STREETWEAR & SOUND - cooperations based on passion

Youth movement is interconnected in several ways with dancing. Dancing, on the other hand, is closely linked to music and passion. But what am I going to wear going out to dance? This question did probably already the hippies at the Woodstock Festival ask themselves, the boys of the Rock Steady Crew in the SouthSouthBronx as well as the first Rock 'n' Roller, Teds, Punks, Mods, and today´s HipHop- and Reggae- individualists: there has always been put emphasis on a certain visual form of impression, among the audience as well as among the musicians. A certain style to show an empahty with the music has always been going along with different musical styles. Determining these individual style expressions are often the performers on the stage. It is considered a fact, that there has always been existing a close connection between fashion and music, which has intensified itself throughout the past years. Whereas some questions remain unanswered: Who wore what first? The dancer or the musician? Who inspired who in this connection? What was first, the frock or the metal - the mohawk haircut or the punk…?

Yet it has not always been geared marketing, when music and fashion merge. Often it is the street or the lifestyle itself, which got the two together. Speaking of the Mercedes-star, as a cool Bboy-accessory in the 80s, which then quickly became the best-selling replacement part of Mercedes. In an even more explicit way this became manifest among early HipHop-artists in the beginning of the 80s, who integrated brands like adidas in their oldschool-styles and led them to play a significant role in the specific scene. Up to that point it was rather despised to leave the own flat or the gym with the adidas sweat suit, but all of a sudden it became 'cool' and, combined with a Kangol hat, suitable for clubbing - and no one had to be afraid of failing the bouncer´s approval at the entrance. Over the years along with the development of the several individual music scenes, a certain momentum has often been observable. As for example RunDMC even integrated their sport shoes in their rap, speaking of the track "my adidas". From then on sportswear has been a steadily recognizable characteristic and typical element of the HipHop scene. Just recently once again confirmed by Missy Elliot's Three-Stripes-Suit at the MTV Music Awards, and also in our conversation by Oliver Bresch and Cynthia Blasberg of the Cologne publishing house "Intro".

In earlier days, these developments simply occurred, without the interfering of a certain brand, artists simply adapted these styles and linked them to their statements. To their values again and again appear in music history: such as protest and rebellion on the other side, poetry and love and zest for life on the other hand. Styles born in the specific club- and street-scenes were growing with the expanding musical themes and symbiosis´. In the HipHop and Black Music segment for example with brands like Ecko Unltd., who are tightly connected with artists of subculture and underground scenes and support them actively, in form of compilations or festivals for example. Style-, culture- and genre- overlapping, brands developed continuously, and enhanced with the growth of global communities and the interconnecting structures and networks of artistic exchange. "Nowadays there are so many musical niches, that one can find the matching counterpart for every fashion brand in the music sector. The decisive aspect in this connection is only, to look carefully, where to spot the brand. It is of great importance that brands don't proceed arbitrarily. Yet instead communicate credibly, in a way that matches the certain brand, and that is aimed and authentic.", emphasises Cynthia, who is editor in the fashion department at "Intro" and "steil" magazine, Cologne. One way or the other, there has to be differentiated between brands, who really make an effort to create an authentic fashion integration, and between brands, that just "want to make money", explains Olli felicitously. "When Levi's for example reunited the MC5, the great punk ancestors, one more time, for a special gig in London - replacing the position of the one band member who passed away by Lemmy of Mötorhead - we then talk about an event of nearly worldwide relevance."

To a traditional jeans brand, such as Lee, fits the connection to music. And the current "behind the scenes" - campaign presents, with a good portion of British humour, in a fictional and serenely way, characters like Kylie Minogue's dog-day care -person or the fanpost-coordinator of Robbie Williams.

And also the most hip cat of prey sneaks unerringly through the music jungle. Puma's lifestyle collection graced a number of musicians´ bodies this summer. As sponsor of the Jamaican athletic team (until 2008), the relation to Reggae surely suggested itself. In connection with the International Jamaica theme for example a special shoe was designed in collaboration with Gentleman, or the Seeed-Tour has been supported as "proud sponsor of the music monks".

Paul Frank designed in collaboration with chummy artists (like Radiohead, The Avalanches or the Vandals) "one of a kind" pieces, such as fender guitars, record covers or for example rare stools, featuring radiohead´s bear and crying minotaur. These items are not made for public sale though, but are auctioned. And the profit then usually goes to organisations like Amnesty International, peta ('people for ethical treatment of animals' - www.peta.de) or benefit other non-profit purposes.

The at Airbag united music-lovers and DJs created record-bags among their multi-functionally designed wide range of air mattress-bags. And they just paid a homage to their greatest source of inspiration, the music, with the "vinyl sweater", that is part of their textile collection. Ideas that come from the heart and out of a true relation to music: sold with love for the detail and pursuing continuously the claim, that started everything: "To create something easy to handle, nice to touch and unique" (www.airbagcraftworks.com)

Ideas, based on a common way of life, like it is also the case with the cooperation of aem'kei and Terranova (current album: "Peace Is Tough"- www.editionterranova.com). To communicate mutually a "conjunctive, global, trend-orientated style" and "to feature one another mutually".

To integrate the own inherent and lived roots in ambitious and not interchangeable designs and to connect them with functionality, is what determines a brand's "uniqueness" and authenticity. No matter if these lay in the graffiti art-, skate-, fun- and extremesports- or the specific music-scene. To reflect and bethink those roots again and again is also an important aspect to Walt Molt, owner of the Berlin based brand IrieDaily: "The own style, the own basis, deriving from the music we listen to, the inherent ingredients of Punkrock and Hip Hop, the two very deep, intensive music styles we grew up with, that were of great importance to us…and remain to be so." A style with an own identity, that "may and should orientate itself by sectoral trends, to a certain moderate extent," explains Walt, "but still remains something special". Their thing, which started in 1990 as a T-shirt printing house for innovative brand-merchandising, more like an underground-punk rock- and do-it-yourself-movement of passionate musicians, developed in the past years to a team of 12 creative minds around the graphic artist in charge, Jay Bo Monkey. Their work is based upon a deep belief, which connects them "and allows them to think and act different". The brand stands for an awareness of life, which "is globally existent, yet unites a small group of people". But is still recognizable in all existing opposites or contraries. With an independent structure, the Kreuzberger crew put one logical development step after the other to built up the production of the four lines: IRIEGINAL, JUGGA, GSE and LTD. Behind these abbreviations and the partitioning stands the philosophy, not having to live up to all expectations at the same time, but to meet this way the specific needs of clients as well as those of retailers. (www.iriedaily.de)

Different claims are converted selectively, focused on individual aims. "Away from the big soup - more towards: one makes the dessert, the other makes the starter, one the entrée..", elucidates Walt, "to abide the own hand-writing, but still define oneself new", is the basic thought, which stands behind the whole. And thus approach consequently the ideal compromise between the innovative claims of each line on the onehand and an affordable prize on the other hand. And in doing so also implies clear production sequences and humanly appropriate work cycles. All started once with imprinted T-shirts for the 'Jingo De Lunch' and 'Element of Crime', and is supported till today by true originals based on deeply considered opinion. As the actor Jürgen Vogel for example, who saw their clothes, liked them and started wearing them. Or people like Gentlemen, people from the sound system 'Pow Pow Movement' or the band 'Seeed', the punkrocking 'Beatsteaks', bmx rider Timo Pritzel or other characters of the bmx-, snowboard-, wakeboard- or skateboard-scene; all give them their support and receive it mutually. People who are really moving something ,"who enjoy life, yet never stop wanting to challenge it".
This way the pool of people is growing steadily. The pool of those, who have internalised that it is not just all about jumping on a bandwagon of some kind of trend early enough, but about cleaving to the own style. And that work together with cobined strength to realize own ideas and visions and live them. People, who try to create music and fashion styles with an unique identity, fight for a "consciousness in unconscious times" and who do not forget themselves due to the temptation of high sales figures.

POW POW PRODUCTIONS

The Cologne based "Pow Pow Movement"-crew pursues and lives with consistency and lots of creative energy their philosophy of "the own thing". "Zest for Life" occupies the central position of their work. In the middle 80s founders Ingo Rheinbay and Alfred Eskes met skating, and started, based on the common passion, to organize Reggae Partys mutually. One step after the other they put up a soundsystem that is modelled on those from Jamaika. Within the past 5 Years the crew, which meanwhile consists of 5 people, built up the Label Pow Pow Productions. After numerous live performances and with a range of sixteen 7`` singles and over 800 dubplates (= unique tracks on vinyl, kind of remixes, in collaboration with different artists) they successfully made their way to the top of the European Soundsystem League. In 2000 they even were the first white soundsystem to be at the world clash in New York City. Just recently in october BBC radio again came to Cologne to record a live- session at the Petit Prince Club in Cologne, which is their homebase. Ingo Rheinbay and Tilmann Otto, aka Gentleman, met while skating, shared their passion for music and Jamaican culture and thenceforward have been producing together on a regular basis. www.powpow.de

And just as those two protagonists mutually advanced the Reggae further between Germany and Jamaica continuously, more and more good things develop. The structures of passionate and moxie collaborations are reticulating and growing steadily into several good directions on all levels. On the mend to harmony in the whole and a good way of life quality and depth and the truly important virtues in life will succeed mutually.