The Maxiemillion

"Figgity-finger on the trigger, vision on the sparrow/the diggy dark shadow/holdin it down and camouflage your town" (Das Efx)

2012-01-26T08:05:00.001+01:00

"Emmanuel Guzman is the textbook example of an underground hero. He was born, raised and still resides in Santa Cruz, CA. Eman is a very loyal person and is willing to go the extra mile for his sponsor’s. His style of high speed and raw skating will help to bring a new element to the C1RCA family." This is what Circa website has to say about his team member. Isn't he the perfect fit for The Maxiemillion? Underground hero. I like this concept. We are talking about a cat that doesn't need to be in the spotlight to know that he's good. One thing that I learned along the path of my life is to give props where props are due, no matter what music you listen to or how you dress. Radness has no labels. What happened in this case is that sponsors looked for him. He's big in Santa Cruz, that's why he got a sponsorship deal with the deck company that goes by the same name. NorCal (Northern California) area is known to give birth to no frills skateboarding focused on the substance, more than on the appearance. High speed and raw skating are two elements that, if combined together are really pleasant to the eye and as you can see, Eman knows. Slightly reminiscing of the early John Cardiel, mr. Guzman combines both posture and allround ability of the above mentioned veteran. The Grizz, his pro shoe released on August 2011, is a perfect combo of action packed tech features, yet it looks like the simplest ever. Don't let fashion fool you, there is function here and it's called Aerocush: that combination of sensibility and protection that all the skaters fiend to have on their feet. The idea here is to have a light shoe that looks basic but it isn't. Here above you can peep in advance the latest colourway that will drop in fall 2012. Isn't camouflage totally what he deserves for the war inside its head that he fights on daily basis against the hard concrete? This is what you will see around on skaters that are folowing this one and only trend: they can't wait to shred. Make sure your shop calls Option distribution if you don't want to miss this sure shot for next season guerrilla warfare.

"Packin like a rasta in the weed spot/vocals'll squeeze glocks, MC's eavesdrop" (Nas)

2012-01-23T07:40:00.010+01:00

Do you need dreads to be part of rastafarianism? Is rasta movement an underground thing? Do you need to smoke weed to be a real rasta? Don't ask me. I remember having a rasta lace (just one) when I was a young hardcore punk on my left boot, a steel capped burgundy Dr Marteens. I bought that in Amsterdam, when I was 17. This means 26 years ago. I love those colors just because. I also thought that, since Bad Brains were half punkers and half rastamen (or were they rastas that loved punk?), it was legit to show an open mentality and support that reggae shop close to the boat where I lived when I was on holiday there. I love Bob Marley. I swear. His positive message is one of a kind and he's a legendary leader in my opinion. This is the end of my knowledge of the rasta movement. Not enough to give you infos on it. I know that a lot of ignorant people thinks that green, yellow and red are Jamaican flag. No, son. Those colors are in Ethiopia flag. Rasta movement considers Ethiopia the new Jerusalem that's why those are the colors of this movement. If you don't think about all of the above for a second there is another thing to say and I'm sure you all will agree with me: those are nice colors and it's their natural element to put them on black. To enhance this combination of colors even more you can blend them on a Urban Classics fleece varsity and you will get a fresh jacket, beyond the boundaries of religions and movements. In much simpler words, you can make what you want of this jacket, there is no "pre packed image" that you buy with it. Look at how sweet is Lucilla in these pics by Roberta Ungaro. Isn't she adorable?! Do you have the impression of a female version of a rastafarian or of a urban girl with style and attitude? Ok, you can't forget rasta movement, you tried hard but it was impossible. Sweet, than your reggae posse can all get this jacket and embroider its name on the front and on the back, since Urban Classsics purpose (and therefore that of their local reps Boma Agency) was even to create quality blank items to customize. Put your name on your colors. Just don't forget to be positive while you feel this rastaman vibration.

"Now turn it up, turn it up (a little louder)/turn it uuuuup, turn it up (little louder)" (Kanye West))

2012-01-19T16:13:00.009+01:00

HB3. It ain't easy like 123. Or better yet it is, but the first time you hear about it you're like "what?!". What do you keep with you everytime you go out? My experience told me that the basic kit to carry is always the following: keys, wallet, phone and lighter. Can't go wrong with this. Let's imagine for a second that your friend sends you a text that goes like: "I'm stuck at work, I am at least 30 minutes late, sorry about this, mayne". Since that night you were supposed to go out with your friend car, you walked up to his crib and so now you ask yourself what can you do in those 30 minutes? HB3 comes to rescue you. A jack in your pocket, connected to your phone, can entertain you with your music coming through hidden earbuds at the ends of the cord of your hidden hoodie. No need to hide if your item has that stamp of approval on the zipper, by the way. You are right, since you're a loyal reader of The Maxiemillion, you recognized it: it's 2 Tone once again. You bet: it's a TLFI item. A Prophet, that's the name of this jacket (it looks too good just to call it a windbreaker) that will turn anybody wearing it into a modern high tech MacGyver, with wizardry that turns any dull moment into musical frenzy. HB3 is the name of the technology that has wires and earbuds incorporated in your jacket that you can actually wash at low temperatures in a washing machine. Welcome to the future is what you feel like saying, isn't it? You are touching it by hand now. If you don't wanna touch and you just want to look, this looks fantastic. That blue is ready to meet your Dodgers cap and that shoulder strap that you can peep closely in the second picture, looks too good to ignore it. Survival in the urban jungle, that's the case here. To look good 360 degrees, being on point in every situation. Born in LA, one of the worldwide crucial centres of this urban scene that is our everyday scenario, this item surely can't lack in style. Ready to take any (and I said any) test that you can put it to, you don't need a prophet to tell you that A Prophet will increase your appeal and will do miracles for other people smiles of appreciation.

"Ni**as can't gel or I'm just too high to tell/put on my gasoline boots and walk through hell" (Method Man)

2012-01-19T07:20:00.003+01:00

Circa footwear. What you know about it? You have seen it around but hardly you know a thing or two about this brand, right? Circa was at the forefront of a movement that put the word "unify" over the heads of the skaters, right after the word "divide" reigned over a dark era. You had hip hop skaters and then you had rock/metal skaters. What made Chad Muska join Jamie Thomas back in the day and come out with such a project I don't know, but I know for sure that C1rca always delivered quality skate kicks. Tough materials for the skateboarding activity but also fine good looking shoes for your non skating hours. This is Summit Vulc high, from next C1rca Select collection. Dont't you feel shivers on your spine already while you picture yourself during next fall, walking with your girlfriend with that crispy sound of fallen leaves under your feet, smiling at her like you were straight out of a tv commercial? Ain't nothing commercial about this brand, since it's not so common to see Circa around as it is with other brands. Craftmanship and materials used always make the difference and this is the case too, once again. Look at that how nice is that vulcanized bottom construction. What happened recently over the Italian skate territory is that Action Now doesn't distribute this brand any longer. Let's give a warm welcome to Option distribution. Their superagent aka Max P, the longtime friend of The Maxiemillion, gave us the updates. These are coming out next fall, that's the stuff that you would find at Circa booth if you were in Berlin these days attending Bread & Butter trade show. See how cool it is to be down with this blog that you are reading now? You have original detailed pics of what otherwise you should do thousands of kilometers to see, all this in the comfort of your room or your office. Back to this light boot not only I've seen the pics, I've touched it . That leather was thick but smooth at the same time. If you still have some immagination left from above, when you were walking with your chick, imagine now how you would steal the show at any party, rocking this with your best pair of selvedge denim. Just avoid nerd glasses: you don't need to see clearly to understand that Summit Vulc high looks pretty awesome...

"Sunglasses and Advil/last night was mad real/sun comin up 5 AM/I wonder if they got cabs still" (Kanye West)

2012-01-16T07:20:00.001+01:00

If you have a slight impression that sunglasses and beanies have been around forever, I feel confortable confirming you so: they do. Eazy E sunglasses? How about Ice T? Wanna talk about Flavor Flav? Why not Rick Ross or Ludacris then? Early memories of beanies instead go back to Ice Cube Amerikkka album cover. Remember B Real? Or when Dj Muggs was rockin 'em all the time (this was before his Soul Assassins ltd caps)? Nowadays we can talk Wiz Khalifa if you feel like. Or even Asap Rocky. I don't really know what in detail forces every single rapper to rock glasses but, there must be more than a reason. Sensibility to light? Vampire attitude that induces them to go out at night or to hit the studio only in late afternoon, so everything that it's done before is no easy task as far as light go? Or maybe it's just to create that rockstar attidude with a hint of mystery... Beanies have gone full loop. They started to be seen around really long that immediately gave you an attitude of gangsta/raver dude. Then they started get shorter to the point where they started to be called skullies, a little trend totally not harmful that faded away in no time, up to now. Beanies are not shaped around the head of a human being anymore, but they rather look like long socks to increase the fun factor when wearing it. Think Smurfs. Now it seems that this long beanie trend is well popular among snowboarders that made any hip hop trend their own. Since Urban Classics is appealing to that taste, as well as to street city kids, here is their discreet version of the beanie. Long, with a little label that you decide to put in that point where it looks good to you (Lizzie has it over her right eye) and black. I thought that with a pair of KMA Racer shades by Masterdis, the gangster beanie gets the treatment that he deserves. Black on black, the fresh code that Jay Z talks about. Polycarbonate with UV 400 protection, that's what we are talking about here. An affordable couple of accessories that can let you be what you want to be. You don't have to change your style to rock these, they will get along with it pretty easily, no matter what your image is. Distributed over Italian turf with much passion, Masterdis & Urban Classics are Boma Agency deal. Call them, but don't be too gangsta talking to them: they're nice.

"Just to keep you informed with the significance/how can I prove this through true evidence" (The Genius)

2012-01-12T08:23:00.006+01:00

I was discussing this yesterday night with my homie Arash over at Dojo clthng: it's easy to succeed in this industry with a simple design on the t-shirt that you want to sell easily but not all men are created equal. Not all brands follow the leader and try to make a knockoff of what is selling at the moment. Think Diamond Supply co. or Billionnaire Boys Club or Sixpack France and read: "trendsetters with flavour". Well, here we are in front of some never seen before concept on a t-shirt. TLFI aka True Love False Idols is coming at us and it's quite scary. I don't know how to defend myself from this attack of pure dopeness in full force displayed at me. Supermodels in vintage clothes that seem to come straight out a 1980 Vogue with skulls placed over their face. There is more, like this wasn't enough: a TLFI logo all over them reminiscing of those epic metal bands that drove headbangers crazy a couple of decades ago. Of course you remember when that you saw their names on patches stiched on denim jackets of fans all over the world. 2 Tone, the designer behind this brand, knows how to drop an outstanding tee shirt, that's for sure. TLFI is all this: culture, fun, class and loads of style. Now the question is: why to dare and wear something different from the next man and go where nobody ever ventured before? Because you are unique, my friend. Forget all the hype, the force is inside you like your life is part of Star Wars. A better tee shirt won't make you a better man, I swear. If you still feel like you can roll with this company complex message, check True Love and False Idols website and see for yourself what they have in stock. I felt that this item is so special that it deserved a "special treatment" so every part of the tee that I took pictures of is now part of these fake flyers above. Mario from All In shop is in the building to help out with his modeling duty once again (did you see his first TLFI modeling job on the last post he was featured?). This grey tee shirt looks fire on him and it may be on you but looks are far from the substance, you need skills to shine, a tee shirt alone won't do the job.

"I pulled up with a million trucks/looking, smelling, feeling like a million bucks" (Ludacris)

2012-01-09T08:08:00.001+01:00

You may say that I may have titled this post with the words of Slick Rick the Ruler himself that totally match what you read in this tee shirt but... I already used them in may 2009 in another post. Elephants ain't got ish on my memory, my friend. Slick Rick is one of the grandmasters. Puff Daddy was starting to get himself called P Diddy when he said that he invented the remix, but Mc Ricky D (earlier name of Slick Rick), invented storytelling. Or at least, if he didn't invent it, he was excellent at that kind of rap. Since he didn't copyrighted his lyrics, voila Mr Tee representation of what was taking shape in his mind when he heard those words in the song known as La Di Da Di. He performed that masterpiece in front of thousands of people with his companion Doug E. Fresh for decades. Mr Tee is the tee shirt division of Urban Classics that has nothing but fire in their collection. May I be sincere with you? I can't even judge if the tee shirt is good looking or not: I'm so in love with those lyrics that I love this item unconditionally. Ok, I'll do my best: this tee shirt is fresh. You can see it for yourself in the third picture, if you still have doubts. It seriously embaresses me. Like I don't know if I'm emblazoned enough to carry the weight of such heavy rhymes. I may flip the script pretty easily anyway, like all of those Footlocker aficionados that buy tees totally ignoring the meaning of what their tee shirts say. Like the 90% of the market here, I could play ignorant, look fresh and you can think what you want about me and my flashy tee. Like me or hate me. Love Slick Rick or ignore him completely. Who cares, it's a tee shirt, right?! This is the difference: to me tee shirts send messages that are loud and clear, to other people are just what you put under your shirt or your zipper hoodie. For those who care, don't forget that Boma Agency is in charge of the distribution of this in Italy, so don't get desperate and make your favourite shop order this. Supermodel Lucilla and master photographer Roberta Ungaro (partners in crime in the first two pictures) can't be ordered: they are exclusive.

"So purple, p-purple, p-purple and swallow it down with the/ yurple, yurple, yurple It's goin dowwwwwn" (Dj Paul)

2012-01-05T07:40:00.004+01:00

I remember when I was a kid desperately trying to fit in a trend in order to get accepted by the rest of the crew. Now that thing slightly changed: I am my own crew. There is something about looking crisp that has no season, no colour, no trend. Being fresh is a state of mind: you don't look for fly gear, fly gear finds you. On this subject, do you know what Fly Society is? Oh, you don't?! Enter TK. Enfant prodige of this skate world where we dwell on daily basis, Terry Kennedy is this friend of Bam Margera that got nicknamed by the goth skate idol "Compton ass Terry". Being a skater wasn't enough for his creative mind, so he felt the need to rap and therefore Fly Society, his rap clique, was born. Probably he had the words of Rick Rozay in mind, because TK is hustlin on daily basis and the following move infact was the clothing collection of his hip hop crew. Why am I telling you so? Because when you skate in Los Angeles as a professional and you are knee deep in this hip hop world, probably you know what's flamboyant and you couldn't care less about nerdy types that think they set trends. Next thing you know purple and turquoise reign all over the latest Fly Society collection. How about Charlotte Hornets and their fresh caps in that color combo?!Last thing that I reviewed with those colors goes back to 2009: a limited pair of Vans in collaboration with Fifty Fifty shop in Bristol, UK. So, somebody over at Urban Classics probably thought that those colors simply bring a chemistry of their own to the table, they feed off each other in a release of energy that no black, white and red can give you. Here comes this purple and turquoise varsity jacket that has a strong visual approach for individuals that don' go out half assed, but need (and deserve) all the attention. No frills, just the basic essential power that a plain item like this can give to your kit. Put lots of white or black to create an outfit involving this, don't overload it, ok? Made out of the softest fleece, this 65% cotton, 35% polyester beauty can give a kick to your closet without being more expensive than a regular skate hoodie at your shop. A winning move. That's why homies at Boma agency represent this brand over here. They feel their philosophy and you know what? You should feel it too.

"It blows extreme, mean stream be the theme/supreme team, America's Cream Team, redeemed" (U-God)

2012-01-02T07:36:00.004+01:00

Gone are the days of cowboys and American workers wearing denim during their labour hours. Those trousers made out of jeans, that fabric originally from Genes (Genoa) even lost the outcast factor that comes from identification with that "Rebel without a cause" named James Dean. Nowadays you can wear denim even in an office or to go to a restaurant with that girl for the first time. It all depends on what kind of denim you are wearing but your style is pretty much defined by this part of your outfit, urban kid. You may show off with expensive Japanese denim, rely on the classics with mainstream quality brands that everybody knows or make a statement with what you are wearing. Here come streetwear brands, specifically designed to breakdance in them or to skate. Or to look good with that exact fit that you want. Your denim talks, even if you had closed ears up to now. Some people chose to stick to the dark selvedge denim and it looks like they never change their pants. It's good to alternate dark and washed denims, to express your freedom and your ability to compose outfits pleasant to the eye. Please never wear uber washed light denim during the winter with black kicks. Thank you. Please wear Chester denim from Dojo clthng if you like to chill in style and to look fresh without representing the ultra expensive denim buyer. This is a pretty basic denim that talks about you and your love for the underground urban scene. When you rock this you send out a message that is much louder than the message in Sting's bottle. You love clubbing, spraypaint and microphones on fire. You like matching your New Era caps with flamboyant kicks and these parts combined with this Dojo denim pant make your outfit supreme. Unbeatable. Take out the competition around you, show them that you are part of a different breed. An elite thing not based on dinero. I'm happy to see that Dojo evolved from a basic brand. I peeped what's in stock for them in 2012 and there is definately some grown up stuff. Short sleeve shirts will be the icing on the cake of their next collections, so don't forget to check The Maxiemi££i on the regular to see where this underground supreme that I'm talking about will take you.

"Until you ask yourself, "Is that what it's all come to?"/looking at life through sunglasses in the sunroof" (Jay Z)

2011-12-28T07:24:00.001+01:00

Shades. Wear them to hide from the sun, wear them because you want to hide your eyes from people because of too much fun the night before. But you can also wear them to front like "my sunglasses are way more expensive than yours". Sometimes cool people wear them because they make their face look better and this is the case of our new friend here. Let's give a warm welcome to Elisabetta T. When asked to come to the park and shoot some pics, she has been down with no worries with a quick reply that sounded much like: "Why not?!". Quality at an affordable price? You guessed it. From the infinite range of accessories part of Masterdis collection, here comes a dynamic duo that is ready to give to your style that extra touch without worries for your wallet. Groove Shades GStwo and KMA Scarf Cabel knit are here to make your precence felt as you enter the room. Slightly reminiscin' of a classic duo of brothers called Jake and Elwood Blues, this shape of sunglasses has been hot for decades. No matter how many companies try to make it their own at a cheap price, these are an item that overcomes any trend. Of course your eyes can rest, with an UV400 protection filter. In case you want to be hip desperately and you don't feel this all black version, there is a range of 20 colour variations, don't worry. Use it in crazy combinations and make your friends get doubts about their plain style. How about that scarf you ask? That thing is 2 meters long, entirely made out of acrylic and available in 8 colours. Once again the miracle repeats itself: you can wear this item and make it your own. Are you into a fresh code all black like Jay Z? You got served. Are you looking for that shock value and black makes you go "bleagh"?!! Why not to give a chance to neon yellow? Or magenta? One thing is sure: cable knit makes a huge comeback, together with all those old school mountain sweaters. This is your chance to look good and be up to date, exactely like Elisabetta T (she was stylish even before the shooting, to say it all). Your shop needs to carry this. They don't? Tell them to call Boma agency as soon as possible, winter doesn't wait and your neck and your eyes need all the protection plus some.

"It takes two to make a thing go right/it takes two to make it outta sight/hit it!" (Rob Base)

2011-12-26T07:43:00.003+01:00

You know how it goes, once you start something sweet, you don't feel like sayin' "enough now!" anytime soon, huh?! That's what I thought the other day at All In shop. I was there to say hi to my friends and the environment and the vibe was perfect for some shooting of products. It happened that Luca I dropped at The Maxiemillion headquarters the day before an exclusive t-shirt from True Love False Idols called "Uzi Patrol". Once I was at All In I started shooting with my camera but I also gave a shot to my iPad and after I came home the idea start to grow on me: let's put nothing but iPad pictures on the blog. Uzi Patrol is part of next collection dropping in summer of this legendary Angeleno brand that has 2 Tone as the graphic backbone. You may have seen his name around these days since he directed that Kid Sister video "Gucci Rag Top remix" with a bunch of TLFI gear all over it. What is is my hands today is a graphic reference to a king of LA gangsta rap. Once again, here on The Maxiemillion, let's give a warm round of applause to Eazy E. I mentioned him when we talked about that cap that says Eazy duz it. Everything goes Digital Underground here: same song. "Uzi does it" it's a wordplay that revolves around that epic joint dropped in 1988, recently turned into a Get Busy Committee anthem that has a title formed by those three words. 2 Tone is an old school cat that, like the man that is typing this now, fell in love with that era to a point to give hommage with his drawings every time possible and the same goes for that hip hop crew commonly known as GBC. Due to the violent potential of an Uzi machine gun, the idea here is quite evident: let's turn a fire arm in a fictional comic character. Hence the gloves à la Disney, slightly reminiscing of that successful Crooks & Castles design called Air Guns. Mario L from All In (even if they don't sell TLFI), has been so kind to recognize that this t shirt is fire and he did the model thing for a minute just to show you how dope is this design that will be out in a few months. This is an unbelievably fresh concept and I am seriously tempted to give to it the award "The Maxiemillion item of the year" but since all the wine from Xmas party is still in effect, I kindly ask you not to give me an anti doping treatment, take my word for it, ok?!

"Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold/I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe" (Nas)

2011-12-23T07:33:00.005+01:00

I remember that in an old Big Brother magazine the now hidden "freestyler gone skate mogul"Steve Rocco that is behind Dwindle Distribution was defined King of all Pocketphones. This alone makes you understand that before this era that we are living in, to own a cellular phone was an elite thing. Then we had the Motorola era, where the goal was to have the smallest phone ever. Then it was Nokia time when they revolutionized the show with tough phones easy to use. Then again phones became also cameras and this allowed anybody to connect images from phone to phone. In this social network era where you share online even the hair on the butt of your cat, iPhone is the undisputed king. Even David Swift, a photographer turned photo editor, turned editor of The Skateboard Mag is now part of the Instagram network. It's evident that iPhone represents to the fullest the skater spirit: down for fun and innovative. Ready for everything that the streets puts him to test. The last cover that I saw is the one that is displayed here: Cliché Skateboards. I called Lorenzo F at Blast! Distribution and I told him that this item needed to be posted on my blog. Let me admit one thing, I don't own an iPhone. But Project-On, the agency I work for, gave me an iPad, so I thought that if would have been fresh to get creative with one of its graphic applications for pictures. I hope not to disappoint anybody here, but the fake camera pictured on this unique case sparkled my immagination. Why not to have a funny tone, while explaining the deal about this hi tech gadget that would be on top of wish lists for all die hard skaters? I know that Cliché will laugh about this, they are always down for intelligent ideas that represents them properly. I know that at Blast! they will shook their heads like: "Poor Maxie, he crossed the line, there is nothing that we can do about it...". But I also know that you can't wait to make fun of people showin' them your fake camera. I also gotta warn you that this works great even if you don't skate, so skate purists don't get mad if you see this Incipio product in the hands of somebody that doesn't roll on concrete like you do. Maybe it's time to realize that you too can have a laugh from time to time. If you find it hard still, try to download some apps for your iPhone, take some pics and make funny posts on your blog. It may work.

"Meditate, levitate/greetings from the Golden State" (Xzibit)

2011-12-19T07:24:00.002+01:00

We can talk about a bunch of stuff here, but let's put some order first. This is a snapback cap by Quintin that says "Greetings from the Golden State". I really don't know the identity and the knowledge of you, my reader, so let me pretend that you stumbled onto my blog by accident and you don't really know what this thing is all about. Streetwear (the real deal from which the cheesy word urban was born, not to give it a bad meaning) was born in California. The street kid is a descendant of hippies and Hell's Angels (both Californian movements) that one day decided to jump on a skate, because there were no waves to surf. I can tell you with no doubt that this whole street thing started from that area of America where the sun always shines. This land is also known as The Golden State because of the gold rush around 1850 that made thousands of immigrants settle in this fantastic area. To those that never had the pleasure to visit it, I guarantee that if you feel this thing that this blog is about, if you go there you'd better have a fat wallet, because the amount of the stuff you will find yourself fiending to buy is endless. Sneaker stores like there was no tomorrow, those fantastic limited caps that you only see online, mall where instead of Benetton shops you find unexpected stores that carry those brands that you always dreamed of. Cars? The bigger the better. Bling? Like nowhere else. Welcome to California. This logo in the front infact is a cross among California shape and the bear that is on the flag of this state. People at Quintin care about their stomping ground, that's why they make manufacture in USA this Cali Bear cap and all the other ones (distributed by Calle Marconi here in Italy). The snapback is the return of an old trend that is nowadays common among all cap fanatics. You will agree with me that this snapback is at the peak of the game here. A small fabric label where the plastic allows you to find your fit and some greetings from a sunny land are always a nice touch. This is what Lucilla allows us to see in that side of the cap, kindly wearing this even backwards in these fantastic pics by Roberta Ungaro. I don't wear caps backwards for something like 15 years now but I won't hate on you if you do. It seems the fresh thing to do these days. It' won't be difficult to be fresh here by the way: Italy a week before Christmas is not as hot as the Golden State.

"Keep it goin it won't stop! (What you doin man?)/I'm comin for that number one spot!" (Ludacris)

2011-12-14T23:58:00.012+01:00

More a statement than a fashion shot. More an attitude thing than an actual review. No matter what your game is, there is nothing you can do about it: all you want to do is win. Get that crown. Bring home some broccoli. I fight this blog thing war by myself. Making those connections work on my phone, taking pictures (not here, of course, this is once again Roberta Ungaro work indeed, you guessed it), writing while I steal time to my intense life but you know why I do it, right? I do it to be the numero uno. That's what I always say as a compliment in Italian to my friends when they take care of things as they should: numero uno. Obviously when I had the chance to see this piece in Urban Classics catalog my mind went easily through all the matching combinations and this tee is a winner, let me tell you. Wear it with that royal blue and white TLFI Doyers cap that I reviewed last july. Damn. Wear it with those vintage RBK DGK Stevie Williams Pump made of basketball orange rubber and you're getting close to the point: this tee is number one. Even Lucilla, my cute model girl here of course is number one. She is wearing a man item in case you have doubts about it. That's what is fresh about these pictures. Roberta shoot her during a set that won't be forgotten, applying professionalism to a field that was new to her known as urban blogging. She is a numero uno too, that's why the pics came out this dope. I'm embarassed sometimes to see how good pics look in my blog these days compared to the beginning. By the way being number one is my goal as far as fun, brands and people involved. I don't want to kiss a** to people just because they have some fresh stuff to review but I think that they're not so cool. Doing things all by myself includes to take care of that Facebook page here above in the top right corner that has much more updates these days than the actual blog. Boma Agency is the one to call to get Urban Classics for your urban shop. They are doing their thing, starting up things as a small distribution deal but they have the heart to stay close to what the message of this tee shirt is. You guessed it once again: Boma Agency is numero uno too.

"Hitting hard as fu*k, I make you ask what was it/boy you should have known by now, Eazy duz it" (Eazy E)

2011-12-11T12:05:00.014+01:00

I swear I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this, but let's go back to the beginning. You know by now how this blog works, do you?! Connections. I'm like the Method Man on "Stimulation", I got 36 styles on my mind. 36 styles to get stuff, take pictures of it and talk about it. This one here is a Quintin fitted cap. It happens that Ale C, the distributor for our lovely Italian turf, is a regular (and a sponsor) of all Sabotage events. Sabotage, for those that don't know, is the only night in town that makes me go out and party. I started to see these caps that he handed out to djs and to a few selected v.i.p.s and one night I started to talk to him about blogs, sales, stats and some more boring nerd digits and he told me to go check his website called Calle Marconi and see if I could spot some caps that would meet my taste. Not to brag but I'm a black belt in caps and I don't get excited for cheesy wannabe good looking caps. It's not the case here, I'm telling you, mate. Quintin manufactures its products in the U.S.A. and the result is very good as far as styles and concepts go. Let alone the fact that this brand sponsors Manny Santiago, one of the top street skaters in The Maxiemillion eye as far as style and attitude. What a better concept than to mix a font reminding of glam rock phenomenon called Kiss with the long gone undisputed king of gangsta rap, Eazy E. Eazy duz it is a joint that can't be missing from your record collection or in your iPod, Eazy was hustlin' with his clique called NWA in those days and paved the way for the carefree lifestyle related to gangsta rap made of partying, blazin' and random sexual intercourses (that, to say it all, eventually caused his death in 1995). Needless to say that being an Eazy E fan since day one, I fell in love at first sight with this cap. So I had the chance to have Roberta Ungaro shoot the model pics with the awesome and versatile Lucilla as a model, while I'm the one that took product pictures. The level of this Eazy cap is there for you to see, the level of the pictures too, what more do you want me to do? To buy it as a gift for you?! No way: peep Calle Marconi website and get it, so you too can keep it as gangsta as it gets.

"Just maxin, lookin for hoes, you know relaxin/bit**es know the hour, it be time for some action" (Carlton Fisk)

2011-12-09T07:36:00.002+01:00

How about if for one time I let this Upper Playground print by Jeremy Fish "Time marches on" do the talking?

"Honesty, loyalty, friends and then wealth/death before dishonor and I tell you what else/I tighten my belt 'fore I beg for help" (Jay Z)

2011-12-08T15:40:00.003+01:00

This is gonna be by far one one of my best posts. You can post a crappy picture of a limited pair of kicks that are out for 200 plus dollars and feel good about it. Well, all this stuff (model, bathrobe and UGG boots not included) is not over 100 in total but here there is so much soul that you still can't believe that unexpensive stuff like this may look this good. Masterdis meets Urban Classics and the meeting brings nothing but good news to you. The first is an accessory company that recently, with their cool Italian reps Boma Agency, became a supporter of this blog that you are reading now. The second is a basic no logo clothing company of all things urban, from hoodies to varsity, from shirts to sweatpants. They cut the angles so they can reduce the price but the result is a plain item of good quality that doesn't show any logo beside the inside label. Let's start from the top then. Item A is called KMA Basic Pompon, where KMA is a collection that is part of Masterdis range. There is a bunch of colors and you can bet that beanies like this get your outfit a bit funnier without letting your cabbage catch cold. Item B is a Sleeveless hoodie from Urban Classics. Don't get it twisted: if beanies are unisex, this sleeveless item this is not a woman dress, but a man's hoodie. I just like to play and my stylist/photographer Roberta Ungaro too. If you don't like it, maybe your sense of humour is close to zero and you should laugh a bit. It's good for your health. Item C is a belt with much flavour called KMA Silicone Flavour Belt. It's magic because, beside looking like it's made out of candy, it smells of vanilla, strawberry or apple, depending on the colour. I'm really happy about the result here as I told you at the beginning and me and a few others know the fun that we had taking these pics. Don't let this gets you distracted by the way. This beanie rocks and the sleeveless hoodie is so comfy that you can wear it almost everyday with any piece of your wardrobe, I guarantee. The belt has another hidden feature that will make you think about getting it: you don't have to take if out at airport checks. Now tell me that this fact alone doesn't want to make you fly more than Lucilla from Enquire Magazine does in the first picture...

"But impostors, like commercial locks are not rastas/always fakin' moves, never, makin' moves" (Jeru The Damaja)

2011-12-05T07:16:00.005+01:00

There is nothing more wack than to wear a kit. This means to exagerate with a colour. Or make an "all Stussy" rather than an "all Crooks" outfit. Show your taste, work on your freedom, mix and match and no doubt you will look better than somebody that wears a kit. I wouldn't wear these two items together but one at a time absolutely yes. You're facing a modern twist on two old school designs here. Santa Cruz dot logo is timeless for sure. Jason Jessee Neptune (that on this tee shirt has become Rasta God) is one of the classics of all classics in skateboard world. Second only to Thrasher tattoo and Spitfire burning head, this is forever inked under the skin of many humans with an extreme passion for old school skateboarding. Jason Jessee was a controversial skateboarder, crazier than most, loved by everyone. He paved the way to the modern day everchanging skate rockstars like Greco or Dill. I dropped three names that are extremely different one from the other with only one common denominator: unique individuals. Jim Phillips, the n.1 graphic illustrator in skateboarding is responsible for this magnificent design of the king of the sea, recently landed even on a pair of Stance socks. What is fresh in this graphic remix is the color. The infamous rasta combo is a timeless color combination. People that hangs in skateshops just luv this, I told you when we reviewed that Matix Capital Collection tee with the bottle. And again, Adidas worked this on Chile 62 tracktop for example. Rastaman vibration is positive, word to Bob Marley. That Irie Dot Cap trucker is mad sweet too, being the part under the visor made of satin so the colour looks vivid and shiny. Stitching plays also an important part as you can see. Back to the t-shirt anyway beside the design, what makes it special is the soft feel wash and that hidden pocket. I really don't know what you can hide in a stash pocket on a tee with rasta design, Jah only knows. Feel free to ask this question to Boardcore srl, their Italian distributor. Not before s/s 2012, when this vibrant items will be available.

"Hard rock bone breaka/stoned raider, in the Temple of Boom, assert to assume" (B Real)

2011-12-01T07:54:00.008+01:00

There is an ongoing revolution in the cap field. The retailer-friendly snapback takes out of the game the problem of fitted caps and their sizes, when you own a shop and you customer wants a size that you don't have. Snapbacks here at New Era have a name that you will get familiar with real soon: 9fifty. You have seen the Jiggaman in that Otis video wearing one and you know that the Marcy Projects mc is a trendsetter with millions of fans ready to be lead. The man that chose Beyoncé as a girlfriend has been dropping excellent rhymes for decades and knows exactely that his life is about one thing: top quality. This cap follow the perfect shape standard that this brand got us used to through time. It looks like a 59fifty but it's not and one size fits most. To be correct there are two sizes of this snapback for smaller and bigger dome pieces. But then again, let's go back to the begining. Once upon a time there was this blasting emotion in hip hop called Public Enemy with two frontmen that were representing pure wisdom, street poetry and activism (Chuck D) and a friendly much needed crazy cousin (Flavour Flav). Unmatched beats in the history of rap provided by Hank Shocklee and the Bomb Squad were the musical backbone of this posse that wanted us to fight the power. A common denominator in their outfits was the presence of a Raiders cap. Me I was just putting my first steps in this wonderful world that we all know by the name of hip hop, so I got fascinated by that everpresent cap, being an emotional youngster and not the grumpy old man that I am today. Of course I had one back in the day and seeing this comeback strikes me hard. That's why when we celebrated here the deal sealed among NFL and New Era with a post, I wrote in the text that I so wanted a Raiders 9fifty. It seems that, like in a perfect world, when you want something you'd better ask and in this case, it worked! Pierpaolo C, a regular reader of The Maxiemillion and last but not least New Era brand manager for Italy, kindly sent me the cap that I wanted through Fabio L. Add the magic of Ale B posing as a model for one day in a rainy afternoon and les jeux sont faites. The Maxiemillion: the only blog where you have to believe the hype.

"Askin' teenagers, OG's and nasty kids/what their definition of classic is" (Rakim)

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000+01:00

College jacket. Also known as varsity jacket or teddy. An instant must for any fresh street kid in 2011. These started to make noise in 2009, when Nike Dutch friend Parra introduced his loud designs on his own collaboration with the Swoosh. From then we had tons of these jackets in any style, material and price. Up to the point that even evil giants of worldwide clothing chains couldn't do nothing but design (read copy) their own. Do you remember that jacket from last year from Shocca camp under the brand Rehab? I reviewed it here. You can find real leather sleeves around and really discreet styles too but still, you have to represent what the brand want you to say to people. Not at Urban Classics. Here you have the chance to express yourself, not somebody else. Strictly the basics, or better yet the classics. Their agents for Italy at Boma agency know this very well. Back in my punk days (read 25 years ago) we got these from second hand shops and to make it our own, we did all types of things. On one of them that that I had from a friend, that was black fabric with white accents, I put a Voivod patch that I got in London at Rough Trade. That was the equivalent for a hardcore punk fan now of Supreme shopping when in London: an absolute must. Oh you didn't hear about Voivod? Canadian progressive metal band that got their logo friendly stolen by Non Phixion. It seems that I was already into the real deal. I even had later on a sleeveless one baby blue and white that another friend gave me as a "I don't want it anymore" present and I personalized this with a stencil that said The Accused on the back. This band made quite a rumour in the hardcore punk scene at the time and they were powerful and funny. I even saw them in Milan and of course a deadly mosh went down. Back to us, closing the memory lane, you have two choices when it comes to your Urban Classics jacket, it's simple: leave it like that or customize it. There are really no limits to what you can do. Patches, embroidery from specialized shops, badges, pins, all of them or, why not, none of them. This is not a varsity jacket, it's the reflection of your soul. Make it shine following your desires.

"Behold the bold soldier, control the globe slowly/proceeds to blow swingin swords like Shinobi" (Inspectah Deck)

2011-11-24T08:23:00.004+01:00

I may have called this post "Street dreams are made of this" for all I know, for more than a reasons. First is that these after-surf kicks are not out yet, because they are part of next spring summer 2012. Second is that I can only dream now of warm weather and white sand beaches. Surf and relax. Akuna matata style. Hang loose, my friend. Gone are the days of "chubby tech" sneakers filling the collections of Globe. The Australian company is now letting us taste the future. Simple, flawless shoes where you can slip your feet in during "no socks" summer days are what we have here. Fringed top is what makes this look out of step with the world, like Minor Threat were still around. This washed canvas gives that vintage look that slowly passed from your denim to your sneakers here and there in the last 12 months. Really basic and light, this is a sleek shoe with a very flat sole that suggests us that this is not a performance sneaker but more what you want to have on your feet during hot and fun summer days, in a carefree situation where you just move from a party on the beach to a surf house of some friends of yours. A month and a half ago Globe put out a video called "Year zero" that features state of the art photography over some top of the pops surf action. Not that Globe is a surf company only, let it be known loud and clear. Their skate team kills and grandmaster Luan Oliveira together with David Gonzales are outstanding skateboarders that are really aware of the meaning of style. This means clean and powerful tricks, modern skate moves executed with no hesitation with a solid ratio of tries/landed tricks. Read: "skate machines". Perfetto! SRD is in charge of their distribution in the good ole Italian boot so if you fell in love and can't wait to chill in these Flat Charlies, this is the contact that you should point out to your local street gear dealer. Go look on the web for some surf houses for next summer, by the way. It's not only a matter of looks anymore, I thought you knew. These pics look great by the way. You guessed it: it's Roberta Ungaro photography that strikes again with the help of cutie Mara. Women love The Maxiemillion exactely like Ladies Love Cool J.

"You wanna front, what? Jump up and get bucked/if you're feeling lucky duck then press your luck" (Jeru the Damaja)

2011-11-21T07:13:00.003+01:00

Last instalment of Capital collection saga (third tee shirt, following the first and the second one). Shall I explain you what in this world is a buck yuck? Do you realy want me to get poetic about the expression "increase spiritual awareness" and rave about some nonsense in a typical way? No. Not this time. What I should tell you of course is that Capital collection is a project by Matix clothing that revolves around a "save U.S. manufactures" concept where American designers send their work in America and NOT in China for production, to have taxes paid in their motherland and not abroad. I won't forget to tell you also that Matix here in Italy is available through Fresco Distribution and so I told you all the basics. What I'm about to tell you is that booze sells! No more tech sheets with boring datas, let's get real on this. Put rasta colours on any shoe and it will sell. Same for booze. All the party subjects on t shirts sell well. People love to brag about their magical party powers. I won't forget when, at a live concert in Paris, Xzibit told to the huge audience (he was opening for Eminem, go figure...): "I bet that nobody here can drink more than me". What did he know? And again: is there anything to be proud of about drinking a lot? People that drink a lot spend a lot of money, those that get buzzed easily have money still sitting in their pockets. See? Plus drinking is bad for the health but they say that it's good for the mind. Of course I'm talking about drinking alcohol but now that I look at the bottle closely I see that there is not a single alcoholic reference. There is a bottle there and I think it's alcohol. Is it a bad sign? Did I cross the line already? What you should do instead is cross the line of a skateshop door and ask them to call Fresco and get some made in America gear like this. Otherwise you didn't do your part and you didn't help the salvation of Uncle Sam land. Don't tell me that you like to spend your money on booze and you don't care about tees because this means that you are wasting your time reading this. You gotta invest on them both: tees and booze.

"Introducin' the Ghost..face.. Killaaah/no one could get illa"(Ol' Dirty Bastard)

2011-11-18T18:23:00.010+01:00

It's a wonderful world, word to Louis Armstrong. Especially if you hang in expos like the one pictured above. Nothing but the goodies, ladies and gents. As I told you, New Era Europ e was about to hit Milan and so they did. Peep at the wonderful space called XL Combines (the broken walls were bananas, guys) the creations that gave birth to New Era introducing. The concept of cube was explored in all its possibilities and dimensions: from the small cube of my latest post here to a huge perspex cube in a center of a room that had built in cells with caps and screens of several dimensions displayin the visionary work of the artists. Fresh people, not so fresh hipsters (they're all around us), old schoolers, newcomers and bloggers all had their reason to gather and the event had a great turnover for all ages. This is what makes New Era shine to my eyes: the fact that anybody can relate to it for his own reasons with his own style. It has been great to be able to meet New Era team from the old continent, I saw them last time at Infart, as I told you. A few of my rep friends were there too and it's always a pleasure to discuss the fine art of urban style guerrilla sipping an Asahi brew, courtesy of the house. Let's say that people from all over Europe was attending, from Rome's own Surfa to my Lithuanian homegirls designers and owners of LeMuse (you may see a cap designed from them next year...). What makes this event special to my eyes is the test that I put Roberta Ungaro to. You have seen a few of her shots on The Maxiemillion before and she kindly explained me about her style of photography. Exactely like a skater, you have your deck and you tend to roll on anything in front of you but you have your field of excellence. Very rarely transition skaters excel in flatground tricks, right? She is really good at fashion shots with a unique sensibility but she is no "event photographer". For the love of blogging anyway she applied to this challenge and you agree with me that what you see above is far from average. She let the caps do the talking but she helped the story with an undefined perspective of her own. Good job to New Era and Roberta: what could I do without you?!

"Knock 'em out the box Mos, knock 'em out Mos/knock 'em out the box Mos, knock 'em out Mos" (Black Star)

2011-11-16T06:38:00.001+01:00

One of the points of strenght of this blog is evident, in case you didn't pay mind up to now: it's real. Forget those boring pictures from communication agencies that turn any post into a clone of another post, this is my urban diary and you, the reader have a close access of what goes around here. I find this alone fantastic. So, being the Facebook page of The Maxiemillion among the "likes" of New Era Europe on that same social network, I received a package in the mail. Who doesn't like packages? They're the exact contrary of bills: keep them comin! A tiny cube delivered via UK's own Royal Mail. Stuff like this always makes my day. When I opened it and I saw what you see now here I was more than stoked. I was familiar already with micro 59fifty caps of 4 1/4 size (every New Era guest at Bread & Butter Berlin had a black one last time) but sure I couldn't expect this. An official invitation with a r.s.v.p. note for New Era event of tomorrow in Milan. In case you aren't familiar with what the talk of the town, ops... the talk of the continent is, you may read Enquire post on New Era Introducing. Ok, you don't speak Italian or you find me too serious when I write there, so you wanna have a laugh with me here. Come and get some, then. Stuff like this makes Lil Jon scream "yeah" better. New Era Introducing basically is get that cap, reinvent that cap and get the money. All this with a bunch of fun involved. London, Berlin, Milan, Barcellona, Paris, Stockholm, Cape Town and Dubai are the cities involved in this tour that leaves people wondering "how they could do this?!" more than a David Copperfield illusion. Creative minds from the best schools of design of Europe, Middle East and Africa get a chance to kickstart their career with 10 thousand British Pounds as a prize for the illest realization of a one of a kind New Era 59fifty. I guarantee that you will see soon here on your favourite blog (tell me this is your favourite blog, please...) a report of the event that will make you wish you were celebrating with us. This kind of event needs to be witnessed in person. I know that you've heard this before, but you have never seen an event with an energy alike that mixes an art expo with a street fashion event with the colours and the fun of a toy shop. See you there tomorrow? Don't forget to introduce yourself when you see me. You can recognize me easily: I wear a 59fifty.

"What in the world is in that bag, what you got in that bag? A couple a cans of whoop a, you did a good-a job of just eyein me, spyin me" (Luda)

2011-11-15T07:15:00.001+01:00

You never heard about Fettuccia Mania, right? Of course you don't. This is more underground than MF Doom real identity if you ask me. Born a couple of months ago as a joke, Manu C, the girlfriend of my dear friend Max P, got into this passion that gave her good results. I don't want to give a "crafter" twist to my blog, but basically the stuff that I saw impressed me to a point that I asked Manu to review the product of her labour. Seriously, how fresh is this bag? I spent two years of my life in Paris and there you can see the potential of the right bag versus the designer bag. Here in Italy a lot of girls don't know how to think when they need to get their perfect bag, so they end up buyin' tons of knockoffs of the usual high end luxury brands. Not in Paris. In the City of Light girls buy a bag that looks good with their outfit, just because they like it, not because it's a status symbol. There is a lot to learn from this: the thin line between elegance and bragging about a wealthy lifestyle. Manu decided to let colors and craftmanship speak instead of luxury materials. Call it tape or ribbon, these are nothing but strips of tee shirts knitted in shape of a bag. What is better than a bag that you can pick up only following your colour sensations, knowing that it has been made by a cool girl that loves this urban world as we like it. Of course beside the handmade value of this item here, there is a choice of buttons to complete the bag that has its relevance. I fell in love with this bag and every time I pass by Manu's lab she is putting together new "one of a kind" pieces, all of them in different colors and shapes, for any of your needs, mademoiselles. I thought that for such an item I had to put in the mix Roberta Ungaro work behind the lenses again. Her delicate and sensible approach to photography is the same of Manu in the crafting department and Roberta and friend-turned-model Mara did a job that I'm proud to post. Contact Manu for a bag if you like this, his production is totally affordable and will make you shine in the crowd like a diamon among cubic zirconia. Just remember that for a perfect result you have to kill everything in sight with a pair of shoes or of sneakers that will let people take notes while you pass by, girl.

"Ah-hah! I might gotta take my shirt off (yeah, kid...)/I like that one (uh huh, go in, go in!)" (Jadakiss)

2011-11-14T07:24:00.005+01:00

Urban Classics shirts here are... classics. I don't know how to explain it better, this material has been around in our circles of friends, forever. Punk rock: check. Skaterhead: check. Hip hop fan: check. Electro hipster: check. Regular guy: check. A classic flannel shirt like this has an appeal that is exactely like the one of your denim: it all depends on the rest of your outfit. I so loved when back in the day in punk rock we had the cholo attitude: two first buttons up done and the rest of the shirt opened up. And again if you really were into punk to a point that you were attending punk concerts with the idea of slam dancing (aka pogo) in mind, it wasn't uncommon to find in the mosh pit guys with two shirts: one on and the other tied up to the waist. Skaters always rocked flannel shirts. For decades. Classic ones or fresh ones, up to the point that in latest years this item is flooding all the street brands collections with countless variations. Hip hop fans? Just peep first Snoop album cover, I don't need to say much more. Electro hipsters love flannels. They think they have started a trend I think, but I let them talk, I won't explain anything to them, unless they read this post here. I'm pretty sure they are ready to wear these flannel shirts with a snapback that has a squared visor. A regular guy has other interests rather than clothing and trends, listens to what the radio airwaves bring to his ears, usually plays football twice a week and may go to the restaurant with his girl on the weekends. A flannel shirt like this may fit even his style and won't let him look like someone he's not. Me, I'd like to rock the lime green one with a Kicks Hawaii tee with an heraldic emblem logo that has those same exact colours. The turquoise one in my vision has to be worn in a full black attire with slight turquoise accents on black kicks. Get familiar with this brand: Urban Classics is now available in Italy too and, as you can see from the banner among "The Maxiemillion supporters", Boma agency is now in charge to represent this brand. Loving this blog like they really feel its spirit, they sent a load of awesome no logo gear that I can't wait to wear, after I will post it. You should do the same. No, I'm not talking about open a blog and talk nonsense, you should wear Urban Classics.

"Fix up look sharp/don't make me get the blitz out, get dark" (Dizzie Rascal)

2011-11-09T08:00:00.008+01:00

I was listening to songs like Suicidal Tendencies "I shot Reagan" when I was 17. Now I just got the chance to see a live show with Theophilus London with sponsors such as Tommy Hil with American flags hangin' all over just to make a stronger impression on the "kids of Milan". Life keeps on changin, word to David Bowie. Things changed a lot for stars and stripes. America invented the movie industry, transformed the music industry into a multi million dollar business, developed computers in a way ahead of our time and last but not least created something like streetwear industry, a much loved entity by The Maxiemillion. The best trick that Uncle Sam has ever dropped by the way was to turn its beloved population into the best consumers ever but something in all this didn't work. A lot of production shifted to China through the years. American manufacturers of any textile got easily forgotten along the way and, when you least expect it, this loop of design-manufacture-consume got its weak points revealed. Time for a change, that's what Matix thought. Forget on your t-shirt skulls, Illuminati references, clueless logos and photographic prints, this time Matix has a message more important than all your smartphone texts combined in one: America can be fixed. Welcome to this serie called The Capital collection. Second installment of the saga, courtesy of local distributor Fresco Distribution, you have seen another tee that belongs to this reviewed here last September. Designed and manufactured in the United States, this is an effort to keep all that good ole money in the family. Good job, Matix. Of course America can be fixed, if we have the right tools. Didn't duct tape fixed the shoes of our ancestors skate pioneers? Spray glue is basically what put the pictures together when skate magazines were done in a way that is not so digital like today but it may fix other objects too. But let's not rush, the first thing to do to fix things, when you see this "Gran Torino" tee shirt with the nice red white and blue ribbon ring is to grab it and put it on the counter of your shop screamin: "Yes, America can be fixed!". Just check that the owner of the shop is not of Chinese origins before you do so...

"Yo, aiyo, the Wally man's coming, you can hear his chain dangle/brolic arm, check out the ankle" (Ghostface Killah)

2011-11-07T07:47:00.001+01:00

We had a long history of pendants and chains related to hip hop. Back to Native Tongue family era (and of course before them Afrika Bambaata and the whole Zulu Nation) rocked ethnic pendants representing what is commonly know the motherland: Africa. Made mostly out of leather these pendants gave an afrocentricity to the hip hop movement that stick for a while. Later on when the wealthy side of life took over, we started to see on Tupac and Biggie (and of course before them Slick Rick and the wannabies biting his style) a quite massive amount of gold rocked in their outfits. Lil Cease double gold Jesus piece? You're welcome. Later on gold turned into platinum, then it was time for red gold, then diamonds, then black diamonds and quite recently from what I've seen from my point of view anything goes. Fast forward to 2011 and Barbra Streisand, one of the most worldwide recognized smashin dancefloor hits, lets us peep all the NYC styles in its video clip. It's at minute 1.24 that you can see how wood looks good on a chain. It's a vintage feel but never before wood hit bigtime on chains but now this phenomenon is here to stay. Be funny, be religious or talk about what your culture is through wood. Is it the need to a return to the essence, the nature, the raw materials? Our friends over at Boma agency are now in charge of the distribution for Italy of Wood Fellas, this brand of wooden chains and laser etched pendants that has a more than a vast collection. Eco sustainable products, these accessories here are what you should rock on daily basis. It's the message here that counts, not the cost. Style versus money. With subjects varying from comics to hippie, from rosary and crosses to b-boy culture designs their mission is quite amazing: everyone has the opportunity to find his personal style at Wood Fellas. I believe them, since what I had the chance to review is everything appealing to my soul: a cross and a cap. Spiritual and materialistic essence of what I am are here to be shown to the world. This is nothing but a smart way to increase the number of your fellow friends, starting from what you have on your neck. Conversations start magically when you rock Wood Fellas. Let the magic begin as soon as you can.

"My swagger is Mick Jagger, Stones is Rolling/prestige is cut to a tee sparkin' weed, what up?!" (Ghostface Killah)

2011-11-04T07:50:00.001+01:00

Tongues help us to talk, eat and kiss. Not bad for a single piece of the human body. In this sign language that we got taught since our innocent days, when you pull out your tongue is when you show no respect to somebody. Enter the most disrespectful group in the history of rock and roll. When moms were thinking about the perfect husbands for each and every daughter of that era, they represented a nightmare. Dirty in their language and in their moves, they had sympathy for the devil and they could get no satisfaction. Represented by a mouth and a tongue that ended up on denim jackets in form of badges and parches for decades, the fascination of this logo can only be paired to timeless classics like Lacoste crocodile or Wolkswagen W but still we are far from it. Always imitated, never duplicated, this tongue today is the main character of the digital soap opera also known to the masses as The Maxiemillion. Not like any other tongue on the market, this one here has a special feature: it's forked. It doubles the fun, to put it in simple words. The set up is the following: Mthrfckr is a real brand. Not in the sense that the others are fake, but in the sense that it follows the desires of the souls of its potential customers. Being the owner Fabio DM a surfer but also a skater, he knows that it's good to dress up like a skater but even to have a skate deck and perform some skate tricks with style and speed is not that bad. This Canadian beauty has a set of seven plies of maple that, glued together form a much needed tool to skateboard named skateboard deck. Its measures are 8 x 31.7 and its beautiful shape will help you to skate properly on any terrain. Last time I reviewed a Mthrfckr deck with the help of Andrea "Furby" B I made an "on field" test but this time I just can't. I'm too busy, the park is wet, there is no sun and basically you can go to my old post, peep the photo in action and think that this deck too can perform like the other one did. Not by accident these are from the same company. Believe me or I will disrespect you and I will pull my tongue out at you, mthrfckr!

"What's a mob to a king?/What's a king to a god?/What's a god to a non-believer, who don't believe in, anything?" (Frank Ocean)

2011-10-31T07:51:00.001+01:00

Halloween time, huh? "Trick or treat" kids and of course funny parties with horror costumes to exorcise your ancestral fears. What is a fear bigger than the Devil himself? Probably nothing. So I had the chance to review a cap whose graphics revolve around a concept pretty scary (apparently): the Pentagram. This five-pointed star, one of the main symbols of Witchcraft and occultism in general is not new to skateboard fans. Its heritage goes back to those Suicidal pentagram jackets and t-shirts worn by Suicidal Tendencies fans, the number one skate rock band. This stuck with the fans and had a great turnover to a point that later on even some cult skate decks "Possessed to skate" saw the light of the day. When skateboarding and skate rock are involved, who can represent this better than Thrasher magazine? Their pentagram rendition "Skate goat" design ended up on stickers, caps and tees. This non-religious approach of skateboarders about making fun of everything and everyone is basically pure skatebarding creed: from Dianetics to the Devil, we don't believe in anything except that to roll on a skateboard is good fun.. DVS recently, beside putting out awesome kicks for skateboarding, got friend with The Uprising creative studio. These guys are at the forefront of graphic design so we're lucky to see in advance an item from next DVS collection dropping in spring, sent in by Fresco distribution: the Pentagram cap. With much attention with what goes around these days, they updated the classic trucker cap formula with a badge, a little rope and a micro label in the back of the cap. Black on black looks always good and so does the gothic yellow font (and dope yellow stitching under the visor) that they used for this. In case you're wondering what is this girl doing here, the answer is quite simple: she looks better than any of my male friends that may model for me. Mara P is her name and like it always happens, she is a friend that looks good that got invited to model for fun. A special big up also goes to photographer extraordinaire Roberta Ungaro that is the person behind the lens this time. With such a strong back up all the ancestral fears are gone (till the next Halloween).

"Some might even say this song is sexist-es/cause I asked the girls to rub on their breast-eses" (Pharoahe Monch)

2011-10-28T12:29:00.010+02:00

I find myself laughing more and more often over the "No homo" concept that hip hop fans always put as an ending clause to what they post on Facebook. It has been around for a while and now, thanks to my man, the one and only underground hip hop cat that goes by the name of Evergreen, once it was slipping off the radar, I brought this expression back in my circle of friends. Why this introduction you ask? This is a hell of a "No homo" post. There was something close to my area concerning breasts and of course I had to go and check what was happening. You know that there is nothing that is as important to The Maxiemillion as boobies. I have a passion coming from the depth of my heart for that female part of human bodies. Breast cancer is bad, I usually joke a lot, you all know me, but not this time. Blue distribution sometimes, beside heavy deliveries of skate goodies like Emerica and Etnies, beside making yourself look good with Obey clothing designed by the one and only Shepard Fairey, beside letting you take out the conspirator in you with Wesc garments, even found the time to sit and think. With an inspiration coming from those "I <3 boobies" silicone bracelets by Keep a Breast that you can now find in most of Italian skate shops, they had an unique idea about a fundraiser. Take 9 female personalities from the Italian music scene down to let a specialist take a cast of their breasts, take 9 artists of the Italian street art scene down to decorate those, add The Don gallery as a friendly shelter that can really feel all the above and what you have is a party that for one time is for a cause. A right one. Party for your right to fight breast cancer actively and if you have the cheddar, get in contact with Blue and buy one of these art pieces. You checked your pockets and they are almost empty? Show some boobie luv with a tee shirt purchase, or even with a bracelet, it's really important this time. See how sensible I am?! And you thought that I was just a clown having fun. Did anybody see my red nose, by the way?!

"I travel through the darkness carrying my torch/the illest soldier, when I'm holding down the fort" (Guru)

2011-10-27T07:31:00.001+02:00

Method Man was the darkside of the force, DMX told us that it's dark and hell is hot, Bubba Sparks explained that he had dark days and bright nights and Q-Tip had the night on his mind, even if he knew that the sun will still shine. Hip hop music and darkness? No, these are just a few examples, since references on the fascination that the darkness has on the human soul can be find in every kind of music, no matter if it's jazz or electro or heavy metal. I speak for myself and I love hip hop, but you can love what you want, I don't care that much. I'm pretty sure that you care about this tee shirt by The Hundreds by the way. 6 years ago or something like that I had the pleasure to visit their flagship store in Rosewood Ave, Los Angeles and I found mostly tees back then. The brand that is known for Adam, its funny little bomb in the logo that you can see on the label above (first picture), is landed on Italian soil for a couple of years now. Nowadays they have a footwear collection, sunglasses, denims, backpacks and wallets. Fresco distribution is taking care of all this and I'm also happy to say that my big homie Fabio L at the Industrial studio represents even this brand among the others. The name itself comes from the wish that they had at their very beginning: "Let them come by the hundreds". It all happened for real, considering that now the customers that rock the happy bomb are thousands, all over the globe. Not your average friendly skate brand that you can see everywhere you go, The Hundreds loves to hide in special shops, those where you go in and you ask to your friend that works there: "What do you have in stock that is really fresh?". Specialty online websites like Moveshop love to deal with this brand too and I gotta confess that I followed this LA street icon over the years and it's amazing how they kept the bar always high. This design here with a skull and a lightbulb for example is a remake of an old designs that they dropped years ago. Carry tradition but most of all enjoy both day and night like you were Kid Cudi and don't worry about darkness: the bright idea to get a tee shirt this yellow won't let your presence be a secret as you enter the room.

"I'm livin in the future, so the present is my past/my presence is a present, kiss my a**!" (Kanye West)

2011-10-24T07:18:00.003+02:00

What is Italy for you? Tiziano Ferro? Eros Ramazzotti? Berlusconi and bunga bunga? Gucci and Miu Miu? Some Italian people thought that enough is enough and they needed to voice their opinion. I know them quite well and I can tell you that their thoughts can be summed in the following: "Fuck all the above". Freedom and creativity, together with the international skateboard revolution but most of all with the velocity coming from skateboard wheels that spin really fast gave birth to Futura. Write it down Fvtvra please (in Rvca and Blvck Scvle style if this makes you understand it quicker). This skateboard brand comes from an inspiration out of a movement founded by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti called Futuris m. Quickness, modern times, revolution from the old to the new are all concepts that may easily relate to all members of Fvtvra: from founders Luca Basilico and Lorenzo Formenti, to freelance graphic designer Paola "Pol" Vertemati that signed this beauty of a deck to riders Adriano La Greca and Ponce. There is a graphic reference here to the exact period in Milan when people gathered in bars before going to eat dinner when appetizer got invented. It was during the 20s, Futurism was moving its first steps (or shall I say popping its first ollies?) and activists, actors, literates and tourists too enjoyed to go to whis bar in Milan where a man called Gaspare Campari created something that we could call a "light liquor" that came in one of the best looking and most unique bottles. Talk is not cheap when a new cultural revolution is started and you are in front of an appetizer served in the heart of Milan sipping a new drink. This is only equivalent to talk about a new skate trick learned during the day with a Fvtvra deck under your feet sitting on a skatepark bench at the end of a session. Oh, how lovely is life with all its different aspects. Blast! distribution is an Italian company formed by a crew of friends and they build on their future step by step. To make Italian skateboarding a stronger unit, they decided that it was time to offer quality products at a pricepoint that give a helping hand to the skater, with a more "grown up feel" graphically speaking. At the same time they wanted to make a statement with their company through their manifesto. Are you rebel enough to join this 8 x 31.9 revolution?

"And the survey said -- ya dead/fatal flying guillotine chops off your fu**in head" (RZA)

2011-10-20T07:29:00.004+02:00

Do you still have your coffee table? Aren't you tired of flicking the pages of your old Hustler magazines? Isn't this the right time for something new and heavy on the illustration side? We did see the tee shirt from Tomer Hanuka with that battle axe last time we talked about him in June. I don't lie, so I told you that a book called Overkill was in the works and here it is. It's only a little bit late, the release date slipped from September as I told you, to October. The only thing the matters is the goal, the timing is relative. Here the goal is relevant. Get familiar with the latest hero from Upper Playground dynasty. The intensity of the above pages, straight out of the vivid imagery and the talented hand of Tomer Hanuka will leave a mark on your subconscious. This is just a little sample of what you will see flipping through the 104 pages of Overkill. This book will get you out of your comfort zone, in no man's lands that are out of this world, where colours blend in neon harmonies unknown before. Get in your survivor mode as flying objects destroy Hollywood and his star system. Forget your life, enter a new one. This monography of a dark future intensely colourful is amazing. In case you want to celebrate this release to the fullest, feel free to rep it with the same exact cover design that is printed on a Pie-Axe tee shirt. Don't worry: it was out in June but it has been re relased for your pleasure and of course it's already available now as you're reading this. Upper Playground takes care of your mind, your body and your soul. It's like a mum or a wife (depending on your age) with the only difference that here you just have the pleasant side and not all the tedious things that these above mentioned characters are notorious for. Mr Hanuka on the contrary is internationally known for gold medals such as Society of Illustrators and the Society of Publication designers. I know, things like this make you want to go out and look for this book, before a laser ray makes this essential illustration catch fire before you give it a proper inspection. To go back to your old Hustler magazines won't be that easy then.

"Cause I'm black and I'm proud/I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped" (Public Enemy)

2011-10-17T07:31:00.003+02:00

Whoa. Rico CT Cadence looks good. Real good. A collaboration among Cadence supa fixed gear brand and DVS mega company, this sleek piece of street canvas is not designed with skateboarding in mind but for your pedal time. This is part of the last DVS collection and your local dealer probably already received these in their latest delivery from Fresco distribution. Born as a core skate manufacturer company, with the action sports invasion in street field, DVS picked up the right player here and there outside of skateboarding world to cross markets with style and they succeeded well in this goal. Are you familiar with Cadence? No? Take some time out to browse what they have posted in their website because it's a no frills communication full of images, a few words and an overall sharp sense of humour. That sense of humour is the equivalent of my legs in a bycicle tour with The Maxiemillion, y'all already know. A result of CTC technology, these monochromatic shoes are made with screen printed canvas that will reveal a story through wear and use, becoming more interesting and unique with age. The CTC tech is a waterproof, painted canvas outer that over time reveals a story. Think about your denims. The shoes color story becomes more unique and interesting as it ages. It's one of those discreet kicks that likes to hide in the urban jungle in the shadow of a polo mallet but most of all it's a kick a** black shoe. All black featuring a double pair of white rivets with a black vulcanized side and a white sole . This in my language is care for details that makes an item stand out. Also available are the grey version and the burgundy one. Of course they're all good looking but, black is black. Ask Lemmy from Motorhead. Wanna talk about it to Ice Cube? The "non colour" makes for an all round classic silouhette that will potentially appeal 360 degrees of audience. From new age punks to nerds with glasses, there is not a single reason why you shouldn't like these kicks. D.eez are V.ery S.pecial.

"Jumpin out the socks whether cotton or mesh/guaranteed out the box, that my sh*t stay fresh" (Kurious)

2011-10-13T08:01:00.005+02:00

You're probably not familiar with Kurious. He was one of those rappers to look out in the 90s. In 94 to be exact he had this album out called "A Constipated monkey" that made quite a buzz for rhyming kills and his preppy & new style. Go back ten more years and you're in 1984. George Orwell wrote a book about this. A hypothetic future got descripted in a prophetic way and with a vision that is surprisingly accurate to this very day. Ellesse Heritage too got surprised. Together with their friends at Harvey Nichols they recently dropped this sneaker (shall we call it a trainer since we are in the UK here?) called The Marathon, with a reference to the NY Marathon that inspired this. 1984 excited the fantasy of Harvey Nichols designers to a point that they decided to even include a Lomography Action Sampler camera in the kit. Camera that stands for memories of what you have done, record track of it, media control, exactely like in 1984. In the album that I told you about here at the very beginning there was this song called "Fresh out the box" that seems to go in complete harmony with these kicks here. Nothing but the freshness, my friend. I assure to my readers that the orange sole of this kick is impressive and has a pleasant contrast with the concrete when you walk. The full grain leather is on point and so is the design on the insole. Lightweight with retro class, this is part of Fab 5, a collection that you may have heard about. Beside this model here, Colette in Paris put his Midas touch on The Assist 1, Grand Boutique in Zurich worked on the The Levanto, Sneakersnstuff in Stockholm remixed The Poli and those Natas Kaupas fans over at 24 Kilates in Barcelona applied their design skills on The 117. No doubt this legendary vintage brand wants to put its name on the map in the most legit way. Connections in urban world are what generates collaborations and the whole Fab 5 concept is totally new. I mean: you can do a collaboration, but can you do 5 at the same time?! Most of all, do your stuff look this crispy once it's fresh out the box? 150 boxes available for each collaboration, you gotta be quick to grab this...

"Sawed off shotgun, hand on the pump/left hand on a forty, (puffin on a blunt)" (Cypress Hill)

2011-10-10T07:58:00.002+02:00

I'm not MLK but I had a dream last night: I was haunted by a blue thing. It caught me and put me in the past. This means before blogs, before internet, before street art. The velocity of the whole operation kinda ripped my skin off but I was feeling it, like a sweet pain. Probably like the same kind of pain that people feel when they pierce their skin, but I don't know, I don't even have earrings. There I am in a twister that takes me downward like Alice in wonderland. I can do nothing but scream. I am not worried but an "aaagh" of an undisclosed amount of seconds (were those minutes?) keeps coming out of my mouth till I land on my ass on a New York street. I look around if I can see somebody skate a cellar door or something but no, here I am at a crossroads where I can only see girls in pastel blue skirts and men in greased hairstyles. Neon signs on cafeterias got me attracted so I try to walk but a pointed skinny woodden thing with wheels materializes under my feet and I can't quit it. I push my way to that cafeteria and I go in to sip an espresso. To my surprise the cup is stupid big, not like those they serve here in Italy. This means that to have my coffee I have time. I spend a few minutes in that spot (were those hours?). While I sip it I look at the walls of the cafeteria and I can't do nothing but notice these art pieces framed. It seems like they overstretched some comic illustration to make them. While I try to read the signature of the artist I woke up from the doorbell. It was Ferdi C from Boardcore srl and he was all excited. He said that he had an anticipation for me from the next Santa Cruz collection. I was kinda mad at him for waking me up from such a weird but enjoyable dream but there you go: my dream is now reality and it's in Ferdi's hands. One of the most hystorical icons in streetwear got a remix in a pop art style that gets all my love and more. I really feel this combination of colour straight outta Superman costume and the result is sweet to my eyes. Screaming hand, one of the masterpieces out of the gifted hand of Jim Phillips, is so modern that it can even indulge in trips in the past, to return to the present as a winner once again. Next season designs from Santa Cruz collection will include this "Pop hand" and, you guessed it, you'd better not sleep on this: not everybody has sweet dreams as I do...

"Motherfu**ers better know... huh, huh/lock your windows, close your doors..." (The Notorious B.I.G.)

2011-10-07T08:00:00.000+02:00

The last time that I posted here a Mthrfck r item it was a skate deck. What we got to check with pleasure this time is a hoodie. This piece from Mthrfckr is a basic ammo of the arsenal of every street kid ready to kill. I have the pleasure finally to introduce you something ruff, rugged and raw like PMD made a comeback. Fucked up in space is this item part of their delivery of fall 2011. Their whole collection is nice to my eyes, it brings back an element that is missing in urban wear these days. Call it stupor or call it surprise factor, you just don't expect that a multi eyed octopus from outer space can grab with its tentacles a spaceship where you and your friends may be, high in the sky. I like art on a clothing item. Drawing skills, that's where it's at. We have been almost harassed by computer graphics for years now that when a sweet piece gets drawn and printed on a garment, it truly makes the difference. Fatwear distribution (that also deals in Frozen brand) has the pleasure to deliver here to The Maxiemillion headquarters this nice thick print on a even thicker hoodie that dresses our homie Pagaz from Pagaz and Stellaman hip hop duo, in a smart way. This means a tight fit with the right size can look awesome, if you fit the role. He fits his own role by the way, he's not a model but a hip hop fiend thirtsy for rhyming action. Oh, you wanna know about the hoodie? This 80% cotton 20% polyester beauty with a front and back print is made in Italy. No China, no Mexico, no Moldova and not even Tunisia or Turkey. Nossiiir, these motherf***ers behind Mthrfckr think that you have to act instead of fantasizing. So they wanna deal in Italian manufactured products, that may save our country from excessive import but most of all from low quality. Isn't the same thing that our friends at Matix thought about? Aldo, the man behind Fatwear, is really worried about these aspects and he sure wants people to know about his hard work. Him and his associate and designer Fabio D M aren't afraid to go against the grain in order to delivery a quality piece of Italian street wear. I back those guys up. In case you aren't, a monster with multiple eyes is comin to pay a visit at you. Watch the skies.

"The jakes never worry me as long as I'm free/to my people holdin' packs, nuthin less than a G" (Cormega)

2011-10-05T06:00:00.003+02:00

What's a G? A grand (read 1 thousand) or a gangsta (as in member of a gang) or a gram (usually in dope dealing)? Not at all, G is what you see on a Green Bay Packers 9 fifty cap. You'd better start talking this street slang real soon. I'mma school you on this real quick. NFL stands for National Football League and New Era stands for the n.1 cap company in the world. With this being said, at New Era they feel pretty G for their NFL collaboration. As I showed you already in my pictures from Bread & Butter report, all this was in the works and now it's officially released. Listen to what Christopher H. Koch, CEO has to say: “New Era has evolved over the last 90 years and the joining of these prominent logos – the NFL Shield and the New Era Flag unites two of the most recognizable brands in our industry. We’re excited to bring our unique combination of style and fashion to the NFL’s passionate fan base while providing these fans with the opportunity to own the official on-field headwear worn by their favorite NFL players.” What New Era Europe Facebook page has to say? Members will be able to hear as soon the product becomes available online via www.facebook.com/neweraeurope, with New Era Europe Facebook page members gaining exclusive access to free online shipping for a limited period and residents of the United Kingdom (18+), the opportunity to win VIP Premium Club tickets to watch the Chicago Bears Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers International Series Game at London’s Wembley Stadium on October 23rd. If you want to know more, even Leo Kane, NFL’s vice president of consumer products wants to drop knowledge as follows: "“The NFL and New Era are two iconic brands and we are pleased to team with this industry leader to produce headwear that will be seen on sidelines and in the stands around the country and on streets around the world”. Take note that there are 16 more styles not shown. Last but not least I have two things to say: the first is that these are all snapbacks and the second is: "Who's gonna give me a Raiders cap as a gift anytime soon?". The sooner the better, just look online on New Era UK website or in any flagship store. Don't say these were rare to find, it won't work...

"I got mouths to feed, unnecessary beef is more cows to breed/I'm on some tax free shit by any means" (GZA)

2011-10-03T08:03:00.006+02:00

Sheffey is rad. That's what everybody thought when we witnessed in person what he was capable of. In Munster Germany we were and at this contest it was me, G aka Papi and last but never least our boss of all bosses Muriel. He heard me talking non stop for hours so when we step inside the street area, he tells me to go and do my thing and from then I thought I was an actual skate journalist. At one of those eurocontests where you even see Carl Shipman if you know what I'm talking about, Sean Sheffey was blastin huge ollie grabs off what we called then a pyramid in a street contest. The guy is just big and powerful and smiles for the right reason: he loves skateboarding. G shoot him pretty easily as you can see from this frontside air above. My duty was to make him talk so we ask to this superhero if he's down to chat in front of a tape recorder and he was really cool with us. We run a profile of him on xxx skateboard magazine with a picture from G. We had the chance to see an up and coming star. Life is long, skateboarding and friends may change and Sheffey at a point kinda left the spotlight. He seems to be back, the Blind team got crazy love for him so he's still around and legends around you just spread the perfect vibe. A man with a massive skate power and very personal sense of style, I always luved his skating and his one of a kind character through the years, so now that G, the man that shoot that pic has become a father it's even a way to celebrate the link among the past and the future. Next season Blind is dropping a board inspired by old Sheffey graphics, I wanted to share this little secret with y'all. My homies at Blast! distribution told me, since they know I'm a Sheffey fan, they read the profile I wrote in the mag back in the day, so here I show you what the real deal was about: Life. Before he got on Plan B, he was a legendary underground skater from New York. His video part in "A soldier story" was ahead of its time and his unique smooth style was iconic to say the least. Huf aka Keith Hufnagel said that his skate moves got inspired by Sheffey for the part concerning high ollies. The original graphics of a Life deck has been remixed on a new Blind deck. Further proof that Sheffey skating is for life.

"Quick to spot those that bite camouflage and blend/those that got styles, they got identical twins" (GZA)

2011-09-30T08:00:00.002+02:00

Camouflage got me magnetized for ages for no reason. It kinda followed me as a loyal dog through all my life: as a young punk, then as a thrash metal fan, then as a skater, then as a hip hop fiend and now, just a couple of decades after Das Efx hits are missing in action, after all those LRG sweet patterns, it just made a comeback that is here to stay like P Diddy bank account. I was feeling this back in 2009 when I dropped my fourth post ever here. Too early by the way, it wasn't as solid as it is now. I told you about it when I posted those Skullcandy camo earbuds and now our trendsetter friends over at Sixpack give us a confirmation. Camouflage lost its military related image, just to become an inspiration for infinite patterns that can be used pretty much everywhere. Look at the white shirt above. Isn't it next level?! Don't you feel old and coming from another era still with your Def Leppard tee shirt on?! And again: camouflage ties?! Heck yes! The second part of the collection that I presented you in August last time that we had a Sixpack post is here and it's brilliant as ever. Funny and elegant, with an eye on the desk and the other on the curb, ready to sign a multimillion dollar contract and ready to call the shots for everybody at the bar. Evolution doesn't worry those guys at the design department: it's their natural element. Gotta give it to LVL Studio and Samuel Cornillet too for this brilliant photography of an even better styling work. A nutty headed brother and a gel wearing guy is the essential mix to my eyes. I also gotta say that even details like belts, rolled up pants and no socks together with Doc Martens shoes make the presentation of this collection fresher than the daily news. The neutral placement of these model guys, nowadays that everybody does street photography, is another key point of the good results that you can see above. If you're in Italy and you want your shop to have customers as good looking as these dudes above, call Blue distribution before it's too late and they don't have your size of ties. Ops, ties have no size, I forgot...

"C.r.e.a.m., get the money, dolla dolla bills y'all" (Method Man)

2011-09-29T08:00:00.004+02:00

The web was buzzin yesterday about this trader that got interviewed on n.1 UK tv also known as BBC, dropping scary prophecies on our European economical future. Later on people found out that maybe he was just too sure of himself but what he said didn't necessarily correspond to what's about to come. Or maybe the denial that followed it's just a way to hide the truth for a minute, we don't know for now. What is sure is that, worldwide speaking, 2011 isn't a moment comparable to Renaissance in Middle Age, but as I always say "a ni**a gotta do what a ni**a gotta do". We can't stop and we won't stop, we gotta keep it moving like Tribe taught us. In the States too they keep it moving, but's let's get specific: Matix Clothing keeps it moving. Dollars and Euros were just currencies but now they're the main characters of a global crisis that even inspires streetwear designers. We are seeing a campaign never seen before by the proud sponsor of the skate phenomenon known to the masses as Torey Pudwill. Matix (Podium distribution clothing company) is dropping in this season the Capital collection. As the label of this collection clearly explains, in 1965 95% of the clothing worn in America was made in America. In 2009 this percentage is only 5%. This lead them to think that they had to act but most of all, to act fast. The idea is to spark people minds and give them an alternative when they enter a shop. So if an American really want to support his country, now he can, because this collection contributes to give a monthly wage to to American workers. Read "Made in USA". Wow, Uncle Sam himself would be proud of me. I'm sure that Fresco distribution will be proud of me too, when he will read this, because he is selling these American products over the Italian soil where I'm sitting as I type this. This rendition of Benjamin Franklyn is just to make one thing clear: the dollar bill where he resides is battered and bruised like his face here, so he needed to go to the hospital, put ice on his nose and get bandages. I hope he gets better soon. Like I hope for the economical situation here in Europe.

"The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charmses/I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless" (Kanye West)

2011-09-26T07:47:00.010+02:00

"It was all a dream, I used to sell hardware as my thing..." This is what Nick Tershay should be around singing like he was Biggie. Nick T aka Nick Diamond is the founder of Diamond Supply co. In a rags to riches tale, I don't really know his financial situation now but I know that, from selling skateboard nuts and bearings, to dropping these fine lambskin leather kicks called Brilliant, a lot of water passed under the bridge. Diamond is now a trendsetter in streetwear. It's the gear of the champs (that's what Nyjah Houston wears all the time) but at the same time it's the choice of fresh street cats. How can it be so legit at both ends of the spectrum I don't know, but that's how it goes. Diamond Supply Co footwear collection consist of five styles, inspired by some of Nick’s (and everybody's) favorite sneakers. I deeply respect in fact the ability that he has to drop what people expect from him in what you can call perfect timing. The above sneakers are sleek and made of top quality materials. They shine, like a Diamond should. The Brilliant here is... brilliant. Wear it everywhere, no problem. From the cold sheets of steel of the pavement of your office, to the concrete of the sidewalk in front of your club, you can almost go to a wedding with these. What is behind this deal is none else than DVS. After years and years of collaborations among the two brands, an exclusive licensing agreement with Diamond Supply Co. was the natural evolution for all this. I remember, it was january 2009 when this blog here posted a Diamond belt, while I was moving my first steps in digital journalism. A few things changed from then. I write better pieces and I take better pictures. In this case, since I wanted to impress Fresco Distribution that kindly gave me these to review, I used the photographic skills of Joz over at Project-On studio. On subject of Fresco, Franz JH informed me that you will find these fine kicks in Italian shops in a matter of 10 days or something like that. Where? Try to hit your local shop that carries DVS products and if he hasn't these Brilliant, I'm pretty sure that Sub shop will put them in their online shop for your digital cart desires. Diamond is the online shopper best friend.

"Wild like rock stars who smash guitars/poison bars from the Gods, bust holes in your mirage" (Inspectah Deck)

2011-09-22T07:52:00.003+02:00

Hip hop, rock'n'roll and skateboarding are connected in more ways that you may think of. Do you want an example? Mos Def is an mc that can give an hard time to Kanye West in a freestyle cypha but has a couple of joints out whose titles are "Ghetto rock" and Rock and Roll". His skate connection? He's sponsored by Nixon, a brand straight outta extreme sports world, skateboarding included. Another one? Lil Wayne, among the 10 thousands songs he has recorded, has a joint that he dropped with Chamillionnaire titled "Rockstar", he is the best selling rapper and he skates. Thrasher magazine has proof of this. Back to us, the thing is that Blind skateboards has a high percentage of hip hop loving team riders (Bill Weiss, their team manager has a Wu Tang W tattooed with his family name in it) and they all skate great. In a short period of time (read spring 2012), Blast distribution told me that Blind will drop a r'n'r skate in shape of a guitar that you can actually ride. Wanna do tricks on it? How about the big solo spin? Riff to fakie? I hardly doubt that you can pull out serious moves with this but do you care? I don't. Pop culture, art, lifestyle, everything comes into play here. Let's get specific. I feel that you wanna know what guitar is this. Basically I'm not in my zone if we talk guitars, so I had to ask Paul Rnr. Not to be confused with Slash (did you know that he has his own skateboard out?) above here, Paul is the webmaster of this blog. We work at the same graphic design studio and he is the man that turns my digital desires into reality and fixes every bug, so definately this was his time to shine. No, he was not stoned when we took the picture, but I like fake stoned mugs that's why I picked this picture of him. So Paul sentenced that this is a cross among a basic Gibson Les Paul (the guitar Paul is well familiar with, as you can see) with a Fender pickguard and pickup. So no doubt: Blind wanted to avoid any cease & desist from the above guitar companies. These types of controversy were those that made skateboarding image so free and rebel in our eyes, back in the day. We all grow up from our errors, don't we?!

"Grow a rugged beard, and chill, poppa real/poppa eat, poppa a rolling stone, for real" (Raekwon)

2011-09-19T08:01:00.001+02:00

Let's face it: beards are fresh. 2Tone from TLFI is an example. Action Bronson has a beard. Rick Ross too. Chris Haslam cut his a bit but still has a mean one. How about Freeway?! It's quite official: if you're young enough to show off and not look older, you can get away with mucho style points growin a beard. Statistics say that facial hair looks better with flannel and classic tattoos, v necks and rolled up pants, preferably with any boat shoes. This is the stereotype, right. But this blog avoids them like the plague, I try to make you think every single time that you and only you are the dreamer of the dream. You make the rules. Beside this, there is an artist that makes the rules and avoids being a follower like Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four avoids water. This above is not a New era 59fifty only but a statement that says "My art has no limits, my vision is not yours". The legend says that Italy lover Jeremy Fish, the designer responsible for this, was crowned as having "The Best Beard in the Barbary Coast" at the Comstock Saloon in San Francisco. A collectible for sure, the above cap released by Upper Playground brand under the Superfishal label, is called "Cheer the beard". It's made of corduroy exterior with an embroidered felt face detail and is provided with a velcro attachable felt beard which fastens to the inside rim of the cap. Wear it for fun, wear it only late at night if it's freezing and you gotta face harsh weather conditions (got it? "face" harsh weather condition) or don't wear it at all, this cap is seriously ill. A staple among all artists of Upper Playground roster, what people may ignore are Jeremy Fish connections to the skate scene. He was even featured in "The man who souled the world" and worked in his past on a skate deck that was heavy on Fish philosophy of fun and animals in imaginary worlds, beside producing limited edition skate decks of regular shape, toys and zippo lighters. Concepts by the pound may be his motto. You don't end up on the cover of Juxtapoz magazine because you grow a beard alone.

I.s N.ight F.or A.rt R.elated T.ypes?

2011-09-15T08:07:00.002+02:00

It's not all the time that I set up scenarios where I have my model Kourtney Amber R playing with a cap and me shooting pics with my camera. I gotta go hard in the paint to keep this blog interesting otherwise you would wave bye bye to me and you would look on your favourites list bookmarked on your pc, to browse some other blog. It was about a month, since Berlin BBB that Boma agency invited me to come over to Infart and those cool guys that take care of the organization of this event have been so neat to even drop their commemorative New Era cap. So I knew this cap was supposed to come out. I saw it on the internet like a week before and I so wanted it to be on a post of my blog, since I'm Italian like the designer. This 59fifty is designed by none else than Luca Barcellona. You heard the name before, true. You may have seen Luca creations among Carhartt tees and endless others pieces of art but what I love the most from his production is another cap that he designed: Move 59fifty. Not to put him on a pedestal but mr. Barcellona has under his belt the creations of two of these caps related to real situations in Italy such as the best urban shop and one of the most impressive street art expo. You do the math, I have too much stuff to say and so little space left. So the mission that I had in mind was to go there at Infart and see who could rock the Infart 59fifty in the best way. I like complicated things, see?! Simplicity doesn't live here. I am a bit of a party guy so of course, beside the art itself I was tempted to go there because of the reputation that this expo has from the party side. It was exactely during the second part of saturday night, when we went to the after party in a club, that I saw Claudio P rocking this piece on his dome fiercely. Of course he's fierce: he's one of the main guys that put this event together. So, in a full paparazzi style, I have a way to show you how dope you can look while you talk to a girl about art and related topics, even late at night. Does this mean that, in a Jordan way of thinking, "it's gotta be the cap?!".

"My, my, my, my/It's what they all say when they see the frozen ice" (R. Kelly)"

2011-09-11T20:14:00.010+02:00

So the thing is that lately this Theophilus London craze took over me. Since I saw the live show of this modern day Prince mixed with Kanye West that totally doesn't sound neither like Prince nor Kanye, I'm hooked up. I noticed that he has got the internet buzz on lock: the whole social network spectrum is covered by his non stop activity, so I stay updated easily. The latest release concerning his persona is not his album but his shoes. Even those guys that were in that movie Dumb and Dumber would understand that blue is the message that TL kindly delivers us. But this is not Vibe or Vogue, this is The Maxiemillion, your favourite echo from the streets. I wouldn't be writing here if I was part of such an elite movement. I'd stand alone, illin in styles that wouldn't fit me, so I prefer to deliver you honesty and knowledge instead of worlds where I don't belong. So instead of a big name from the States, elegant and forward thinking, I give you Pagaz from the hip hop duo Pagaz & Stellaman. It's just another form of honesty related to music. This local kid loves to rap. Hip hop is the game here, you can't go wrong. In a hot summer afternoon Pagaz agreed to pose for this hoodie by Frozen called Maniac for a simple reason: he's all about freedom. "Clothing for freedom" as a claim hit him in the head like he found the love he was always looking for. No matter what you do, if you're about freedom and you want everybody to know, look no further. All shades of blue with a grey touch are on this hoodie. It seems to be ready to slip into your outfits like Freddy slips into dreams. We've been dealing with this full print craze for a few years now: started by those 4 star names known to the masses as Pharrell and Nigo, even chain clothing stores corporations later on started to do full prints, then the thing slowed down, then again it seems to re emerge here and there, it's not over. This from Frozen is an example. A texture designed by Fabio D M himself, the c.e.o. and all round guy of this company, I think this is a way to stay en vogue while supporting a small company that knows how to drop their version of the blue tornado that is taking everybody by storm.

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today/if the old school didn't pave the way"(Grand Puba)

2011-09-08T10:17:00.011+02:00

Old school. That's the rule. Nothing these new cats put out can ever have the flavour of a Kangol on a Bronx kid in his b-boy stance back in the day. Breakers spinnin on cardboard with a ghettoblaster. Cyphas with mcs doing their first lyrical steps on the rhyming path. Everybody doing their thing in this fantastic world called hip hop should have owned a pair of Puma Clyde at a point. The thing got so big that even skaters were into Puma Clydes. EMB days, the progression of street skating in a steaming hot San Francisco square with the street elite had Clydes on everybodys feet: from Mike Carroll to Henry Sanchez. If that was the fever back in the day, how could my persona be safe? There I am in my twenties getting an all pink Clyde from Action Now distribution (I think it wasn't an authentic pair, but I got no proof) and then a navy/white pair that I got God knows where. Ah, those crooked grinds on curbs felt good on them. Later on even Puma marketing department couldn't ignore this trend anymore so they got the likes of Kien Lieu and Scott Black Arm on the team. Even recently I spotted Joey Brezinski wearing a pair of Puma S in his trademark tech steez. This made up a few rumours about the comeback of Puma in the skate community but for now these are just rumours. What is realest than the real is this UNDFTD Nylon Ripstop Clyde "NRC" Pack version of what we are talking about. I'm excited to say the least. Ripstop looks good to me. It has been appealing to my taste for years now and in this nylon variation I gotta admit that these kicks got me watering at the mouth. UNDFTD sneakers store has a kickass private label that stands out for simplicity and for the strength alone of their logo that is officially one of the best ever in streetwear. All the colourways are on point, I honestly can't pick up a favourite in this range above. Does this mean that I gotta buy 'em all?! I will think about but i gotta be careful: only a few days are left before this model drops in stores on September 10th. On a final note, just don't skate with these, nylon ripstop is not friend with griptape...

"Puttin up my name with a fat cap/suckers that want to be in my face I just slap that" (KRS One)

2011-09-05T08:23:00.002+02:00

You should all know Move's own Fabio L by now. He rocks black sunglasses in the second picture, just in case you don't know him yet. One of the first supporters of this blog, Fabio told me recently that this event called Infart grew up in numbers, now it's huge and it worths a visit. Sweet. Together with him, Marc Roc 2real and other Verona heads we formed a team and we spent the weekend there. To give you a taste about what happened you have to close your eyes and imagine like my name was John Lennon. A little city in the north of Italy, more close to Venice than to Milan. Hystorical town full of monuments, squares and nice Italian architecture in general, home of Grappa Nardini (a famous brand of a clear liquor that you usually drink in small quantities at the end of a dinner, after the coffee or instead of it), close to beautiful mountains. Nice scenario for sure. Now keep imagining in this context a huge court where you can let aerosol artists espress themselves freely at only one condition: they gotta create bangin' pieces. Add to all this, a few live electro dj sets at night and thousands of people attending, you're starting to get the picture. There is more: the court of Grappa Nardini itself works as a street art expo with ill installations as well and if this is not enough, there is even a museum in the city centre that exposes next level works of a few well known elite artists of this street we walk on the daily. Being true to the street where your 59fifty caps are seen the most is New Era mission here. Our favourite brand collaborates in all this letting graff writers go off on four blank canvases creating concepts of caps how they see it, stating once again that New Era is a state of mind that can easily get on your head, without forcing you to become someone that you're not. Music, friends, colours and a happy vibe created a Saturday that won't be forgotten easily. If I think for a second that this post is my rap album, since I'm now at the end of it, I wanna thank the Infart collective for putting this together, New Era crew for being such a tight group of individuals and last but never least, Fabio L for being a real friend I can count on. Peep an extra gallery of how this went down here.

"Roughneck, Inspector Deck's on the set, the rebel/I make more noise than heavy metal" (Inspectah Deck)

2011-09-01T08:42:00.003+02:00

I felt guilty a bit. Last time I had a deck to review I opted for the solution "sex sells" so I let Kourtney Amber R hold it just because a girl looks better than a sweaty skater. But this time I wanted to show you that there is room for progression so here we go. Remember those Mthrfckr shorts called York that we saw one month ago? Now it was about time to review one of Mthrfckr skate decks, so I set up a situation like never before. Vittorio A got the grip and what I let the kids do at the park was to actually skate the deck that we see here. The idea was to take proof of a grab, a flip trick and a ledge trick. With a little help from his friends Andrea "Furby" B and Pietro P we all shared some work for this test. After the gripping was done, it was time to switch the trucks from the old to the new deck and this is no problem to Vittorio. He was the one that started to use the deck with an half cab kickflip over the hip. After a while Furby came to demonstrate how melon grabs are supposed to be done: tall, well grabbed and with tweaked legs. Then it was time for another flip trick. Furby came up with his signature move: backside heelflip over the hip. Pietro was shooting him. No more than three tries and it got caught up high and landed properly. The afternoon continued in a multiple frontside crooks attack by Vittorio again, to call it the perfect skater afternoon. This Mthrfckr 7.9" board is from Canada. The graphics are clearly about choppin off your finger if you do the mthrfckr too much. Now that's pretty gangsta to me. I'm sure the heavy metal that gets used to chop the adversary finger is a shaolin sword. Hope that Furby doesn't get his fingers cut off because he's pretty good at grabbing that deck. Kids at the park had fun sponsored by The Maxiemillion: they got the chance to keep the board once the shooting is done (only for this time, not sure about next). Done from the hood, done with heart. Exactely like this deck here. The deck is legit on any terrain and if you want to peep even a few other pictures, there is a "making of" gallery to check on our Facebook page. Including a pic or more of Vittorio A and his front crooks attacks. Bang your head, Mthrfckr!

"Put all your hands where my eyes can see/straight buckwhylin' in the place to be" (Busta Rhymes)

2011-08-29T09:18:00.003+02:00

I've seen it all. Never say this quote, because when you least expect it, someone will come at you telling: "Hey, you haven't seen this yet?!". Skateboarders. They invented this street style that we always talk about, right?! To all of you out there thinking that you invented something getting tattoos, flipping your visor up, wearing flannels, think twice, because this is something that Henry Rollins or Mike Muir already did 20 plus years ago. I dropped a couple of names well familiar with the united worlds of music & skateboarding. Flashback of a couple of decades and skateboarders were into a skate/rave lifestyle. Dyed hair, huge orange or purple pants, cut off hightops, screamin' a big "F___ you" to the estabilishment. A few things changed along the way, skaters became more and more socially accepted as far as their looks, since skate clothing companies got into stock market, corporations entered the market that was once "skater owned" and what you see is what you get. This means that the rebel factor in skateboarding toned down as far as the image of it (the feeling is the same but that I can't explain it: if you don't skate, you don't relate). Since three season an item is slowly creepin' into the collections folded into the shelves of your local skate shop: Oxford shirts. I'm about to drop a couple of more names: Shane O'Neill and Eric Koston. You can bet that when the Street League champ and the veteran of tech skateboarding are into something, their million of fans arond the world will follow. Put together a sort of loop around this fashion circus and the result is that even Santa Cruz and their beloved Screaming Hand, had to jump on this bandwagon. They do it with thir own style and most of all with their own icon. They wanna keep you cool in case of cool breeze with this Key shirt. Boardcore s.r.l. is proud to represent in Italy this brand. In these days they're sending their reps around to meet shop owners and to place orders and, for your pleasure, I kidnapped Ferdi C and stole from him this shirt, just to show it to you. This means that you're not gonna see this item in your shop before next season but this gives to you time enough to assume the fact that skaters now wear Oxford shirts. Time to throw those sleeveless Salba tees away? No, please don't! Don't get institutionalized.

"Burgundy minks, whips with sinks in em/brocoli blown, illa disease breath, elephant skin" (Ghostface Killah)

2011-08-24T11:14:00.002+02:00

Yeah, right. How can you match a burgundy mink? You know that Ghost has no matching problem. He's the indisputed king. No matter the colour he can find the most shocking stuff to match and make it look proper. He's the champ, don't you forget it. That's why I used his verse to introduce you this Departed cap from TLFI: this brand is the champ. All those other underground wannabees think that they do something unique... copying what others do. I mean who could have thought about a laurel wreath upside down?! This New Era 59fifty is a dream come true. How often do you see melton wool heather grey paired with a burgundy visor. I almost feel like I don't need to say more. No, I have to actually: that 2 Tone signature with the number two and crossbones neaver ceases to amaze me every time I look at it. He's the design champ, for sure. Take your absolute truth, give value zero to it and you are getting closer to what TLFI state of mind is. A koala is funny? Let him hold an uzi then. Surfing is hot in Cali? Let your g'd up friends and a motorbike do it too then. Sick ideas is what you can always expect from this brand. This piece is a gem. Got it? G.e.m. Strictly Fitteds posted it online a week ago. I had it in my file for a couple of months now, so I kinda lost momentum you think? No, I told you, I make the rules. A blogger should post an item before other people do to make it look fresh and to think that cool hunting makes him better than other blogs? I took this truth and as I just wrote, I gave value zero to this. Why? Because I have a better version. Plus it's all luv with people at Strictly Fitteds, they even posted a pic of part of my collection in their Bragging Rights section. Why is this post different? I have a model. A girl that is getting her props here and there as I talk to The Maxiemillion readers. She's skilled: you almost don't see that the cap is way bigger than her head. My approach to blogging is the same of TLFI, that's why I got so much love for them: we both try to make it different from the rest and to stimulate thought. Hard task, I know, but I can't be any different and the same is for TLFI.

"It's a celebration, bites/grab a drink, grab a glass, after that, I grab yo a"(Kanye West)

2011-08-22T11:23:00.011+02:00

It seems yesterday that we celebrated the winner of New Era XC but it was actually last year. Damn, time flies when you're having fun, huh?! So you are going around, wandering where you can show the real artist in you? And most of all you wander who's going to pay those 6 packs that you bring home on the regular to find inspiration (yeah, right...). Look no further: your occasion is here. It's called New Era Introducing. Every artist needs his canvas said a popular ad for some shoes back in the days of my youth and this seems to be exactely the case. Think about it: not anymore a two dimensional canvas but one more dimension. Adding new dimensions to your life, this is what New Era does, and to be honest this seems done in a proper way. Apply your skills on a blank 59fifty cap, put to it any medium you want and more. Think the unthinkable and you will win 10 grands in British Pounds, isn't it sweet?! Craig Green did it last year. He created that Viking warrior on top with metal and wood. Metal and wood applied to a cap. You're up to a good start, don't you think? I saw everything glued or stiched to caps in the first edition of New Era XC. Fake hair, mirrors, electric plugs, paper, fine leather no matter the medium, demonstrate why you are one of the uniquely creative minds of tomorrow. You could then tour with the result of your work if you got picked, since the final entries will then be appraised by an international judging panel and will form an exhibition that will visit galleries throughout major cities in the contributing countries. So sick: you get to tour and get in touch directly with all the different countries that embrace New Era 59 fifty as an icon of our times. You are not an artist? Your artistic skills are close to zero, but you're a fan of this here movement? No big deal, I'm not an artist myself but last year I went home thinking of a class A party where I had the chance to meet key players in this game, down a couple of brews and breath some international air that is much needed to the healthy life of The Maxiemillion. Except when I saw a few of these caps that litterally took my breath away.

"You a step away from frozen, stiff as if ya posin'/dig into my brain as the rhyme gets chosen" (Rakim)

2011-08-18T09:08:00.002+02:00

I hope you aren't frozen at the sight of how cute Kourtney Amber R looks in this Frozen hoodie that goes by the name of Meaningful Hope. For those unfamiliar with the brand, I gotta ask you to read again that Mthrfckr post, so you will soon realize that these are sister brands. Two names under the same roof: Mthrfckr & Frozen are the same company splitted in two. Back to our model , I'm officially a bit sad about her. She's in the process of leaving for Spain, Mallorca to be exact. This boring city I live in wasn't enough for her. She will be missed a lot. Her approach to modeling is almost shy and insecure but since I'm no pro photographer I make it easy for her to chill when in front of the camera every time. Plus she likes the fact that for each post I take her in a complete different place. Skatepark, graff spots, grass field or even a toilet are never off limit for her. How nice. Where am I going to find another one to replace her?! Sometimes with Kourtney Amber R the best shots come by surprise. Take the last one here for example. I was telling her that I wanted to shoot the label tag, so she moved her arm to show it, I took a picture wider than she thought and the result is beautiful and natural. I even love the fact that the picture is kinda cut but well balanced as far as its colours and design. This shooting went in a really smooth way. I pass by this graff very often and the colours of it reminded me so much of this Meaningful Hope design. Those purple and blue of this Frozen hoodie blend so well with the wall behind. On that same day we even shoot those pictures for Skullcandy Smokin' Buds review. By pure luck there was the graff immediately close to this one here that had its colours matching the earbuds. See? I'm slowly taking back this post to the old style of The Maxiemillion where I talk about what I want and not so much about the item itself. It's such a good feeling: a sense of freedom that comes from the fact that I'm my own boss and I know that there won't be any complaints about what I wrote. As far as Fabio D M that owns Frozen and kindly sent me this, he's a cool carefree dude that doesn't give a damn and likes freedom as I do. Otherwise he wouldn't be a killer skate/snow/surf rider but a man wearing a tie in an office. Chase your dreams. He did and he's quite happy.

"Throwin my clothes out the windows/so when the wind blows I see my polos and Timbos" (The Notorious Big)

2011-08-15T08:42:00.002+02:00

Wind blowing is a global problem. You can be a skater at the end of a session, a clubber going from his environment to the harsh weather conditions of this cruel world or a tennis player at the end of his match, you need to do something. Who wants to spend days sick at home with pain in his bones because of some wind? You're right: nobody. Ellesse Heritage knows this and knows even the remedy. A cool old school Nylon shiny jacket can solve your problem. Let alone the fact that you're rocking a brand of taste that won't turn you into a clone of your friend but will express to the fullest how unique you are. What are the details that make this item superior? Craftmanship is everything but cheap. This jacket is made of a double layer of fabric with a black interior that has that much needed inside pocket. Finally a genius that understood how much useful that feature is. Another feature that kills me is the hood inside the collar. If you ever ride a motorbike or a scooter you know how much the hood outside keeps on flying left and right like a flag. Not here. Your hood is out only when you need it. This is a lord item. It's not by accident that I got Vittorio A modeling for it. Only a lord can survive with white cuffs and waistband like these. If you're thinking that these should have been black there is a reason: you're a villain about to reveal his true nature. The colour combo is perfect and even if there is some turquoise in the middle the other neutral colours make it far from those 2008 combination of purple and turquoise. So yes, there is some vivid colour here and no, you don't look like an hipster fashion victim of the late hour, but just a clean looking dude ready to conquer everything like your name was Julius Ceasar. To conquer hearts, of course. Yes, you can talk tech all you want but this item emotionally speaking is a heartbreaker, not only a windbreaker. It can do miracles for your self esteem and you will blame it on you, not understanding that it's all a matter of what you wear, in this case. You're lucky to have me by your side, taking my time to explain you even these side effects, otherwise confusion will take over.

"Ayo, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7/blaze the hot trizack that sounds like heaven/7,6,5,4,3,2,1, my man Meth Tical come and get some" (LL Cool J)

2011-08-10T08:59:00.004+02:00

Let's make a post out of the ordinary. Let's call these pics above 1,2,3,4,5,6 and see what happens if we analyze these outfits from Sixpack one by one. Picture 1 - The Pastore tee may be on point, the khaki pant named Brume pant beige is a timeless item well crafted but it's the Vercors cardigan that reigns over this ensemble. A classic item with a new designer twist. There is a million ways to wear this. Colourful tee shirt and ripped denims? Why not. A white shirt and blue pants? Go ahead. Picture 2 - You got the same pant in another colour, navy blue this time. What kills this ensemble is Jonathan Zawada tee "Say it with Pictures". I remember him since that tee shirt "Bondage" came out. He may have been a designer for a Duran Duran cover for all I know. Tremendous. Picture 3 - That blue blazer is called Steed blazer navy and its polka dots interior is unmatched as far as fun and elegance go. Grateful tee is about a mix of a movie and a rock band. Not lacking in concepts, huh?! Picture 4 - Dope looking for sure, Chimida shirt is the aphex of cool, sorry for all the other shirts but there's no way to beat that tartan with those black velour collar and elbow patches. Another winner in this collection. Picture 5 - That Steed trench beige is a cut above the rest. Imagine yourself entering a room and all of the sudden this group of friends that knows you well remains silent. This is one of the sideffects when you wear this: people stop talking. It's the equivalent of a ninja star thrown at an enemy during a fight. An unexpected move. Picture 6 - Our ginger model dude sets the whole thing on fire with a steaming hot combo: Dead Hommes shirt and a basic grey crewneck. What's the key point in this? A clean look with a Dead Hommes embroidery under the pocket. This is seriously good looking. Once again Sixpack put Europe on the map, showing the world what these Frenchies are capable of. Innovative tees designs? No problem. Cut and sew? Top of the line. Wanna try this Born again revisited collection on? Go ask to Blue distribution the list of authorized dealer over Italian turf and you too may attempt to look fresh as these guys are. Just don't forget that most of the swagger comes from you, the clothes are only what you wear.

"Young kids get clapped in my hood/that's why I'm strapped in my hood, just cuz you in..my..hood" (Fabolous)

2011-08-09T09:28:00.001+02:00

What's better than dreaming? I don't know, because all I see around me are dreams. Italians that dream to be americans, so and so girls that once they buy a knockoff designer bag dream that they're beautiful, cliché mcs that once they put a couple of tracks out they dream that they can rap. One thing is sure: our lives, without the help of our dreams would be much less interesting. Even Method Man, Ghost & Rae explained this concept. I recently came in contact with a reality that made me smile. Not a silly smile (for once) but a smile of appreciation. Enter BeHood. Mattia B, the man behind such project is not new to The Maxiemillion radar. A freestyle snowboarder with a passion for style and partying, he shares six degrees of separation with this blog as follows. The web designer behind this blog is Joz from Bergamasterz. Mattia went to learn computer graphics from Joz and the result is here to be seen. A clean design that makes me think that Mattia is probably ready to do more. Keep dreaming my friend, because these tee shirts are far from a nightmare. I can see myself rocking a combo like yesterdays DQM snapback and this red tee shirt. Who could stop me?! I can see all the passion coming out of this. I would be a dumb snob to ignore this local reality. I would be silly to lie to myself: I like BeHood clothing. The name sounds great. The young man behind this is really humble and down to earth. One of those ninjas that don't talk too much but make action speak louder than words. This is just the beginning, Mattia assured me: there's more to come. This sounds like the perfect debut. This Crossbones tee shirt is a pure lifestyle tee shirt. No matter where you are, this item is ok to look good and most of all to look hood! A classy hood, familliar with nice looking fonts and a hardcore approach (remember n.y.h.c. written all around an X?) without being too "in your face" à la Mishka. So it seems that friendship and fun are the main motivators behind this, rather than a business with a masterplan. Welcome, friends. The Maxiemillion doesn't ask for anything better. No fun means no smiles so the question is: who wants to read a sad blog?

"Friends, how many of us have them?/friends, before we go any further, lets be friends" (Houdini)

2011-08-07T18:12:00.011+02:00

I depend on friends. A lot. Friends got me jobs, clothes, fun nights. I'm a single. No children. So in my 40s my time is shared among my original family, work and friends. Friends share my passions (or at least one or two of them) otherwise what would we talk about? Lately a couple of friends of mine, Valeria C and Franci S, that are regularly attending Bacaro at any event by The Maxiemillion, told me that they were going to NYC. I share three passions with these girls: music (they both work as I do for Sabotage club), fashion (they have a sense of fashion that is deeply oriented to freedom and self expression, far from the clone standard that seems to reign around here) and nightlife. They told me that they were about to visit the Big Apple one night and I couldn't resist but drop my memories of my visit years ago. Shame on me. I should go there at least once per year, but don't worry: I'm working on it. Last time I told to a friend to bring me a souvenir from NYC it was a DQM cap. Well, Valeria and Franci went to the same city and... they went to the same shop. A mecca for every sneakerhead visiting the style capital of the world, DQM was founded by Chris Keefe & Dave Ortiz in 2003 and it has always been a worldwide reference for street style in the East Coast. What changed a bit is the style of caps that DQM carries. What once seemed mandatory in a high end streetwear collection (DQM is a shop with its own private label) was the fact that you had to include one New Era 59fifty or more to rep your brand and keep it in the standards. Now it seems that things changed a little bit. Trends come and go (and most of the times they come back) so it seems that now brands want to develop their own cap designs and they don't feel the need to have a 59fifty in their collections anymore. Not me, because the more the time passes and the more I fiend for another 59fifty. I feel this DQM Gaslight snapback by the way. The construction is solid, the patch in the front is embroidered in a perfect way and its low silouhette and the square corners of the visor make it a superior item. Good job, I will betray my faith and I won't feel guilty wearing this cap.

"Keep thinkin I'm candy till ya fuckin skull get popped/and ya brain jump out the top like Jack in da Box" (50 Cent)

2011-08-04T09:15:00.003+02:00

We are familiar with Skullcandy around here. Don't you remember the Smokin' Buds review that I posted more than one year ago? Don't you remember that Hypercrush frontwoman Holly Valentine is sponsored by this brand and she has one of the illest styles ever of the whole California state? One of The Maxiemillion favourites from their roaster of action sports heroes is Theotis Beasley, no doubt. This smiling and talented skateboarder that masters the fine art of matching colours, collects sponsors like they were trading card and he is featured in Skullcandy TV as he cruises LA testing on field FIX earbuds, their new model about to drop. Don't think that at The Maxiemillion we don't care about matching colours, we do (we as in "me and the readers", let it be clear, my ego may be inflated but I didn't clone myself yet). Not all of us can be as fresh as he is. Some of us may be down with other colours. Earth tones. Well, what's sweet about Skullcandy is that they have something for everybody, no matter what your style is or the war you fight. Otherwise they wouldn't have a claim that goes by: "Every revolution needs its soundtrack". The camouflage comeback. It was early 2009 when we last spoke about it on this blog. Now we see it here and there, a lot of collections are dropping nothing but sweet camo items so we had to get our ammonitions ready. We did see it coming but we weren't prepared. It's a war in the urban jungle and if you want to fight if with style, Skullcandy comes to the rescue. Distributed by Wood Morning within Italian boundaries, these Smokin' Buds Habitat Rasta with a gold plated plug create a sound inside your ears that isolates you from the rest of this world. 3 differend sizes of silicone buds are interchangeable, according to the dimensions of the holes in your ears. In case you use these with a phone that also plays music, no problem. There is the possibility to answer just pressing that button on the cable. That button also works as a microphone of course. You are ready to fight this urban war now like Das FX just made a comeback and that microphone just needs to be checked.

"It's suicide for the other side of town/when I find a way to shut 'em down" (Chuck D)

2011-08-02T08:28:00.006+02:00

A perfect weekend just ended. I don't know how to call it in any other way but there is more to skateboarding than to sit in front of the pc and write on a blog. How about an actual miniramp and a bunch of friends?! I went by the end of 2010 to Seriate City Council as a skater demanding a street plaza for the community. They liked the project for its social and sport aspects but it seems that there is a lot that needs to be done in this city. So the project didn't disappear, it's still there. The only problem is that it's at the bottom of the list. Probably I took an approach that seemed pro and friendly to the City Council because they stayed in contact with me anyway. They said there was this possibility to rent a miniramp and put it in Seriate Sports Center during Rock'n Sport Fest, but to be honest nobody seemed on point enough to give this service to the City. One thing leads to another and one day I had the chance to meet the nice people over at All Ramps. I told them about this possibility and they sent over all the projects, paper works and insurance in such a professional way that Seriate agreed that this possibility had to be turned into reality. So, as do it yourself as it can be, I asked Joz over at Bergamasterz to do the flyer, I started the web tam tam through Facebook and through local shops, even with no sponsors, no contest and therefore no prize money, people came and enjoyed it. The miniramp was there and people were curious. Kids wanted to try it for the first time, old timers were there getting their shred on like they still got it (I'm talking about myself here...), a few rad rippers passed by and gave the coping the lesson it deserved and everybody had fun. People at the City Council passed and saw this as an attraction that had a few people revolving around it so it was a success, no matter how you look at it. I had a real good time with All Ramps crew, they have been genuine and down to earth people with experience and stories to tell. Dj Lah was there giving a new twist to a skate demo: why to rock Metallica or Pharcyde if you can make people skate to funk classics? A special thank goes out to Bomboclat Bergamo, All In Dalmine, Dumb Skateboards and Blast! Distribution for sending their riders, all the friends that passed by and had a good time and spectators of Daniele Galli saturday night show: they won't forget it easily. More action pictures on this gallery here and that gallery there.

"Fuk that sht, cause I ain't the one/for a punk motherfu**er with a badge and a gun" (Ice Cube)

2011-08-01T09:01:00.004+02:00

"If you don't know me by now you'll never know" said Phife in "We can get down" and basically you can say the same about the founder of Mthrfckr. Welcome ladies and gents to a milestone of Italian skateboard history. A man whose tale of determination is quite unique, Mr Fabio D M in his young years went to Buena Vista in San Diego and had the experience of his life: he had the chance to ride those Boys Club ramps and to get some skateboarding done on halfpipes. Real ones, not some mini where even a street skater can ride. He got fascinated to a point that in his mind that was the ultimate experience of fun that he neded in life. Last thing you know, he got hooked, went home in his little town in the south of Italy by the sea and in his garden he... built his own halfpipe. That same halfpipe where he had the cover of XXX skateboard magazine back then. How do I know him? Italian scene was tight and well connected plus I worked as an assistant editor over at XXX, so we had the chance to meet him where he lived and I interviewed him. Time passes, I heard that he founded a company but his business slipped off my radar to be honest. Social networks have a lot of weak points but sometimes they can actually work for what they were created for: to socialize. I saw his profile, became friend with him a couple of years ago and we had the chance to chat a bit so we updated our informations. His company is doing well and it also supports a surf open at Marinedda bay in Sardinia. Don't think that he crossed over and he forgot where he comes from, you will see some Mthrfckr skate decks reviewed here soon. In the meantime what I had the chance to put my hands on are these 100% cotton shorts called York. Once a rider, forever a rider, so Fabio knows that to perform well you'd better have something comfy, lightweight with pockets where you need them. Print on the left front pocket and embroidery on the back right leg, this cotton short with a loose fit looks like the allround solution for every youngster with attitude. Use these to skate or to take that Inter Rail train that will make you tour Europe for the first time: no matter where you go, people will see the Mthrfckr in you!

"Although I often reminsce I can't believe that I found/a desire for true love floating around" (LL Cool J)

2011-07-25T23:44:00.000+02:00

Don't call it True Love False Idols, call it TLFI instead. What? Do you still call DKNY, Donna Karan New York? You got to know this brand more and more every time and now you got access to one of the key facts that makes it true like the love is. Ok, Reggie the Koala is their mascot, I thought you knew. This cute animal from Australia actually exists and no he doesn't wear a 2 Tone cap and no he has no uzi in his hand but yes! he lives in TLFI warehouse. I got Luca I and Jim S, my connections over at TLFI, ready to swear about it. You can see it as you want, you can tell me that your homies have a little lion rather than a snake at their apartment but a koala is something never heard of. So what we got here is a little taste of the City of Angels. Home Run Reggie tee has some "in your face" design that mixes the overload print with the smooth tones of its colours. Blue is the new black it seems and this is further proof. This 100% cotton ringspun tee represents an unusual mixture that does nothing but excite The Maxiemillion vision over funny yet stylish gear. The koala gives you a tender vibe? How about the bats on the back? There is nothing tender about self defense. Yes, you thought that this was about being violent? No, this is about thought inducing material. Don't you know where "Search and Destroy" comes from? It's tattoed on the back of your favourite punk rocker turned Hollywood actor, Henry Rollins. That's basically what TLFI is about: to search false idols and destroy them with the sole force of your true love. No violence then, it's all a matter of "read between the lines". Welcome TLFI, you know that this blog awaits open arms for concepts like this. I also await open arms for killer beats like those that new school wizard Scoop De Ville drops every time. Scoop is the n.1 testimonial for this brand and this gifted producer recently put the finishing touches on a beat for a posse cut that will make you rewind and listen to it over and over. Yound De and Xzibit, beside Scoop Deville himself, are up in this piece so don't search any further: these 3 mcs are "Ready to go" to destroy the beat.

"The raw ingredients, with hands on experience/with Nissan trucks, worth a hundred thousand bucks" (Kool Keith)

2011-07-22T09:29:00.011+02:00

I had the book with all the production of Jim Phillips titled "Surf, skate and rock art of Jim Phillips", but I lost it. I took it to the shop where I worked then... pouf! it disappeared. I don't want to think about it now, I only want to think about art, get elevated from material objects and get on another level. Jim Phillips production is exactely there: on another level. Once a hippie particularly gifted with his hand, nowadays a legend that gave us a gift: the screaming hand. Jim put a benchmark in what you call skateboard graphics. In the big five period (big 5 = Powell Peralta, Santa Cruz, Vision, Sims & Schmitt Stixx) he created a few legendary designs that still live to this day. The screaming hand is probably inspired by the sliding noise of the wheels on the concrete. Just my opinion, this is not a fact, pay attention. When I was working at Crazy Papaia Team shop when I was 20, you had "Wheels of fire" video coming out and kids would die to have a set of wheels by Santa Cruz. Let alone to also have the Screaming Hand tee shirt. I had one and I was proud to say the least. This design survived decades and it's still alive and doing well if I have to say it all. It seems like the Hand is running for President of the United Skates of America. But this blog is from Italy, I thought you knew, so I gotta keep you informed on what goes on in this area, isn't it?! Here Boardcore s.r.l. has the pleasure to distribute Santa Cruz products and since The Maxiemillion is in good relationship with them I had the chance to give you a sneak peek of what will be on the shelves of your favourites skate & snow shops next season. Ferdi C meet up with me the other day and here are a few pics of the Yes collection: Yes Hand tee, Yes Hand belt and Yes Hand boardie. You have been noticing this style everywhere in the latest months so here we go, keeping up the new tradition. Beside art itself, technically speaking the t-shirt has a nice slim fit and a distressed feel that make it a sweet item, the belt is made of faux leather with an impressive clear print and the boardshort is made of SC Stretch 4 ways. I know, you're smart and you guessed it: it stretches up and down, left and right. I give my vote to Hand: United Skates of America will be in his power.

"Where the young cadets get stripes from the vets/and comrades quest to be the next, to finesse" (Rakim)

2011-07-19T20:26:00.014+02:00

I had my period with polos. I was getting hip hop American casual classics back in that era around Nas and Biggies first albums. Never had that expensive French brand: too expensive. Jay Z & JD may tell you that money ain't a thing but to me at a certain extent it was. This doesn't mean that I felt that cheap polos were ok, just that overpriced items don't make the cut to my wardrobe. Vado brought back this garment heavily with his hit "Polo", making it a must have item in any new schooler outfit and the whole thing started from there. In an hystorical moment like this we are living in, where fake vintage is thrown at us with no restraint, Ellesse Heritage got the juice. We met our friends here already when we talked about the re issue of their classic sneaker: The Assist. Welcome to another gem from their collection: Ellesse Polo 15-15 stripes. Top quality for a European product head to toe: Italian brand, manufactured in Portugal. Too bad that you can only see the pics: this is something that you gotta touch and feel. Not too thick but still a durable soft fabric is what this piquet polo is made of. There is no way that you can't front on this colour palette. Black and white is what ying and yang is based on. It gives you balance. Thin stripes like this are timeless like Run DMC with Aerosmith. You can go everywhere you want with this garment, trust The Maxiemillion. No matter if you have a job interview that day and later on you're going to meet your friends, you are a 360 degree winner with this. From the skatepark to the club, you can turn heads on you because of your simple yet effective style. This may happen only if you live in Uk, Spain, Germany, Korea, Denmark, Austria and Croatia, by the way (unless if you shop online). No Italian distribution. It's a shame, word to Monie Love. I think that nothing is more legit than a comeback from Leonardo Servadio brand. In these days of classic and basic sporty outfits, how comes that no Italian distributor is feeling this?! Are we Italians too busy cloning our friends so we start to lack in style? Surely not Vittorio A, our model here, that gives us an interpretation of how a young skater can look fresh in a Polo 15-15 stripes, staying true to what he is: a skater at the park.