Dope Ambition

Freelance art director, illustrator and graphic artist Axel Morin is based out of Paris. After browsing his portfolio, I wish I could get him on board for some logo design and/or typeface work, but as co-founder of Monsieur Jean-Louis collective, a Digital Creative Studio, and other endeavors, I know the guy must cost a fortune so…

…can I add a person’s skills to my wish list? Hmmm…

So here’s the deal, dear friends: I really, really like you. And I mean, I really do. My last giveaway was a sweeping success. The winner received a customized bow tie delivered right to his door, crisp and ready for the wearing.

This time around, I’ve teamed up with PLNDR, a V.I.P.-only extension of Karmaloop with bundles more worth of exclusive gear and limited-time Gilt Group-like deals for brands such as WeSC, Hellz Bellz, BLVCK SCALE, Betsey Johnson, Crooks and Castles and more.

So what does the winner get? Anything $100 can buy. The person who wins, chosen at random, will receive an exclusive DopeAmbition x PLUNDR gift code worth 100$, so aim that bad boy at the gear of your choice and go bang. (Side note: I would not inject your lives with spam or confuse you with fine-print. The rules are simple, easy and absolutely 100% free.99. I pinky swear, kiss my thumb.)

So here are the rules. Once you enter and follow the three steps, you are automatically entered to win. You can then proceed to kick back, prop your laced-out feet up on someone else’s coffee table, and laugh at the people on ebay who have to remain cognizant of their bids.

RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.) Sign up for PLUNDR’s Exclusive Deals by clicking this link. (All you do is enter your name and email address).

2.) Comment on this post naming your favorite item for sale right now…(We really just need to track comments).

3.) Like DopeAmbition and PLUNDR on facebook. (And if you’re feeling generous, Dopeambition on twitter + PLUNDR on twitter.)

Now go about your business. The winner will be announced at midnight on Tuesday.

CLICK TO ENTER!

Following our return home from SXSW, Brianne provided a beautifully written piece on Kids These Days, our trip, and everything else that went along with it. She definitely illustrated every detail to a T with her eloquent word choice and her ultra-perceptive way of looking at things.

Now, for a visual representation of our trip, Brianne and I recorded footage which I’ve compiled into a video. The song in the video is Summerscent, which can be found on KTD’s “Hard Times” EP. If you reside in the Chi, you can scoop a copy at one of KTD’s shows, or at Sir and Madame @ 938 North Damen.

muchlove,

chandler

Katie Fogarty gets decked out in some school spirit-worthy gear, with champions of American sportswear making an editorial appearance. The theme remains constant throughout with classic brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Paul and Joe, and Pierre Hardy mixed with the likes of Wesc and American Apparel.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve been poppin’ my collar….”

images via fashiongonerogue

Adele’s latest album, 21, showed the world she had exited her teen years with grace and has entered a new world of adult-ridden heartbreak. The result of her angst is a product of our approval, and I literally can’t stop listening to the album.

Here, John Legend takes Adele’s soulful “Rolling in the Deep” and turns it into a capella ear candy. And um…we like. Click the link under the player to download.

John Legend – Rolling in the Deep (Adele Cover) by johnlegend

We’ve heard it from every corner of the fashion sphere: denim is back, and it’s back in a big way. Denim made a splashing comeback at Spring 2011 shows like Stella McCartney and Ralph Lauren, and while we can all oogle and drool over some coveted items from their collections, let’s keep it real: many of us can’t afford those pieces. So instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, let’s lace ourselves with one of these three fresh Dunk Highs, arriving in black and white, Copa blue and dark gray, and Rio red and white. Take your pick, and proceed in denim-decked glory.

Scoop here…but just don’t wear a denim jacket AND denim skinnies AND a denim bag. There’s such thing as denim overkill, k?

images via sneakernews

In this case, what we have to carry and/or put in this satchel is less important than the satchel itself. This perfect-for-spring gem was hand cut from a single piece of Tender Co. leather, and was tanned for 18 months in Devon, England. With a removable shoulder strap and vintage-inspired brass closure, this piece screams “BUY ME. KEEP ME. CARRY ME EVERYWHERE” in the most subtle of ways. But, at such a unattainable yet worthy price, this item is simply landing on our wish list. For those ladies or gents who can afford to scoop, I suggest you do so. Craftsmanship like this is coming fewer and farther between these days.

Oak Bark Leather Satchel – $545

Talk about alliteration overload: say this blog post title 5 times fast.

Anyway, with the reinvention of the men’s accessory has a woman’s best friend, bold gold watches became all the cult craze a season or two ago, with the sexiest of women donning gold that’s make Flav mad jealous.

Now, the watch has been reborn with WeWood‘s eco-friendly rendition of the classic accessory. And each watch recyclable, biodegradable and takes less CO2 to produce than materials traditionally used in watch production, such as stainless-steel, platinum and gold. So for those of you who are vegan, eco-friendly fanatics, or just like the look of wood grain watches, scoop one of these timepieces before time runs out…pun intended.

Read more at Design Milk

Kanye West- Welcome To Kanye’s Soul Mix Show (Mixtape)

01. Sinnerman (Get By Intro)
02. I Wish You Were Here (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly)
03. Innocent Til Proven Guilty (Testify)
04. Chicago (The Truth)
05. In The Heart of City (Ain’t No Love)
06. Common Man (Never Change)
07. Strung Out (Down And Out)
08. Wildflower (Drive Slow)
09. Ghetto Child (They Say)
10. Peace And Love (Two Words)
11. Heavenly Dream (Celebration)
12. I’ll Erase Away Your Pain (Late)
13. A House Is Not A Home (Slow Jamz)
14. Through The Fire (Through The Wire)
15. Rosie (Roses)
16. My Funny Valentine (Addiction)
17. Is Where The Hatred Is (My Way Home)
18. Old Smokey (Go)
19. Since You Came In My Life (Crack Music)
20. Move On Up (Touch The Sky)
21. It’s Impossible (Impossible MI:3 Theme)
22. Distant Lover (Spaceship)
23. Cause I Love You (Overnight Celebrity)

Yeezy is undoubtedly one of my favorite artists, and always will be. Not only is he from the windy city (chea!) but he helped change the hip hop game by popularizing the sound of rap over soul music samples mixed with ill beats. The result of the creation of that genre has lead to his tracks being timeless – a Kanye West song will always be considered a “classic”. He used this same style to produce joints for other artists (Hova, Common) and those tracks will always emit that classic feel as well.

I’ve been listening to Ye since I was a kid, so I know his music from the ground up, except I’ve never heard of this mixtape. Welcome To Kanye’s Soul Mix Show is a Japanese-imported mixtape Kanye and A-Trak put out in ’06 features the original tracks he sampled when he was just starting off as an emcee. If you’re looking for some Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, or Gil Scott Heron joints to vibe to, then this mixtape is truly the only soul music plethora you need. The production on the project is beautifully composed and is worth the listen. Chi town stand up, I know you’ll dig this.

xx,

chandler

DOWNLOAD: Welcome To Kanye’s Soul Mix Show