The Agenda Trade Show Is Where You Can Discover The “Crème De La Crème” Of Upcoming Fashion Brands & Influencers!

This week we went on a treasure hunt at the Agenda Trade Show in Las Vegas for what turned out to be a life changing experience.

Read More: Atelier New Regime Just Dropped Some Serious Fall Must Haves & It’s Fire 

Indeed, Agenda/Capsule is one of the biggest trade shows in the world and it gathers a thousand of established or upcoming designers. They’re all united under one roof to present their new collections or build brand awareness.

 

We were part of the lucky media guests to attend the trade show. For this special occasion, you get to know who’s going to be a key player in the fashion world for the following year.

Besides the fashion discoveries you can make, it also gathers some of the most sought after influencers across the world.

Since we like to give our readers the exclusive before it even comes out as exclusive, here are 8 see it to believe pictures of what went down at the Agenda Trade Show (#7 is for the culture)

#1 World Boots: The Balance Between Comfort & The Perfect Boots For A Casual Man

World Boots is a luxury footwear brand we discovered at Agenda. Their approach is to reinvent what we know as luxury footwear.

The head designer behind the brand has a background in podiatry which allowed their team to focus on how to make the most comfortable boots and shoes  in the world while making sure that the products are still a fashion statement.

#2 Iceberg Is Making A Major Comeback!

Our favorite fashion insider and OG, Daymon Green, gave us an exclusive look at some new pieces coming from the father of luxury streetwear: Iceberg.

Iceberg was more than a brand back in the 80’s & 90’s, it was a statement of success since some sweaters would cost up to 400$ at the time. Let’s see if Iceberg still has what it takes this year.

#3 Clearweather Is The Sneaker Brand You Need To Know About!

Innovation and outstanding designs is what you get with Clearweather! The designers behind this hot sneaker brand were the same minds who built the latest Supra collections so from the get go you knew they were up to something.

Half futuristic and half “your new favorite sneaker“, this sneaker brand was without a doubt one of our highlight of the Agenda Trade Show!

#4 Disburst Is Your New Favorite Pins (In Case You Didn’t Know)

Since we went to Pintrill in Brooklyn a couple months ago, we’ve been fascinated about the pin culture.

This time around we discovered Disburst which is also a key player in the pin industry. The designers they wholesale for, Wizard Skull, Yesterdays Co,  Clay Graham Art, Russell Taysom, Super Secret Fun Club, Bracelegs Collective, Pop Glory, and many more, have a special approach to pins like you never seen before.

Not only they implement pop culture in their products but they manage to blend different references together to create a new one!

For example, we bought Wizard Skull’s “Barnold” pin which is a combination or the ‘”Hey Arnold” main character and “Bart Simpson” to replace his iconic hairstyle.

#5 Cortica Is Another UK Best Kept Secret In The Sneaker World!

If you ever wondered if somehow someway you could find a great alternative for the recent releases in the trainer shoes department; Cortica has the answer!

The brand originally from Manchester has what I call “The Eye” for design. They implement various influences in their craft and surprisingly their prices are pretty affordable even though the quality is top notch!

 

 

#6 Domrebel Is The “Lowkey But Highkey” Montreal Brand With A Global Status

Domrebel is been around for over 14 years now but even though it started off in a garage in Montreal, the brand has now a global impact on its own.

Indeed, they’ve dressed Rihanna, Chris Brown, Guns & Roses & U2! We were amazed by the fact that even though they’ve established a strong name in the industry, they still claim Montreal as their hometown which is very inspiring!

Ps: we have an upcoming interview with the owners so stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#7 Johnny Dang Is Still Your Favorite Jeweller Ever

Johnny Dang is a legend in Hip Hop and he never recorded a track in his life (that we know of). From his iconic cameos in your favorite rap videos and his partnership with Paul Wall, he became the reference for jewellery in the world.

At the Agenda Trade Show you never who you will see, so we were camera ready every time. When we saw Mr. Dang from far, you know we had to ask him to show us his grills right!?

PS: After all these years, his grillz game is still untouchable!

 

#8 They Had A “VHS & Chill” Booth Inside!

With a over a thousand VHS tapes put together, you could rediscover your cult movies and enjoy a “never seen before” shopping experience at the same time!

I didn’t see that one coming for real.

 

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What Do You Think?!

For us the Agenda Trade Show was a pilgrim to one of the Meccas of fashion! It gave us tons of insights about upcoming trends, major comebacks like Fila & Champion and the possibility to spread the word about what we do!.

Would you give it a try for their next trade show? If yes you can find all the information here.

Let us know in the comment section now!

Chase Reed On How Him And His Dad Invented The First Sneaker Pawn Shop And Literally Built A Sneaker Empire!

The sneaker business is booming like never before, between retailers and lineup services, the industry seems flourishing but Chase Reed knows that very well since he has created a milestone for himself by implementing the first sneaker pawn shop ever!

Read Also: The Sneaker Report: 5 Sneakers For Guys Who Like To Take Risks 

Indeed, this Harlem sneaker collector and his father have put all their sweat, blood and tears into this project and made a killing in the sneaker circuit with a fresh concept:

A Pawn Shop That Will Only Sell Sneakers.

When we first got in the his store located at (address) , we thought we were inside a regular sneaker store. Chase then explained to us what was the difference in his business model which made the sneaker pawn shop the success it is!

Even though the interior design is setup as a sneaker store, the sneaker pawn shop doesn’t any of the shoes presented inside. Each shoe presentation is like a mini commercial space which the Reeds rent to sneakerheads so they can increase their chances of selling the sneakers faster.

The masterminds behind the first sneaker pawn shop took notes of every little detail because they also manage to get a small percentage of sales done in the shop.

Who Is Chase Reed?

Chase Reed is far from the average teenager/young adult, when we sat down with him and asked him key questions about how his idea came to life.

The 18 years old (at the time) entrepreneur gave us powerful insights about sacrifice, ambition and his dream of being the biggest sneakerhead in the world! He also opens up about how it is to have your father as your business partner and more

In this exclusive interview with did with the young mogul, you will definitely understand more why he deserve his mention in Forbes and how powerful this rags to riches story is!

Chase Reed In His Own Words

 

Does Entrepreneurship Has An Age Limit?

Meeting Chase Reed made me realize that age shouldn’t be a valuable excuse for not chasing your dreams. Do you think there’s a specific age to start a business or not?

Let us know in the comment section now!

Black Privilege: An Autobiography/Self improvement Book About Lenard Mckelvey, The Most Loved/Hated Radio Personality Ever!

It was hard to know exactly what to expect from “Black Privilege“, I think the first shocking thing I’ve learned is the fact that the “Donkey Of Day” radio personality ‘s real name is Lenard Mckelvey. If you didn’t figure out yet, this autobiography & self-improvement book we will talk about today is authored by the one and only Charlamagne Tha God.

Read Also: F**ck A New Year Resolution : 3 Ways To Change Your Life Today        

Through his work at the Breakfast Club and his Uncommon Sense show on MTV, some might believe that he had it easy but the book actually reveals the incredible journey he had to go through to be in this position.

When you dig deeper than the controversial moments that are his signature, you’ll understand that Lenard Mckelvey alias Charlamagne tha God is all about one thing : the raw truth.

I’ve read the book from cover to cover and it left me shocked and curious at the same time. Today, we will share with you some of the insights and revelations that Charlamagne Tha God implimented in his book.

1.Lenard Mckelvey Was Once A Drug Dealer And Also Got Incarcerated A Few Times

I think he always came clean about his past but to actually read the unfiltered details about it made me respect the man even more. His words about his teenage years as a thug painted a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

He sold crack mostly because he embraced the lifestyle that goes with it and he wanted to follow the steps of his older cousins. He said that he was actually destined to be a nerdy guy but the influence of his peers made him take that route.

Living in a country area in South Carolina called Moncks Corner, Lenard Mckelvey alias Charlamagne found himself caught up between his desire to be himself and the need fit in his environment (something we can all relate to right?).

He also mentions that Hip Hop made it look cool for him to carry weapons or being the street hustler. Since he was a hardcore fan of Hip Hop; he felt he was being a part of the culture.

Throughout the book, he didn’t glorify that part of his life because it eventually led him to being incarcerated. One of his friend actually shot his gun at two other guys. Charlamagne happened to be in the car when all of this happened and he got caught in a serious murder attempt case.

Looking back at this episode of his life, Charlamagne reflects intensely about what the future holds for anybody involved in street life. He doesn’t hesitate to call out the pitfalls and dumb stuff that surrounds street life and delivers a clear guideline on how to avoid to fall in that trap.

2. Living In A Small Town Is Not A Handicap To Your Success

The Uncommon Sense host painted a realistic portrait of what life in South Carolina looked like in general. He used to live in a trailer park, chase snakes around and there wasn’t a real success story to be inspired from in his town at all.

Throughout the book, he kept citing the lyrics of Rakim :

it ain’t where you‘re from, it’s where you‘re at-Rakim

Tha God explains that listening to Hip Hop provided him a larger view of the world.  Rappers would always create lyrics that depict their environment, the cities they come from or their neighborhood. In return this will ultimately push Lenard Mckelvey to discover those places they rapped about.

From that point, he knew there was probably more for him outside of his city but he knew he had to make the most out of it first and then expand (major key as Khaled would say).

He started off as a rapper at first until somebody gave him the “talk”. His mentor of the time told him that rapping wasn’t his thing at all and since he had a natural gift for radio, this is what he should focus on.

One thing led to another, Charlamagne moved to different radio stations in the south until he had the opportunity to come to New York as Wendy Willams’ co-host (Although they only offered him a place to stay at that time).

I think the key there is to always remember that your environment can’t determine you unless you decide to. Limiting yourself involves that you are less receptive to the potential opportunities you have and eventually you close the doors before you even got a foot in.

3. F**ck Your Dreams If They’re Not YOUR Dreams

That part of the book really resonated with me, I had many quote on quote “dreams” that have never manifested themselves although I desired them immensely.

I wanted to be a rapper but  I was too shy to perform on stage,  I wanted to be a club promoter but I lacked the social skills at the time. I wanted to be a surgeon but my hands were shaking too much (those “All You Can Drink” nights had catch up I guess).

I felt connected to Charlamagne because that’s exactly what he was going through. Although radio seemed to be the perfect fit for him, he wanted the limelight and the lifestyle he had seen time and time again from his favourite rappers.

The radio personality explains that, although you have the potential do it big to some extent, only Jay-Z can be Jay-Z or only Michael Jordan can be Michael Jordan. It was a huge reminder for anybody who wish to be successful to not take certain career decisions only based on the success or results of others.

He explains that you have to find your own truth or gift and then work on it as hard as you can so THEN you’ll be the Jay-Z of whatever you’re trying to do in a particular field.

Black Privilege is really a sort of to do list for anybody who wish to be successful regardless if it’s in the entertainment industry or not. He doesn’t discourage people, he’s just being brutally honest (what else did you expect?)

4-Black Privilege Will Help You To Stick To Your Own Truth

One thing that really stood out to me in this book, is the fact that Charlamagne insists a lot on being honest regardless if people like your opinion or not.

At work, with our friends, family or in social gatherings; we found ourselves in situations where lying seems the best option to fit in.

Well in case you didn’t notice, Lenard Mckelvey can careless if you appreciate his opinions or not and that’s exactly what made him either the guy you hate or the guy you love.

In the book, there are hilarious references where he explains how being honest got him in tensed situations with acts like Buffie The Booty (his first viral interview ever), Kanye West, Birdman and many more as you know.

The message was very clear: if you feel or think a certain way, don’t lie about it. People will eventually praise for your honesty or fire you a couple of times like Charlamagne got fired from different radio stations because of his opinions ( four times to be exact!).

The key there is to stay true to yourself.

5-In Black Privilege Many People Got Served  With The “Donkey Of The Day” Treatment

I knew that Charlamagne was a savage, I think his work at the Breakfast Club made it obvious!  Well that same raw and opinionated approach was reflected directly in Black Privilege.

The radio personality addressed a lot of quarrels he had in his career from people in his local town to the high profile artists he deals with on a regular basis. He called out Mase for being hypocrite when he did the switch from rapper to pastor then gangster rapper again (things almost got physical).

“If you don’t have anything nice to say- say it anyway”
― Charlamagne Tha God, Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It    

He finally spoke publicly about what might have been the cause of his fall out with Wendy Williams. He recalls his on going battle with FunkMaster Flex that allegedly led to him being attacked near his radio station ( the phrase “Can I get a drop?” will probably haunt him for a few years again).

In Black Privilege, no one was spared but it also revealed certain aspects of the industry that happens behind closed doors. Ultimately you realize that being true to yourself and your opinions comes with the price of making a few enemies in the process.

Discover Charlamagne aka Lenard Mckelvey On A New Perspective For Yourself!

You definitely have a lot to learn from the man itself especially now the it seems like his career is on a rocket trajectory. You’ll get a clear picture of his life story and many powerful insights on how to make it to the next level.

Black Privilege was a great reading experience, easy to read, brutality honest and full of insights. Have a good read and let us know your opinion as soon as you got your hands on it!