55DSL News

55DSL Recommends: Lemon Jelly Theramin Marathon

55DSL — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:28:32 +0000

If you want to be truly tripped out by live music, forget computer and DJ produced acid house, trance, techno or any related genres! Nick Franglen of sample dons, Lemon Jelly, will be showing the streets of London the way forward with his eccentric rebirth of the Theramin…

For 24 hours straight, he will be playing this musical peculiarity, allowing the passing public to automatically glitch the “music” every time someone passes, creating a living musical entity. If you’re not familiar with the Theramin, it resembles an old radio with a coat hanger sticking out of it which you can create sounds that would be considered futuristic in the 1950s! Think retro space music, spilling out on the London streets at 4am - captivating, especially if you’ve had a couple of drinks! Nick starts his performance at midnight in London Bridge tomorrow, and his 2010 version will be interesting to say the least considering these original pioneers…

55DSL Recommends: Vimeo Festival

55DSL — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:55:16 +0000

Unfortunately, where genuinely creative and inspired video production is concerned, sifting through the melting pot of disturbed humanity that is YouTube does not easily yield the greatest results. No matter how many hours of gloriously entertaining footage it offers (including gems such as “leave Britney alone” and “chocolate rain”) a more focused channel is needed!

Since it launched in 2004, Vimeo has provided this alternative, gracing the avid filmmakers, artistic minds and viral fanatics of this world with a community to share their creative work. From innovative and underground music videos to short films and design projects, Vimeo has an average of more than 16,000 new videos uploaded daily.

To celebrate this thriving community, Vimeo are holding their own festival in New York this October. A chance to meet the bodies behind the videos, real human contact will replace commenting! Screenings, workshops and parties will take place so a great opportunity for any budding film makers! Click here to get all the details, and get inspired below with this awesome video, featuring an epic tune!

55DSL Recommends: When I Am Big

55DSL — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:14:38 +0000

If reality reflected our childhood dreams, working as an astronaut would be as common as flipping burgers, employment schemes would provide cowboy-rockstar training courses and your dim uncle Leeroy (with an arthritic knee) would be president.

Thankfully, it’s not always as easy to achieve your “when I grow up, I want to be” fantasies, as the world would be a very different place. Instead of a mass postal strike, can you imagine thousands of disgruntled superheros protesting against job cuts? How depressing…

But how far have you strayed from what you first wanted to do? You may have even succeeded in fulfilling your childhood dream but realised that in hindsight, it’s at lot less exciting than you once imagined. Being a train driver, for instance. Or perhaps after your first heart attack, it dawned on you that ice-cream tasting wasn’t the brightest of career moves!

However you look at it, it’s always interesting to compare your current ambitions and the ones you had at the tender age of six! This is exactly what photographer Emilie Fjola Sandy and designer Kamilla Weinhardt have portrayed in their portrait exhibition, When I Am Big. A humourous collection of photos of creative professionals, but submerged in the world they once sought to live in! The unique exhibition runs in London until 27th of August, click below for details and more portraits…

55DSL Recommends: WTF should I do with my life…

55DSL — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:37:04 +0000

Shocking reports reveal that the prime age for a mid-life crisis is now 25! At such a tender age, divorce, sports cars and adultery are unlikely cures for the vast majority, so new channels to discover your inner potential in life is the best way forward! And thanks to this empowering new website, excitement and satisfaction has never been so easily achievable…

OK, so before you suffer a cringe overdose from patronising, self-development propaganda you’d expect to find on a leaflet, What The F*ck Should I Do With My Life is an enticing game of roulette, reminding you of awesome experiences our little planet offers, right at your fingertips. And you never know, it might spark that new inspiration in life that you’re craving…

55DSL is never short of excitement and fun, but within a few clicks on this site, we were provided with this alternative life that surely no one would turn down, let’s paint the picture. You’ve moved to the beautiful surroundings of Colorado where you enjoy the chilled life of a yurt homeowner. But that’s not all, oh no! Everyday you power through the skies and skim the earth in your new day job as a professional crop duster pilot. The evenings cater for your creative desires as you embrace your newly found talent as a locally commissioned graffiti artist… Amazing. Needless to say, even if you couldn’t be more content with your existence, check out what you’re missing! Click below.

55DSL Recommends: Limbo

55DSL — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:32:45 +0000

In a time where advancing graphics and heightened gameplay seem to dominate the video games industry, it’s often hard to get noticed for something that is completely unique and breathtaking.

Limbo is a title that is getting some incredible press, and rightly so, for its accurately haunted platform game set in a child’s world of limbo.

The game is amazingly the first production from Denmark’s game studio ‘Playdead’ and is a perfect illustration of an independent studio pushing into the mainstream with something so painfully simple, yet artistically outstanding.

At its core the game sees you navigate a child through his own world of limbo with horrifically difficult puzzles blocking your progression. A lack of soundtrack and general bleakness make it a completely engrossing ‘game’ while ‘deaths’ are of a brutal, almost manga-like extreme.

Available on the Xbox Live Arcade, Limbo is like playing in some of the darkest works of art and is sure to captivate anyone with a taste for progression.

55DSL Recommends: X-Fighters in London

55DSL — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:41:59 +0000

For all those excitable kids whose entire life would have been completed at the age of ten if they received a flying motorbike for Christmas, welcome to heaven!

Fittingly situated in the shadow of London’s most awe inspiring landmark, Battersea Power Station, the Red Bull X-Fighters event is a competition and showcase of the craziest freestyle motocross daredevils the world has ever seen… As the riders push each other to limits that make a mockery of the term “health and safety”, you’re not human if you manage to refrain from having your mouth permanently open in disbelief!

What’s more, the event is held in open air at night, and the spectacle of the looming industrial relic that is Battersea Power Station - dramatically lit up, is an unmissable sight in itself. This Friday 13th and Saturday 14th, watch a new breed take off in London…

55DSL Recommends: Ladder Sport…

55DSL — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:44:42 +0000

Okay, so the parkour phenomenon is no longer breaking news, it’s now a well established urban sport with substantial exposure on a worldwide level. However, if you really want to be impressed by these hyperactive urban squirrels, mix in some elements of extreme window cleaning and skills that cat burglars can only dream of!

Filmed for an energy drink brand, these parkour athletes have adapted worryingly flimsy looking ladders to incorporate into their death-defying antics. Clearly these lunatics were never forced onto drop-tower theme park rides as kids, and avoided being scarred for life with disabling vertigo. Alternatively, the government might want to run DNA tests on these guys, as it’s highly probable that they are the unfortunate outcome of when a young woman fell into a zoo enclosure full of monkeys on heat…

Either way, their gymnastic ability is mind blowing, not to mention the focus that is required to carry out these stunts with such ease and grace. Most of us still fall UP the stairs occasionally! Check this out…

55DSL Recommends: Artificial Sneaker…

55DSL — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:58:23 +0000

When you’re a footwear fanatic, the summer is a problematic time when choosing footwear. Flip-flops are okay for the poolside, but any other time the sweaty squeaking sound doesn’t exactly exude street appeal! Thus, the past couple of years have witnessed the incredible rebirth of the espadrille, the stylishly minimal compromise for those hotter months.

However, there’s one fundamental problem… As cool as these retro slip-ons are, there’s always the danger that they might remind you of your overweight, hairy, Mediterranean uncle whose espadrilles have fused to the leathery skin on his feet from years of lingering on the beach…

Erasing that repellent thought and injecting fresh life into these iconic shoes, French brand Bsided have re-invented the rope-soled classics with a contemporary twist. Inspired canvas designs allow you to wear your favourite shoe style, with the light comfort and freedom of the 14th century espadrille. So realistic, these designs are the ultimate footwear illusion, whilst maintaining their own increasingly successful trend and appeal. From 1920’s spats, boat shoes and familiar sneakers, the models are a design accomplishment in their own right! Click below to check out the whole range.

55DSL Skate inspired tees…

55DSL — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:13:22 +0000

Winded, you pick yourself up off the sticky summer asphalt, your board has skidded off down the road and you realise another tweak is needed on your makeshift launch ramp. Crack open a coke, plug in your barely intact Walkman and roll off to meet your buddies, they’re only two blocks away skating the new handrail outside the 7 Eleven… And you need some Shoe Goo!

Those were the nostalgic days of 90’s skateboard life, when professional skaters were not millionaire superstars and street skating was young, raw and free. “Back in the day…” (above) is one of the ten 90’s skate inspired 55DSL tees, bringing back the retro graphics, colours and images that capture the time better than Back To The Future III!

Before street fashion became so specific and commercialised, your favourite graphic tee was an indispensable part of you - with rips, fading and stains, you wore it until that fateful day it literally fell off your body. This 55DSL tee collection celebrates those iconic designs and styles, once again making your most beloved t-shirt the only worthy material on your back as you rumble towards that set of stairs…

Available in stores now, check out some more designs below!

55DSL Overload: Andrea Rosso creates the first brand inspired MYMAG!

55DSL — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:15:48 +0000

What links director Brett Ratner, producer Steve Aoki, actress Olivia Munn, guru Deepak Chopra and 55DSL creative director Andrea Rosso?

Nope, it’s not a who’s who guest list to one of the sweetest parties ever. In fact Andrea is the newest superstar asked to curate the magazine MYMAG. Donning his best Hugh Hefner smoking jacket, editor Andrea has taken the helm of issue five, as 55DSL becomes the first brand chosen to create an issue.

Andrea has promised the 55DSL issue will be a mix of his own personal content and the 55DSL FW10 line. The MYMAG magazine is also a collaboration with important youth-lifestyle tastemakers & top international style bibles : Dazed & Confused, Lowdown, Paper, Tokion and WAD magazines.

Andrea said: “All of these publications reflect my eclectic taste and have been close partners with me and 55DSL over the last decade. Paper magazine in particular as I interned there in 1997. It reminds me how old I am now!!”

Andrea’s MYMAG will be available on MYMAG.com, in 55DSL stores and stockists worldwide.

55DSL Recommends: ‘Ride :: feat Steve Berra’

55DSL — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:59:40 +0000

As a launch video for its new energy drink, Coca Cola has lit up Mexico City with some expressive skating.

The film sees some of the most prolific boarders having a free reign of the city including the legendary street skater Steve Berra along with Jesus Gonzalez, Eder Martinez, Mario Saenz, Angel Santiago and Luis Tolentino.

Adding in a warped extra dimension, the skaters do all this while on fire. It may seem like a warped fantasy of some twisted arsonist, but ‘Ride’ is visually a real gritty gem.

Following the burning skaters through the streets to the sounds of Django Django, the fire represents the passion and drive within the skating community.

It’s all-real with no visual trickery which makes some of the stunts all the more impressive.

Whether you’re a skater or not, the message is a positive one, embrace the energy inside that keeps your dreams alive.

Remember not to play with fire kids, but do grab your board and go skating!

The 10.55 Project with DiedLastNight

55DSL — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Don’t be mislead to think Milan’s position at the very top of the fashion world means all Milanese adhere to a strict label-obsessed, fashionista image that the city so famously produces. While the sight of an unlabelled piece of clothing is surely a rarity, some are able to look in the shadows, at the true pioneers.

Diedlastnight do just this, capturing a new sense of the creative energy flowing through the city at night.

Approached to take part in 55DSL’s seminal project, 10.55, diedlastnight represents the city with an outsider attitude reserved for those people breaking the mould with confidence and individuality; a back to the wall, street outlook on life.

In its effort to capture Milan in a tee, diedlastnight scoured its deep archive of gritty street photography to find the ultimate and overwhelming display of uniqueness at the feet of a hardcore skater shot by Jacopo IAVE Volpe.

The result is a staggeringly powerful print and something that is sure to offend and intrigue in equal measure; a sight of Milan that demands attention.

55DSL Recommends: The Creators Project

55DSL — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:16:59 +0000

Never before has the idea of ‘creativity’ been so openly acknowledged and encouraged to such a broad extent. Advertising, marketing, media, architecture, the arts - wherever you look, daring new boundaries are being pushed over and over again, providing a new breed of creative minds with their chance to shine!

Significantly with technology progressing at such a blistering rate, the challenge is on to stay ahead of the game with original, exciting ideas!

Embracing this explosive movement of progressive minds, The Creators Project is a new network dedicated to the celebration of creativity and culture across media, and around the world. From video production to music performances, The Creators Project acts as a channel to display talent, but also to facilitate further collaborations and events.

Brazilian multimedia artist, Muti Randolph, is a featured creator who produces absurdly strange but alluring lighting installations for events, clubs and sets. No doubt, Muti will be part of the next, highly anticipated Creators Project event on August 14th in Sao Paulo, Brazil, amongst an awesome variety of bands and artist showcases. Dive into the eclectic world of the Creators Project here, and let Muti trip you out with his work below!

55DSL Recommends: The London Police in Glasgow…

55DSL — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:33:56 +0000

The Recoat gallery in Glasgow presents Co-Laboratory, an inspired exhibition compromising on street drawings, stencils and prints courtesty of international artists such as South American, Alto Contraste and London veterans, The London Police.

For those unaware, The London Police are a collective of street artists, blessing 35 countries around the globe with their trademark and infamous LADS characters, for over 10 years! With an iconic pen style, their instantly recongnisable pieces remain tight as ever, confirming TLP as legendary heavy hitters on this ever growing street art revolution. The exhibition is open until July 25th, so get down this weekend! Click here for more details…

55DSL Recommends: Lace up with the 6 strings of Hendrix!

55DSL — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:18:37 +0000

“Hey Joe, where you goin’ with those Converse in your hand…”

Ignoring the rock blasphamy that occurs when altering Jimi Hendrix’s iconic lyrics, this line unites two significant entities that have a lot in common. Firstly, there should be no debate that within the eventful history of rock & roll, Jimi Hendrix defined ‘cool’ like no other musician. Effortlessly turning on millions with his raw, spectacular musical magic, not to mention his pure passion for his art which sparked life and real meaning to the term “Rock Star”.

Similarly, with the ever increasing fetish and fascination for sneakers world-wide, there is only one pair that has remained current and legendary, influencing fashion trends, lifestyle and movements for decades. Especially in the diverse realms of music, from The Ramones to Snoop Dogg, Converse All Stars stand above the rest as the most iconic sneakers in history.

Celebrating this untouchable relationship between shoe and music, Converse are paying homage to this guitar God’s soundtrack of the late 60’s with this new custom collection! Incorporating artwork, photography and Jimi’s culture defining fashion sense, this collaboration displays Converse’s continual ability to reinvent these simple but adored plimsolls… Click below to walk in the shoes of a legend!

55DSL Summer of Foos-Football! Claim your souvenir now…

55DSL — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:58:26 +0000

From London to New York to Japan, the beer splashed tables of the mighty 55DSL x Panini Galactic Battle Of Foosball were played by hundreds, hungry for victory! With such an epic prize up for grabs, the atmosphere was electric and from the very first heats, teams locked horns across the globe and 16 awesome finalists where eventually spawned…

With the elated winners, team Italy, off to the World Cup Finals in South Africa with our own Andrea Rosso, foosball fever turned to football fever and 55DSL had the style covered throughout with the custom football inspired t-shirt collection. However, whether the World Cup provoked you to smash up your kitchen in anger and subsequently cry yourself to sleep in the fetal position on the floor, or you are still celebrating hedonistic victory in Spain - you can still keep the football spirit alive this summer! The designs are so awesome, they can distract from your World Cup shame or amplify your pride with a new level of style… And the best part, there is 30% off the whole collection so grab yours before it’s too late! Click the sexy minx below to go straight to the store..

55DSL Recommends: Big Bang Big Boom!

55DSL — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:45:10 +0000

Taking street art to a mammoth new level, Italian artist Blu continues to leave cities around the world speechless with the sheer size, detail and vision of his work. Immensely creative with his urban canvases, Blu involves structural features of buildings and walls to influence direction of his creations, some up to five stories high… To get a feel for the scale of some of his pieces, forget ladders, Blu often uses cherry pickers to reach areas of his paintings!

However, what’s even more sensational is the fact that you would have to be significantly far away from the larger pieces to see them in their entirety, but to appreciate the intricate detail within, you need to be right next to the wall. Blu’s art is instantly recognisable, boasting an energetic drawing style which is amplified superbly on such an immense scale. Often, the most striking element is his twisted and intriguing subject matter, and the connotations within - rather than the more common graphical, voiceless approach to street art.

Developing a new dynamic to his art, Blu also produces incredible stop motion videos that entail awe-inspiring planning, direction and imagination. His brand new offering, Big Bang Big Boom, is an astonishing view of evolution and suggestion on how life could end…

Get 55inches Deep @ Bread & Butter, Berlin!

55DSL — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:18:36 +0000

For the next three days, 55DSL are cheekily flexing their muscles amongst the playground of streetwear that is the Bread & Butter tradeshow in Berlin! Showcasing the mouthwatering 2011 55DSL collection in typically creative, fun loving fashion, 55DSL has brought the summer feeling to the urban convention with its own pool party!! If chilling 55inches deep in the pool is not enough, get frisky on 55 in our Kama Sutra themed Red Room dedicated to head honcho, Andrea Rosso… Yes girlfriend, we went there. Needless to say, prepare to ignite your passion for life with the 55DSL 2011 collection and burn all traces of fashion mediocrity for good! Check out the set-up pics below…

The pool area…!

The Red Room…!

55DSL Recommends: Akira The Don Stikes again!

55DSL — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:58:51 +0000

Bedroom producers of the world, time to remove those headphones, remember to save your new beat and take a second’s break to witness the fitness of Akira The Don’s latest mixtape! This time, the infamous producer of online grandeur has created a mixtape comprised of recordings made over 24 hours straight, no less no more. (To prove it, he streamed the whole session live online!)

The outcome is a 40 minute variety of refreshingly raw, lively tunes which disregard the suffocating slickness and over production processes that take over such a large majority of music these days… A bold move by Akira, proving that it takes more than just a laptop and some software to really establish yourself as a skilled producer. Featuring artists from all over the world who stopped by to get on the LP, listen to ATD24 below and challenge yourself to think what you could do in just 24 hours…

BEST | EVER - The Delicacy Of Passion @ Studio 55

55DSL — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:11:37 +0000

This Thursday 1st July, BEST | EVER are proud to present The Delicacy Of Passion, a micro pop-up show in conjunction with 55DSL and Becks. The exhibition will showcase a selection of their latest works as a taster for their forthcoming solo show in the autumn.

In their short working partnership, British duo BEST | EVER have gained worldwide recognition for their unique interpretive depictions of the human form. Individually they began their careers as graffiti writers but since meeting in late 2008, have developed a more classical style together that combines intricate aerosol photorealism with traditional painterly techniques. Influenced as much by Schiele and Klimt as by their combined experience as urban artists, BEST | EVER execute sensitive subject matters such as death, disease and mental illness with soul and wisdom that belies their youth.

In their first twelve months together BEST | EVER have shown internationally in Berlin, Tokyo and Porto, as well as being part of numerous group shows in London and all over the UK. They also feature in a forthcoming street art exhibition and book curated by the V & A museum, the exhibition will tour the UK between October 2010 and December 2012.

55DSL Recommends: Nick Gentry

55DSL — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:32:37 +0000

As thousands of us queued this week to be desperately united with the new iPhone 4, our daily dependence on modern technology becomes increasingly crucial, let alone significant. Keeping au fait with the rapid evolution of digital culture is a substantial feat in itself for many, but what of the redundant and discarded technologies of the past?

Last night at Studio 55 in London, artist Nick Gentry displayed that he has not forgotten the impact that certain technological relics had in our time, injecting new life to the good old floppy disk with his collection of compelling paintings. Using old floppy disks (still loaded with a treasure trove of ancient data) as the canvas but also an integral part of the composition of his portraits, his paintings are incredibly human and lively. Not to mention the effortless manner in which his creations provoke personal nostalgia from decades ago! Even though the physical material of his art is a dated format, his final pieces and concept are just as cutting edge as they original. Click below to find out more…