Kick Back With a Book on National Book Lovers Day

For some people, books are a great way to escape the confines of reality. Sitting with a good title and immersing yourself in its words can be a great way to relax, relate and release. With so many titles to choose from, there is no shortage of options. Books have become more popular these past few months and stumbling across new reading options is always a good thing. Whether fiction, non-fiction, a memoir or a reference title, books have always been the go-to for entertainment and education. Reading is a favorite pastime for many and right now, a popular way to level up skills and knowledge. Sunday, August 9th is National Book Lovers Day and we thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of our favorite reads across the Yellowbrick courses. In addition to taking the courses, these books are great ways to level up your knowledge in areas like Streetwear, Fashion, Beauty, Sneakers, Hospitality, Gaming, Sports, and Music. 

Some of the books we’ve selected are popular titles written by some of our very own course Professors and Industry Experts. Aside from being at the top of their game in the lessons, their books provide a deeper dive into their areas of expertise. Authors like Elaine Welteroth, Kathy Iandoli, Dan Charnas, Jeffrey Rabhan, and April Walker have added to the culture of their respective industries with titles that provide historical insight, personal narrative, and helpful information. 

Celebrating books and all things literary is something that can be done on National Book Lovers Day, or any day. With summer in session and fall on the horizon, reading a book is the perfect way to spend the day outdoors. Simply grab the title of your choice, find a socially-distant compliant area and immerse yourself in all it has to offer.

Swipe through the gallery above to see our picks and for more information on how you can apply for any of our courses, visit yellowbrick.co.

Keeping Creative With Alife’s Rob Cristofaro

Exclusive Conversation: Keeping Creative During Quarantine w/ Rob Cristofaro

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When the world was first introduced to the concept of a “stay-at-home” quarantine order, we had no idea what to expect. We were given a potential timeline to the end but that has changed many times. In the interim, creatives like Alife co-founder Rob Cristofaro are navigating the calm through the storm. Keeping creative and motivated during these times is a major key because his business is dependent on creativity.

We recently sat down with Rob on a Zoom chat to discuss a few things including how he stays creative and what he suggests others do to stay creative during these uncertain times. Rob is also an Industry Expert in the Streetwear Essentials course, which gives students an inside look at what it’s like to have a career in the streetwear industry. He talks about the importance of learning from other people’s experiences and how it can help craft a path for your journey in the streetwear industry. If you missed the full length conversation, no worries. You can drop your email in the “Register Now” box above and get the link.

Michelle Lopez Talks “Making The Pivot” | Webinar Recap

Exclusive Conversation: Making the Pivot w/ Michelle Lopez

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Streetwear Essentials student Michelle Lopez is not new to the industry. As co-founder of the children’s streetwear brand The Mini Classy, she has a good idea of how the industry works. Earlier this year, Michelle decided to take her business skills to the next level and apply to be a student in the Streetwear Essentials course. After getting accepted and enrolling, she was on the road to releasing new Mini Classy gear and making some moves. A few months later, the pandemic hit and Michelle was forced to make some changes. 

While she was trying to figure how she was going to pivot into her next thing, she came up with a pretty dope idea. She talks about what she did in the live webinar we hosted, Making the Pivot on 6/14. If you want to hear more about what she did, her experience with the streetwear course and what she’s going to do next, leave your email in the box above. Once you register, we will send you the full link to the talk. Until then, you can check out some of her stuff on both The Mini Classy and MaskOn MaskOff

Now Open! The Noah Noodle Shop | Osaka, Japan

In the midst of global chaos, great things are still happening. Many brands had no idea that by the end of Q1, the world would be at a pandemic standstill. While some projects came to a screeching halt, Noah kept pushing to make the magic happen. On Saturday, June 27th, The Noah Noodle Shop opened its doors, hoping to encourage its global community that with faith and perseverance, we can overcome anything.

The creative vision for The Noodle Shop was executed by an A1 team led by Noah’s own Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, who happens to be a course contributor in the Streetwear Essentials course. Her design skill for creating the perfect aesthetic for an epic customer experience is one of a kind. The tradition of the Noodle Shop building speaks for itself and the design beautifully reflects that. The Noodle Shop was a traditional family house that functioned as a family-owned and run noodle shop for over a century. And while serving food and selling clothes doesn’t seem ideal, Noah reserved the tradition and made it happen.

In the spirit of tradition, Noah Osaka used the image of the Kibori Kuma as a symbol of its opening. The Kibori Kuma is a wood-carved bear which is a representation of the “rural artisanal tradition” in Japan. Farmers used to make these bears during the winter months for income when their business was slower. Many Japanese families have Kibori Kuma in their homes as a symbol of “the balance in nature, and the responsibility each species has for one another”. Adding the imagery of the Kibori Kuma to the opening is another ode to the tradition being displayed here. Families of the team members who worked on this project have these sculptures in their home and immediately identify with its significance, which is very telling of the Noah brand.

Being a brand is more than selling clothes and running campaigns. Noah is deeply committed to its global community and prides itself on taking its own approach to creating quality products. Instead of following existing guidelines in the fashion/streetwear industry, Noah goes above and beyond to put tradition and human dignity first and foremost. Donating portions of profits to help causes that are important to the brand, speaking on issues they believe in, and helping to amplify the voices of people and organizations important to them are just a few of the ways that make them a “responsible” brand.

Keeping Creative During Quarantine w/ Leah McSweeney

Trying to stay busy while the world is at a standstill isn’t easy. The Coronavirus pandemic shut down major parts of the world and many people are at home, trying to figure out next steps. For creatives like Leah McSweeney, staying motivated and active in her craft isn’t easy. McSweeney is the founder of Married to the Mob, a popular streetwear brand for women. MTTM has been around since 2004. Despite the current situation, McSweeney successfully relaunched the MTTM brand last month with new designs and products. Aside from being a mom, a designer, and a RHONY, she is a contributor in the Complex x Parsons Streetwear Essentials program. She sat down and gave us a few insider tips and some solid insight into owning and running a streetwear brand.

McSweeney recently sat down for a Live ZOOM conversation with the Yellowbrick team. She discussed everything from how she launched MTTM NYC to how she stays motivated, creative, and most importantly, SANE during the current pandemic situation. If you missed the live chat, drop your email below for the full replay link. 

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Offset Debuts For LAUNDERED WORKS CORP | FW2020

Fashion Week presentations give us an inside look at season’s hottest looks. This week’s FW Paris lineup included an A-list crowd with plenty of fashionably fresh fits. Brands like LAUNDERED WORKS CORP.  had a few runway tricks up their sleeve. Their show delivered an impressive capsule that featured a ready-to-wear collection designed by Grammy-nominated rapper, Offset. Offset put his footprint in the fashion world by lending his creativity to design pieces for this collection.

“Designing my own clothes has been a fulfilling experience to express my love for fashion. My collection represents success from scratch, meaning starting from poverty was a part of my path to luxury. Never forget where you come from.” – Offset

This FW 2020 endeavor was designed in collaboration with creative director Chaz A. Jordan and ØPUS Brand Studios founder and head of luxury streetwear brand IH NOM UH NIT, OmarJohnson. The end result is a perfect marriage of Hip-Hop and luxury fashion. The trio came together for a myriad of reasons but the most important was to bring business, music, and design together. The simplicity of these designs make these pieces the perfect addition to Fall 2020 closets. The neutral colorway makes the collection easy to style and integrate into an existing wardrobe. The collection includes staple pieces like t-shirts and sweatshirts but shows love to more elaborate pieces like fur coats and two-piece suits. There was close attention to detail when it came to material selection. Since sustainability is a thing, they implemented a recycled cotton basics program into the design construction as well. 

“The F/W 2020 collection serves as a visual and tangible representation of my life’s work until now. The balance of my experiences and world travels over the past 10 years expressed through what we are defining as the new luxury ready-to-wear.” – Chaz A. Jordan

What is a good fit without accessories?

The fellas know that accessories are a must so they incorporated them into the collection as well. They worked with Their Italian factories to design a selection of hats, footwear, and a handbag to compliment the looks. Check out some of the collection below and visit launderedworkscorp.com to shop.

“Both Offset and Chaz have unbelievable creative taste and the influence to seismically move culture. Partnering with them to build a fashion brand from the ground up is why we started Opus. They have the ability to understand what the community wants. We’re here to build the business behind it.” – Omar Johnson

Taking design ideas and bringing them to life is no easy task. Visit Yellowbrick.co/streetwear to find out how you can get started.