Roughly three years ago, Blends came up with the concept of a Made in USA campaign to support the American economy and reintroduce the unparalleled work ethic and craftsmanship of American workers to a new generation.

“At the beginning of this project we visited Redwing headquarters and factories and met many wonderful people. We learned a lot about their lifestyle, how the boots are made, and what the craftsmanship of these boots mean to these people. We learned much about the great history of the company and its tannery. It was truly an amazing experience that we will never forget.”

For this project Tak Kato, Blends creative director, picked the classic 6” Round Toe with the idea to make them more casual. He chose to utilize a suede upper, a concept that has never been used on the 6” boots in the USA before. He used tonal stitches to keep the boots simple and reflect a more casual look. Simplicity and minimalism are a key aspect of Blends design concept. In addition, he added the DNA of the classic Irish Setter sports boots by adding hooks at the top as opposed to eyelets all the way up. Blends set out to create a boot that works well for everybody, something that would match with a variety of styles from Americana to Military, from workwear to biker.

“Redwing is one of the companies that we grew up with and respect as much as anyone in the industry. When we started in this business we never could have imagined doing a project with Redwing. It is one of our greatest achievements to date and we are extremely humbled by the opportunity to work with such a great company and with such great people.”

Blends Redwing boots are going to be released on Dec 10th at all Blends locations.

BLENDS Made in USA PROJECT #2 Red Wing 6″ Boot is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

NBA All Star weekend is completely in full effect throughout Los Angeles, and as expected Nike has put together a slew of events to celebrate it.  One of the more unique happenings that has transpired thus far occurred when Kobe Bryant showed up to BLENDS LA to check out his “True Colors” installation and to put in some work by filming a commercial for Smart Car, with whom he recently formed a partnership with. Be sure to stay tuned here on SlamxHype as we will be covering events from Jordan Brand and Nike taking place this weekend.

Kobe Bryant “True Colors” Installation at BLENDS LA is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

What was the inspiration behind the whole Made In USA Project?

The idea came from Renaissance which was as a cultural movement that encompassed a resurgence of the past.
The term Made in USA and products made in the USA were thought to be of the highest quality for long time however, because of the free enterprise system in the market , many manufactures moved their production overseas and they began to focus quantity rather than quality. With the current economic hardships the US is facing, we felt this would be a great time to recognize the American worker and reintroduce the high quality of product that the American workers can produce. We wanted to show there are still many companies who have continued to maintain US production facillites. It is very much a Renaissance movement.

Blends Made In USA Project | Interview is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

Extremely limited Black selvage rigid denim from Okayama Japan is used and the jeans are manufactured in Polo’s US manufacturing facility. These are a slim fit silhouette; perfected by RRL, whose denim pursues the perfect re-creation of the details of vintage denim.

RRL X Blends selvage denim is limited to 50 pairs and each pair is individually numbered. Rigid black selvage was selected to reflect both our enthusiasm for motorcycles as well as vintage American style. There are 5 different threads used in the manufacturing of the jeans. Also, there are hidden rivets in back pockets just like vintage denims. When one looks closely at the details of the jeans, they will be instantly amazed at how well this product has been put together.

“We hope to use our Made in USA campaign to recognize the importance of the American worker. Ralph Lauren is an incomparable American Icon in the clothing industry and this product represents both Mr. Lauren and Blends spirit and pride in the USA and American made products. We wanted to produce a unique product to kick off our Made in USA campaign and as such the entire Blends staff is honored to be part of this release with RRL.” – Blends

More product and order information is available at www.blendsus.com

Relese date : 1/23 Sat
Price: $450.00
Phone or email orders are available.

Blends Made in USA Project | Blends X RRL by Ralph Lauren Denim is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

As the Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists series continues to grow and develop BLENDS have been invited to interpret a classic silhouette. BLENDS continue to create some really positive energy in Downtown LA with some very interesting initiatives and this minimal but distinctive One Star is on par with their philosophy. As part of the 1HUND(RED) program a percentage of the net wholesale price of the shoe will go to help fight AIDS in Africa making this an even more than worthwhile addition to your wardrobe.

BLENDS will launch the Converse x Blends 1HUND(RED) One Star Sneakers on three consecutive nights with each of the locations hosting the events.

Blends
726 Market St.
San Diego, CA 92101
619.233.6126
10.22.2009 (7pm-10pm)

Blends
2930 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.241.0666
10.23.2009 (7-pm-10pm)

Blends
125 W 4th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213.626.6607
10.24.2009 (7pm-10pm)

Converse x Blends 1HUND(RED) One Star Sneakers is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

Nike Sportswear will be taking part in the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk tomorrow night by rolling out the AW77 customization truck at BLENDS. The truck will be stationed out in front of the shop from 7 to 10pm and it will offer a unique opportunity to customize Nike’s iconic hoodies in person. This service is currently provided online via Nike’s website, but this will make things a bit more live and in living color, plus, you can make an evening out of it all with Art Walk running concurrently in the surrounding area. Sounds like a plan to me!

Nike Sportswear AW77 Customization Truck is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

Oakley Presents “Sunglasses at Night” at BLENDS LA is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

BLENDS Costa Mesa
2930 Bristol St
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 241-0666

BLENDS San Diego
726 Market St
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 233-6126

BLENDS Los Angeles
125 W 4th St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 626-6607

DC Life Admiral for BLENDS is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

BLENDS San Diego x LaDainian Tomlinson 1World Air Force 1 Release Event Recap is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

Nike Sportswear Loopwheeler Holiday 2008 is a post from: SLAMXHYPE

Oakley has recruited Andrew Petterson to create 50 hand painted Frogskins as an extension of their Artist Series program. We do not have images at the moment, and it is for a very good reason. This project is special in a sense that all 50 are unique and numbered by the artist and to celebrate that, Oakley will be teaming up with BLENDS in Costa Mesa to host an event in which all 50 will be present and accounted for, and this will be the only time that all of them will be available for viewing before being allocated to the 25 stores lucky enough to receive them. The sunglasses will be packaged in all black, including the protective bag that accompanies all Frogskins, to maintain the mystery of what one will be getting for their purchase. The release is slated for October, with the event taking place at the end of September. We will keep you posted on this special release and the event that will commemorate the sunglasses as the time draws near.

Andrew Petterson Oakley Frogskins is a post from: SLAMXHYPE