part_2_of.html

Wool and Thread.

Last night I went to a little promo party held at one of DXM's reatilers, Envoke Clothing in Dundas. The event was held for a buddy of Nick (who is the owner of Envoke) and was pretty much just a way to check out all the hand crafted headwear and get some exposure for the serious skill he has to offer. All the hats were made of premium goods and were all constructed by hand. Though the pieces were an artform of their own, they were designed with functionality in mind and are 100% wearable and definately functional. My favorite was the fisherman's cap made of off-white wool and seamed straight down the middle (pictured far left) and the grey wool baseball cap lined with quilted plaid silk and detailed with a denim brim (middle right). Once I find out if the company has a website Ill be sure to post it up so anyone interested can check the pieces out in more detail. Speaking of websites, keep an eye out for a post of Envoke's upcoming online webstore which is going to have everything from WESC to Lifetime Collective to Obey and of course Deus Ex Machina! Link up soon!

Album of the Week.

Well first off, sorry for the lack of updates dudes, my exam schedule was hectic the past week but now I am working full time for a month so the blog will stay well updated! Anyway, here is my pick for album of the week and its by the band The Who. Its called Who Are You and I am sure that anyone who has ever watched a television has heard one song from this album in the opening credits of CSI. Aside from catching some newfound fame with the younger generation thanks to the song's appearence on the show, this is one of the best albums I have ever listened to and the combination of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend really made The Who what they are. Even though this album was made in 1978, it sure as hell doesnt show its age and if the only song you have heard from it is Who Are You make sure you get out and buy it. (Or download it at least if you are poor!)

More Vinyl.

Picked up a couple records over the past few days, I thought I would share with you guys what I have been listening to the past couple days. First pic; Wu-Tang Clan-Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), The Who-Who Came First, Alice Cooper-Welcome to My Nightmare. Second pic;The Who-Who Are You, Blue Oyster Cult-Some Enchanted Evening, Steely Dan-The Royal Scam. Third pic; Stevie Ray Vaughan-Live Alive. Its a toss-up between 36 Chambers and Live Alive as my favorite purchases cause they are both amazing albums and you cant really compare either of them.

Local Art.

Here's a couple pics from a trip I took to Toronto a few weekends ago with Mark (Deus' other half). Their from an alley about 2 blocks long between Queen and Richmond. The art back there is awsome and it changes pretty much every time you go down there. As far as I know the city does a bit of painting every so often so that new works can be done all the time. Pretty sick! We got a couple panoramics as well which will be posted in a couple days.

Also, dont forget about the Design Hope event this Friday starting at 7!

WTaps.

Japanese street brand WTAPS (pronounced "double taps") has just released a new pair of denim from their F/W 2008 series. Featuring some really nice details such as patches, special tags and strategic aging/holes, these jeans are serious. Available at http://www.cliffedge.co.jp/

Design Hope.

Design Hope is a local (Hamilton area) organization created to help raise funds for the local churches who feed and shelter the homeless throughout the winter months. My grandmother is a huge contributor of her time and money to this organization as well as the program it supports, which is called Out of the Cold, and I wanted to throw this up on the blog to see if I can get any of the local young generation to come out and show some support. There will be an Art and Music Event held at 270 Sherman St. N on Friday December 5 at 7pm which is DH's annual fund raiser. Parking is free and there is a $10 cover (or what you can) as well as an art auction, benefit cd's for sale and raffle tickets for the donated art. Check out the site here: http://www.designhope.ca/ Preview the art, donate (if you cant make it out) and check out who worked on the CD. Do your best to get out!

Snow.

Well, we got our first snow here today in Southern Ontario.....took the puppy out to play around for a bit since it was his first real time in the snow. He seems to be a fan.

And a random shot:

And finally for the clothing related news.....Watch for DXM and the upcoming release at Boredem Skate located at 419 Dundas St. East Waterdown, Ontario. Stoked!!!

Black Milk.

Ok I am going to try and do a new album of the day or week as often as possible from now on out. First artist up is Black Milk, a Detroit native who has worked with some serious artists in the past including the great Jay Dee (aka J Dilla). He just dropped his new album Tronic a couple weeks ago and Ive been listening to it pretty much non-stop for three nights now. Make sure you go out and buy the album and check his Myspace here: http://www.myspace.com/blackmk for some samples! (Bounce and Losing Out will give best results)

Hundreds.

Be sure to check out the new Hundreds Holiday collection that just dropped here: www.thehundreds.com

Porter.

Featuring contrasting cream and dark leather colour scheme, these bags are modeled after the class US postman bags. These would make a pretty sick DJ/laptop/school bag!

Louis.

Louis Vuitton has just released two new sneakers in celebration of the re-opening of their Omotesando store in Japan. Appearing to be modeled after the classic Vans Sk8-His and Los, both feature the classic LV monogram print with the print on the Hi done in denim. A little more classy than your everyday Vans!

New.

New ish available now at http://www.deusexmachinaclothing.com/ Check it out!

Clae.

Featuring ultra-clean styles and crisp colour-ways, Clae footwear has just released their Holiday 2008 collection. After taking a short hiatus, Clae has come back with some serious quality footwear very mature yet stylish designs. The Holiday collection will be available online and at select retailers such as Undefeated, Union and Barney's NYC.

atmos x NF.

Japanese store atmos has teamed up with outdoor specialists The North Face to create a small series of brightly coloured jackets for the winter season. Using three different NF shells, the Versa Air Jacket, Scoop Jacket, and Hyvent Raintex Jacket, atmos has created some very 80's-inspired styles. All jackets will be available at atmos-tokyo.com on November 14th.

Stussy Vancouver.

Featuring some serious wood work, the new Stussy chapter in Vancouver has just opened for business after about 12 months of work. Built on the previous Boneyards pop-up shop, the store will carry the full Stussy line. Photos curtousey of Hypebeast.

Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton.

Just completed yesterday, this project was done as a collaborative project between Japanese artist/designer Takashi Murakami and luxury goods brand Louis Vuitton. The 5th Ave. LV store in NY has been wrapped with a special version of the brand's signature mongram print which has been personalized by Murakami. As an added bonus, the store's interior has also been slightly modified with a new display for bags and other goods. The wrap will stay up throughout the holiday season.

Kaws.

Here's a couple photos of an exhibition currently being put on by the NY artist Kaws and the Gering & Lopez Gallery. Know for his street and grafitti influenced art as well as his highly populary vinyl collectibles, the exhibition displays some of his numerous styles and trademark pieces. The event will be running until the 23rd of December at the gallery.

Photos: Devin Christopher

No Chain.

Saw this on the BBC/Ice Cream blog a couple weeks ago and wanted to post it up. Pretty cool engineering if you like your gears fixed!.

Money + Weapons

....Makes art apparently. Check out these wicked pieces by artist Justine Smith of London.

Genius.

Check out this new mashup/mixtape done by DJ Mick Boogie and Terry Urban, It features Jay-z vocals over mashed up Coldplay instrumentals and drum beats as well as few vocals here and there. This might even compare to the Danger Mouse's Grey Album mix.

Download here: http://www.zshare.net/download/50631626ecdc4d68/