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LIGHT TO DARK | Jesse Boykins III – A Film [By] Street Etiquette

Street Etiquette — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:39:29 +0000

Joshua Kissi : What started as a casual joke has now come to fruition. You may remember Jesse Boykins III, an independent artist and good friend of mine, from our last musically-influenced editorial Sartorial Sounds. A song featured on his latest EP inspired me a great deal: potent lyrics dipped in substance and awareness, accompanied by a cinematic instrumental. I knew I wanted to add visuals to the song, and was excited at the prospect of shooting and directing the video. As this task was not without its challenges, I decided to write about my experience making this project come to light.

‘Light to Dark’- The song resonated with me, both its abstract definition of “Light to Dark” and its lyrics: a testament to global socio-political events and ethical dilemmas. As a fan of music and art, I appreciate that this song is saying something that needs to be heard instead of beating the same drum and coming up with the same message. I asked Jesse how he would describe this song and he said it was his interpretation of what John Lennon’s “Imagine” would sound like if he grew up in our environment, time and culture. Reimagining such an iconic song sounds daunting, but justified nonetheless.

The process – Once the first day of shooting started and finished, I quickly realized that maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew. The preparation and thought process required to prepare a full treatment and capture the shots I had in mind visually was anything but easy. We spent 3 days scouring the city for the best shots – our illustrious budget meant relying on local thai food, pizza and all the other low budget food NYC has to offer. Even when luck wasn’t on our side we made do with the day light we had available available to capture the essence of ‘Light to Dark’ in time.

The result - What I found interesting was that despite preparing 100% for a shot, we would sometimes get unintended results. I learned an important lesson about planning but leaving room for growth and creativity. I’m not saying all of this from my comfortable director‘s chair with “Spielberg” etched on the back, I’m just saying that if you are inspired to do something, embark on it and you may never know where that path will lead you

Hope you guys enjoy the video as much as I did shooting and directing it.

Enjoy.

*Special Thanks to Sam Sneed of We Are Not Pilgrims, Ali of A noble Savage, Cleon Grey and Jesse Boykins III for providing the opportunity for such a collaborative project.

Photos by Cleon Grey

Press Etiquette : The Gentleman’s Club Spread – Ebony

Street Etiquette — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:17:05 +0000

Street Etiquette : For this fall it was our pleasure to be featured in a men’s style spread [by Ebony Magazine] alongside some familiar faces and friends. The fantastic thing concerning the selection of individuals used for this spread was the notion that personal style varies all over the map. Clothing is only considered the surface layer of style, and the minuscule details whether a printed paisley shirt, or those old boots you came across in your dad’s closet are what connects us to each individual. [at least in my humble opinion]

The assorted list of people varies from shirt makers, men’s luxury accessory designers, stylists, graphic design artists to singers. We definitely recommend you to check out each featured artist if you aren’t familiar with their brand, or craft already.

[Clockwise]

We would like to thank Ebony Magazine for including us in this spread, and as always you guys for the continuous support on our journey. [more to come]

Press Etiquette : Street Etiquette + New York Times

Street Etiquette — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:42:14 +0000

Street Etiquette : We are pleased to announce that we were featured in the New York Times Thursday Style section in a multi page article titled ‘Serious About Cool’, but also the online version of the article “Pushing The Boundaries of Black Style‘. We want to graciously thank everyone who has supported us thus far from every aspect of the spectrum. The article has been very well received being placed in the ‘Top 5 most emailed articles of the day‘ over at the Times and a nod to our relentless web server for holding on to its dear life. The most vital point about the piece is less about us, and more on the topic of encouraging others in pursuing your own innate passion.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

“The New York Times Style section gives an in-depth look at the rise of lifestyle bloggers Street Etiquette in a recent article titled “Pushing The Boundaries Of Black Style.” The stylish duo of Travis Gumbs and Joshua Kissi are profiled for their contributions to realm of men’s fashion from an African American perspective as well as the new multi-faceted fashion identity of the modern black man. Excepts of the article can be seen below while the article in its entirety can be seen here.”

Print Etiquette: African Tribal Print

Street Etiquette — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:52:34 +0000

Joshua Kissi: After our last post on floral prints, we knew it was necessary to pay attention to other print variations. Like most trends, the tribal trend is cyclical, appearing every few years on runways and then the retail front. These prints often feature bodacious colors and geometrical shapes. The results are usually bold, statement-making pieces of clothing.

If the wrist accouterments and tribal rings weren’t evidence enough, my Ghanaian heritage heavily influences my style. That influence is also evident with print shirts such as the one featured below. There’s a subtle distinction between traditional African fabric originating from the continent and the type manufactured out of inspiration. The latter may discourage some people, but it is still a catalyst in creating awareness of these history-rich prints and designs.

Fit Details

Shirt – I came across this shirt during a day of thrift shopping where I had no expectations of finding anything worth buying. Better yet, the shirt needed no tailoring. As you may imagine, the loud red and blue pattern is what initially caught my attention while sifting through the racks of clothing.

Footwear – I’ve had these shoes since last summer. Although a simple white pair of penny loafers, the wood grain soles is a detail that I love.

Pants – One of the positives of having a suit is the freedom to break the pieces of it apart and use them as separates. I purchased the full two-piece suit some months ago, but strangely enough haven’t yet worn the full ensemble together. With the fall approaching, I’m sure that will change and I’ll utilize the suit in grand fashion.

Added these two random images accompanied with print to show how versatile such prints are. I also added a photo collage of vintage print-inspired outfits that date back some 40 years. I think it’s safe to say that even after four decades, you can still see how the looks influence the styles of today

All images taken by Cleon Grey of The Aveder Outfit

Genesis of Style – Teaser Video

Street Etiquette — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:09:12 +0000

JKISSI : With the new year approaching rapidly it was only necessary to cap off the year, and the future of Street Etiquette, in a grand way. As many of you are aware, Street Etiquette teamed up with Photographer/Videographer TONE to conduct a brief video interview with us. Travis and myself sought out to invite some of our closest friends, those that we felt embodied our definition of ‘style’, to be part of the video (this was not only relying on the physical element of style, but the integrity and character of all those individuals that influenced us in some way or another). We pitched the original plan and rundown to TONE; what ended up taking place would be considered one of the most inspirational moments of our lives. The photographer for the project was Alejandro Perez a good friend of ours who’s photography speaks for itself, it was great working with someone who is on the same wave length.

Genesis of Style – Coming JAN 2010.. (Full Video)

Location in picture - Harlem

Check out the video teaser below

Michael Andrew, a good friend of ours residing in Harlem by way of Austin, Texas, goes into detail on what the word ‘style’ means to him. What I most admire about the video is that he gives his definition of style effortlessly, as if we rehearsed previously. The internet is one of the most powerful engines ever created giving us the ability to link to individuals all around the world simply because we posses something in relation. The fact that in the early stages large companies chose to ignore the might and impressionable power of the web displays why many of them are now looking for ways to get inside a loop that, at this point, is almost closed.

Genesis of Style - Genesis – ’a coming into being’ or ‘the beginning of’ and when you think of it in relation to style – ’a way of expressing something that is characteristic of a particular group or period of time’. This “genesis”, so to speak, is not about convincing different individuals to dress similar to us; from the video you can see the variation in style from person to person, but more about a revival of awareness of personal style. This multi-borough video project, starting out in the Bronx, should change the face of Street Etiquette and everyone involved.

*From the Bronx to Harlem to Lower Manhattan to final destination of Brooklyn*

Fit Description – 3sixteen duffel coat & Billy Kirk Bag - Everyone seems to love this duffel coat it definitely a nice camel wool that is well constructed. The leather bag made my the brothers of Billy Kirk gives off a sleek masculine look and is a great travel bag to compact items inside but at the same time look comfortable.

“There’s a sense that this return to style, or to a consciousness of how you look, is an attempt by young men to recover a set of values that were at one point very much present in American society and then lost.”

- Professor Samuel Rascoff of NYU

Taken from the New York Times article “Dressing for Success, Again.” This is an article I think everyone should read as it talks about the return of gentlemen into style.

Back to the Classic : Shuron Eyewear

Street Etiquette — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:17:14 +0000

JKISSI : It has been a year, or so since I have been on the search for the perfect pair of eye glasses for myself. There are so many different styles from modern eyewear to retro, which can make the search even more challenging to accomplish. In a few select looks on the site you can see me wearing a pair of glasses which I eventually grew tired of. There is a lot to consider when buying your own pair of eye glasses, depending on your personal taste and appearance it can vary. After receiving many recommendations from friends on twitter, I embarked on my own silent journey to find the best eyewear for myself. I wasn’t necessarily looking for the best glasses money could buy, but something classic and that’s exactly what I found. My days of being forced to sit in the very front row of classes in school are now finally over (lol) thanks to the Shuron Ronsir Zyl.

Fit Details – Shuron Ronsir Zyl – Uniqlo – A.P.C NC – Clarks

The classic American eye wear company Shuron has been manufacturing glasses to the public ever since 1865 . This alone attracted me to the brand even more knowing that quality products played a important role in their longevity. The specific style that caught my eye were the Browline glasses which aren’t made by a lot of companies today, but Shuron still produces them. Brow line glasses were invented in 1947 by Jack Rohrbach, then vice-president of Shuron Ltd. The Ronsirs are one of the more significant frame designs of the 20th century, totalling up half of the sales sold during the 1950s. The company Shuron provided me with great customer service answering all of my sometimes tedious questions. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for great quality eye wear from a company that has been producing glasses for decades now.

It’s great that we can still grab what was considered a trend in the 1950s and still wear it today. This style of glasses probably looks a bit familiar to some with recognizable people such as Malcolm X to JFK wearing Browline style frames. This will not be the last time you will see me wearing a pair of Shuron glasses.

Special thanks to Chris Watchhorn and It’s Bongo Boy for helping me capture the first two pictures.

Daily Snaps : Capsule NY

Street Etiquette — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:17:34 +0000

JKISSI : Capsule has finally brought their world class trade show to New York City, and I had the perfect opportunity to attend the event for the first time. There was always talks about capsule taking place every year in various parts of the world from Paris back to the U.S. It seems like a lot of people are still unaware of what capsule is hopefully after this you will have a better understanding. My first thought of the exhibit was its diversity among brands being shown there, basically products that everyone could appreciate. The most interesting aspect of the trade show was that they provided a platform for newer brands from all over the world to showcase their product. I’m always excited to see new brands that I have never heard of because we all know the starting of any brand isn’t a simple task. I got to meet a lot of great people who I have established relationships with online such as Ryan from h(y)r, and our good friends BillyKirk who continue to ‘wow’ us with their leather making skills. The amount of brands present made it physically impossible to capture every brand/product , but we did take part in the ones that interested us the most.

(1 ) Fit Details JKISSI – Topman / Uniqlo / TM Skinny Corduroys / Clarks Desert Boots

(2) Fit Details Trav – Uniqlo / BillyKirk pin / TM Slim Pants / Clarks Desert Boots

Red Wing

Up and coming spring 2010 Red Wing models, real impressive here.

Yuketen

The color variation of the shoes makes this brand one of my favorites at the show. Just the history alone can pull you into a brand.

BillyKirk

Timberland

This fellow here was hand sewing the shoes from scratch you can’t help but watch him make the full complete shoe.

Norsea Industries

The pattern of this bag/duffle really caught my eye as I was walking reminding me of African print/patterns on a bag. They’re a new company from the U.K be on the lookout for them.

Florsheim by Duckie Brown

Shout out to Pletty , Jon Moy , and Samantha Sickle.

The Boat Shoe

Street Etiquette — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:19:47 +0000

JKISSI : This post has been a very well waited one with the Summer now here and present. Previously Trav did a post on boat shoes when it came to which popular brand would be better out of two of Sperry and Sebago. I think both companies are taking full advantage by releasing numerous colorways, and collaborating with many brands. It just doesn’t stop there either, the tweaking of the classic deck shoe design has promised some good buys for the Fall and Winter seasons. It seems boat shoes has been the warm weather classic since the 1980s, but recently everyone has their eye on them from high end brands to more casual ones. Whether on ground, or sea worn with socks, or without socks the modern take on the classic boat shoe has gained more momentum than ever. With all of this being said it’s only proper that my own boat shoes hit the deck as well, accompanied by the perfect weather.

Fit Details – Uniqlo Shirt , Cheap Monday Pants , Sperry Topsiders

It’s typical for me to run around the internet and search for some items I would like to recommend to you guys followed by throwing them on a white canvas. This time around our friends over at Complex depicted a perfect guide for Boat shoes ranging from expensive to more reasonable prices. The versatility boat shoes brings to the table is the reason a lot of people can wear them with different styles from casual to formal. Get into it.

COMPLEX MAG 10 BEST BOAT SHOES FOR THE SUMMER

Follow Street Etiquette (Spread The Word)

Street Etiquette — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:57:04 +0000

Street Etiquette : People constantly type in the search engine “what is street Etiquette?”, I would simply explain it as our whole style , inspiration and influence would perfectly define the term. Me and Trav have been busy just trying to post quality post on the blog, so its no question we want to spread the word. The over saturation of blogs today shows that its a hobby that is quite enjoyable if you really connect with your readers, and thats how we feel. We have a good core of readers who check the site, and always comment on majority of post on the site. We will really try to update the site as frequently as possible with quality post. We really want to attract more readers to the site so its no question we have to step up our game on both sides of the court. People really love the site and check it frequently. When I get compliments from people who walk in my job, and recognize me that really just inspires me to the fullest. If you love the site and want to see it evolve like we do lets spread the word guys. Let’s go.

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“What Did You Wear Today”

Street Etiquette — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:02:17 +0000

JKISSI : The words titled above brings various meaning across the majority of fashion, or sneaker forums all over the Internet spectrum. It never occurred to me how authoritative and potent it is to each Internet forum. I’m fairly distant to any form of being a creative journalist, or writer I’m more in the medical field so please bare with me. I’m listening to the Message by Nas on repeat to give you guys a visual lol. Just recently I was contacted by the LA TIMES through the help of a good friend to explain the significance of this “What Did You Wear Today” as the reporter Deborah was totally unaware concerning the term. I was slightly perplexed as my brain tried to reach for words and terms to give Deborah a better understanding of the whole concept. The general masses of people wouldn’t really get the whole concept of “WDYWT” probably simplify it to just taking pictures of what you wore that day for the whole Internet to see, and sometimes critique. I get the jokes and smirks from friends and people when seeing me walking to my usual post spot ready to do a post, its hard for me to keep a straight face sometimes lol. Each forum has grown to create their own “Internet-subculture” If I can name it that. Back in 2003/2004 when I first discovered NikeTalk I went with a addiction to sneakers such as Jordans, Airmax, Griffeys, Uptempos, Foamposites and many other sneakers. If someone would have showed me a picture back then of what I dress like today I would probably not believe it. Various forums possess their own aesthetic to what is the norm of the clothes one is wearing. For instance, this is an easy one someone from Superfuture wouldn’t get accepted by the majority if He/She posted a WDYWT picture on ISS forums. I’m not really here to discuss the differences in each forum , but to say that the WDYWT really does affect the forums members who partake in it. The aspect of WDYWT that really amazes me is the evolution of the individual as they start to educate themselves on what comfortably suits their style.

I encourage our readers to comment below on the WDYWT please .

Pictured * 3/14/2009 * Location Crosby St.