streetwear

John Geiger and Premium Co. Make Impact in Pittsburgh Market /  by Alex Young

Hannibal Hopson and Rieko Copeland in John Geiger's "Pixburgh Merch" documented by Alex Young

Hannibal Hopson and Rieko Copeland in John Geiger's "Pixburgh Merch" documented by Alex Young

The line to purchase John Geiger and Premium Co.'s merchandise, at one point, stretched through Ace Hotel's aged gymnasium and outside down a set of steps. A lot of people flocked to the boutique hotel in Pittsburgh's East Liberty area to purchase Geiger and Premium's apparel, and sneakers made custom for the city of Pittsburgh.

Heritage from the city, like sports and industry, influenced the product on display. Geiger and Premium Co.'s pride for the city was evident. "We Made the Pirates Hat More Famous Than a Pirate Can," read some shirts and sweatshirts. "Allegheny Steel" boldly read tees by Premium, and fingers flexed the letter "P" to praise The 'Burgh.

Attendees shopped the diverse collection, which also included jackets, listened to DJ Pete Butta spin, and mingled with well-dressed creative people from the city. Local photographer Jimmy Schaffer captured the event well.

Family, fans, and friends appreciated Geiger and Premium's offering because it could have landed anywhere in the country, but Geiger specifically chose Pittsburgh. The city is his home, despite spending time in glorified places like Los Angeles and Miami.

"The market in Pittsburgh is smaller, so this can really make an impact," Geiger said. "If this were in L.A. 2,000 people would show up." However, the authenticity is felt more in his hometown.

Geiger had to build to this point, though. His work with Nike's Air Force 1 models and taste for other legendary footwear, such as his crafted "Golden Child" Yeezy, gain the 30-year-old national recognition. Now, with his reputation he is able to create shoes under his own label, John Geiger Collection.

Once his made-in-Italy footwear releases under his personal brand, Geiger sees his work with the Air Force 1 coming to an end.

All of this is fine because whatever is next for John Geiger he takes Pittsburgh with him. His completed pop-up shops and his future projects are influenced by The 'Burgh even if they are just from birth rights.

Fortunately, for those who were not in the city on August 5 and August 6, they are able to buy some remaining pieces from the collection at Premium Co.'s online shop here.

Allow curated looks from InTheRough along with models Hannibal Hopson and Rieko Copeland to capture the theme of Geiger and Premium Co.'s "Pixburgh Merch."

"Pixburgh Merch" /  by Alex Young

Ace Hotel, a communal space, hotel, and restaurant in Pittsburgh's East Liberty, prepares to hold a pop-up shop for designer and Pittsburgh native John Geiger, accompanied by Premium Co., a Washington, D.C. based menswear label.

Along with retail of custom Air Force 1 and adidas Stan Smith sneakers, Geiger will specifically offer apparel noting Pittsburgh, the City of Champions.

Geiger shows love for 'The Burgh in his clothing run which honors two legendary cultural contributors. Calling it "Pixburgh Merch," the archival designer pays tribute to David "The Cobra" Parker, a former Pirates Outfielder and the first professional athlete to earn a million dollars-a-year thanks to the contract he signed with the baseball team. Also, Geiger advantageously flips a famous Jay Z lyric from his song "Empire State of Mind."

Serving hoodies and T-shirts, Geiger adorns both with text made popular by the stylish Pirates ball player. "If You Hear Any Noise It's Just Me And The Boys Boppin," originally read a poem Parker authored and lettered on a black shirt. Currently, the phrase will feature on the back of Geiger's hoodies. Additionally, the Jay Z lyric is switched to support Pittsburgh, "We Made the Pirates Hat More Famous Than A Pirate Can," reads the front of Geiger's Pixburgh hoodies. The hoodies come in various colors, like black, camouflage, orange, and yellow. The hand-gestured "New P Logo" is utilized on both Geiger's Air Force 1 and throughout the collection, like on the tan T-shirt.

The entire range from Geiger and Premium Co. is uniquely designed, and exclusively for the city of Pittsburgh. "For Pittsburgh By Pixburgh" tags each piece.

People in the city have the opportunity to purchase the capsule on August 5 at 7 p.m. Ace Hotel will host the pair's shop only until August 6. Follow Geiger on social media as he continues to tease the collection.

Ace Hotel

120 S Whitfield St

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

 

 

 

 

Far From Fresh /  by Alex Young

RB photographed by Alex Young

RB photographed by Alex Young

A red bandana hangs from Ryan Brown's adidas Tiro sweatpants. He carries the fabric almost always for multiple reasons: to pay respect to his brother who was heavily entrenched in Pittsburgh's street culture, red is his favorite color, Woody from one of his favorite movies "Toy Story" wears a similar bandana, and it is a handy tool to wipe his brow or to give to a lady.

The cloth, which essentially doubles as Brown's handkerchief, is a symbol that represents important characteristics in his personality and his work.

Nicknamed RB for short, the Pittsburgh native and Lawrenceville resident understands the heritage and the pride people value from where they come from.

Born in the East Hills area of The 'Burgh and later moved to Stanton Heights, RB's appreciation for culture and the arts stems from his mother and manifests itself now in numerous ways.

"Pop culture kept me busy," he says. His mom wanted to keep him away from the life his older brother was living in the streets, so she sidetracked him with entertainment, shows like "Dragon Ball Z" and video game consoles like Sega Genesis.

A "Dragon Ball Z" DVD set, Power Rangers action figures, Toy Story figurines, such as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots adorn RB's mantle piece in his living room. A Sega, silver Playstation 2, and black Playstation 4 machines connect to his large, flatscreen television. Many paintings and photographs hang on his walls in neat frames. Three of Pittsburgh visual artist Cody Baker's NINELIVES portraits occupy a nook.

"I'm real into visual stimulation. Most of what you see comes from my interest. I try not to be closed off," RB says.

RB in his living room

RB in his living room

RB offers me a cup of water and places my red, Solo Cup, and his own, on a Prince, "Purple Rain" coaster. Migos' "3 Way," the Atlanta rap trio's new extended play, hums through AppleTV while we talk. "I didn't get into hip-hop until 2000. My mom played gospel in the house," RB says. "WWF Aggression," the soundtrack album featuring entrance music of WWE superstars, re-recorded by hip-hop icons like Snoop Dogg, Redman, and Ice-T, was the kick start to his rap enthusiasm. His wardrobe keys in on his enjoyment for the music genre too. A vintage wear connoisseur, RB has "The Slim Shady LP" T-shirt and merchandise from Kanye West's "808s and Heartbreak" album. He wears a tee commemorating the 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game hosted in Pittsburgh during our meeting.

Officially, RB made his appreciation for popular culture and his hometown his life's work in 2004 when he attended Schenley High School. He and his friends considered themselves "far from fresh," a wave that influenced how they carried themselves and how they spoke. On New Year's, RB threw a house party where he gave away shirts, the first product of farESH Brand.

Now 28-years-old, RB strives to bring different people of different backgrounds together. Through hosting events and creating apparel RB and farESH Brand achieve this.

"Pittsburgh needs to grow, develop, and ask questions," he says.

In the past, farESH brought together different tastes of music from many artists in Pittsburgh. Rapper Mars Jackson paired with Northern pop act badboxes on a song called "Sacrifice." The company blended sounds of electronic, hip-hop, and jazz from an all-Pittsburgh cast on the mixtape "Bridges," mixed by DJ Bamboo.

This year, FarESH Brand held a mini music festival with mixed genres called "The City" to showcase many of the talented acts in Pittsburgh. Blues, hip-hop, and rock were on display at Spirit Lodge, a bar in Lawrenceville. The event and the musical lineup joined the district community and the black community under one roof for a common enjoyment.

Forthcoming is more of the same mission, uniting people of many interests and backgrounds. RB holds an event called "Finesse" on July 23 at Spirit Lodge where DJ EYEJAY and illustrator-DJ Paizley Mind will play hip-hop, jersey club, and trap music. Then on July 28 at Spirit RB will host another event called "Tall Tees," which celebrates hip-hop and 2000s with DJ Pete Butta. Lastly, a beach themed roller derby will take place at Belvederes Ultra-Dive on July 30. DJ Jx4 and DJ Bamboo will assist on the beach disco tunes.

These events are necessary because they provide a contemporary music outlet, an atmosphere that is hard to find in The Steel City. RB and the musicians work hard to present a catalog of music appropriate for the mainstream, but also extremely exciting for those that pay attention to all the new artists and hot tracks that come out daily.

Paizley, RB, and myself were hitting it to "Money Counter" by Deezlee in the living room. Paizley and RB are best friends and roommates. EYEJAY is quick to say she'll deliver a better DJ set than her partner Paizley. RB and I nodded our heads crazy when he played "no no" by Monte Booker, a song EYEJAY sent him as a reference point for the 23rd.

Occasionally, RB will even host barbecues and pregame parties at his house, The Palace, and in his yard, The Garden. It is a meeting place for many of the actors in Pittsburgh's creative community to interact and meet new faces.

RB of FarESH Brand

RB of FarESH Brand

Additionally, the apparel RB and farESH offer hits on the public's love for their city. Currently, you will see hats, T-shirts, and coach jackets branded with "Pixburgh" and "152XX" text paying homage to inner-city slang and the first three numbers to every zip code in the western Pennsylvania city.

Future collections will build on civic pride, and specifically the 200th anniversary of Pittsburgh. farESH crafts a gray baseball jersey with "152XX" on the chest, the city's flag on the right sleeve, and a bicentennial patch on the upper left chest of the garment. The back of the jersey features the number 1 and "Denny" writing across the shoulders, an ode to Pittsburgh's first appointed mayor, Ebenezer Denny (who is buried in Lawrenceville) in 1816.

Positioned as farESH Brand's Creative Director and owner, RB utilizes culture that many Pittsburghers can identify with, and he adds diverse opportunities for people to enjoy shared experiences.

 

 

Visit Hennsylvania /  by Alex Young

Go to a rap show in Pittsburgh and a bottle of Hennessy almost always gets passed person to person, and you see it raised as a party ornament.

Fixating on the brown, cognac brandy, and his native Pittsburgh, artist and fashion designer Aris Tatalovich conceptualizes the drink into a "Hennsylvania" T-shirt.

When Tatalovich previously released a navy shirt with Hennessy's font and white text saying "Hennsylvania," rapper and member of The Company Only collective, Joel Kellem supported the shirt. He wears the shirt sometimes at performances.

Now, Kellem can add another to his wardrobe thanks to a collaboration with Tatalovich.

Both artists produce a burgundy shirt to match the alcohol and Hennsylvania printed in white plays into the state the pair represent, Pennsylvania. Photographer Julian Ranallo offers visual evidence of the shirt inspired by the spirit.

If people fancy Kellem and Tatalovich's T-shirt offering, then they should attend the Hennsylvania pop-up shop held at Drip Lounge on July 15. The event goes from 6-8 p.m. and will feature other goodies, like dad hats from another The Company Only member, Pk Delay.

Drip Lounge

749 E. Warrington Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA

(412) 224-2707

Shop412 Celebrates Pittsburgh's Bicentennial /  by Alex Young

Officially founded in 1758 and incorporated as a city in 1816, Pittsburgh celebrates its bicentennial.

A lot of the city's pride stems from what it produces and shares with the world. 200 years as a city, Pittsburgh is home to legends such as actor Gene Kelly, playwright August Wilson, Heinz ketchup, the most  bridges in the world, six Super Bowls, rappers Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa, the inspiration for D.C. Comic's Batman, and so much more.

A common quality of most people in the city is sharing success and moments, as well as flourishing together, as a community of Pittsburghers.

Pride in tact, and with the community behind it, Shop412, Pittsburgh's hometown, representative lifestyle brand, shares New Era hats in celebration of the 'Burgh's 200-year anniversary.

Via shop412 Snapchat

Via shop412 Snapchat

Using the 59/50 and 920 hat silhouettes, with 412's logo on the front, Pittsburgh's flag and seal is placed on a woven patch on the right side of the hat crossed with the American flag. The fitted, flat-bill 59/50 cap comes in black, red, and yellow colorways while the 920 dad hat comes in colors black, red, and white. Diamond Era, a lightweight, breathable tech fabric to handle Pittsburgh humidity, covers the 59/50 hat.

Created as a gift to the city, Shop412 presented several cultural influencers a run of the headwear to enjoy and display. People like Bill Peduto, the Mayor of Pittsburgh, photographer Keep Pittsburgh Dope, and musicians Mars Jackson and DJ Motor Mane of Taylor Gang support the gear.

Others can too, as 412's Pittsburgh bicentennial collaboration with New Era launches in-store today.

Shop412

420 South 27th St

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

(412) 586-7507

412 forever and always. Thank you @shop412 🙏

A photo posted by Cody Baker (@tehbakery) on