Category: News

Two celestial events collided last night and people around the world did their best to capture the cool phenomena on film.

The “super flower blood moon” was one of the few supermoons this year, when the moon appears to be much larger and brighter in the sky due to its position closer to Earth. The “flower” part of the moniker is simply because it’s a full moon happening in the month of May. The “blood” part comes from the reddish hue cast over the moon due to a total lunar eclipse that happened to coincide with the supermoon. (The total eclipse was only visible in some regions, including the Western U.S.)

In other words, the moon was a huge red ball in the sky last night, creating a natural show for us earthlings.

If you missed it in real life, these photos of the super flower blood moon are the next best thing.

A few clouds couldn’t completely cover the glowing orange moon over Stonehenge in the U.K.

Stargazers of Hawaii captured a tri-tone moon that looks positively otherworldly. The reddish tint is caused by sunlight filtering through the earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, according to NASA.

Ankara, Turkey didn’t get the blood part of the supermoon, but it was still stunning.

The Statue of Liberty got quite a show in New York.

If that’s not cool enough, NPR shared a time-lapse video of the supermoon setting over Lady Liberty.

For those of us who slept through the Super Flower Blood Moon: Here’s a quick time lapse taken early this morning 🌷🌕 https://t.co/Q38GJ4WrWH

— NPR (@NPR)
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Joshua Tree National Park enjoyed its moon blended with an ethereal sunset or sunrise.

Sometimes a camera lens can capture things that the naked eye cannot. Astrophotographers with the right equipment and skills can give us a glimpse of what’s really out there—celestial beauty blocked by light pollution and the limitations of our own visual abilities.

The photographer who created this image, Kaleb Johnston, said on Twitter that it was a composite taken with two exposures, one to highlight the Milky Way and the other to highlight the details of the moon.

Last nights moon was not only rare because it was a super flower blood moon, but also because of its positioning, r… https://t.co/KSJ44H1LxM

— Kaleb (@KalebJohnstonNZ)
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(Here’s the moon-focused shot with a bit of an explanation for why he was able to get such a great capture of it in New Zealand.)

This was shot in New Zealand, noted to be the best place in the world to view the blood moon last night. I drove in… https://t.co/VqYoGnrSJN

— Kaleb (@KalebJohnstonNZ)
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Absolutely incredible.

So many cool photos of the same moon from around the world.

The Super Flower Blood Moon lit up skies around the world and was the result of the year’s biggest full moon coinci… https://t.co/JbMy3fraUW

— AJ+ (@ajplus)
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While supermoons aren’t all that rare and lunar eclipses aren’t that rare, the two happening at the same time is something special. With all of the challenges facing humanity, the fact that we can—and do—all marvel together when nature puts on a sky show for us is a cosmic reminder of how connected we really are.

Men everywhere are missing out on the benefits of manicures and pedicures because they’re seen as something only women do. Mani-pedis are great for blood circulation, healthy nails, treating contagious skin problems, and taking care of diabetic foot issues.

They’re also wonderful for one’s psychological well-being because they’re a fantastic way to destress.

That’s why Shana Soberanis, owner of StyleMeUp! Salon Suites, decided to open The Man Cave, a nail shop that caters solely to men 13 and over. According to Soberanis, her new nail salon in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is the only one on a 50-mile radius that caters to men.

“I saw a need for nail care for men. They’re an underserved population when it comes to nail care. For some reason, men sometimes believe that it’s kind of emasculating and I wanted to dispel that myth. I wanted them to know that it’s okay, it’s a part of hygiene and wellness care,” Soberanis said.

“Men are often overlooked when it comes to nail care. Some believe that this kind of self-care is a sign of weakness,” she wrote on the Man Cave’s website.

She came up with the idea after doing her fiancé’s feet. “He enjoyed getting pedicures and massages and he suggested that I go to nail school. I enrolled and realized that I really liked doing feet,” Soberanis said.

So she created a salon that resembles a barbershop or cigar lounge, complete with a pool table. “Women have their ‘me-time’ this is for the men. This is what we need,” Shad Byrd, a Man Cave client, told WSPA.

Men who stop by The Man Cave can get manly-sounding packages such as the He-Mani-Care, the “Hail the King” Pedi-Care, and the “Bro-Swag” Pedi-Care package. Some men probably aren’t comfortable buying a package for themselves, so she encourages the women in their lives to buy one to show them how great a mani-pedi can make them feel.

The Man Cave is a place where men can go to relax and talk about what’s happening in their lives, much like a barbershop. The business also has a strict code of confidentiality, so men can discuss real issues as well as health problems they may have on their hands or feet.

“It’s always busy, they get you in and out. Not saying that they should get to know their customers but at least talk to them and ask them how their day is going because it could be the stop that changes someone’s life,” Byrd said.

Taking care of one’s mental or physical health should never be something that’s solely for men or women. Kudos to Soberanis for not only realizing that men need a place where they can relax and have their hands and feet cared for but for putting her heart into it and bringing the business into reality.

Elizabeth Warren didn’t become our 46th president, but maybe that’s okay: as a senator, she arguably has more time to feud with CEOs. On Wednesday, the chamber held a hearing in which they spoke to the CEOs of the nation’s biggest banks, among them the heads of Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, CitiBank, and more. But it was a testy tête-à-tête between Warren and JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon that got the most attention.

The purpose of the two-day hearing is to see how banks handled customers during the pandemic. Warren didn’t think they did a good job. She focused on overdraft fees, asking those present how many automatically granted overdraft protection to patrons during a public health crisis that saw an alarming spike in unemployment. Warren said she wasn’t surprised when nearly no one raised their hand.

Warren singled out Dimon for scorn, dubbing him “the star of the overdraft show,” pointing out that his bank collects “more than seven times as much money overdraft fees per account than your competitors.” She asked him, point blank, how much money they made in overdraft fees during the pandemic. Dimon claimed he didn’t have the number at hand.

But Warren did: JP Morgan Chase made $1.46 billion in overdraft fees alone. She then asked him if they “would have been in financial trouble” had they automatically waived those fees. He responded by claiming they “waived the fees for customers upon request if they were under stress because of COVID.”

Warren wasn’t having that. “I appreciate that you want to duck this question,” she shot back, then informed him that his profits would have “only” been $27.6 billion, adding, “I did the math for you.”

She then accused all of them of profiting off of customers during a once-in-a-century calamity. “You and your colleagues come in today to talk about how you stepped up and took care of customers during the pandemic, and it’s a bunch of baloney,” she said. “In fact, it’s about $4 billion worth of baloney.”

Warren then offered Dimon a chance to make things right, asking him, “Will you commit right now to refund $1.5 billion you took from consumers during the pandemic?” Dimon quickly said no. So she twisted the knife. “No matter how you try to spin it, this past year has shown that corporate profits are more important to your bank than offering just a little help to struggling families, even when we are in the middle of a worldwide crisis.”

Will Dimon and those like him suffer any pangs of guilt? Will they try to do the right thing, if not now then next time? Probably not! But for now, people enjoyed watching her publicly shame the powerful.

You can watch Warren take on Dimon in the video above.

If the nearly countless game delays announced over the past few years have got you down, we have fantastic news for you: all three Pokemon games previously announced during this year’s Pokemon 25th anniversary celebration now have release dates, and best of all, they’re soon. According a press release published by The Pokemon Company earlier today, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl — the highly-anitipcated remakes of 2006’s Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl — are coming to Switch on Nov. 19, 2021. In addition, the open-world action-RPG Pokemon Legends: Arceus is scheduled to launch on Jan. 28, 2022.

In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, veteran Pokemon trainers will get the chance to return to the Sinnoh region and take on the area’s gym leader challenge all over again while series’ newcomers are invited to experience the adventure for the very first time. While the first trailer for the games reveals a much fresher look and feel, The Pokemon Company stated the original story has “been faithfully reproduced,” and “trainers can expect an adventure through the Sinnoh region that feels both nostalgic and fresh.”

However, if you’re not quite feeling the nostalgia, Nintendo is offering an exciting new Pokemon experience with open-world, action-RPG Pokemon Legends: Arceus. While the upcoming game also takes place in Pearl and Diamond’s Sinnoh region, it’s drastically different from the previous games in not one, but two ways. For starters, it’s set hundreds of years in the past, during what appears to be Japan’s feudal period. In addition, the Pokemon Legends largely departs from the established Pokemon formula. According to the press release, Pokemon Legends “takes a bold new direction, fusing action with RPG elements.”

Both titles will be available exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

The world of music critique is nearly two decades removed from the rise of poptimism, but recent years have scratched the veneer of pop music’s apparent acceptance thanks to the vocally surprised reactions to projects like Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour — not to mention the whole freakout over Phoebe Bridgers smashing her guitar on SNL. Miley Cyrus highlighted the problem with the apparent disconnect between the critiques and the actual discourse as it relates to her music with a slyly humorous meme that had her laughing herself incontinent on Twitter.

The meme, which uses the classic format of text labels on a funny or unusual photo, makes use of a behind-the-scenes pic from the making of Adam Sandler’s stressful 2019 film Uncut Gems to poke fun at the reactions of skeptical men perpetually expressing surprise at Cyrus’ musical prowess. The photo depicts Sandler labeled “Grown men saying, ‘I’m not a fan, but…’” chasing a screaming young woman labeled “Miley Cyrus singing an old rock song” down the street. “I am peeing,” Miley herself added. “Who done did this?!”

For some context: Miley is rapidly becoming just about as well known for her classic rock covers as she is for her own modern pop hits, but it’s only when she performs the former that many of the aforementioned “grown men” come out of the woodwork to acknowledge her. The obvious implication of the photo is that their input is neither needed nor wanted and, considering the scummy vibes Adam Sandler’s Uncut Gems character spent most of the movie giving off, that these men would do well to mind their own dang business if they aren’t going to give Miley all the credit she deserves all the time.

Among the covers Miley is known to have delivered over the past couple of years are Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe,” Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” a four-song medley during the NCAA Final Four, and most recently, Dolly Parton’s “Plastic Hearts.”

LOS ANGELES – Robbie Hummel chips golf balls into a pool at a house in Beverly Hills. However he imagined this exact moment happening, if he imagined it at all, I doubt it was with this context: He’s sharing this house with other basketball players, with a fully customized court and workout facility, to safely train for the Olympics. Hummel is one of four members of the USAB men’s 3×3 team who are trying to win gold in Tokyo, and as he skies shots in a game of closest to the pin photographer, a career’s worth of hard work is crystalized into one extremely silly moment.

We all saw what the pandemic did to major sports. Empty stadiums, bubbles, compressed schedules, injuries, protocols, and more have become part of the general lexicon. But for those who were fighting and clawing to make the Olympics, the pause somehow added even more questions. The men’s 3×3 team hasn’t actually qualified. FIBA rules have changed. The team is not eligible, despite the various tournaments that they have won. But the qualifying standards have changed, and now, they have one more shot of making it to Tokyo in Austria, starting Thursday at 7 a.m. EST. (The women’s team — featuring Kelsey Plum, Katie Lou Samuelson, Stefanie Dolson, and Allisha Gray — will also have one shot at qualifying.)

The team hadn’t trained or practiced together in over a year. So these moments, as surreal as they are, are absolutely necessary in some form or fashion to get the team ready. To build the chemistry that just isn’t possible on Zoom, corners cannot be cut with a Cool Runnings-style montage before their trip to Austria.

“We all away from our families and our loved ones and stuff like that,” guard Dominique Jones says. “We got to kind of stay in a bubble. We just learn each other, you know what I mean? Just get to spend a lot of time with each other. A lot of these countries been doing this for years. Maybe not in such an intricate house, but they live next to each other and get to practice together all the time and on the world tour we play against each other. Just building that cohesiveness and living together, just getting a workout together every day, just seeing each other’s habits and pushing each other day by day was really big for us.”

So the house, complete with cold tub, outdoor weight room, art installations, Red Bull coolers, and yes, that pool, was a way to take the edge off and balance the heightened stress of the goal with the natural decompression that’s needed when four individuals have to learn what makes one another tick, on and off the court.

“What are our best five plays that we think we’re going to be able to run in a game?” guard Canyon Barry asks. “Or if we need a bucket, what play are we going to? Out of transition offense, what are the keys that we’re trying to focus on doing at a high level? Defensively, what’s our scheme going to be? How are we going to guard ball screens? Are we switching? Are we not switching? What actions are going to give us trouble? Can we get the Select Team guys that are scrimmaging against us to run those actions so we can get the reps?

“I think stuff like that has just been the biggest benefit of us being here and being together,” he continues. “There’s only so many plays you can run with three people. Plus, I think just being able to watch film together, not via Zoom has been great. You should have heard our Zoom calls. It was a nightmare, man. All right, go to 16:04 on the clock. Wait, is it on the game clock or is it on the YouTube clock? It was just a sh*tshow trying to watch film together, excuse my language.”

The results, to this point, speak for themselves. The team operates a bit more like a crew team, or by their own admission, a beach volleyball team. In 3×3, mistakes are heightened, but memories need to be even shorter than in a 48-minute, five-on-five game. Any lingering doubt, any head hanging, or any attempt to beat the mistake through sheer will could lead to a snowball effect and the team is doomed. If traditional basketball is chess, 3×3 in a lot of ways is Connect Four — sure, anyone can play it, but it takes a true lifetime to master.

And the players needed are different, too. While in a full court, 10-man game, there’s specialization: a guy could be a 3-and-D player, you could have a traditional post player, you could get a speedy defense-first guard, or a scoring wing who sags on defense. There’s no real room for that in 3×3. If anything, each member of the USAB team stressed the same approach: switchability, an eclectic skillset, and killer cardio.

But of all the things that make for a great Olympic 3×3 player, it’s one that doesn’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet at all that makes all the difference: persistence.

Each of the players on the men’s team has a circuitous, Odyssey-like journey to get to this point. Kareem Maddox worked in radio and for a startup while keeping his toes in the international game. Hummel almost went entirely into broadcasting before the 3×3 opportunities presented themselves. All of them in some form or fashioned were helped by the “Godfather of 3×3,” Princeton grad John Rogers, who has been instrumental in helping push the game forward in the states (both monetarily and from an organizational standpoint). Tournaments are in far-flung places, requiring budget teams simply don’t have. The phone will stay dead for months, then an alternate spot will open up, or a tournament will pop up in South Korea, or yes, Austria.

This all builds an appreciation for the game but also a never say die mentality that’s perfect for 3×3 in general. Sure, it might be easier to have Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James and Kevin Durant out there in theory, but the way FIBA operates, it’s not feasible (or enticing to those guys right now anyway). That’s where the pioneers come in, especially stateside. And those pioneers are Kareem, Canyon, Robbie, and Dom.

With one shot left, it’s not a question of if they’ll do it. It’s just the last stop in a very long road.

“Every day throughout the pandemic, I have to weigh the options,” Maddox says. “I have to look at my bank account. I have to figure out if there’s probably still a chance that the Olympics doesn’t happen. That was even more realistic as things were unfolding late last year, early this year. So I was like,’Whatever. It’s better to be ready.’ And either way, my job doesn’t change. I have to be ready. I have to be the best basketball player I can be. The fact that it’s finally here is great. I’ve woken up like every day, those 16 months, weighing those options, trying to make decisions with this goal in mind. So the fact that it’s here is incredible.”

You might recognize Sarah Neufeld as one of the founding members of Arcade Fire, for which she performs violin both on tour and on the band’s studio albums. For much of the last decade, Neufeld has also been focusing on a catalogue of solo work, beginning with 2013’s Hero Brother. Detritus is here third solo album to date, which finds Neufeld channeling the dance rhythms she learned in her youth into kinetic violin-based songs that sound quite unlike anything happening in modern indie.

To celebrate Detritus, Neufeld sat down to talk Paul Simon, the Bourne movies, and newborns in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Tension/release, portal, physical, waves.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

In 30 years from now, I hope to still be making music, and I would hope that it’s music that opens a doorway for the listener; a doorway to wherever they need to go.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

There are too many incredible places to perform to really have a favorite, but Mexico City is certainly one of those bright spots.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

I think I tend to lean into many different diverse influences for inspiration instead of favoring one or another, which could be why my sound is tricky to define, and at the moment I’m having trouble deciding whether to say Bach or Aphex Twin. Bach for the complex simplicity, the pure beauty, the puzzle, and Aphex Twin for the entire universe he creates.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

That’s probably a tie between Italy and Japan.

What album do you know every word to?

Paul Simon – Graceland.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Radiohead.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

That all depends on whether in-ear monitors are part of the package, because they require something close-fitting, something belted, or well pocketed. Otherwise, dresses that move with my body are lovely to perform in

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

(leaving this one blank)

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

I’m going to change this question to – what album do you run to the most on tour? Burial – Untrue.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Honestly, I just had a baby, so my searches are all questions about newborns because I literally know nothing about them and they’re not that straightforward.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Bach: The Goldberg Variations by Glenn Gould.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

Nowhere weirder than a couch in a frat house, or, perhaps another time in a treehouse on a mountain, but these aren’t weird places.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I have only one tattoo and it was one of those 20yr old mistake moments. Long story short, I used to plant trees in the summers (it’s a big thing in Canada) and the tattoo involves trees, but not in an artful way.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Anything classic – Tom Petty for example.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

A good friend once packed up a load of my furniture and drove it across many states for me.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Trust your gut and check your impulses.

What’s the last show you went to?

I was on tour for a while right before the pandemic hit, and I honestly can’t remember?! It’s between Devendra Banhart and a Broadway play.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Any of the Bourne movies.

What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?

Anything Obama wanted.

Detritus is out now. Listen to it here.

Although DMX has long been one of hip-hop’s best-selling artists — see: his five consecutive No. 1 album debuts on the Billboard 200 and the near-ubiquity of singles like “Party Up” and “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” — many of his most recognizable singles were only certified gold or platinum by the RIAA this week, nearly two months after his death in early April.

The certified songs include “How It’s Goin’ Down” (gold), the aforementioned “Party Up” (platinum), “Ruff Ryders Anthem” (platinum), “What These B*tches Want” featuring Sisqo (gold), “What’s My Name” (gold), “Where The Hood At” (platinum), and “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” (platinum).

For those wondering why these seven songs were only recently certified when some — like “X Gon’ Give It To Ya,” which shipped and/or sold over a million copies in 2017 — surpassed their respective certification thresholds years ago. Fortunately, DJ Booth’s Brian Zisook explained the phenomenon, which he called the result of “a combination of laziness and cost.”

“Labels often will wait until there is a ton of eligible records and they apply for certifications in bulk and then use the number as fodder for coverage,” he explained. “These 7 records didn’t all just become eligible at once.” In a separate tweet, he elaborated that, “Artists will often ask or remind their labels to apply for them on their behalf” sometime after their eligibility — which, in X’s case, couldn’t have been the highest priority (in 2017, he was on trial for tax fraud, spending nearly a year in prison as a result and spending time in and out of rehab).

However, with X’s posthumous album, Exodus, dropping this Friday, there was perhaps no more opportune time for Def Jam to file for certifications — even if it is in semi-bad taste. You can check out one of the first songs released from the album, the Griselda-featuring “Hood Blues,” now.

With the CDC’s recent announcement that vaccinated people can now live largely maskless lives and with Coronavirus cases being at their lowest since the start of the pandemic, we’re looking set to enjoy a real, legitimate, full-on, bonafide summer this year. You know, the type of summer where you can actually go out, explore your surroundings, and meet new people without the fear of endangering them. It’s a big deal, and the perfect opportunity to rock your best fit on the catwalk that is your city’s streets. But it’s been a long time, so you might be struggling to figure out just what to wear.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you. In addition to our weekly sneaker and apparel roundups, we’ve curated a list of the 15 streetwear brands that we think are absolutely killing it in 2021. Once these brands are on your radar, you’ll be stepping out every day of summer 2021 in style. You’re not going to find giant brands like Supreme, Stussy, or Timberland on this list, instead, you’ll find 15 up-and-coming brands that are just a few steps away from becoming household names, and are delivering the kind of cutting edge looks that are attracting the eyes of fashion-forward artists like J Balvin, Billie Eilish, Rosalia, and more.

Here are the 15 streetwear brands you need on your radar for Summer 2021.

Ambush

Kicking off our round-up is the Japanese jewelry brand turned fashion label Ambush, a brand that delivers a muted earth-toned and minimal aesthetic and offers everything from accessories to jackets, outerwear, and streetwear essentials. Ambush leans a little more high-fashion than it does your typical graphic t-shirt streetwear, but it isn’t so elegant that it’s formal — so you’ll still be able to wear everything from Ambush with a pair of Jordans.

Shop Ambush here.

Chinatown Market

Chinatown Market announced about two months back that they’d be changing their name due to the growing number of violent acts against Asian-Americans across the US, working with activists Eric Toda and Benny Luo to help usher in a new chapter of the brand. But changing a brand name is a long process, and the brand is still working through some stock under the original banner and hasn’t revealed a new name just yet.

So for now we’re still going to call them Chinatown Market and update this list once the new name is official. All that said, Chinatown Market feels like a brand that picked up where the old Supreme left off. Their drops are fun, lighthearted, and self-aware, and they have a great relationship with their community of fans, constantly interacting on their various social media platforms.

If you’re looking for a brand that feels like a community, it doesn’t get more welcoming than Chinatown Market.

Shop Chinatown Market here.

Equihua

Los Angeles-based brand Equihua (pronounced e-KEE-wah) delivers San Marcos cobija-inspired outwear, from vibrant floral patterned jackets to hats, hoop earrings, and hoodies featuring San Juditas. It’s loud, colorful, and takes the concept of graphic prints to the next level. Above all, it’s well crafted with premium materials and stunning attention to detail.

Equihua brings an unapologetically Mexican-inspired look to the streetwear space and modern fashion is better for it.

Shop Equihua here.

FINESSE

FINESSE is an interesting brand, we wouldn’t so much attribute the label to a specific city rather it’s a product of the internet, relying on Artificial Intelligence to inform its latest looks. As such, it’s kind of an experiment, sometimes it’s Y2 K-inspired fashion at its finest, while other times it can feel oddly out of place, like some strange sort of uncanny valley take on modern streetwear.

But even when it doesn’t work, it’s at the least interesting, providing great outfits for a photoshoot or some sort of creative project. It’s fashion for art school kids.

Shop FINESSE here.

Freak City

Beloved by Billie Eilish, LA-based label Freak City has a sort of trashy loud aesthetic that combines graphic prints with graffiti-inspired fonts. The pieces out of Freak City are a mishmash of colors and seemingly random words and graphic designs laid out in a chaotic style reminiscent of early MIA. It’s bratty, brash, and slightly gritty.

Freak City leans a little on the younger side, so if you’re pushing 30, maybe don’t rock a t-shirt with the word “drugs” on it encircled in a heart with a cross through it. Or do!

Shop Freak City here.

Joe Freshgoods

Chicago based Joe Freshgoods isn’t exactly up-and-coming, the brand has sort of been a thing since label head Joe Freshgoods was just 15, selling off his first products at Chicago’s Lane Tech high school, but if this brand isn’t yet on your radar you need to remedy that now. Leaning a bit more on the traditional side of streetwear, with staples like sweaters and hoodies, and graphic track pants, Joe Freshgoods focuses on comfort above all else, infusing lots of color to some tried and true streetwear classics.

The brand’s sneaker collaborations are a highlight as well, offering playful takes on classic silhouettes from brands like Converse and New Balance.

Shop Joe Freshgoods here.

Keiser Clark

Keiser Clark brings seedy LA night culture to the world of streetwear thanks to the brand’s moody nocturnal glamour. If you think you can’t get a lot of mileage out of the color black, you’ve never seen a Keiser Clark lookbook. From deep midnight tones to faded vintage vibes, Keiser Clark is a brand that knows how to play with darkness, offering a glamorous but gritty style to your wardrobe that’ll make you look like the coolest most interesting person in the room at your next late-night gathering.

Shop Keiser Clark here.

Lazy Oaf

The fashion of the ’90s has weighed heavily on modern streetwear, but no brand is doing it quite like London-based brand Lazy Oaf, which combines the vibrant colors and baggy silhouettes of UK rave culture with modern streetwear sensibilities. Playful graphics meet colorful prints at Lazy Oaf and the brand offers everything from your typical streetwear to more lounge-inspired fits and even swimwear.

Oh and did we mention bucket hats? Lazy Oaf has a strong love for bucket hats, so if you do too then this is your brand.

Shop Lazy Oaf here.

Mr. Saturday

Mr. Saturday is another brand that rides that fine line between modern streetwear and luxury fashion, offering elegant high quality ready to wear streetwear in a clean and minimalist aesthetic. Expect oversize silhouettes, attentive tailoring, and a mix of traditional American silhouettes retranslated for the modern age. Mr. Saturday is the only brand able to draw inspiration from out-of-the-box sources, like author Evelyn Waugh or New York’s Paradise Garage and mix it into something that looks undeniably great and brand new alongside modern fashion.

Shop Mr. Saturday Here.

NOAH Clothing

New York-based NOAH might strike you as oddly familiar, and that’s probably because the label was founded by Brendon Babenzien, who cut his teeth over at Supreme. While Supreme has become somewhat predictable and a little safe, NOAH still brings a lot of that early Supreme energy, infusing its skatewear with a clean New Wave-Esque minimalism that is less prankish and childish as Supreme, but just as exciting.

If the boys of New Order got their start in the 2020s rather than the late ‘70s, they’d be rocking NOAH no doubt.

Shop NOAH Clothing here.

READYMADE

READYMADE comes from the mind of Japanese designer Yuta Hosokawa and features mostly upcycled designs that play on vintage U.S. army stylings, doing for olive green what Keiser Clark does for the color black. But READYMADE doesn’t just stop at jackets, the brand drops dope sneaker collaborations, makes furniture, and releases a steady stream of graphic t-shirts that stray far from the brand’s Army aesthetic.

Beloved by Erykah Badu and Travis Scott, READYMADE is perfect for people who dig on utilitarian design.

Shop READYMADE here.

RHUDE

Los Angeles-based RHUDE has come a long way from the brand’s early days of borrowing from classic American iconography (see the brand’s Marlboro-esque logo) and designing graphic t-shirts. Today the brand blurs the line between luxury clothing and ready-to-wear streetwear as a full-blown design house, providing some of the best women and menswear essentials in the streetwear universe.

If you’re rocking RHUDE, you’re rocking the best, along with people like Michael B. Jordan, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, and Future.

Shop Rhude here.

Stray Rats

If you don’t like rats, you’ll never be a fan of Stray Rats but if you feel totally ambivalent to the rodents, then you’ll find a playful Miami-based brand that features all sorts of vibrant graphic t-shirts and streetwear essentials. From hats to jackets, and t-shirts, Stray Rats keeps their looks casual, fun, and simple.

Shop Stray Rats here.

Teddy Fresh

We’ve been big fans of Teddy Fresh for a minute. Since 2017, the brand has consistently gotten better with each year, expanding its offerings from color-block hoodies to a full unisex line of diverse stylings, all dipped in the brand’s iconic pastel aesthetic. While no brand can lay claim to color-blocking, Teddy Fresh really did something special with the style, which has inspired all sorts of copycats around the internet, but no brand can really deliver the same quality as the OG.

From premium fabrics to attentive construction and design, Teddy Fresh is a brand that continues to surprise with every collection. Teddy Fresh’s pieces just glow, catching all the eyes in the room while still holding comfort and wearability above all else, and we love them for that.

Shop Teddy Fresh here. ‘

TOMBOGO

Utilitarian brand TOMBOGO absolutely blew up last year, capturing the attention of artists like Bad Bunny and Kehlani thanks to label head Tommy Bogo’s unique approach to fashion. Something about TOMBOGO seems very reactive, the collections out of the label have a knack for perfectly reflecting the moment in culture we’re living through, from the brand’s pandemic-inspired Comfort Zone capsule to the work-from-home Freelance collection, to the more earthy and outdoorsy Lost & Found set.

Bogo approaches fashion like a musician, taking in the varying influences and synthesizing them together to deliver something new and unique.

Shop TOMBOGO here.

Men everywhere are missing out on the benefits of manicures and pedicures because they’re seen as something only women do. Mani-pedis are great for blood circulation, healthy nails, treating contagious skin problems, and taking care of diabetic foot issues.

They’re also wonderful for one’s psychological well-being because they’re a fantastic way to destress.

That’s why Shana Soberanis, owner of StyleMeUp! Salon Suites, decided to open The Man Cave, a nail shop that caters solely to men 13 and over. According to Soberanis, her new nail salon in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is the only one on a 50-mile radius that caters to men.

“I saw a need for nail care for men. They’re an underserved population when it comes to nail care. For some reason, men sometimes believe that it’s kind of emasculating and I wanted to dispel that myth. I wanted them to know that it’s okay, it’s a part of hygiene and wellness care,” Soberanis said.

“Men are often overlooked when it comes to nail care. Some believe that this kind of self-care is a sign of weakness,” she wrote on the Man Cave’s website.

She came up with the idea after doing her fiancé’s feet. “He enjoyed getting pedicures and massages and he suggested that I go to nail school. I enrolled and realized that I really liked doing feet,” Soberanis said.

So she created a salon that resembles a barbershop or cigar lounge, complete with a pool table. “Women have their ‘me-time’ this is for the men. This is what we need,” Shad Byrd, a Man Cave client, told WSPA.

Men who stop by The Man Cave can get manly-sounding packages such as the He-Mani-Care, the “Hail the King” Pedi-Care, and the “Bro-Swag” Pedi-Care package. Some men probably aren’t comfortable buying a package for themselves, so she encourages the women in their lives to buy one to show them how great a mani-pedi can make them feel.

The Man Cave is a place where men can go to relax and talk about what’s happening in their lives, much like a barbershop. The business also has a strict code of confidentiality, so men can discuss real issues as well as health problems they may have on their hands or feet.

“It’s always busy, they get you in and out. Not saying that they should get to know their customers but at least talk to them and ask them how their day is going because it could be the stop that changes someone’s life,” Byrd said.

Taking care of one’s mental or physical health should never be something that’s solely for men or women. Kudos to Soberanis for not only realizing that men need a place where they can relax and have their hands and feet cared for but for putting her heart into it and bringing the business into reality.