i'm not suicidal, i just can't get out of bed

Arlo just posted a preview of gost's summer line. I'm really feeling the racing team tee. Because, really, you can't win them all. That and when I was little, my dad was really into cycling. He has a peugeot and he rode all the time. 

 

The happy melancholy of Arlo's work really stands out in the t-shirt game. Maybe it's my inner misanthrope, but it always makes me smile. 

I really like this tank too. If you don't have the gunshow to pull it off, I bet your girl would look amazing in it with a pair of skinny jeans...

check it out on the gost brand blog. 

bitter cold

This past weekend I went to the Bitter Cold Showdown. It's a really big skate competition. It also has a pretty nice tradeshow. As a lot of you know, I'm a big fan of Gost and its new offerings. At the tradeshow I got to meet Arlo and pick up the franky hoody in black. The contest was really fun (although shima probably should've been in the finals...) and all in all it was a good weekend. Here are a few pictures from the weekend I found on the internet.

 arlo('s back) and jess d.

franco 

valo/them goods booth

jeff stockwell

arlo and chris edwards

After I got home from the contest I started digging through old folders. Look what I found. This picture was taken in 1997. I was 15. At the time, my aunt lived in Plano, Texas. That year we all went to her house to celebrate the holidays. I was pumped. I made my parents drive to Eisenbergs' skate park. Which happens to be located in Plano. Although I was way too cool to ask for a photo, luckily my mom came through. At some point she ran into Arlo's mom, who then told her son to take a picture with me. Isn't my mom the coolest? So, thanks to my mom and arlo's mom. Also, big thanks to arlo, for taking the picture way back in '97 and for the really nice mention on his blog about gblyss.

 

15 yr. old me and arlo 

Gost Brand Spring Preview

So it's no surprise that I am a fan of the Gost brand. I decided that since they put up a little preview on their site, I'd do a little preview and get to know you here.

Unlike most lines, Gost's creator Arlo Eisenberg posits that his is a logo company first, rather than a clothing label. The implications of such a bold statement are interesting. In some ways, I think it frees Eisenberg to push the boundaries of what a logo is and how it is interacted with. A catchphrase like 'give up' is paired with a smiling ghost giving a thumbs up. It's no wonder Arlo worked as a graphic designer/illustrator at Paul Frank before moving on to Franco Shade. It was at Franco Shade where he introduced the streetwear community to a whole new feel.

To me, the 'streetwear' realm has always really just been how most guys actually dress. I guess I'd call it streetwear, but I feel like that gives it a little too much street cred. A quick perusal of the lines and designs available for the budding sneaker/new era head confirms that this niche market has exploded over the past few years. But such an explosion in popularity is certainly a double-edged sword. For every great design and new talent that was found, ten more crappy companies popped up. I'm all for the diy-aesthetic and am happy that with the internet a kid in Kansas can put out a line. But only if it's good. I think what the streetwear community lacks is careful thought. That and maybe we need to stop dressing people like skittles flavors. This is where Gost steps in. The designs and direction of the company are already thought out. It's evident in the collections as a whole and designs themselves.

You can find logo tees, you can find tees with catchphrases. But they all seemed full of bravado. Franco Shade pointed out this bravado and mocked it. Arlo is the first to really seem to be create logos and designs that are self-aware. Emblazoning a shirt with 'Quitters Never Lose' is certainly a bold step. For me, the designs, both at Franco and now with Gost, capture an outlook on life that is at once both pessimistic and content. And I think it's just this juxtaposition that makes Arlo's designs so interesting and marketable.

Now with his own company, Gost, Arlo is free to really pursue this new direction. Gost creates instantly likeable characters. I don't think the designs are overwrought nor are they provocative just for provocation's sake. There's a happy sense of humor mixed in with great design here, and I look forward to more to come.

Check out some looks from Gost's spring preview. You'll probably see me in the 'give up' tee and most likely rocking the hoodie as well.






gost

Happy Valentine's Day!

thanks to arlo from gost for the card...stay tuned for a preview of their new line...

L.A. all day.

I like this Gost shirt too. Again, Arlo is taking an overly used concept (Milton Glaser's iconic design) and giving it his own twist. I think his work is certainly some of the better stuff you can get in the streetwear realm.

Plus I'm planning on going to L.A.

No I'm not going to buy and wear this shirt while I'm in L.A.

Any suggestions of stuff to do?

Franco Shade

The ironic t-shirt normally is the fashion equivalent of a bumper sticker; it's a quick and easy way of distinguishing individuals I should avoid. The graphic tee in the hands of streetwear designers certainly has traveled far but most of them are played out like Kwame and his polka dots. But leave it to Franco Shade to restore a little faith. Interestingly, I'm pretty sure the designer behind this shirt has moved on to his own company, Gost. Both companies have designs and creative directions that push boundaries without being overly trite or cliche...plus who doesn't like a little glass half empty?