A while ago there was a  category in fashion  called urban brands. In that category you would find labels that generally were associated with black inner city youth or hip-hop. They had names like Pellé Pellé, Fubu , Pnb , Mecca, and of course Akademiks.

Fashion and thankfully people have always been more open and diverse than what was perceived so, the term urban which really should have just been a city thing , became somewhat obsolete and I would dare to say replaced by streetwear . Keep in mind,  however that  in Japan for example Fubu is till hot!  Nonetheless, brand perception and image are  powerful concepts.

We wonder where this relaunch will take  Akademiks when most of us who probably rocked it are still current and aware of the latest and greatest. Kudos  to the  art direction and styling for erasing any hint of a stereotypical video vixen vibe, that I for one associated them with .  Any thoughts?

Check out  the Akademiks womens’ look book on the next page.

Georgina Goodman  lauched her line in 2002  after having worked for big publications like I-D and Elle.  Her line of high-end footwear  is always sexy refined with unexpected details as illustrated in the heel of the boots above. Available at MariaLuisa.

Pictured brands (L-R): Dolce Vita, Bernardo, Sam Edelman & Sam Edelman

David Z, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the N.Y. retail scene, has been holding down the shoe needs of fashion-obsessed city dwellers for basically ever. No, you’re not gonna find ground-breaking, sky-high heels there, but you will find stylish shoes that will end up being the season’s eyecatching workhorse. We asked women’s buyer Christina Ciglar to break down leading trends at her stores and also what she thinks the edgier fashionistas will be hunting for. This is what she had to say:

“The leading trend for this spring will be flat sandals with embellishments, updated gladiators, and covered-up sandal styles. After a long, cold winter customers are looking forward to wearing the spring fashion. The fashion forward customer will be wearing ’70’s influenced styles, chunky heels and platforms to go with the jumper trend. The same girl cannot wear the sky-high heels that have been out with the new clothing trends because that overall look is too hookerish.”

More shoe images on the other side.

The Bell & Ross watch company is really only as old as 1992 compared to the icons of luxury timepieces that are as old 1700’s . Nonetheless they provide a sleek modern design that the watchsnob in me can fully appreciate.

The BRS gold collection being my fave take a look at the beauty on the next page.

The higher the heel the better and,  designers like Ruthie Davis  are taking full advantage of that fact.  Davis by Ruthie Davis was all the rage at the WSA show in Vegas.  Her ability to mix materials added to her emphasis on high heels has found instant success since she launched her line in 2006. Personal favorites from her current collection include these neon “Sushi” Mary jane peep toe heels.

-Sai

More on the next page.

For their first collaboration the parisian crew of SHKS chose to work with french jewel designer, Adeline Affre .  The product of this alliance is a silver chain with logo pendant, mixing the crew’s love for graphic designs,music and fashion and Adeline’s talent in designing bold and never-seen before jewelery. 25 pieces are now available for 85 euros and can be ordered at contact@lickmyshks.com.

Everrrrybody wants to get in the KidRobot booth. There’s something magical about this brand that draws the curious like bees to freshly bloomed flowers. “I just wanna see, I just wanna look,” they all say as they crane their necks to catch a glimpse of what probably looks like a wonderland compared to every other booth in the joint. Kudos to rep Jennifer Getlan who headed them off the pass with great charm and patience, and thanks to her as well for letting us get a peak at the women’s collection, which has taken a step up since its initial launch about a year ago: lots of big graphics and new cuts that set them apart as strictly for the ladies.

Two more tops after the jump.

In a  fashion world that seems to be inundated with eco friendly lines that sacrifice fashion for the global economy, Nau is taking it to the absolute sustainable limit while keeping their pieces fresh and fashion forward. Focusing on super performance outerwear, each jacket is made completely out of post consumer waste and is built using a three layer construction without a single stitch. I was completely blown away when I heard that if your current garment  does start to fall apart you can send it back to them and they will recycle it into a new piece just for you. How cool is that??  Nau’s Fall ‘09 line will also feature plenty of other goodies including knit wear and accessories.

Detailed shots of Nau’s Fall 2009 collection after the jump.

MAC cosmetics has announced their Spring store arrivals and their Sugarsweet collection is delicious. Based entirely on bake shop confections, the color palette consists of mint green, cotton candy blue, peach, and a variety of shades of pink. I highly recommend trying out some of the new lipstick shades with names like Bubbles, Sweet Thing, and Lollipop Loving it’ll be hard to resist licking your lips. Set to drop March 19th.

A little taste of the MAC spring collection “Sugarsweet” after the jump.

A Chanel Segway?? I’m on the fence as to weather this is really hot or just kinda dorky. Let me know what you all think. The personal transporter comes with quilted hand grips, black leather mudflaps, and it is absolutely dripping in the Chanel logo. Perhaps the most intriguing amenity is the Chanel 2.55 handbag that hangs from the handlebars, so you can look fly while speeding along at a whopping 12 miles an hour. Karl darling, you never cease to amaze me.