Monthly Archives: November 2007

Believe it or not, I was vegetarian for 4 years of my life, and even kept it vegan for a portion of that. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, but what eventually got me flipped was Korean BBQ beef. If you’ve never tried Korean food, or kalbi or bulgogi for that matter, then I can’t really explain what you’re missing out on. And here in Seoul, the Korean cow has an entirely distinct flavor of its own. Our favorite spot back home is Park’s BBQ, so imagine our surprise when the guys told us that the original Park’s was here in Seoul, and oh — about — 34 times better than the Americanized branch. We had to put that one to the test, so Mr. Lee, Tony, Danny, and Damien (Creative Recreation) took us to the original Mr. Park’s for lunch.

I’m-a-gonna-go to Hell when I die

by bobbyhundreds

We made our way up to HUMANTREE today, which is a local boutique stocking U.S. brands you should be familiar with such as Sinful Things and Methamphibian.

The store’s owners also run their own inhouse label called BURIED ALIVE. Again, as I’ve noticed when I’ve visited other Asian countries in the past, the young startups out here always come complete with a full-range clothing line, instead of a batch of graphic t-shirts. BURIED ALIVE is no exception, offering a very straightforward and stark streetwear line, centralized around black-and-white color schemes, oversized graphics, quality denim, and classic cut-n-sew.

This is that one Korean streetwear brand that has got heads talkin’ out here, so stay tuned to find out more.

[On a side note, I've always thought that being buried alive could quite possibly be the worst way to die. Not drowning, being burned at a stake, or being trampled by a swarm of adoring Brazilian model fans. Just thought you should know that.]

by bobbyhundreds

I actually used to come to Korea a lot as a kid, and up through the ’80s, pop culture was a non-issue amongst the kids here. I mean, the coolest thing was a rudimentary Nintendo system called Zemmix and banana-flavored milk. That is, until a pioneer rap group by the name of Seotaiji & Boys emerged in the early ’90s. You see, Koreans didn’t really have a cool young music scene of their own until Taiji’s rap trio broke open a can of worms that forever changed the course of not only pop music, but fashion, entertainment, and youth culture as a whole. They were kinda like the Beatles/Michael Jackson/RUN DMC/Backstreet Boys for South Korea, their music career ranging from gangster rap to Smashing Pumpkins-esque lullaby to rap-rock, depending on the album.

Anyways, we were having lunch at the huge COEX mall here and I heard that they actually built a pop-up museum dedicated to Seo Taiji for the group’s 15th Anniversary. Super random, bear with me.

The entire Seo Taiji library, consisting of 4 regular albums and 2 live projects.

Taiji himself was recognized for his endless array of eyewear.. like the Korean Elton John.

There was a line just to sit in these rooms and watch Taiji’s music videos and live shows, for hours on end.

The 15th Anniversary was commemorated with a limited-edition CD set. There were 15,000 made and they sold out in less than one minute. I’m not really sure how that works, but I’m guessing a lot of magic and sorcery were involved.

The room was also full of people writing special notes to Taiji, folding them into Origami cranes, and filling this massive glass box. Wow.

by bobbyhundreds

Inchon aka Baby Shoes is one of Kasina’s sales guys, but he’s also the unofficial sneaker champ in Korea (I just gave him that title). He’s worked with every shoe company imaginable from Nike to Onitsuka, and has more friends in the shoe industry than Imelda Marcos. A few years ago, he was up to 400+ pairs of sneakers when a tagger burglarized his home and jacked his entire collection. The dude ended up behind bars but the shoes had already been flipped, so Inchon re-evaluated his situation and decided to — what else — collect baby Jordans. He’s up to over 200 pairs of baby shoes, and for some strange reason, keeps a drawer-full at his cubicle. “Sneakers are my LIFE!,” he told me yesterday. Indeed.





Oh yeah, and this is CHOON.

by bobbyhundreds

I gotta admit that before we headed out here, I was pretty ignorant to any type of street culture in South Korea. I mean, I knew that particular American and Japanese brands were distributed here, but was unaware that there is actually a thriving Korean streetwear market composed of a good amount of local brands who are running strong. I’ll try my best to introduce you to some of the strongest names in Seoul, the first being DIAFVINE.

DIAFVINE is a very motorcycle-inspired, leather-and-metal clad, high-end label reminiscent of Japanese brands like Neighborhood and Bounty Hunter. They are run out of their own shop in the Apgujong district, tucked away in a black case of cement and glass.

The line is made from the finest materials of the utmost quality, and the pricetag certainly reflects that. We’re talking $600 jackets and the like..

For more information on Diafvine, check out their site.

by bobbyhundreds

Our next stop here in South Korea was Apkujong, which is the central fashion district in Seoul. Kasina owns and operates several shops here, including this second “Premium” location.

Like the “Premium” in Myung Dong, this location also carries The Hundreds, Crooks, and Stussy, amongst other streetwear brands. They also stock an extensive range of DC and Creative Recreation.

Speaking of which, Kasina and Creative Rec recently teamed up come up with these two collaborative shoe styles.

Down the road is Solstice, Kasina’s skate shop, which is run by local skateboarders in Seoul.

Just around the corner, Kasina also turned their former Nike Af1 25th Anniversary shop into an outlet for the brands they distribute.

<i>by bobbyhundreds</i>

So we’re in Seoul this week for, amongst other things, Kasina‘s 10-year Anniversary Party. Our first stop on the itinerary was the Kasina offices, to meet up with our hosts and get better acquainted with Korea’s rapidly growing street culture market.

Kasina’s offices are also conveniently located in the same building as MAPS, which is the foremost streetwear print publication here in Korea.

Here, Tony (Kasina) and MAPS’ editor-in-chief runs over the agenda. MAPS is by our side for the next few days, documenting our trip to Korea for an upcoming feature on The Hundreds. Basically, we have our own paparazzi following us around the city for the next week. The locals probably think Harold and Kumar are on a press tour.

Kasina is not only our representative out here in South Korea, but they also own 5 stores in the capitol city. Our first stop was to check out one of Kasina’s “Premium” boutiques in the Myung-Dong district, which is one of Seoul’s noisiest shopping hubs.

Spot the paparazzo.

Premium carries our brand, along with Crooks & Castles, UNDFTD, Nike SB, and Stussy. I’m not sure how to get there, but if you’re in the neighborhood, they’re located right across from the A.P.C. store and next door to American Apparel.

by bobbyhundreds

Here you go.

I swear, this has to be the 16th time we’ve re-done the website, this time once again thanks to the workaholics over at 530 Media Lab. And I guess it makes sense, considering how integral our site is to the brand. To this day, interviewers still ask me which came first, our apparel or the website, and for the unknowing, we did launch both on the same day. Our intentions for the website were to build a lifestyle and community around the brand, instead of just offering baseless t-shirts. More importantly, we were interested in building the culture, and educating the consumer on the history and personalities behind the brands in the marketplace, while we were informing ourselves in turn.

The majority of you are probably most familiar with my blog, but our CHRONICLES have always been my pride and joy. It’s my chance to sit down with the designers and persona who are doing something which truly captures my interest, and inspires me in my own process. To re-launch the site, I had a chance to interview Lanie from Hellz Bellz, one of my favorite brands out right now. Click on ZINE above to find out why.

A selection of some pieces from our Holiday offerings from The Hundreds and Tens can now rotating on the splash page. Speaking of which, our Holiday Collection of tees, hoodies, hats, and beanies are now up in THE SHOP. Cut-n-sew product should be hitting online in the next couple weeks.

We’ve added a few more blogs for your pleasure:

- The Store has taken on a life of its own, so we thought it only deserving that the guys (and gal) stuck in Rosewood’s black wooden box document the everyday goings-on, cameos, release dates, and other product information in their own web log.

- Neek’s putting in some time on The Hundreds side, by giving you a glimpse of the Vegas life from behind his thick-frame glasses and sloppy mop. There’s Neek!

- We pulled the ol’ flipperoo on the cult-status “Yasi Asks” column and gave our own advice columnist an “Ask Yasi” blog by which she answers your life questions. All opinions represented are not necessarily those shared by The Hundreds. In fact, I can say there’s a good chance they’re not.

- I’ll write a proper introduction for our “Give” link in the near future but basically, some things are more important in life than how well your sneakers match your t-shirt.

There are a few more bells and whistles if you take a look around. We’re still in the process of tweaking things here and there, so thank you for being patient with us during construction.

Now onto the next.

by bobbyhundreds

Ahnyounghasayo from Seoul, South Korea.

by bobbyhundreds

The site will be down for a few days as we prepare to launch The Hundreds version 16.0 in the next week. Stay tuned, be patient, and step outside in the meantime.

by bobbyhundreds