2012 - The Ladies

This week as I'm on hiatus, I thought it would be a good chance to take stock and round up some of my favourite content of the year.  It all starts today with the ladies, with the above shots detailing some of my fave female finds and kicks from 2012.

Sydney Swap Meet Video; Video

Hey everyone, hope you had a great holidays. 
It's obviously a time of giving, so it was apt that Sydney recently saw some giving and taking on a sneaker level that the scene has been crying out for.
Swap Meets are a great way for the sneaker family to come together and share an appreciation for all things kicks.  Melbourne certainly represents with the phenomenal Sneaker Freaker Swap Meets, but for Sydneysiders it’s been easy to feel left out, until now that is.

Edward Tran is a student and huge sneaker lover, and he took it upon himself to see if he could rectify things by setting up his first Sydney Swap  Meet, an event that got sneakerheads, brands and stores together.

You will have seen my shots from the event recently, but I also shot some video as well, offering a chance for Ed and the crew there on the day to talk about the event, and how the obvious appetite in Sydney will throw up more events.            

G Shock 30th Anniversary

OK guys, I'm taking a break for the holidays over the next couple of days but before I do thought I would share some exciting pics taken for my good friends at G Shock.

The brand has been putting on 12 months worth of events leading up to next year's celebrations of their 30th Anniversary, and to mark the special occasion the brand have released some limited edition watches.  You can see a trio of the styles available above which are set to sell like hotcakes, especially as only 12,000 units are getting released worldwide, so getting the chance to shoot them was a real treat (and thanks to Lisa for modelling!)
If you're looking for a last minute Christmas present for someone special you should check G-Shock out and whatever you're doing have a great holiday and I'll see you soon.
Lester

Antony aka AC; Hong Kong

Antony aka AC is a man of taste, with an ardent love for all things Y-3.
This adidas collab line with avant garde Japanese Fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto started way back in 2002 and helped create the fashion x sports fusion that many other brands have since looked to create.
Y-3 continues to stand for combining premium contemporary design and materials in product that won't cater for everyone's taste and budget, but for those willing and able to try a little luxury it's hard to find much better than Y-3.
The above shoes are Antony's beloved Honja High's, a line designed to be 'skate-inspired shoes fit for a rockstar'.  I can't imagine too many skaters can afford to grind and shred these designer skate kicks and it would be a shame if they did.

Squarestreet; Hong Kong

Yes, I know there are lots of images in this article, but there's a lot of amazing stuff going on in a small store in Hong Kong's Square St that I just couldn't resist sharing with you.

The store/workshop is the brainchild of gram Founder Alexis Holm and the creator of VOID Watches David Ericsson, and acts as their creative HQ for their respective brands, as well as an array of product ranges all made under the squarestreet name. All with a shared clean and contemporary aesthetic, regardless of their different types.

gram is a shoe brand that many of you will know about.  Alexis conducts all of his design work from the store, and turns out eye-catching product with a unique look and texture to other brands.

Offering an equally unique play on the concept of time are the VOID Watches also in store.  The brainchild of David Ericsson, the watches not only look great with geometrical design, but also ask some large philosophical questions about time (the Void in space and time).

Then shared between Alexis and David are products made under the store's own squarestreet name.  This brand has the flexibility to move to whatever appeals to them at the time, and at present is focusing on some top quality leather goods, and some very attractive footwear.

The store is a real oasis hidden from the HK main streets, and ironically Square St's past is considered to be unlucky as the 'square' in it's name has the same sound in Cantonese as the word for 'death.  However, with Alexis and David's tireless creativity at it's core, I'm sure it won't take long to help resurrect the streets fortunes into a vibrant new hub in the city.

For more info you can check out the store's FB page here.

Morgan; Hong Kong

Originally from Australia, Morgan has been living in Hong Kong, and despite not being a sneaker wearer, recent events have made her a huge fan, and regular wearer of the Nike Free.
Conventionally she would only usually consider wearing Vans or Cons in public; lo fi shoes in subtle colouring that would go with her street style.
However, Morgan is a Yoga teacher and a recent ankle injury has caused her to wear the above Nike Free's as part of her rehab, a move that has caused her to completely rethink her sneaker strategy.
These shoes may be a different style and much brighter colourway than Morgan would ordinarily wear outside of a gym, but they've been so helpful in helping the muscles in her feet overcome the injury they've become her go to shoes, representing something of transformation in her shoe style.
I love this story as for those of you that know me will realise it mirrors my own use of the Free to help me overcome my own ankle injuries, so I am with Morgan on this and a fan of the Free.
If you havent checked them out yet, then head to Crooked Tongues right now!

Tik; Hong Kong

Tik is a Hong Kong hair stylist heavily influenced by Japanese street style.  

In fact, the items in this outfit that attracted me the most were his Likey Dog boots and Supreme hat, which were both picked up on his last trip to Japan, and are both staples of his regular look.

His last trip to Japan was quite a long time ago, and unfortunately he hasn't been able to get back to his favourite style country recently due to limited money, but with these sharp staples in his wardrobe he's a already a cut above.

Sydney Swap Meet; Sydney

 

We're taking a break from Hong Kong today to instead feature an event that took place in Sydney yesterday.
A big hats off to my new mate Ed, a man who single handidly decided to give something back to his beloved Sydney sneaker scene by staging the Sydney Swap Meet, an event that brought sneakerheads far and wide together to share their love of kicks.
Based in Surry Hills yesterday afternoon, the event brought out a colourful mix of kicks and peeps who despite their differing tastes were all brought together by their shared love of sneakers.
It was a great afternoon offering up some fantastic shoes which was helped by the good folks at Sneaker Freaker, New Balance, as well as Sydney stores Espionage, Capsule and Half Sleeve.
Here are some of my select shots from the event, which I hope is the first of many for Sydney (and I'll throw up more images on the IDYSM Facebook page too).
Back to Hong Kong tomorrow - see you then.