Friday, December 31, 2010

Crooked's 2010 Wrap-Up

Our last entry for KNYEW's "2010 Wrap-Up" comes from yours truly, DJ Crooked aka Dickie Sung aka Korean Blow aka Cocaine. In addition to handling the marketing, design work & blog updates, I oversee the overall operations for KNYEW with my partners & co-founders DJ Neva & Kenn Davenport. With the help of our many supporters & loyal Knyewtrons in & out of Vegas, we've accomplished so much this past year but there's still much more growth needed for KNYEW to progress beyond your everyday local clothing shop. You'll see a new website with an online store developing in the next couple of months. Expect new t-shirts, v-necks, tanks & snapbacks for this upcoming Spring/Summer 2011 as well as crewnecks, hoodies & beanies for our Fall/Winter 2011. We'll continue to break the mold, consistently bringing you the next level new shit to the best of our abilities & we hope you'll follow us through the process & help us become better everyday. Thanks Knyewtrons for another amazing year!
Crooked signing out.


CROOKED'S FAVORITE BRAND FOR 2010:
I've got to give it up to The Hundreds for 2010. Their Hundreds x Garfield collaboration project with Jim Davis' legendary comic strip was really inspiring on all levels. This project alone must've been challenging to coordinate in-between their seasonal collections but to add a Pop Up Shop & an Art Show into the mix was incredibly ambitious. The artistic direction, creative marketing & brilliant execution is a testament to The Hundreds focus to become more than just a successful streetwear brand. They're a movement.



CROOKED'S
FAVORITE TEE FOR 2010:
Black Scale x Knyew "Black Knyew York" Collaboration Tee. We had numerous meetings with a bunch of different brands discussing potential projects for our 3 Year Anniversary last year. Mega (owner of Black Scale) committed to the project during the Magic Show convention in August & kept his concept ideas under wraps for almost 3 months. We didn't see the final design till almost 2 weeks before our anniversary. I was definitely nervous but Mega came through with an amazing t-shirt & more than anything, he kept his word & delivered on time. Gotta love Black Scale.


CROOKED'S FAVORITE MOVIE FOR 2010:
Banksy's "Exit Through The Giftshop". I absolutely loved this documentary. If you like street art, respect authenticity & despise fraudulent swagger-jacking posers...this films for you Knyewtron.


CROOKED'S BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT FROM 2010:
When we posted the flicks from our "Tits x Bics x Stickers" photoshoot with Francine Dee & Hew Burney, it sparked a heavy demand for product like t-shirts & posters. I ended up dragging my feet on the tees' design work due to a hectic DJ schedule (stalling over 2 months after the photoshoot) & then our Mormon screenprinters canceled production claiming our content was "lurid & inappropriate" (an extra 1-2 month delay). By the time we had some samples ready, the print work was so messy & substandard, I had to push the project back in hopes of finding a dependable company who could handle the workload. Long story short, I'm still on the prowl for a good screenprinter but I promise you this...these "Tits x Bics x Stickers" will be made in 2011!!!


CROOKED'S FAVORITE KNYEW MOMENT FROM 2010:
I don't know if this was my favorite moment but it was definitely the funniest. After a long night of work spinning at the nightclubs, me & Neva went to Spearmint Rhino for some chicken fingers & clear heels. Following a couple of hours of captivating conversations with Rhino's finest, we decided to stop by the "Little Saigon" spot next door to KNYEW for some early morning Pho around 8am. When our breakfast was through, our trifling non-driving asses called a cab & waited inside the shop where we "thought" it was safe. About 15 minutes later, we had LVPD breaking down our doors, guns drawn, ordering me & Neva to hit the floor. Turns out, an anonymous call was made to 911, citing 2 suspicious individuals lurking inside KNYEW before opening hours. Long story short, me & Neva are still alive & more than relieved that LVPD has our shop on lock, even if they're protecting us from ourselves.

Here's me kneeling down with LV's finest pointing a gun at my head.
Big shout to the kind officer who mounted me from the rear as I assumed the position.
Wrangled up like cattle at the rodeo, I got a chance to taste the floors at KNYEW for the first time.Here's Neva spread eagle, talking shit to LVPD saying "I own this fucking store, this is some bullshit".After Neva & I got cuffed, we were quickly released once the cops found evidence of our ownership of the store. I remember the officers apologizing & tentatively asking us afterwards for a discount if they ever stopped by again...sheeeeeeet!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Jaz's 2010 Wrap-Up

Our third entry for KNYEW's "2010 Wrap-Up" comes from our shop girl Jazmyn Le aka Jazzy. For almost 2 years now, she's dealt with everything from shady-ass shoplifters to foul mouthed, fart-tooting bosses. She's been responsible for all our product photography & she's definitely the person to follow on twitter when it comes to new deliveries being uploaded on the KNYEW site.
Enjoy part three of our "2010 Wrap-Up" Knyewtrons!
Crooked signing out.


JAZ'S FAVORITE BRAND FOR 2010:
Of course for the girls...gotta be Dimepiece


JAZ'S FAVORITE TEE FOR 2010:
The KNYEW Tanks. Perfect for the summer. They were simple and unisex. My favorite was the "Arch" design with the UNLV colors.


JAZ'S FAVORITE ALBUM FOR 2010:
Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"



JAZ'S FAVORITE MOVIE FOR 2010:
Inception. Despite the fact Joseph Gordon Levitt was one of the main characters, it was a great movie. Haha


JAZ'S BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT FROM 2010:
The Francine Dee Tees. After showing customers some of our samples of the t-shirts, I felt like they would've sold really well. They could've given us a lot of attention especially with that "Bondage" Tee.*

*Here are some of the test prints we received before we ran into complications with the screen printers

JAZ'S FAVORITE KNYEW MOMENT FROM 2010:
My favorite 2010 memory would have to be our 3 Year Anniversary Block Party. Since I didn't get to make the first celebration at JET, I was glad to be apart of this one. Making our own Fuku-Burger (The Knyew-Ku Burger) was cool especially because we got to pick our own toppings. The free giveaways were hilarious. Kenny's hugs were the highlight of the night.**

The Knyew-Ku Burger from KNYEW on Vimeo.

**More pics & videos from our 3 Year Anniversary event at JET Nightclub & our Block Party with Fuku Burger will be posted very soon

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Neva's 2010 Wrap-Up

Our second entry for KNYEW's "2010 Wrap-Up" comes from co-founder & fellow New Yorker DJ Neva aka Black Panda aka Young Russell Simons. He's the silent but prevalent partner whose quick to cut the budget on KNYEW's purchase orders & the first degenerate to break out the beers & celebrate with the crew. Neva will be bringing back the long awaited return of our "Mixtape Mondays" this year so look forward to a weekly dose of great music & mixes every 7 days. This is just the beginning Knyewtrons!
Crooked signing out.


NEVA's FAVORITE TEE FOR 2010:
The "Ghostface Killer" Tee from their Special Edition Wu-Tang x Rocksmith 2010 Holiday Capsule Collection


NEVA'S FAVORITE COLLECTION FOR 2010:
10 Deep's Spring 2010 Collection


NEVA'S FAVORITE SNEAKER FOR 2010:
Air Max 1 Supreme QK (Reissue)


NEVA'S FAVORITE MOVIE FOR 2010:
Hot Tub Time Machine!


NEVA'S BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT FROM 2010:
The passing of Guru. No more Gangstarr


NEVA'S FAVORITE KNYEW MOMENT FROM 2010:
KNYEW's Magic Show After-Party at HAZE Nightclub with Crooks & Castles, The Jabbawockeez & DJ Franzen


NEVA' S SPECIAL MENTION FOR 2010:
The Jay-Z & Eminem concert at Yankee Stadium

Jay-Z Performing in Yankee Stadium from KNYEW on Vimeo.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Kenn's 2010 Wrap-Up

Happy New Year Knyewtrons!!! We're kicking off 2011 with a lil "2010 Wrap-Up" from all the members of the KNYEW Crew. The year goes by so fast and sometimes, after all the projects, events, sales and conventions, we lose track of what we've accomplished and miss the opportunity to reflect on the whole experience. Our first entry for KNYEW's "2010 Wrap-Up" comes from a man who needs no introduction. I call him the face of KNYEW but you may know him as Kenn Davenport aka Killah Knyewtron aka Black & Yellow aka "I'm not Samoan". Enjoy Knyewtrons.
Crooked signing out.


KEN'S FAVORITE BRAND FOR 2010:
The Hundreds is my favorite brand for 2010 for one reason alone....Garfield. I've been a Garfield fan for as long as I can remember. I use to always drive my Dad crazy because I would cut out the Garfield comic strip before he could read the paper. Needless to say, Garfield is one of my all time favorite comics. I never thought I would see a collaboration like this from The Hundreds. We have witnessed TH create many collaboration projects through the years but I really feel this was their biggest and best. The tees, accessories, skate decks, and footwear was on point.


KEN'S FAVORITE TEE FOR 2010:
Knyew x Free Gold Watch "Bugsy Siegal" took the crown this year as my favorite tee for 2010.


KEN'S FAVORITE MOVIE FOR 2010:
The Human Centipede...if you haven't seen it please do me a favor and check this flick out. You'll thank me later.


KEN'S FAVORITE KNYEW MOMENT FROM 2010:
Two words...Francine Dee!!!!! What started off as a simple idea to help promote KNYEW's new bic lighters and stickers (Tits x Bics x Stickers Project) ended up being a complete showstopper and took on a life of it's own.


KEN'S FAVORITE "WTF!" MOMENT FROM 2010:

This is my favorite photo taken at KNYEW during 2010. Crooked & I were setting up the front windows for a display. We weren't aware that "lil man" behind us was mean muggin' for the camera. What great photo of one of our Knyewtrons!