Yesterday Racked NY scooped that the Thom Browne / Brooks Brothers long-awaited Black Fleece store on Bleecker was about to open any day. This morning, WWD announced that today would be the day– and in time for Fashion Week. Skinny fashionistas everywhere rejoice.
Tag Archives: converse
JAMES DEAN IN JACK PURCELLS
This has always been one of my favorite shots of James Dean. We’re used to seeing him highly-stylized, flawless and in technicolor– but here he’s just a guy hanging out like anyone else. There are some shots of Dean that I can’t even look at. In Giant, his character ages over the course of the story, so they shaved into his hairline to make it appear receding, and gave him a creepy (and very Sean Penn-like) mustache.
When James Dean was killed in that horrible crash, he had just finished filming Giant and his natural hairline hadn’t grown back in– so he looked older than he actually was when he died. That always seemed ironic and troubling to me.
My fascination with Dean started as a teen– he was my idol. I read something deep and mystical into the fact we had the same birthday. It was all about the angst and feeling like there is no one in the world that understands you– no one. I was sure that James Dean would have understood me.
Back then, a lot of the stories about his sexuality weren’t as widely known as they are now. I just assumed he was straight–he kissed girls in movies, so what was there to know? A lot, apparently It was a shocker for me– a naive, straight kid growing up on Phoenix. The only point of reference I had for a gay person was Liberace, for cryin’ out loud. I remember reading about all the shenanigans on the set of Rebel Without a Cause– teenage star Natalie Wood having a tryst with director Nicholas Ray, who was in his 50s– James Dean (bisexual / bicurious) and fellow actor Nick Adams also supposedly involved– Sal Mineo, gay.Then the big shocker– Rock Hudson too. This was all a big surprise and changed my perception of the world.
It was only 20 years ago that I was in high school, but light years apart from today in terms of tolerance. I didn’t know anyone that admitted being gay or bisexual back then. You just didn’t. Sure there were rumors and talk. All it took to be labeled as gay was to have what somebody considered a gay hairstyle or voice, or a little extra swish in your step. Being called queer was every kid’s worst fear. You just wanted to conform back then.
That was, and still is the appeal of James Dean, aside from his enormous talent and looks– he made being misunderstood cool.
“PISTOL PETE” MARAVICH | THE ORIGINAL ALL-STAR
"Pistol" Pete Maravich in his signature floppy socks and Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars.
A
We’ve all heard it said that if you pursue your passion, the rest will follow. To me, Pistol Pete is the purest example of that belief. He was the original gym rat, first spectacular showman, best ball-handler, and one of the most prolific scorers the game of basketball has ever known. To watch Pete play, was to watch someone who had completely mastered the game.
He made it look effortless. So fast, fluid and precise were his movements that it’s hard to compare him to anyone else. Lebron without the bulk and the dunk, but with the long range shot- and eyes in the back of his head. Like Thelonious Monk- you never would have thought of it because it’s outside your reasoning, but when he does it, yeah man.
Pistol Pete was in a league of his own, and on top of the world. But with success comes trials, and Pete had his share of them. In the end, he found “the life” that he had always been looking for.
A
The iconic Converse "Chuck Taylor" All Star sneaker.
A
‘The radio was playing and the morning news was on. I was startled to hear that Pete Maravich, the basketball player, had collapsed on a basketball court in Pasadena, just fell over and never got up. I’d seen Maravich play in New Orleans, when the Utah Jazz were the New Orleans Jazz. He was something to see – mop of brown hair, floppy socks – the holy terror of the basketball world – high flyin’ – magician of the court. The night I saw him he dribbled the ball with his head, scored a behind-the-back, no-look basket – dribbled the length of the court, threw the ball up over the glass and caught his own pass. He was fantastic. Scored something like 38 points. He could have played blind.”
A
-Bob Dylan
A
A
The Selvedge Yard 