Wednesday, January 28, 2009

THE OLD NY


One of my best friends Kariem is from NY (so he says). Canarsie in Brooklyn to be exact. He spent his entire life talking about BK and I think I've been there more than him. Even before I moved to NY. This shirt is dedicated to him. He follows all the teams through thick and thin. Mostly "thin" these days. But in any case most NY fans are die hards and I respect that. I may adopt them now while they suck so nobody can talk shit once they do get good. I used to be Warriors fan. Sorry to anyone that still is... but then again, they are already SORRY! Baron you still owe a lot of people for season ticket money. I might have to post your email and cel phone number soon.

I never liked Patrick Ewing because he seemed to never miss that baseline jumpshot. But growing up I did have all his adidas shoes. He is a true NY icon and I've grown to like him like the city. In this case we honor 33.

Also comes in a crew. They grey one is dope.
BUY IT HERE NOW.

Kariem you should be reading this! This is how people know what I'm doing these days. Send me your address.

LEBRON OR BUST


After all the hype of King James the last game he played in NYC. This was fitting. We partnered with DIME Mag to release a tee for the occasion.
BUY IT HERE!

Or leave 2 tickets for me to the game next week at will call and I'll hook you up.
Also if anyone is down to run on the court and get photos taken with Lebron I will give $100 worth of product for the photo and $1000 to anyone that gets on sportscenter.

Now to the real info. For this I'll let the real writers do their thing. Big up Christian!

BY CHRISTIAN GRANT-FIELDS from DIMEMAG.COM
The LeBron to NYC hype isn’t over yet. With King James touching down in NYC next Wednesday, there is already word out that Nike has released yet another version of his Zoom LeBron VI specifically tailored to New York.

Well, we thought we should get in on the fun as well. We linked up with basketball inspired clothing company Undrcrwn, whom we have collaborated with in the past, and came up with these tees poking fun at all the Knicks are doing to get King James to call the Big Apple his kingdom. I wonder if Q is going to be mad we already gave his number away…?


LeBron or Bust!
The tees come in two colors, as you can see in the picture , and will be available in limited quantity at select retailers.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

MOS CHOOSES FANS YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR OFFICIAL VIDEO TO LIFE IN MARVELOUS TIMES



I love this move by mos to pick a video made by a fan. In todays day and age it is truly groundbreaking.
Don't worry mos. Mine is coming next. You owe me for the gear.

adidas releases 2009 allstar uniforms.


Here's what the allstars will be wearing in Feb's allstar game.
We're getting closer and closer to super hero uniforms... or Australian women olympic basketball uniforms. All chubby ballers better start doing crunches.
Also note that they say you can jump 4% higher with there version of spandex... That's super human.



HIGH-TECH PROTECTION
Together, the jersey and shorts are 31% lighter than the typical NBA uniform. Before, layers of twill were sewn together, bogging down the garment. Now added elements, like conference names and player numbers, are bonded on with a heated glue. From a comfort standpoint, the jerseys are tighter fitting and the seams are heat welded, not sewn. That means better mobility and less abrasion for players inside the uniforms.

GRIPPER WAIST BAND
League rules state that jerseys must stay tucked in at all times. The gripper elastic waistband keeps the jersey in place, giving players one less thing to worry about "in the heat of battle."

BETTER VENTILATION
Through athlete testing, Adidas conducted sport-specific studies on the body's "heat zones" areas where players tend to sweat more. Strategically placed holes over these key areas help the guys stay drier longer. The Adidas bodymapping technology works in conjunction with its TECHFIT compression garments, which are worn underneath the uniforms to aid in improved performance, fast recovery, and less fatigue.

PHOENIX-INSPIRED DESIGN
The influence of this year's host city in the design is undeniable. The horizontal lines resemble Arizona's rock formations, while the progression of color (desert red for the West, sunset blue for the East) is emblematic of the legendary bird rising from the flames.

The 2009 NBA All-Star jerseys are available online at NBAStore.com beginning Jan. 22. NBA All-Star Authentic Player Jerseys and Customized Jerseys: $200; NBA All-Star Swingman Jersey: $80; NBA All-Star Replica Jersey: $50.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

REAL INSPIRATION


Hours before Obama is officially sworn in as President of the United States, I just wanted to reflect on the reasons why UNDRCRWN has taken such a strong stance in this historical event.

When hearing about Obama you could only hope that this country would take its head out of the 1950's and 60's and really look at where this country is going. I would never claim nor want to talk,discuss or argue politics. I am more engaged now in the real issues and what our government is doing and not doing about it but when I saw the CNN special about Obama's love for basketball, I was sold. Like I said, I don't know politics, but I know basketball. I feel like little things like these that attach Obama to real people created more interest amongst a lot of people who were just like me.



So with all that being said. America should pat themselves on the back and buckle up for a tough few years to steer this gigantic ship we call The United States Of America around 180 degrees. Enjoy the inauguration.

Also The New York Post posted some articles about comparing Obama to Abe Lincoln. Here is our t-shirt that took Abe Lincoln, Obama and George ICEMAN Gervin into 1 tee. It was more to show that we have a cool president that is built on the values of our past but willing to change to the times.

Lastly (I hate that word), I'm not in DC now but I would compare it to a mix of Woodstock, a Bankers convention and NBA All-Star Weekend. If he give's a shout out to people in the crowd it would only be fitting.



Buy it here.

Friday, January 16, 2009

SHEPARD FAIREY & OBAMA



ART IS AMAZING

NOTORIOUS


If anyone knows me or knows UNDRCRWN (kind of the same thing these days), they know that I'm super intrigued by Biggie Smalls (I actually named my dog BIGGIE). Growing up on the west coast, I actually never listened to him closely. As far as hip hop went, after 95 I was all about Tupac and only west coast hip hop. I really got into the east coast vs. west coast beef. I read all the articles, watched all the documentaries, etc. etc. I really got into BIG then. I always like the way his music sounded but after really listening to him, I was a fan. I always loved NY and he did a good job painting the picture of someone from Brooklyn.
The first tees that we dropped were based on Biggie and Tupac. I continue to reference Biggie and Brooklyn in a lot of the subject matter for UNDRCRWN. When I first met Mos Def he thought I was from Brooklyn (ha!)
ANyways I didn't want to go to any of the industry pre-release showings of Notorious so I could see it with the regular people. I'm trying to see it in Brooklyn. So expect a lot more of the same. Hopefully the movie is good.

So some oldies but goodies.





Wednesday, January 14, 2009

NEW SLAM MAGAZINE


UNDRCRWN in the latest SLAM MAGAZINE.


This was our ad. Funny right?

Big up to Rich Medina for reppin the crown.

MISSY IN O-FACE TEE

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Monday, January 12, 2009

GIANT KILLAH!-INSPIRATION


Not saying that football fans don't get it, but just in case, I attached some of the inspiration. I really just thought it would be hilarious to combine Ghostface and Donovan. I've always been a big fan of all things obnoxious. When Ghostface revealed the giant eagle arm thingy, I was so excited. Never thought that it would ever resurface into anything from me but you never know. GO GET IT NOW ON UNDRCRWN.COM


unOFFICIAL INAUGURATION T-SHIRT FROM UNDRCRWN


Also available on UNDRCRWN.com

Also check MAJOR in DC this Thursday for the limited edition black version.
Only available at MAJOR IN DC.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Tim Gunn Takes Wizards Shopping For Less Hideous Uniforms


January 8, 2009 | Onion Sports


WASHINGTON-Fashion consultant and Project Runway host Tim Gunn surprised
the Washington Wizards Monday by unexpectedly arriving at the Verizon
Center locker room and offering to help Wizards players shop for less
repulsive uniforms.


Enlarge Image (Embedded image moved to file: pic20450.jpg)TS Gunn
Wizards R


"I happened to see the Wizards on television, and I couldn't believe the
players were out in public wearing such garish jerseys and shorts," said
Tim Gunn, who was born and raised in Washington, D.C. "That antique-gold
color is just appalling, and frankly, the unbalanced black and white
bands
above the names look frumpy. Furthermore, the black star details running
along the sides are very unflattering."


"No wonder the team is 7-26 this season," added Gunn, claiming he felt
obligated to assist the "fashion-challenged" team. "It's just shameful
for
professional basketball players to be dressed in outfits that fail to
accentuate their strength, sleekness, and athletic qualities."


While the majority of the Wizards were initially reluctant when asked to
discard their old uniforms, 6-foot-9 power forward Antawn Jamison
admitted
that with Gunn's guidance he felt confident enough to wear bolder
colors.
Jamison also said he learned that the silhouette of his former uniform
did
not highlight his wide shoulders.


"Tim let us know that thinner shoulder straps would give us a
sophisticated
yet powerful look," Jamison said. "Sometimes the process of finding the
perfect uniform was difficult, but I'm glad we didn't settle. Now I feel
like I can throw an elbow at anyone when I'm down in the paint."


Gunn, who brought the Wizards to upscale boutiques, department stores,
and
NBA fashion designers, repeatedly stressed that their uniforms needed to
be
comfortable whether they were driving to the hoop, attempting a windmill
jam, or coming off the bench during garbage time of a home game.


Watching video footage of himself with Gunn, center Andray Blatche
admitted
that he was embarrassed when the chief creative officer for Liz
Claiborne
revealed that the material of his jersey was bunching up in the back
when
he jumped for rebounds.


"In the process of finding out about a number of ways to be more
stylish, I
also became aware of how poorly my garments used to fit," said Blatche.
"Tim was right when he said that, to get to the NBA Finals, we need to
dress like we're going to the NBA Finals."


"Thankfully, I found out that the top I was wearing was too long, which
deemphasized the contours of my waist," Blatche added.


Although point guard Gilbert Arenas is recovering from knee surgery and
hasn't played this season, Gunn was reportedly very proud of the
all-star's
sartorial effort. According to Gunn, Arenas was an indispensable leader
who
encouraged the team to try on numerous uniforms and choose colors that
best
complemented their build. In addition, Gunn said Arenas helped his
teammates accessorize their outfits with matching headbands, shooting
sleeves, and knee braces.


"Gilbert has come so far," said Gunn, wiping away a tear with his pocket
square. "When I told him I wasn't crazy about the length of his shorts,
I
could not believe how receptive he was about letting me raise the
hemline.
Now, just look at them-they are simply gorgeous."


To the astonishment of the Wizards, Gunn rewarded the players with an
unexpected visit to fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi's New York studio.
The
Wizards, thrilled to try on Mizrahi's newest line of gowns, were beside
themselves when the designer offered to let them keep the evening
dresses
they were wearing for the gala during the NBA's upcoming all-star
weekend.

I think I like these

Thursday, January 8, 2009

UNDRCRWN RUSSIA



Sent to us from Roman in Russia. Crazy.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

BASKETBALL FACTS VOL. 1

WIth the start of the new year. I'm going to try and update this more often with my personal twist on BASKETBALL FACTS.

V.1


In preparation for the presidential innoguration on January 20th, I thought it would be fitting to talk about Chuck Cooper.
Chuck Cooper was the first black player to enter the NBA.in 1950. That was 3 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color line in Major League Baseball.


Cooper who went to school at Duquense signed with the Boston Celtics. A few weeks after appearing in a Celtic uniform Sweetwater Clifton (what happened to cool nicknames like that?) who was playing for the Harlem Globetrotters (pre-circus years), was signed by the NY Knicks.

NIKE HEAD


So dirty.

Monday, January 5, 2009

BIG UP ASHER!




Something special coming.... Stay tuned.