Planning on watching the Grammys tonight? We’re not, even though we do enjoy some of the yearly hijinks that are bound to occur. We’d rather just give our own awards instead.

With a panel full of old, out-of-touch voters who don’t understand what’s really relevant in music today, the Grammys are usually more rigged than a championship boxing match. Who can forget Macklemore beating out Kendrick Lamar for “Best New Artist” and then publicly apologizing for a win that he didn’t deserve in 2014? You’d probably prefer not to recollect Eminem winning “Best Rap Album” for “Recovery,” a putrid, convoluted mess of an album in 2010. Yes, the Grammys are hot garbage.

But we need a way to pay homage to the creators and innovators that make our space in culture special, so here at KicksOneTwo, we do the Street Culture Grammys. They may not come with the same amount of prestige as the regular Grammys, but we can promise you two things: they’re not rigged, and the winners are truly deserving of their titles each and every year (you can check out 2017’s winners here if you’re so inclined).

So let’s get right into it. Here’s 5 folks that shaped our culture in 2017, and are primed to continue influencing and enhancing it in the years moving forwards.

Underdog Of The Year: Alex James, Pleasures

Alex James’s Pleasures, an off-the-wall LA based label inspired by grunge, metal, punk, and all things 80’s 90’s alt-culture has been around since 2015, but took off like a rocket in 2017 due to its raw and honest DIY aesthetic. James has came under fire for his provocative imagery and bold graphics in the past, but the former Publish designer is simply being true to his and background and teenage years. Just take a look at the Pleasures Instagram story any day of the week and you’ll see exactly what we mean.

And that honesty resonates with his customers. With successful collabs (Chinatown Market, Grateful Dead), celebrity co-signs (Miguel, Playboy Carti) and one of the most iconic shirts of 2017 (A Girl Is A Gun), James and Pleasures are set for success in 2018 and beyond. The weirdos do always get the last laugh and a Street Culture Grammy after all.

Most “Woke”-Angelo Baque, Awake NY/Baque Creative

2017 was a wild year for Angelo Baque. Stepping down from his longtime role as Brand Director at Supreme in February, Baque launched his own creative agency and doubled down on his long-time personal brand, Awake. Through his new agency Baque Creative, he conceptualized and created the experience for Virgil Abloh and Nike’s “The Ten” launch New York, and also put together an epic pop-up with workshops and lectures at Art Basel in collaboration with Abloh, Heron Preston, and more. On the Awake end, Baque dropped his first extensive collection in the U.S. in several years, and also collaborated with Patta on a pair of tracksuits.

He’s receiving our “woke” Street Culture Grammy not simply because he always has his hand in a dope project or because his brand is called Awake (even though we do appreciate the irony) … it’s simply because he always attempts to  educate and inspire instead of simply jam product down the customer’s throat with his curated pop-ups and experiences. In a world where it’s more commonplace to hoard your knowledge and look down your nose in mock disgust at those who don’t know what you do instead of sharing your knowledge for the good of the culture, that kind of willingness to educate is extremely rare.

Documentarian Of The Year- Imran Ciesay, Places + Faces

From the film photos to the grainy VHS videos to the rapidly-growing clothing brand and brand new magazines, Places + Faces has become an integral part of street culture, throwing and documenting parties and shows all around the world. Their raw, unfiltered, imperfect aesthetic that makes you feel like you’re in attendance at whatever small club or exotic location they’re at isn’t the slightest bit pretentious, which is fitting seeing as founder Imran Ciesay began his journey simply by showing up at events with his camera and shooting what was going on.

The behind-the-scenes look he provides is integral to the culture, and doesn’t offer the same “here today, gone tomorrow” too-cool-for-school aesthetic that many current photographers pride themselves on. We’ll likely be looking back on the content Places + Faces created a decade from now reminiscing about the “good old days,” just like we do with 90’s hip-hop photographs now and that alone is enough to secure a Street Culture Grammy for Ciesay.

Lifetime Achievement Award-Gary Warnett, Gwarizm. 

A moment of silence for the Lifetime Achievement Award, please. Who else could it go to but the legendary, dearly departed Gary Warnett? His blog Gwarizm was a treasure trove of obscure knowledge, great stories and humorous quips … and his joy in sharing what he’d discovered and knew was palpable, as was his thirst for even more knowledge.

He was a voice of reason and a true scholar: someone who loved street culture for its rich stories in an era where those stories need to be told and preserved more than ever. We’ll forever remember Gary as lameaphobic (one of his catchphrases), and we’ll do our damnedest to carry on and teach others, just like he taught us. He’ll be missed tremendously.

Man Of The Year- Virgil Abloh, OFF-WHITE

Who else but Virgil Abloh could receive the “Man Of The Year” Street Culture Grammy? In a year ruled by hype, co-signs, and collaborations, nobody was able to generate all three like Abloh … and he also proved that he had the design chops to back the massive amount of hype behind his products, both in-line and collaborative up. From working with Champion to Jimmy Choo to Timberland and Rimowa, from his now-legendary industrial belts, to Lil Yachty, Bella Hadid, Heron Preston and dozens more artists, influencers and creatives rocking his designs, Virgil had his hand on the pulse of everything cool in 2017  and we didn’t even mention his biggest collaboration of them all yet: Nike.

Abloh and Nike’s “The Ten collection,” made up of 10 silhouettes both new and iconic shook streetwear and sneaker culture to its very core, and re-defined what a collaboration could be. In the past, collaborators would pick colors and materials, think of some interesting packaging and a humorous story and call it a day. Abloh refined what a sneaker collaboration could be and do, delicately stripping down and deconstructing ten shoes to their bare minimum before rebuilding them once again. We’d never seen anything like it before, and we likely never will again, which is why Abloh was a shoo-in for his Street Culture Grammy. Love him or hate him, you’ve got to accept and respect the impact he had on our culture in 2017.

Who’s Street Culture Grammy win is the most deserved on this list? Would you assign any of the awards to anyone else? What’s another category you’d create for next year’s edition? Sound off in the comments or hit us up and let us know on Twitter!

–RDwyer

The post The 2018 Street Culture Grammy Awards appeared first on Kicks-1-2.

It’s official: Summer’s over, and fall is upon us.

Starting in June and ending in August, I took Polaroids of my friends (or enlisted them to take one if I’m in the picture) on a Fujifilm Instax Mini 8. They may be made into a book within the next few months, but I thought it only right to premiere them right here on KicksOneTwo  These are the faces of Summer Sixteen in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Enjoy!

I had a great deal of fun shooting all of these photos, and am extremely thankful to have so many awesome people around me all summer. Ya’ll are the best.

Sincerely,

–RDwyer

P.S.- If you’re in the retrospective and want a copy of your picture your original Polaroid (or a picture of your picture), just let me know! I’ll gladly get it to you as soon as possible.

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It’s going down on Como Avenue today.

Piff Minneapolis is hosting the “Fall Festival” block party on Como Avenue, right in front of the “I’m Feeling Good” mural by the shop from 3PM-7PM. The event is completely free to attend … but if you do feel like donating money, Football Pizza, Blue Door Pub, and Black Coffee and Waffle Bar will be donating a percentage of their sales to the Minneapolis Boys and Girls Club, so you can eat good and feel good at the same time. That’s a rare opportunity, so it’s definitely one you want to take advantage of when it comes around.

You’ll also get a chance to hear some great music. Red Bull Wheels will be pulling up their sound truck, and as you can see on the flyer above, there’s a stacked lineup with musicians and DJ’s (including Go 95.3’s DJ Dmil) galore, so you already know the vibes will be right all day. In need of some new jawns? You’re in luck because Piff will still be open during the event too. If you want to find out more about what’s going down at the event music and food wise, head on over to the official event page for the scoop.

Assemble your crew, throw on your best fit (who knows, you might just get street styled) and head down to Como Avenue to partake in the festivities this afternoon. We’ll see you there!

What are you the most excited for at the Fall Festival block party? The food? The music? The fire jawns you’re bound to see? Something else entirely? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

The post TODAY: Fall Festival Block Party On Como Ave appeared first on Kicks-1-2.

We love Kith here at KicksOneTwo. Their aesthetic is sporty yet clean and refined, they crank out consistently good product year after year, and they’re always cooking up crazy collabs, like their recently announced Bergdorf Goodman partnership, consisting of a Kith shop within the legendary store, and a co-branded line of apparel. Ronnie Fieg stays winning, and despite all the naysayers … he can do no wrong.

So, needless to say, we were thrilled when the news broke that Kith would be hosting their first-ever runway show, “Kithland” during New York Fashion week. We were even more stoked when it was announced that Kithland would be live-streamed on the Kith website for those of us not lucky enough to be in New York for the event.

And now that day, September 13th, is upon us. The Kithland show is going down tonight, at 9:30 PM ET (that’s 8:30 CT for those of you who aren’t as good at your time zones), and it’s sure to be a memorable event for any sneaker/clothing lover. “Beach”, “City”, and “Mountain” will be the three main aesthetics, providing inspiration for the pieces and hinting at new Kith locations.

What new pieces will Kith debut? Will there be any new footwear? Will we get a peek at some upcoming collabs? Will there be a myriad of celebrity sightings? Will Ronnie’s pieces translate well from the streets to the runway? There’s a lot of questions to be asked, and they’ll be answered tonight. Be sure to head over to the Kith site so you can live-stream the event and see what’s going on firsthand. We’ll be watching intently.

What about Kithland excites you the most? What do you think you’ll see at Kith’s first-ever runway show? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

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Nobody’s hotter than Gucci Mane right now. After his recent release from jail, Gucci dropped a new album, “Everybody Looking”, and has become a must-follow on Instagram and Snapchat. A whole new era of fans has been introduced to his music and personality, and he’s back on top where he belongs once again.

Gucci’s old fans are thrilled about his successful return too, and day 1 OG Gucci supporter and designer Chris Bailey recently hosted a “Gucci Time” pop-up shop at Rival Sneakers in Tucson, AZ. With original T-shirts designed by Chris himself, and Gucci-inspired artwork, it was an event that couldn’t be missed by any Gucci fan.

Rival’s front window was decked out in Chris’s original Gucci designs.

The community came out to show their appreciation for Guwop.

Gucci-inspired tees, which were printed right in the store on the screen printing machine above were available in several different colors. The “Big Gucci” tee and the “Bart” tee are pictured above.

The event was more than just tees. Gucci-inspired visual art adorned Rival, from the tables to the walls. Beepers/ cell phones? Check. Bricks? Check. Custom-made ice cream styrofoam heads? Check. Attention to detail is everything.

If you’re rocking with the tees and couldn’t get to the pop-up shop, fear not: they’re available on the Gucci Time webstore. And if you live in a dope city … you just might be in luck. Chris and the Gucci Time crew are looking to take the pop-up shop on the road, so be sure to stay tuned to see what exactly they do next.

Want to find out a little more about the pop-up and see for yourself what the situation might be like if it comes to your town? Check the recap video put together by the Gucci Time team below.

What’s your favorite thing about the Gucci Time pop-up? The tees? The aesthetic? Do you just love anything Gucci related? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

The post Brrr! Gucci Time Pop-Up At Rival Sneakers appeared first on Kicks-1-2.

This past Thursday, ITS Fest took place at Gallery 13 in downtown Minneapolis. Photographers, designers, artists, and writers from all over the city came together to celebrate the arrival of summer, soak up the good vibes, listen to music…and last but not least, eat some Cane’s. Here’s everything that went down at the event, in photos.

DJ JRed made sure the vibes were right, as he spun everything from Chief Keef to A$AP Rocky.

The crowd was ready to get turnt.

It wasn’t just a DJ set either. Several rappers took their turns blessing the mic.

Everyone loves Polaroids. Juice was holding it down all through the event.

Post-photo conversation.

Squad.

Squad pt 2. Mirrors make for some dope photo ops. As you can see, I’m really focusing on getting the shot.

Taking a photo of Delawes taking a photo of a photo. Double inception?

The homies. Always good to catch up with day 1 KicksOneTwo supporters.

Arguably the dopest piece of art we saw all evening.

Isn’t the wooden piece in the middle a fantastic backdrop for photos?

Hand-made mask, and a hand-painted skate deck. Vastly different, but both wavy.

The art wasn’t just hanging on the walls. The homie Gerald was rocking his own hand-painted NSOD denim shirt.

We also spotted this amazing hand-painted jean jacket. Don’t shoot.

REVENGE was heavily involved and brought some of their tees to display as well.

ITS Fest was a big success, and a very enjoyable evening. Shouts to Philli, Juice, Delawes, and everyone else who made the evening possible. We’ll definitely catch you all at the next one!

What was your favorite part of ITS Fest? Was it the music, the people, the art, the photography, or something else entirely? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

The post Photo Recap: ITS Fest appeared first on Kicks-1-2.

Summer’s almost fully upon us. Those of us who are still in school are done for the year (congratulations to all the recent graduates!), and those of us who aren’t are ready to get in full summer mode. Thankfully for both parties, there’s a perfect early-summer event this Thursday at Gallery 13 in downtown Minneapolis.

ITS Fest (Intro To Summer if you were wondering) is an event that’s by artists, for artists. The primary purpose of the event is to bring everyone into the summer on a high note, and provide a place for creatives to connect. Are you a photographer? A writer? A designer? An artist? No matter what you are, you’re bound to find like-minded people at ITS Fest. You’ll get a chance to network, meet new people, make connections, and talk about your work, all in a dope venue (if you haven’t been to Gallery 13 before, you’re in for a treat).

But that’s not all. Apart from having the chance to network and chop it up with a bunch of dope new people, there’s other things going on: a free Polaroid booth (you already know you love Polaroids, who doesn’t?), coupons for free Canes (that should be enough to get you through the door by itself honestly), and free REVENGE gear (one of the dopest up and coming brands in Minneapolis) when you pre-order your ticket, which you can do here.

So throw on your most fire fit, bring your camera, come with an open mind, and be prepared to have a good time. It’s sure to be an evening to remember.

What part of ITS Fest are you the most excited for? Is it the networking opportunities, the Polaroid booth, or something else entirely? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

The post This Thursday: ITS Fest at Gallery 13 appeared first on Kicks-1-2.

This past Thursday, Piff thew a party to celebrate the release of their second apparel collection. The event featured DJ sets from DJ Boogie Wonderland and Phrol, Polaroids from Juice, and beer from Able Seedhouse + Brewery (a local craft beer company, far better than what you’ll usually find in a keg at most parties). Good vibes were flowing through the night, and the KicksOneTwo staff was on hand to capture the action.

All types of people came through to check out the clothes, grab a beer, and chill.

Pieces from the collection, featuring 3/4 baseball tees and hooded flannels.

Nothing like a cold beer to go along with fire clothes. Shouts to Able Seedhouse + Brewery.

Juice was going in on the Polaroids, moving so fast you could hardly see him.

We told you he wasn’t playing around. A sample of the evening’s work.

Is it even really a party if Next Friday isn’t playing on at least one screen?

Couldn’t leave without dropping one of these bad boys off.

All in all, it was an evening to remember. Dope clothes, cold beer, memorable people, and lots of networking opportunities. Shouts to the Piff squad for hosting a memorable event. We’ll be back when collection #3 drops!

Were you at the event? If so, what was your favorite part? The clothes, the cold drinks, the people, or something else altogether? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

The post Photo Recap: Piff Collection 002 Pre-Release Party appeared first on Kicks-1-2.

Round 2. We’re back with the second part of our TCSAX 7 photo recap, the on-foot pictures. There was a lot of heat at the event (arguably the most ever), and we’ve got it all for you right below. We’ve even included several IG handles if you’re feeling friendly and want to toss any of these fine folks a follow.

If you want to use any of the photos yourself, that’s fine by us. We do it for the community. All we ask is that you be sure to give us the photo credit! Without further ado…here’s the on-foot (and a few off-foot for fun too) pics from TCSAX 7.

Name: Dallas

Instagram: dcammmp3

Shoe: Jordan XII “Wings”

Name: Big Joe

Shoe: Jordan III “Black Cement”

Name: Billy

Instagram: o.g._rob

Shoe: Jordan I “Quai 54”

Name: Emily

Instagram: embem6

Shoe: Puma x Ronnie Fieg RF698 Mid “Tokyo Sakura Project”

Name: Adam

Instagram: astronautadam

Shoe: Jordan X “OVO”

Name: Unknown

Shoe: Louis Vuitton “Jasper”

Name: Kolton

Shoe: Nike Yeezy I “Blink”

Name: DW

Instagram: dw_strong

Shoe: Jordan I “All-Star”

Name: DW (again)

Instagram: dw_strong (again)

Shoe: Jordan I “Fragment”

Name: Chaz

Shoe: Jordan II “Just Don”

Name: Unknown

Shoe: Nike Lunar Force 1 “Acronym”

Name: Salvatore

Instagram: mpls_customs

Shoe: Jordan VI “OVO” (Custom)

Name: Alex

Instagram: a.delcastillo

Shoe: Nike Free Innerva Woven

Name: Matt

Instagram: coffeewithhoffee

Shoe: New Balance x Ronnie Fieg  NB 850 “Brooklyn Bridge”

Name: Taylor

Instagram: _createkarma

Shoe: Timberland x 10 Deep Winter Duck Hunt Boot

Name: Jordan

Instagram: jordanbachmeier

Shoe: Common Projects Suede Chelsea Boot

Name: Ross

Instagram: kicksonetwo

Shoe: Adidas JS Wings 2.0 Black Flag “A$AP Rocky”

What was your favorite pair of kicks you saw at TCSAX 7? Did you spot any of your grails? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

The post TCSAX 7 Photo Recap pt. 2: On-Foot Pics appeared first on Kicks-1-2.

This past Sunday, the Minnesota sneaker community converged upon the brand-new Mayo Clinic Square for the 7th installment of Studiiyo23‘s Twin Cities Sneaker Art Xchange. With lots of heat on feet and on the sneaker tables, dope goods and apparel, and plenty of music, it was an afternoon to be remembered. Here’s a few of our favorite shots of the crowd, tables, scenery, and musicians that made the afternoon so enjoyable.

You’ve got to flex at your own event, and Moh brought the heaters out.

MPLS Customs in the building. Yes, those are the infamous XI’s he made for Zach LaVine on the table, and yes, those are the very rare custom insoles.

The Create Karma squad. Shouts to Lefty.

V rare NSOD x Subway collabo.

Vintage Pooleboy

It wouldn’t be TCSAX without the music. DJ Enferno & DJ Sophia Eris

Why Khaliq.

Baby Shel.

Destiny.

Shouts to all the sneaker heads, hip-hop lovers, and artists who came out, and a very special thank you to Studiiyo23 for putting on such a dope event and bringing the community together. We’re already looking forwards to TCSAX 8 in the fall. Be sure to check back tomorrow as our TCSAX 7 recap covers with all the on-foot sneaker pictures from Sunday…they’re not to be missed.

What was your favorite part of TCSAX7? Was it the shoes? The people you met? The venue? The music? Something else altogether? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.

–RDwyer

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