Ichiban is Japanese for 'number one' or 'best' and this fresh London label seems to be living up to the name. Their output is simple as they are just producing tees and crews at the moment but it's the glimpses of genius they put into their print designs that has proved them to be label to watch. Most of the prints are one tone, bold and really strong.

A prime example is the Ichiban Old School 3 print which they have repeated in this seasons collection due to popular demand. With it's vector Tape-head character (which is very reminiscent of Designer Republics and 123 Klans artwork) and statement 'Don't Make Me Get Old School' this design is an absolute banger. We've got it on black and grey crews and on black and white tees and I think it's going to be as popular this season as it was in the last...
 

Written across the tape is the phrase 'for those that know'. This seems to be a tag line of Ichiban and crops up in a lot of their prints. Here's the old school tee. Looks well strong against the black...

Humour and wit seem to be a major part of the Ichiban design ethos. The Old School print is a good example as well as this 'Rep' tee. An obvious copy of the Marlboro packet and logo with a wicked twist on the oversized government warnings. Again with the 'for those that know' as well...

A really clever use of branding that has been burnt onto the colective conscience to put across an Ichiban message. They do it again with this bad 'Get Money' print. The Monopoly man holding a bag of cash and a tommy gun. A winner.

It comes as a tee as well. He looks so pleased with himself with his tache and bow legs. Gangster...

A similar but different character is this satisfied fat-cat type, leaning back at his desk enjoying his wealth and prosperity with a fat cigar, safe in the knowledge that he's a 'Bonafide Hustler'. Bad. Note the FTTK (For Those That Know again) written on a sheet on his desk.

 

He also comes on a tee in all his pinstriped pomposity...

FTTK appears again as a speech bubble in this 'Scream' print. Clearly influenced by the Pop Art hero Roy Lichtenstein and his use of comic book graphics to produce impressive large images this Scream is definitely an eye catcher...

I wonder wahat's freaked her so much?! She looks in the same state on the tee...

One of the few designs in this bunch which doesn't feature the 'For Those That Know' tag line and has a much darker message than the rest is this 'Art of War' print. With a grenade/skull as the main graphic and plain font this print is much more serious and maybe has something to say about the state of the world. Who knows...it works on a tee though. Really like the size of the print...
 

Work as white on black too, as on this crewneck...

Another one with a darker violent theme is this 'Piece' tee. The peace sign made up of guns or 'pieces' is saying something pretty dark. I'm not in a position to say what that message so I'll leave it up to you...
 

That's all folks. Check out the other colourways of these prints in our Ichiban section.

 

 

 

As we all know fresh headwear is a vital part of any outfit for those who've caught the streetwear bug. Three brands that always come up with strong designs to decorate New Era 59Fifty's and snapback caps are 10 Deep, Mishka and The Hundreds. Each one is a small independent brand with their own individual take on what should be on a hat.

Apart from the infamous Bearmop (pictured above) another graphic representative of the Mishka crew is the vicious looking Death Adder, and it's him that's prominent in this latest drop. Standing out on his own at first in these 'Death Adder' New Era's. Simple and effective. It's a dirty logo...

Here's the black:

and grey with a contrasting purple:

The Death Adder appears again on these Mishka 'Hat Trick' snapbacks. This time as part of graphic inspired by American pro sports graphics as if the Death Adders are a team about to take the prize...

Here's the red:

and looking dope in the Navy blue:

10 Deep is another label hailing from New York City and their graphics are often tougher than Mishka, using a lot of gang themed imagery. Their logos got a knuckle duster in it for starters. Here's the Larger Living snapback with the knuckle duster and using old fashioned graphics that reminds of beer bottle labels. Old graphics works really well on streetwear pieces and a lot of brands have caught on now. Here's the red:

and the black:

The Ironside Navigator 5 panel cap is a recurring piece in 10 Deep's collection and it's back again this season with a wicked Navy/White/Red plaid pattern throughout:

The Hundreds have done some wicked things with their Adam Bomb character over the years and here he comes on the 'Chopped Adam' New Era Cap peering over the peak at you. This logo is so strong and there's so much that can be done with it. Really like this dark green one:

Here he is on black. Jumps out at you on this one:

We've got the 'Chopped Adam' in purple too which also looks dope. Mr Bomb is back again on this 'Adam' snapback. The colours on these are wicked with Adam standing out on the white with the contrasting back and peak really working. This is the burgandy:

And here's the black. The teal on the peak really makes this one shine. My personal favourite of a very good bunch:

Finally here's the 'Warm Up' beanie from The Hundreds if you fancy something to keep your ears warm while still looking the business:

That's all folks. Take a look at our Mishka, 10 Deep and The Hundreds sections for lots more wicked gear...

 

Adidas Originals have, in their long history, produced some the most iconic and best known shoe silhouettes in the world and by the looks of it they’re not done yet. We are proud to present their latest and freshest mid top: The Freemont Mid.

It comes in the perfect colourways for autumn - grey, black and white and features a full leather upper with a unique suede tongue and toebox.  They mix leather and suede perfectly for a really distinctive and clean look.

 The thing that really sets the Freemont mids apart from the competition is the detailing,  especially the use of the suede down the tongue and across the toebox. The perforated tonal three stripe branding on the side helps emphasize the satisfying shape further and its large padded tongue pushes the heel support outwards for that wide look. The metallic Trefoil on the top of the sides and the back are the cherry on top of these instant classics. So let's take a looksy...

Here's the Iron/Silver colourway. This version was apparently inspired by the slick interiors of American Hot Rod cars and I think you can see that in the color choice and the emphasis of the lines and shapes:

 

I really like that thick midsole. Love the lines on this silhouette. Adidas Originals definitely know how to make a quality mid:

Heres the Metallic Trefoil tags that are attached to the out-facing side of the shoe:

Here's the Running white versions. Notice the off white suede that runs down the tongue onto the toe box. Beauties in the details on these Freemont Mids. I like the way the Trefoil tags really stand out on these:

 

And there's diddy little ones on the back pulls. Another nice detail:

 

Finally here's the Black/Black's: There's always something really smart about a pair of black trainers with a deep, white midsole. Especially if they're hi's or mids (Supra Vaiders being a prime example). It's such a strong look:

I think this colour way emphasizes the details on the Freemont Mid brilliantly and the textural and tonal contrast between the sides and the tongue/toe box work so well...

These look mean...plain and simple.

That's all folks. Get yourself a pair of these now from our Adidas Originals section by clicking on the above images.