Do you ever stop to smell the flowers or maybe gaze at a tree? Probably not…you probably think you have more important things to do besides enjoy a majestic living creature for a few glorious seconds. During my trip with Lucy I saw many different colours and textures in nature, which defiantly gave me a better appreciation for it. I hope some of these photos inspire you to maybe stop by your local neighbourhood garden or venture off into the outdoors and take a nice deep breath of those beautiful, natural compelling scents. Peace, love and happiness.

The next couple series of my photo journal have been taken under the influence of some new things. For this set of photographs let me briefly take you to a place that feels like it’s not in the city, but is probably in the heart of it. Get lost with me…

And there he appeared…straight out of a myth, the god – Rakim. A few nights ago we witnessed a piece of hip hop’s cornerstone take the Fortune Sound stage in Vancouver. Adorned in the adopted garb of urban New Yorkers in the 90s, Ra came on in his oversized Carhartt outfit – black hoodie, black toque, black jeans, black shirt, black leather bomber and what else but Timbs as the cypher completer. In his heyday you might’ve seen Ra sporting something more flashy like his signature giant gold chain, but times have shifted just a little bit. Besides the gold links, his bars, charisma and delivery of the G.L.O.A.T. remain as sharp as ever.

Let’s rewind a moment…

Before we delve into Rakim, the hometown opener Juls came to bless the crowd before the headliner. This young emcee is beginning to establish his grips in the rap game, touring as the opener for acts like Meek Mill, Action Bronson and Beatnuts to name a few.

The following opener…

Even with Rakim in and out of the limelight for the last few years, he still garners respect as royalty of hip hop’s golden era. The standing room venue was enthusiastic to get the god’s show rolling. With attire in check, he ignited the show with a pure classic, “My Melody”.

Giving daps and wholeheartedly connecting with fans and onlookers, the show continued with a slew of his new era records like “18th Letter”, “Been A Long Time” and “It’s Nothin” from his post-2000 catalogue.

An extensive round of hits kept pouring in as he spit the verses to joints like “Mahogany”, “Pump Up The Volume” and “Know The Ledge” without missing a step, a word or a beat. The lights may have gotten a little dimmer on the emcee’s career but the performance he delivered was nothing short of legendary.

As an outsider looking in, I’m dishearted to see modern day Rakim records not flourishing the way they should be. It’s not that his content is out of touch, it’s that he may not have a formidable team behind him that can harness and elevate his sound. Without his partner in crime/DJ Eric B that nostalgic production of old is lost. And without sonic guidance from the upper echelon of producers in the game today he’s clamoring for due attention solely at live shows.

What a feeling it would be to hear that Rakim has paired up with someone like a DJ Premier or a Dr. Dre. But oh wait, he has. I’m in bewilderment as to why these legends haven’t formed longstanding creative relationships. Citing “creative differences” always seem to be the case in these situations. I wonder too if it’s money-related or worse, pride-related differences that are preventing the stars to align. Then again, maybe Rakim is just satisfied with his contributions to the genre. I guess for that, all we can be is forever grateful and thankful that he’s still running city circuits to bless his disciples.

photographs by Mario Soriano and Elixir Garcia

Big thanks to Chad Gibson from Pendleton for having us come thru!

Upon walking into the showroom we found ourselves in awe of all the wonderful range of new and classic Pendleton items. A large selection of accessories from bags to blankets and everything in between filled the room.

Right from the start the stacks of blankets on the shelves became a great conversation piece. We found out that Navajo blankets represent distinctly meaningful events to their owners. A characteristic and concept that was new to us and something that really hit home. Knowing how prestigious and special each blanket is makes owning your own feel so necessary.

The Prineville Caps in both selections really caught our eyes while going through the accessories. Both the design, fit and quality of build really live up to the Pendleton standard.

Moving onto the new Portland Collection, it’s what I was really looking forward to from the start. I had heard great things about the collection prior to seeing it in person and I concur with all the aforementioned praise. The new Portland Collection takes a new fortunate turn in the Pendleton story by working with young talented creatives who are native to Portland. The collection continues to build upon the commitment to being made in the USA. With a new sense of style inspired by tradition and the pioneering spirit of the Pacific Northwest, the Portland Collection has potential to be a lucrative look from a fresh perspective.

The Umapine Parka fit very well especially with the Pendleton wool lining through the body.

The Oakridge Jacket ended up being one of my all time favourites from our visit. The cut and fit of the Oakridge is like that of a bomber and is on the shorter side. It had a really substantial, feel-good weight to it while the shooting patch was a nice rugged touch.

The last piece in our preview was the Bandon Pea Coat. Since I’ve been in the market for a pea coat it was a no-brainer to put this baby on for size. This was another exceptionally fitting coat and worth every penny. Made out of Pendleton 100% virgin wool, you should have no issues keeping your degrees up and looking good simultaneously.

Whoa! It’s been a while hasn’t it? Well you know what they say, you can’t rush experience. I won’t bore you with chatter, just join me on my travels and enjoy the scenery. I packed an 8th of green, grabbed my camera, and got lost in the day. Peep some new work I photographed around the ‘hood and across the water to a place that seemed like nothingness amidst the loads of fog that Vancouver received throughout January.

Hover over images for titles.

Truthfully, there were too many exhibiting brands to get through each and every one during our afternoon activities. We stopped by a few select booths to see what was on the slate for next season’s offerings.

Brands like Penfield, Black Scale and Lifetime always have strong footings in the all-encompassing streetwear market. Throughout the collections we viewed everything from traditional patterns to experimental florals and our favourite herb, Ms. Jane.

There were some juggernaut companies in attendance who showed off some of their classic wares. Pendleton came through with an abundance of navajo woven wallets, bags, scarves, toques, blankets, you name it. And as you can see, Reebok‘s trying to come back heavy with some retro masterpieces like Iverson’s Questions and Answers ‘ball sneakers. Shaq’s maybe don’t get as much love but they looked alright.

Well then there’s Gourmet who release year after year with footwear so tasty you’d eat them off a plate. Snakeskins, cork boards, perforated suedes and a handful of other styles allow them to flex a bit for this upcoming season.

Ingredients to a successful Know Show (ABOVE):

Strike Movement is one of the new kids on the block and they seem to be staking territory just fine. They’ve put their sole focus on fitness and active living, in turn they have produced an impressive collection geared towards casual workout basics. One of the defining qualities of the brand? Check the tags boy, Made. In. Canada.

photographs by Elixir Garcia

Being the new kids on the block isn’t an easy task, but DD MAU is showing no signs of struggle or fatigue. They opened their doors April of last year, and with the help of solid local support they’ve been kept busy from the get go. Kim says their big rush happens around lunch time and is due to all the offices, gaming companies and production firms in the area. The continued success that DD MAU encounters on a daily basis is a direct reflection of why Urbanspoon Vancouver has chosen them to be the most popular new restaurant of 2012.

Kim says that she takes full pride in DD MAU being one of the independent guys in mainstream Yaletown. Although having to contend with other heavy hitters in the area may seem like a daunting task, Kim and her crew continue to serve quality food that have their diehard and new supporters coming back.

Along with their continued success comes the opportunity to set new goals for the year. When asked about DD MAU’s current goals and aspirations, Kim says that expansion is in the forefront. This means that a second location and an expansion of their menu is in the works. Although a location has yet to be determined, we can all rest assured that no matter where they pop up next the passion and quality will continue to go above and beyond.

The last thing I touched on with Kim was the meaning behind DD MAU. She tells me that the term “didi mau” is Vietnamese slang for “go go quickly”. The term was made popular in the 1986 movie Platoon where American soldiers invade Vietnam and use the term as means to move civilians quickly. She said that she didn’t want to have an average vietnamese name but still wanted to keep it authentic.

Until the next bunch…

Click to go back to theHop

A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to view a private showing of Lifetime Collective‘s Spring-Summer lineup for 2013. They set a really great atmosphere at the Vancouver Urban Winery on the industrial side of the downtown lower east side. We ran into some good looking pieces and hung around a while to get educated by the designers.

It was a perfect space used for the showing, just enough to highlight the few racks that were set up. Also great for discussion as you could easily strike up a conversation.

This particular lineup was for Lifetime’s higher end product line. All the clothes and fabric used were developed by the designer himself. Definitely looking forward to the launch of these new pieces as there are a handful of must haves.

Good looking on the wine barrel display for their latest daypack. Although I feel like camo is experiencing full apparel saturation once again, this bag is something I’d probably cop. I really enjoy the way they attacked the camouflage pattern on this pack. The leather lashtab is always a welcomed touch as are the dual front pockets.

This immediate rack to the left is their more affordable line of seasonal staples and things, that’s not to say that either tier is not affordable. This one just has more of the classic looks that the brand is known for.

Quick snap of the lounge area. I’m not quite sure if this is part of the winery or if Lifetime decided to add this, but in any case it fit really nicely with the rest of the theme for the afternoon.

A spread of some of Lifetime’s latest magazine publications.

Here I go checking out the quality and feel for this buttondown print shirt. A great piece with an equally interesting and subtle pattern throughout. A sure favourite and one that I really wanted to walk away with.

Here’s a great example of their knitwear game. Tough knit and about as eccentric as you should get in the pacific northwest. I really liked the use of melange colour blending on this one.

Being a hoody-wearing aficionado, I immediately gravitated towards this piece on first glance. The quality was unsurprisingly top notch, the pattern was unconventional and the trimmings were on point.

That’s all he wrote folks! Huge thanks to the people at Lifetime as well as Dela Cruz PR for the pleasant invite.