Gourmet Preview

Our friends at Gourmet have grown and grown over the past few years, and have become a brand of great interest to sneaker purists looking for sneaker props fused with something a little different to the norm.
I was lucky enough to be invited to preview their next collection (dropping early '14) and as you might expect the collection features some interesting new developments for the brand.
The ever popular 'The 35' silhouette is at the centre of the brand's next 'Cork Pack', and a play on the recent Black Scale collab 'Blvck Gourmet” 35' shoe see's the shoe using the same scaly detailing but this time in a blue colourway.
More women's product is also on the way with the brand's same characteristic playful approach seeing textured and patterned options for all tastes.
I'm a fan of Gourmet for the fact they try something new - sure, they may not be to everyone's taste, but they're trying something.  What do you guys think?

Chris; Sydney

Meet Chris, an amazing guy who I met a few years ago when working together in Sydney in the TV game.  We lost touch ... in fact the last time I remember seeing Chris was when we were at a party talking kicks a few years ago, but we recently reconnected, and it's been great to get back in contact with one of the nicest peeps you can imagine.
He's got a great sense of style, that combined with his great personality comes alive on camera, and he was happy to pose for these shots and also show off his beloved Gourmet Cinque kicks.
Chris has been a devout adidas fan for years, but was inspired to try something new when he saw these shoes from the LA brand that is popping up more and more.  I don't think this will be Chris' last pair of Gourmet's as he loves the style and comfort of the shoe, so like many Gourmet-first timers he'll be coming back for seconds.
These shots were taken after some shots for a little something you'll see on Friday so stick around for Chris #2 when he models a great new shoe collab I think you'll love!

Gourmet - Dignan

As you may know I've been watching the LA brand Gourmet with interest for some time and my most recent viewing of the brand (see here) when I bumped into Vinnie from Acclaim left something of a lasting impression on me.
He was wearing the 'Dignan' shoe, a style that represents a lot of what Gourmet is about; fusing recognisable sneaker design with a bold twist of untraditional styling.
As something of a concept shoe, the design is inspired by Mark Wahlberg's character from the Scorcese movie 'The Departed'.  At the end of the movie he is seen wearing ER shoe covers over his shoes and voila, the idea for the 'Dignan' was born.
As you can see from the above shots of the shoe in it's new polka dot design, it combines a running shoe aesthetic with a nylon zip up cover, and sure, they're not to everyone's taste (just check out Dignan's on the forums, this shoe generates really mixed views) but I love the fact that Gourmet are going for it and not just playing safe.
The shoes are popping up more and more on the streets so check them out, if you're looking for something different they could be for you!

Vinnie - Acclaim

Key to the set up of the Carbon festival were Acclaim, who were the events founders.  Vincent is one of the key players at the Melbourne mag/site, and it goes without saying that working for an urban style publication means that you need to keep your look as fresh as possible.
His look is contemporary, yet clean and clinical, and topped off with a brand that IDYSM loves; Gourmet.  The LA brand produces some interesting product including this shoe; the Dignan.  Inspired by the end of the movie the Departed when Mark Wahlberg has surgical covers over his shoes, the Dignan is a fresh look and a really well made shoe that dealt perfectly as Vinnie was rushed off his feet all weekend.

Notorius & Co; Sydney

 

Meet Dan - he's the owner of a new store in Sydney that is getting some great props and it's easy to see why!  

Notorious & Co is a boutique with a passion for pure street style.  Echo'ing a New York 80's Hip Hop vibe the store has a flare for timeless urban clothing, shoes and accessories and in a short space of time has become a destination for great product.

Dan is originally from Amsterdam and brings to Sydney a refreshing approach to street style that is clean, simple and effective with Dan being equally happy to stock big brand names (superb styles from Reebok and NB in store, and he's proudly about to start stocking Nike Tier 1 product), up and comers including fantastic denim brand Indigofera and wares from local brands including Sydney brand Ones Clothing and artist Dallas Clark (hand spray painted graff work that is all available to buy!).

Dan's a great guy, who is passionate about what he does, and if you're in town and after something hot to spice up your wardrobe check him out!

Dining on Gourmet; South Korea

Our good friends at Gourmet are taking their love for kicks and gastronomic delights to a whole new level with an amazing pop up store in Seoul.
If you're in Seoul this week and are looking for a true Gourmet experience then check out the Thunder Burger x Gourmet pop-up store for burgers, fries and sneakers!

Address: Noksapyeong Subway Station (Line 6), one stop before Itaewon

Go down the hill towards the tunnels under Mt Namsan for about 100m

Gourmet IV

You will have seen over the past few months that we've become great mates with the guys at Gourmet, a fresh US sneaker label that are getting serious attention around the world with their unique approach to design, as they take classic sneaker elements from the past, and reinvent them into new American/Italian designs for today and beyond.


The name for the brand comes from the owner's shared love of good food, and The brand's founders are Greg Lucci, Greg Johnassen and Jon Buscemi.  They all have a shared love of good food (which is where the brand's name comes from) and they kindly served me up this tasty IV.

Hey guys, thanks for your time. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to fall in love with the wonderful world of sneakers and urban style?

Growing up in early 80’s New York you were engulfed in changing ideas, new music, unseen fashion and all the rest. We lived when the Air revolution first dropped and when Adi shell toes dropped.  Influences like this change things and I think the entire movement from the time to the music to the shoes/clothes drew us in.

What’s your definition of & approach to style?

Style comes down to attitude.  Yeah its’ about the simple things and classic elements like the right jeans or boot or sneaker or the way you wear the cuff of your trouser and all that bullshit.  But I know way too many guys that study GQ.com or ACL blog and have the right button down with the perfect collar and belt and shoulder bag and hand made boots etc, that couldn’t hold a conversation worth a fuck.  The attitude is the style.

What led you to start Gourmet?

We were throwing around the idea to start a brand together, we were all at certain cross roads in our careers.  We all had and still been working at huge corporate brands and were, to be frank, sick of making millions and millions of dollars for strangers and unappreciative people.  It was time to start something fresh and new.

Your products seem to focus on key features from some classic shoes, where did this idea come from, and how do you apply this idea into your brand?

The mantra in our processes is to keep design familiar but with a touch of gourmet.  Meaning, no one here wants to re-invent the way you wear a shoe/sneaker. We like to take an inspiration, reinterpret it and add a spin. That’s what we want to wear. The shoes we make invoke a certain thought of nostalgia. The statement made is that the design is famailar with a new attitude or feel.That’s what keeps us hungry and makes us step the game up each season.

There have been some incredible innovations in the sneaker world, how far will you go to harness these innovations within Gourmet’s work?

This is thing we love about our industry and what we embrace and try and add to. We like to use ideas from the past and make them better and use ideas from the present and implement them into our current designs.  We have plans for taking current technologies and “flipping” them into classic pieces.

Who is your product range designed for; you, or for others?

This is a great question and asked of us quite often. We design and produce shoes for us to wear.  We do not think of the consumer at any point in the concept and design. Each season we set out to create a seasonal wardrobe for our feet. Period.

What are you wearing on your feet right now?

It’s raining today in NYC and I threw on our Quadici model in neon yellow. It is water resistant and perfect for a drizzle in NY.  We did the neon yellow colour as an ode to late 80’s colorways and the neon era.

Finally, what’s next for Gourmet?

We are currently working/designing on our fall 2012 collection and will be previewing our spring 2012 in the coming months.  There will be many surprises in the next few months. Stay tuned…

Above The Clouds; Sydney

I bumped into Jack and his new store 'Above The Clouds' while strolling through Darlinghurst in Sydney one weekend.
The store specialises in US streetwear and alongside some interesting apparel lines are the new shoe brand Gourmet.  Offering a unique style of footwear that fuses iconic sneaker elements with smart/casual shoe design, the LA brand are producing some interesting products that are designed to appeal as shoes for sneaker lovers.