Mamba's Muses

We were preparing the whole year for 'Mamba Day', Kobe Bryant's last game of his NBA career. Only dawning the Laker purple and gold for twenty years, Bryant added to the dynasty while forging a legendary path of his own--five titles, eighteen all-star appearances and the highest scoring guard in NBA history.

Kids my age know about Kobe.  I was in kindergarten when he helped push Shaq over the top and reignited the Lakers dynasty of old.  I didn't get to witness all of those Jordan moments, but I saw the Mamba ascend to the mountain top, this time on his own, in 2009 and 2010, and I watched him ride out into the sunset with 60 points on 50 shots.  I grew up with him.  Kobe was the first basketball GOAT I watched.

The game is going to miss Kobe Bryant even though it's about damn time that he left.  Despite the start of the NBA playoffs, the Black Mamba's exit has remained a topic of interest for sports reporters.  The interviews of old friends speaking on his high school days at Lower Merion and the oral history of the boy from Philadelphia's epic saga reveal just how much basketball meant to Kobe Bryant.  

It's true that you don't truly know what you have until it's gone.  As Kobe's illustrious career unfolded before our eyes, we weren't aware of the full extent this man went to prepare, practice and dominate his craft.  Over a decade after Michael Jordan's final game, basketball-heads are still learning larger-than-life factoids and anecdotes of his Airness.  This past week has welcomed many former teammates, opponents and coaches of Bryant to reminisce on the more private subtext of his playing days.

Take some time to get a fuller scope of the enigmatic Kobe Bryant with these riveting articles and visuals.

"I remember sitting in the locker room at halftime and saying to myself, 'You know what, you may lose everything in life because of the situation that you put yourself in,'" Kobe recalls.

"'You may lose your family, your freedom, but I'll be damned if I lose basketball. Because this shit I can control.' - Mamba Out by Ramona Shelbourne

Photographs by Andy Bernstein chronicle his final night

The explicit lyrics of Jay Z, long before he became the POTUS-approved, hip-hop scion, blare through the speakers. Bryant slows down and lowers the volume.

"This stuff is a little harsh, huh?" he says, swapping out the CD after about the eighth n-bomb. "You like the Spice Girls? A lot of people hate them, but the positive image they project, how they make kids feel, I admire that." -The never ending story: Who is the authentic Kobe? by Mike Wise

"I remember when I got to the Lakers in ’99, I went to a TGI Fridays with Kobe in New Mexico. We had a long conversation, and he wanted to pick my brain about what MJ was like. “How much did he practice? How did he work out? How did he evolve his game?” I told him, MJ brought a new thing every year. One year, pull-up jump shot. The next year, fadeaway. “How did he carry himself?” I told him MJ was always in a suit and tie. When MJ went to work, he went to work. Kobe was really intrigued about all that." - Horace Grant in How We'll Remember Kobe

Thrift.Wear.Repeat

Clothes are at their best when you can see the character worn into every thread.

In collaboration with ThriftLorde$, InTheRough Style presents Thrift. Wear. Repeat, a look book intended to accentuate the distinct garments curated by Brown Dixon and Tobore Edeki of their burgeoning Instagram hustle.  Thrifted clothing may be old and faded, but the time endured with its previous owners and their cultural significance adds vitality to every thread. 

From the purple logo to the purple brick wallpaper to the purple packaging, ThriftLorde$ is a visual experience spent perusing long lost clothing items your mom labeled "DONATE" and threw into the Goodwill box.  That was, of course, before Brown and Tobore rolled through to resurrect the Beatles 1964 American Tour t-shirt and Charles Woodson's Oakland Raiders Reebok jersey as timeless vintage wear.

There are websites to buy dead stock Supreme and Hood by Air T-shirts, as well as other over-hyped garments.  ThriftLorde$ is not that place.  While scrolling through their more than 8000 posts, it is not uncommon to see some fresh vintage Hilfiger gear or rare vintage Nike silhouettes.  Brown and Tobore aren't about the hype.  Their offering is a tailored closet that is representative of their own style and experiences.  George Mason and VCU garb are staples in the Lorde$ rotation as they claim Virginia roots.  Explore some of the additional content the duo publishes and the context of the style they project becomes clear.  A video of  a Nike basketball commercial of players dribbling and shuffling to create a freestyle beat prompts the nostalgia associated with the retro Ben Wallace Pistons jersey conveniently selling for $18 further down the feed.

Nike basketball freestyle commercial circa 2001🔥🔥🔥🔥 Credits: @kstaxkz⚡️ #ThriftLorde$

A video posted by ThriftLorde$ (@thriftlordes) on Apr 11, 2016 at 3:39pm PDT

Instagram is just the first touch point of the ThriftLorde$ brand.  You'll also find a gofundme link in their bio providing users the opportunity to donate towards the Flint Water Crisis. Their website is another commercial intersection, but it is also home to the more personal side of Brown and Tobore, as their creative outlets--paintings, graphic design work and blogs--take over the foreground.  

DM your email and receive an invoice plus $3 shipping.  An online business doesn't need to have a laborious checkout process.  Before Instagram, Brown and Tobore were using eBay to push their various pickups.  Allen Iverson Georgetown jerseys were hot-sellers, but that didn't keep the auction-style platform from taking its 10%.  After cutting out the middle-man, ThriftLorde$ boasts over 8000 potential customers. 

Browse the selected images above in the look book, and ThriftLorde$ will accommodate you on their Instagram page here. 

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II Wear Test with 13th Witness

Last year, the iconic Converse Chuck Taylor All Star received an update with the revamped All Star II. Converse's classic silhouette was made more simple and more clean cut.

Now, New York native photographer Timothy McGurr, better known as 13th Witness, takes the Chuck Taylor All Star II on a wear test throughout India.

Traveling a total of 17, 774 miles centered around three cities, like Kashmir and Delhi, 13th Witness adventures in comfort from the streets of New Delhi to the foothills of the Himalayas thanks to the Chuck II. Along the way, the photographer captures people, objects, settings, and life in 20,179 photos on seven different cameras.

Watch 13th's eclectic experiences as part of Converse's "#readyformore" series below.

Aimé Leon Dore Draws on 1980s Reggae Culture for Newest Collection

Start building your spring and summer wardrobe with Aimé Leon Dore's latest collection.

Entitled 'Kingston 1983,' the New York lifestyle brand's new range takes inspiration from Beth Lesser, a reggae photographer and writer who documented dancehall, musicians, producers, and singers in Jamaica during the '80s.

ALD's 36-piece offering is prime for warmer weather thanks to linen and pleated shorts, short-sleeve mandarin shirts, and lightweight cotton blend T-shirts and tank tops. Shield the elements or keep warm on a brisk evening with the shawl throw over coat or tan cotton knit cardigan. Accessorize any piece with Aimé's silk blend scarfs.

Shop Kingston 1983 now here.

There are Four Colorways of the Supreme x NikeLab Air Max 98

The last time Supreme and Nike joined to collaborate on a sneaker the canvas was an Air Jordan 5 and unveiled by Japanese magazine SHOES MASTER. Half of that process is replicated as the mag debuts pictures of the new Supreme x NikeLab Air max 98.

Initially, red, all-black, and beige snakeskin pairs surfaced on the internet, foremost being the red pair due to its announcement by NikeLab on Instagram. Now, the official nature of print media premieres the entire Supreme x NikeLab collection, which includes another colorway added to the three, navy.

Whenever the special Air Max 98s release, they will feature 360-degree reflective piping, shiny patent leather, and a color blocking scheme contrasted with silver metallic mesh never before used on the sneaker. Supreme detail on the Nike shoe hits along the heel courtesy of the phrase, "WORLD FAMOUS," decidedly appropriate for both brands. 

No news is available yet on when the shoes will arrive. Stay posted for more details on the Supreme x NikeLab Air Max 98 collaboration.

Source: HIGHSNOBIETY