Cosmopolitan Boys Sunday Snippets #007
Cover photo by Annie Leibovitz. OutKast, 2001.
02/06/2024, Sunday, 9:59 @ Center, São Paulo.
First of all, the most important thing of the week is: we launched our first t-shirt and it is available only until tonight. Everything has to start somewhere. My intention was to keep product sales only for in-person events to cultivate that feeling of community and “to have this, you will need to meet us on the streets of downtown, there’s no other way”, but I understand that this excludes people who identify with us but don’t live in São Paulo, in addition to being a way to fund the project ideas. So I decided to launch, but only until today.
I have been reflecting on how writing is the most important habit I have developed in recent years. I have the impression that May flew by and if I didn’t write every day, I wouldn’t even be able to remember what happened, besides helping me organize my thoughts. I wanted to be able to capture every conversation, every thought, every spark of idea.
*Each topic is dissected a bit further. Click on the arrows and/or the links.
THINGS I'M READING
INTERVIEW W/ ANGELO BAQUE FROM AWAKE NY (Bodega)
I’ve talked about Angelo Baque here about how he is one of my greatest inspirations, this week he made this post on Instagram celebrating a year of the Awake store and I remembered an interview he gave to Bodega that is pretty awesome. First, I will translate the text to provide context, then some excerpts from the interview:
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. WE ARE HERE. BLOCK PARTIES, COMMUNITY ACTIONS, BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS. I never forget how this journey started for me. I worked at Canal Jean Company in '96. In the next decade, I would be known as the store guy at Stussy & Nom De Guerre. It has always been a dream of mine to have my own store one day. Here we are a year later and I am proud of what my team and I have built. I promised to build a home for the community and that is what we have realized. The most important thing is visibility for my community that if I can do it, you can too. I thank everyone who supported us and I look forward to the second year. I also thank my neighbors on Orchard St who welcomed us. We paved the way for a new energy in the block. See you all this summer 🗽
This isn’t a Kanye or Travis Scott thing where they launch a t-shirt and it disappears in two seconds... or like the peak of Supreme. If you really like Awake, you can actually get it. We have stock. I think the price is very fair for what it is. What I always hear from returning customers is that it's a very low-stress experience. They can get what they want. It’s not a negative thing. It’s not like, "oh, it didn’t sell out immediately; that’s a failure." However, on the second day, the most popular items start to sell out, and eventually, everything sells out, which is good. It just doesn’t disappear in 5 minutes. It’s very rare when that happens, but this time it was the Sam Friedman cap that disappeared in about 2 minutes. Those things I can’t predict. I don’t know what the kids want. I just try to make cool stuff.
I always wanted to make sure that on the day I left, my name would remain intact, and I wouldn’t be "that guy who left Supreme." It will be four years since I stepped away from the brand, and I created enough body of work so that it’s not the main focus of any conversation now.
I gave a cap to Virgil and he wore it, and suddenly there was demand for the brand. My goal when I left was not to focus so much on building another brand. I didn’t want to have another clothing brand. If you are familiar with the retail business; it’s very hard work. The main focus for me was the creative agency with Baque Creative, but within a year it shifted to Awake and the demand was there for Awake. I really started to feel inspired again by creating cool graphics and caps and hoodies and that kind of stuff.
I’m pretty sure it’s on every art director’s mood board now to have certain boxes checked for diversity and gender. We’re doing this because it’s the world I grew up in. I grew up in a world that was intertwined with hip-hop, skate, hardcore, gay. It wasn’t about checking certain boxes to ensure that certain demographics are happy. That’s the authenticity and genuineness of the brand. That’s who I am and I will stay true to who I am and convey that message through clothing.
I’m not trying to make a haute couture suit. I’m not trying to make a three-layer neoprene waterproof thing. There are so many other people out there doing that well. It just isn’t my style. You’re just receiving authentically from me. I’m not trying to be anyone other than myself, so I never feel the pressure of "we need to make a new silhouette. We need to recreate the hoodie." That’s just not our vibe.
THINGS I'M LISTENING TO
Mihailo is a designer from Toronto who is one of the most prolific and recognized of today. He often talks about behind the scenes, client approaches, drafts, unapproved versions, etc. In this podcast, he delves a little deeper into his story, creative processes, and how he collaborated with great names in the scene.
I remembered this project this week and how good it is, it’s the kind of “easygoing” and simply good music. Highlights include “Army”, “Sunny Days”, and “Squidrific”.
Larry June & Harry Fraud - Keep Going
I only recently paid attention to this mixtape. Harry Fraud is one of my favorite producers, a project of his with Larry June couldn’t possibly be bad, and indeed it isn’t. All the highlights in the world for “Organic Miracles”, I listen to it every morning.
THINGS I'M WATCHING
From Paris With Love Part Deux: The Extended Cut
One of the best videos in YouTube history. A compilation of all the episodes of Fuck That's Delicious in Paris which resulted in a 1h48min video. Febem told me yesterday that Clovis Ochin, who is the 'organic wine maker' friend that accompanies Action Bronson during the video also raps and I went crazy with this info.
The Lot Radio has many awesome sets. I was watching this one from Zack Bia this week while I was preparing to play at the Baile do Treze.
A documentary that tells the story of how the street skate scene converged with the hip-hop scene in downtown New York and the cultural significance of the rise of both movements. One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
For today that’s it. Buy our t-shirt, consume our content, come to our event next weekend (more information in the coming days). We are moving and every week that passes the project gains more shape. And just to remind you that the problem in Rio Grande do Sul is not over, it will still be a long process for people to rebuild their lives, don’t let this fall into forgetfulness and keep staying alert and helping in any way you can. Link with centralized help information.
OTHER EDITIONS:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Nl1EW19QTm3t5QMA6eLtM?si=1ed94adb7f6142b0
©2024, We wake up and do things, Cosmopolitan Boys.
my portfolio http://caiodosreis.com my experiences http://instagram.com/caaaaaiooooo my research http://culturalmidfielder.tumblr.com my dj sets, beats, and remixes http://soundcloud.com/reisceo things I save http://pinterest.com/reisceo small notes https://twitter.com/reisceo
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