Stillers Post Season 02

Stillers Post Season 02 printed at Artist Image Resource Inc.

The third Stillers collection, Post Season 02, is now available.

The motivation and anticipation surrounding the Stillers' playoff hunt is palpable as we ready ourselves for number seven.  We're fighting for our football family and brethren this year, playing in the spirit of Mr. Rooney and in the strength of Ryan Shazier.  

Playoff demons stemming all the way back from 2002, and made painstakingly fresh thanks to Week 15's heartbreaker at Heinz Field, will be exorcised in Foxborough, Ma.--20 years since the last time the Stillers were able to knock the Patriots out of championship contention.  We will get seven before they get six.

'SteelSpeed' is inspired by the change of focus and precision that occurs in January and February.  We're no strangers to playoff football--it is expected--but the pulse of the locker room becomes elevated and the roar of Stillers Nation becomes much louder on the stairway to seven.  We have kicked into hyper-drive.

Post Season 02 is a collection of sweatshirts and sweatpants designed and screen-printed by InTheRough staff.  Green sweats and the re-purposed 'Eye' logo made popular by our 'Enjoy the Goods' t-shirts solidify the collaboration between Stillers and InTheRough, for they are one and the same.  Post Season 02 would not be possible without Quaishawn Whitlock, the technician and artist behind the atelier--Artist Image Resource Inc.  Thank you also to Justin Berk, Lanie Edwards, Alex Hersh, JR Walker, and Alex Young.

Stillers sweats are available for purchase individually or as a set here.  May they bring good fortune in this year's hunt for a seventh Super Bowl title.

Stillers bend, they don't break.

Watch This Cool Skateboarding Video Part by Rage Club

"Welcome to the Club" by Cleveland based clothing company Rage Club at its core is an entertaining video with parts of skateboarding. It's much more though because the skaters' antics and dedication to hitting tricks, paired with the crazy tracklist that DJ TOPGUN lined up is hype. The footage by Thomas Netkowicz shows the Club skaters in California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania skating city-scape terrain.

Authentic youth and skate culture stack up here. The kids aren't wearing Thrasher Magazine shirts for nothing. Zay Jones tries to jump a 21-step staircase six times. He keeps injuring himself and keeps going, "legendary." There's crazy, painful looking fails throughout "Welcome to the Club," but credit the degree of tricks. Everything is tight when the beats drop and skaters like Cris Lesh, Kevin Perez, Jalen Willis, and more land tricks. TOPGUN, the creator of Rage Club, features in the part along with pieces of Club clothing, such as a long-sleeve, hat, and "FDT" shirt.

Photo by @_philms

Additionally, the entire project has relevance in Pittsburgh because the video has parts filmed in the city and it debuted at One Up Skate Shop on East Carson Street last Saturday, Nov. 4, and DJ TOPGUN is active in the 'Burgh's hip-hop scene. He's brought Cleveland artists, like Shawn K, to rock out here in the 412. Rapper Choo Jackson attended the "Welcome to the Club" debut.

Watch and follow the Club. Tracklist at 16:03.

Senseless Moves to Penn Avenue

Javed and Rome Watson of Senseless | Photographs by Alex Young

The last time customers stepped inside of the streetwear boutique Senseless, the shop was tucked away on Pittsburgh's North Side. It was a "start" for Javed and Rome Watson's entrepreneurial venture.

Bigger aspirations and a larger inventory pushed the brothers to a new location in the heart of the 'Burgh's culture scene, East Liberty.

Senseless now sits at 5124 Penn Avenue. Penn Ave will be an asset to the shop for foot traffic and "different events for First Fridays," Javed said. "We can throw parties outside" on the back patio, Rome said.

"We don't want to limit ourselves. We want to be in the forefront pushing shit," Javed said.

Consumers can find Bape, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Jordan, Supreme, and more clothiers in-store. VIntage finds also feature on the long T-shirt and jacket racks.

Photographs by Tyler Calpin

Senseless can offer more with a sizeable showroom. It's big enough for a fish tank. To premiere the new shop, Senseless hosted a Halloween party on Saturday, October 28. Javed, who doubles as businessman and rapper, performed along with hip-hop acts Linwood and DJ Jaybee. Photographer Tyler Calpin shot a lookbook with some of the items for sale in the shop. His prints hung on the tall walls.

Shop Senseless Monday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m and Sunday by appointment only.

Stillers Season 01

There's not much to harp on about the Stillers' previous season.  Super Bowl runs is what we've come to expect in the Steel City, and a team we all thought was capable of hunting for Pittsburgh's seventh Lombardi Trophy fell flat on their faces in Foxborough, Massachusetts--getting out-played and out-coached by the Patriots.  The Patriots have been the Stillers' kryptonite since I was a kid, ruining our championship hopes on several occasions in 2001 and 2004.  If you ask me, the pursuit of a world championship isn't complete until the Stillers avenge these epic losses.  If you ask me, Ben Roethlisberger's major blemish is that he can't seem to topple Brady in the postseason.

The good news is that the Stillers know what kind of issues the Patriots cause.  Blossoming playmaker, Ryan Shazier, thinks the League "has a Patriots problem" that the Stillers "intend to fix," he says.  Coach Tomlin has clearly heeded these words this offseason, completely revamping the Stillers secondary featuring another Florida Gator from the Tebow-era BCS Championship runs--shout out Joe Haden.  Our offense, though potent, especially with the return of Martavis Bryant, who came back to camp after a year suspension looking like an absolute ball-hawk, is not enough to stop the Super Bowl defending champions.  Not when mastermind Bill Belichick is shrewd enough to put his team in position to score every-freaking-drive.  Just ask the choke-king Atlanta Falcons.  Defense wins championships, people.  The young Stillers on the defensive side of the ball must grow up.  Stephon Tuitt should be a constant force in the backfield.  Bud Dupree should have double digit sacks.  James Harrison will be James Harrison, but it'd be nice if the Watt-family pedigree panned out in TJ, which so far, it looks like.  And Artie Burns must be ready for man-to-man coverage.

Listen to Stillers Nation. 

The Stillers have a relatively easy first eight games, facing the likes of the Browns, Bears, and Jaguars before the end of October.  Knowing the Black and Yellow though, we'll find a way to lose some of those games as playing down to the level of competition is a favorite Stillers past-time.  This volatility is the impetus behind the first collection of Stillers Season 01.

Available under the Stillers tab. 

From the inevitable injuries that sideline Big Ben for at least one game to the late season, divison clinching heroics, the 'Rollercoaster' t-shirt is inspired by the dramatic nature of a Stillers season. That's what makes football so captivating in Pittsburgh.  We win, but it's often through much adversity. 

Unlike Postseason 01, this collection of t-shirts was designed, screen-printed, and dyed in-house by InTheRough staff.  Color is important to Season 01 because it is contrary to Stillers tradition.  Black and yellow is the norm, but look closely at the hypocycloids within the Stillers logo to find primary colors. The green hit on the multicolor 'Rollercoaster' t-shirt is a nod to Three Rivers Stadium's Gate D marker that still stands at Heinz Field today.  The vision would not be possible without contributions from Justin Berk, Lanie Edwards, Alex Hersh, JR Walker, Quaishawn Whitlock, and Alex Young.  Stillers t-shirts are now available for purchase here, and may they bring luck in this year's hunt for a seventh Super Bowl title.

Stillers bend, they don't break.

Sense the Culture at Senseless

Rome and Javed of Senseless - photograph by Alex Young

"It's a barbershop vibe," Javed said of his Pittsburgh-based clothing store, Senseless. He owns and operates Senseless with his equal, younger brother Rome. An attention to community adds to the store's curated shopping experience.

The last time I was at Senseless, Linwood, a local hip-hop artist, stopped in with his crew to chop it up with Javed, who is also a figure in the 'Burgh's rap community. Moments later, Rome's Tidal music account displayed on the TV in the back of the shop next to Kermit the Frog's Supreme portrait, ill beats from Kendrick Lamar's new "The Heart Part 4" played to fresh ears. We talked about Kendrick sending shots at Drake, stopping the Canadian's momentum.

Senseless' atmosphere works for streetwear consumers and as a spot to hang out with people who can relate to each other. "People like us, people that respect things," Javed said.

Shelf at Senseless

Additionally, vintage apparel and premium brands, like Guess, Jordan, and Supreme, attract informed shoppers. Casual run-ins with creative modern mavericks, shop talk about sub-culture heroes like vintage wear miners Round Two, and overall appreciation for popular media and entertainment makes Senseless a destination for youth in the Steel City.

“Taste with clothes and taste with music go hand in hand. Pop culture, bro.”

— Javed

Natives of the Hill District, 22-year-old Javed and 20-year-old Rome began pushing their stylish tastes with sneakers. Throughout their teenage years, they sold retro Jordans on eBay and Instagram. Their online inventory made Javed and Rome relevant clothing vendors, and their interests in hip-hop from the '90s and early 2000s made their clothing selection much more refined.

The brothers had the idea for a brick and mortar store in the late spring of 2016. Authenticity features as Senseless' best asset to complement their clothing collection.

"We aren't in it to make money. We are just trying to change the culture and bring something different to Pittsburgh," Rome said. "That money shit is going to come and go. We want the connections, knowing people around the city," Javed continued.

People who frequent or follow Senseless become familiar with a local network of like-minded people. Javed introduced me to some members of his Serene rap collective when songs from Retrorosser and Jet hit in the background during our initial interview. The store's Instagram account features various photos of proud buyers of hip clothing. The photos clearly identify Senseless' youthful target market.

"You gotta understand the market and create a melting pot for other artists," Javed said.

Another way how Senseless capitalizes off the young market is with their prices. "If you don't shop with us you don't have any sense," Javed said. "No store in the city can beat our prices for what we offer." Don't be senseless and buy thousand dollar Yeezys from other consignment stores in the 'Burgh when you could get them from Senseless for a few hundred. "We don't want to play with anybody's money," Rome said.

While Javed and Rome conduct smart business sense, they are role models for young black minds in the city because they prove to individuals that "we can own shit," Javed said. By owning their own business, they advance the mindsets of "normal niggas our age who come through the store and just think we work here."                  

Although the boys find a sustainable business at their North Side location, they are looking to move the Senseless storefront to areas like Downtown, East Liberty, or the South Side. They want to attract larger foot traffic and have a larger space to host events that would complement the future Senseless Records.

For now, Javed and Rome can hang their hats on creating an atmosphere that connects people with real appreciations for popular culture. "Everybody looking for Senseless," Javed said.

Senseless

901 Western Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15233