Gallery: Take40 ‘Stars of Summer’ Party

This past Saturday saw Sydney’s social set gather at the glorious $20 million Point Piper mansion of catering king John Lanzafame for the Take40 Australia Stars of Summer Party, presented by the new Toyota Yaris.

The rain paused and the clouds parted as guests enjoyed gourmet nibblies, vodka shots and performances by Havana Brown and Sneaky Sound System – which was made only more spectacular by the gorgeous Sydney Harbour backdrop.

Browse the Take40 Stars of Summer Party gallery below:

Nike Sportswear Housewarming Party

An oceanfront mansion in Bronte played host to Nike’s recent Housewarming Party where the sportswear brand previewed its Winter12 collection and celebrated the iconic Air Force 1 sneaker – which will clock its 30^th anniversary next year.

Tacos, burgers and beers were ferried around to guests – which included NBA baller Patty Mills, footy star Jarryd Hayne and Sydney FC’s marquee player Brett Emerton – while artful product displays fuelled conversation and DJ Nino Brown weaved the night’s soundtrack.

A mammoth pair of sculpted legs, sporting equally huge AF1s, dwarfed party-goers in the courtyard and an oversized Nike shoebox played display table to a colourful showcase of the classic sneaker. Then there were the comically large AF1s guests were invited to slip on for an awesome photo opp…

Nike sure have made an art out of the media preview. Check out photos from the night after the jump: Continue reading »

PUMA Ink On Suede

PUMA have dropped a new collection of cool kicks with a limited edition tattoo artist collection on their classic Suede edition. The PUMA Ink On Suede collection features three styles created by Italian tattoo artists – Davide De Stefano, Heinz and Rino Valente - who were given free range to design what they wished.

Davide draws from a black and gold world. The graphic sockliner motif carries through to the lining and laces, which feature a gold foil application. Heinz’s take is an ivory Suede with a black pop Formstrip and graphic laces and lining. The sockliners feature his namesake against multi-colored skulls and dragons, floral motifs and spray paint effects. And Rino mashes up symbols, skulls, and foliage effects. His Suede is grey with graphic laces and brown laces, complemented by a graphic lining and fully coloured sockliner.

Browse these limited edition kicks after the jump: Continue reading »

WIN TICKETS to THE NEW MOTION PARTY powered by HYUNDAI ACCENT!

We are giving YOU and 3 friends the chance to catch ALOE BLACC, MARVIN PRIEST and RUBY ROSE live at THE NEW MOTION PARTY powered by HYUNDAI ACCENT. With the promise of some additional, mysterious highlights and an exclusive venue still to be announced, THE NEW MOTION PARTY will be a guaranteed gig-to remember for the launch of the Hyundai Accent.

To win your way in and take three of your mates to a new style of party, email your name and postal address to comps@rhymeandreason.com.au by midday 25th October 2011 [Sydney residents only].

Read more about THE NEW MOTION PARTY powered by HYUNDAI ACCENT after the jump: Continue reading »

The 2011 NIKE MAG

We’ve been waiting for this day since 1989:

The NIKE MAG is no longer the “greatest shoe never made.” The mythical shoe that originally captured the imagination of audiences in Back to the Future II is being released – and they’re here to help create a future without Parkinson’s disease.

1500 pairs of the 2011 NIKE MAG are being auctioned on eBay with all net proceeds going directly to The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Each day for the duration of the ten-day auction, one hundred and fifty pairs of the 2011 NIKE MAG shoes will be made available via eBay’s Fashion Vault. The auction will end September 18. Thanks to a previous 50 million dollar match given to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, all donations will be matched, effectively doubling the contributions from the auction.

The original NIKE MAG was worn by the Back to the Future character Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, in the year 2015. It came alive, lit up and formed to Marty’s foot. The 2011 NIKE MAG shoe was designed to be a precise replica of the original from Back to the Future II. The aesthetic is an exact match, down to the contours of the upper, the glowing LED panel and the electroluminescent NIKE in the strap. The 2011 NIKE MAG illuminates with the pinch of the “ear” of the high top, glowing for five hours per charge.

Head here to bid on a pair of these very limited edition sneakers. Winning bids are already topping the $9,000 mark!

Pro-Skater & Brand Ambassador Stevie Williams Goes Beyond the Board

Professional street skateboarder Stevie Williams has gone from a dirty ghetto kid to building a leading skate board brand, DGK, with the motto “from nothing to something.” That very foundation has served as the kick off to a multi-facet brand empire Williams is developing, he’s far from done and ambitious to obtain the best. The world renown skateboarder, has created a brand strong enough to foster collaborations with G-Shock, New Era, Venture Trucks, Gold Wheels, 9Five Eyewear and prepping for his next venture. Continue reading »

Foot Locker Art Prize Winner Announced

Forget Salvador Dali. It doesn’t get any more surreal than hearing Q-Tip pumped throughout the majestic caverns of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Last night, the 137 year-old building played host to the Foot Locker Art Prize exhibit with a soiree celebrating the artworks of the sneaker art competition’s 25 finalists – with Brisbane artist Kalin Thompson crowned victor and presented with a $50,001 novelty cheque [in the home of the Archibald Prize, mind you].

Congratulations to Kalin, all the finalists, Foot Locker, DEC Communications and all other parties involved with the Foot Locker Art Prize for what was a great night and an amazing display of sneaker art.

Read the official press release after the jump – while Rhyme & Reason will post bonus coverage of the event early next week: Continue reading »

Foot Locker Art Prize Finalists Revealed

Foot Locker have just announced the 25 finalists of the Foot Locker Art Prize: World’s Richest Colouring Competition after a gruelling judging process which saw 6,000 entries whittled down to 25. And now it’s your turn to cast your votes and help decide the winner of that massive $50,0001 prize – which sneakily trumps The Archibald Prize by just one dollar.

Below are a few of our favourite designs from the 25 finalists. You can head over to www.footlockerartprize.com to preview the full gallery and submit your votes.

Video: Nike – Tales From The Kitchen

During a research trip to China back in 2008 Shane Kohatsu, Nike’s Innovation Lead for Basketball, noticed local basketballers were wearing everything from running shoes to hiking boots on the court. The game in China is predominantly played outside in hot, humid conditions and the courts are made of unforgiving asphalt, so naturally, they were picking their footwear to deal with their environments. In some cases the running shoe’s breathability helped in the stifling conditions and for others the strength of their hiking shoes meant their footwear would last on the blacktop.

Shane, and his colleagues in Nike’s Innovation Kitchen, thought they could help these athletes by combining the best of those two worlds. Their solution was to take three materials and fuse them together into one material, to create a shoe that was off the charts in strength, yet allowed for a precise placement of mesh for breathability.

Hyperfuse was soon adopted by other sport categories at Nike. Ben Shaffer, the innovation lead of Nike Sportswear was drawn to the way the technology absorbed color and the beauty of the depth of the multiple layers. He applied it to some of Nike’s most revered styles like the Air Max 90 and the Air Force One.

Check out the animated story of Shane and Ben’s journey below: Continue reading »

Photos: EMI Move Into Trendy New Offices

Yesterday, EMI Music Australia moved into their plush new digs at Surry Hills from their old haunt of 24-years across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Cremorne.

The record label has also adopted the creative spirit of their new surrounds, launching the EMI Art Project – an art installation occupying their two large Flinders Street-facing windows.

“The idea is that we are giving back to the creative community, and more broadly that music sits hand in hand with art; it’s an exploration of both forms,” said a representative from EMI. “The windows are open to all kinds of art, design and fashion – and the idea is for a real mixture of styles and influences … and that eventually people will go out of their way to come and check out the display works as they are unveiled at street level and via our blog. The first two pieces couldn’t be more of a juxtaposition: An Archibald portrait entry and a 3D street art installation.”

Check out photos of the new EMI offices after the jump: Continue reading »