Here’s a sneek peek of the RMC Martin Ksohoh 2010 luggage Collection. The collection is made with Japanese denim and made by professional craftsmen.

RMC by Martin Koshoh is an original local brand in Hong Kong, founded in 2002. Directed by Martin Lee Yat Ming, the product design is based on the concept of exquisite embroidery stitching techniques.

The name Red Monkey Company abbreviated “RMC” and branded RMC by Martin Ksohoh carries two connotative meanings. “Red” symbolizes the searing red sun as well as Oriental. Whereas, “Monkey” signifies evolution, of which apes evolved into human being. “Company” is the workshop consisted of creative persons, ideas and projects.

Police barricades on Houston Street held back Twilight fans outside the Dolce and Gabbana-sponsored Cinema Society screening of “New Moon.” Stars Kristen Stewart, Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner gamely made their way through the press line as snappers screamed their names. Natalie Portman and other fans showed up to catch the flick.

October 14, 2009, the 30th annual awards ceremony of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund took place at the Asia Society in New York City. Lu Guang from People’s Republic of China won the $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for his documentary project “Pollution in China.”

Lu Guang, freelancer photographer, started as an amateur photographer in 1980. He was a factory worker, later started his own photo studio and advertising agency. August of 1993 he returned to post-graduate studies at the Central Arts and Design Academy in Beijing (now is the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University). During graduate school, he studied, traveled all over the country and carved out a career, became the “dark horse” of the photographer circle in Beijing. Skilled at social documentary photography, his insightful, creative and artistic work often focused on “social phenomena and people living at the bottom of society”, attracted the attentions of the national photography circle and the media. Many of his award winning works focused on social issues like, “gold rush in the west”, “drug girl”, “small coal pit”, “HIV village”, “the Grand Canal”, “development of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway” and so on.

1. “At the junction of Ningxia province and Inner Mongolia province, I saw a tall chimney puffing out golden smoke covering the blue sky, large tracts of the grassland have become industrial waste dumps; unbearable foul smell made people want to cough; Surging industrial sewage flowed into the Yellow River…”

More Photos Click Here

GOING GREEN: Renaud Dutreil does his part to make New York a greener city. Every morning, the chairman of the U.S. arm of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton cycles to work, and carefully locks his bike at the red, stiletto-shaped rack by Bergdorf Goodman. On Monday, Dutreil and LVMH took their commitment to a better environment a step further. At a press conference, Dutreil unveiled the second installment of the luxury conglomerate’s partnership with the American Composers Orchestra, featuring a contest to find an orchestral work inspired by the theme “A Greener New York City.” Submissions for the “Greener New York City” piece are due Jan. 15, and the winner will be revealed in March. Erin Gee, the first competition’s winner, gave a performance at the event, which took place at the LVMH Tower. Gee’s LVMH-commissioned piece will premiere at Carnegie Hall on Nov. 30. WWD

Boston-based New Balance announces the next collection from the brand’s Partnership Program – The Freedom Trail Collection- designed and developed in tandem with venerable sneaker shop, Concepts, in Cambridge, MA.

Featuring two silhouettes from New Balance’s USA team, The Freedom Trail Collection re-introduces the classic 1500 sneaker and launches the first ever 875 boot.

Inspired by one of Boston’s most celebrated landmarks, The Freedom Trail, the collection pays homage to the shared importance of historic Boston as both New Balance and Concepts share headquarters in this New England city. With a nod to the Freedom Trail’s red footpath and the brown brick of Boston’s antiquated North End neighborhood, the shoes came to life in premium brown leather and red accents.

“We were very much inspired to create something that was premium, outdoorsy and spoke directly to our Boston roots,” stated Frank Rivera, brand manager and buyer for Concepts. According to Rivera, “When we first sat down with New Balance, we saw a lone boot sitting in the corner of the room on its side. We grabbed it and at first sight, knew this boot needed to be introduced to the marketplace. This was the 875. As for the 1500, we have always known about this classic sneaker and were inspired to re-invent this model with a Concepts look and feel.”

The 1500 is a heritage New Balance style originally built domestically back in 1989. The 1500 was originally built as a fully-loaded technical running shoe. Specific detail executed solely for Concepts include: full grain leather upper, pigskin leather lining (more luxurious and breathable that a comprable synthetic product), and embossed tongue tag.

The 875 is a brand new style launched to the public for the first time via The Freedom Trail Collection. The boot was designed for comfort and durability. The sole unit includes New Balance Rollbar technology for maximum support and stability. Additionally, NB designers used a PU Wedge in the heel (similar to the wedge that offers superior support in the NB 993) and compression molded EVA in the forefoot. The 875 features a full grain leather upper, pigskin leather lining, and embossed tongue tag.

Regarding the introduction of the 875, Luis Navarro, product manager for New Balance Lifestyle stated, “With the increasing popularity of outdoor footwear, we saw the opportunity for New Balance to tap into the brand’s trail heritage with the introduction of the 875. Featuring proprietary New Balance trail technology including Rollbar, the 875 is a fully functional trail boot dressed up in the most premium of materials.” Navarro continued, “As a brand, we have a strong heritage in trail and we have a strong position if we play to that heritage and leverage our background and experience in this category.

How True Religion jeans got started

To build his brand, founder Jeff Lubell gave pairs of his True Religion jeans away.

My dad was in the clothing business and moved to L.A. with a New York apparel company when I was 20. I asked if I could work for him. He said, “Why don’t you get a job in textiles first and learn the industry?”

So I got a job at a swimwear company, which was fitting because I was captain of my high school team. I ended up staying in the textiles industry for 25 years.

Don’t be afraid to approach powerful people.

When I decided to launch True Religion, I went to industry leaders like Mickey Drexler, who was then at the Gap, seeking backing. I couldn’t find private money, but I eventually found a jeans manufacturer to help me get my brand started.

Skip the prototype.

I had a concept to create a unique line of jeans with colored stitching and lower pockets. I designed a myriad of styles, and I produced about 14,000 pairs before I sold a piece. Usually you do it the other way around — you make a sample line, go to market, get orders, and ship your production.
0:00 /1:43Post-Turkey Day price carving

Comp the sales staff.

I went to Fred Segal on Melrose and showed the jeans to a guy who was running the jeans bar. He hated them. I knew his boss, so I showed her the line, but she said, “I don’t get it. I don’t think my customer is going to get it.”

It took me an hour to wear her down, but she finally took 24 pairs. A month went by, and I went back, and they’d only sold two pairs. I asked the sales guy if I could give him a pair free. He and the other workers came out to my truck and I gave them the jeans.

Four days later I went back and couldn’t find my jeans. I asked where they were, and he said, “People would come in and ask, ‘What are those that you’re wearing? I want those.’” They sold out.

Secrets of my success

Manufacture locally
It’s expensive to make jeans in L.A., but there’s a value to doing it locally. We can produce small runs and then gauge the market reaction before we make larger investments. It allows us to be flexible when introducing new styles.

Protect your name
We combat counterfeiters daily, both online and on the street. We hire experts to seek out the source of the problem, and we work with government agencies around the world. It costs a lot, but you have to be really vigilant.

Outsource everything
I didn’t want to own anything, so I depend on my contractors to do everything. They’ve already made significant investments in fixed assets. By working with them, we benefit from their experience.

Hockney Christmas at Paul Smith, Willoughby House, Nottingham.

The first exhibition to be held in the new art space is a showcase of David Hockney’s early work: ‘1960 - 1968 A Marraige Of Styles’.

In conjunction with the opening of Nottingham Contemporary, and their first exhibition, the Paul Smith, Willoughby House shop will be displaying twenty Hockney prints.

The prints will be also be available for purchase 14th - 27th November 2009. Prices start from £760.

Paul Smith
Willoughby House
20 Low Pavement
Nottingham
NG1 7EA
United Kingdom

Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive Officer of Burberry, today announced the appointment of Christopher Bailey to a newly created position of Chief Creative Officer, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the brand since his appointment as Burberry Creative Director in 2001.

“It is with great pride and honour that we announce Christopher’s new position of Chief Creative Officer. The Burberry brand today is more cohesive than at anytime in the company’s history owing much to the clarity, consistency and purity of his amazing vision. This past nine years, Christopher has innovated, protected and modernised every aspect of this company giving it an identity and point of view that is completely unrivalled. His vision has united everyone in the company and he has connected with every demographic of consumers through technology, innovation, unique craftsmanship and integrity. Whoever you meet, whatever you read they will all tell you the same thing - Christopher Bailey is this generation’s greatest talent and he does it all with the most unassuming humility.”
Angela Ahrendts

“I am truly honoured and humbled to be recognised in this way. It is a real privilege to be a part of the brand’s great story and to be working alongside Angela whose passion and drive is not only inspiring to me, but is central to everything that we do as a company.
I salute all our Burberry teams around the world who make this magnificent brand what it is today - a place of uncompromising energy and innovation. I couldn’t be more excited about being part of the future of this, the greatest British brand in the world.”
Christopher Bailey

Christopher Bailey is responsible for the design of all Burberry collections and products, as well as all advertising, corporate art direction, architectural design, multi-media content and overall brand image for Burberry. He recently oversaw the design and development of the new 160,000 square foot Burberry Global Headquarters at Horseferry House in London, the newly opened 68,000 square foot Burberry Americas Headquarters at 444 Madison in New York and the new Burberry Headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo in Japan.

Amongst many other achievements and awards, Christopher was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Services to the fashion industry in HM Queen Elizabeth II Birthday 2009 Honours List.

Christopher is a trustee of The Burberry Foundation, which he set up with Angela Ahrendts in 2008. The Burberry Foundation is committed to dedicating global resources to help young people realise their dreams and achieve their goals and potential through the power of their creativity. The Burberry Foundation invests in selected charities focused on supporting young people in the key cities in regions where the majority of Burberry employees live and work, and where they are able to participate in volunteer roles, with Burberry charity partners on the ground.

Winter is around the corner, but Louis Vuitton still managed to throw a garden party Tuesday night at Saks Fifth Avenue.

The French luxury firm transformed the store’s third floor into an indoor menagerie, dubbed Les Jardin Louis Vuitton and flooded with magnolia leaves and box hedges. Insouciant models dressed in Vuitton’s new resort collection picnicked (or at least pretended to) at the nexus of the fete.

While craftsmen monogrammed Vuitton goods, debonair male model types hung guests’ paper notes on a wishing tree. Some were hoping for Vuitton handbags, others for world peace.

“I’m wishing to win the French Open, do you think that’s a good one?” asked Serena Wiliams, mingling among guests such as Arlenis Sosa, Lisa Airan and Annie Churchhill.

Co-host Maggie Gylenhaal wasn’t exactly in her element in the garden, she said, but her husband Peter Sarsgaard would have been in heaven. “We have a backyard since we’re in Brooklyn and he’s developed quite the green thumb,” she said. “But honestly, I couldn’t tell.

DND Denim Development is a casual urban collection with a touch of street. This line contains pants, tops,outerwear and accessories in a commercial price level. The collection is designed with the passion for creating new and innovative clothing with a commercial touch.

True Vintage by DND is the Primium denim line, where the love for denim shows in new and innovative designs. Always working with new and high quality fabrics within the latest denim development. DND is showing 4 collections a year + small express collections.

DND is a new upcoming fashion & denim brand which started out in Copenhagen in 2003. Today the company is located in Kolding.

DND would like to point out the “BUDDHA” jeans from the True Vintage collection, which is a great example of our constructed and engineered denim. This has a unique and conspicuous fitting. The BUDDHA jeans is showing a new direction in terms of creating new shapes and silhouettes within denim.

Tod’s transformed its Beverly Hills boutique into an Italian garden Wednesday afternoon to celebrate its new tome “Italian Touch.” Hosts Debra Messing, Brooke Davenport, Alexandra Kimball, Crystal Lourd, Jamie Tisch and Jeanne Yang brought their kids along to shop, plant mini herb gardens and sit for portraits by Roxanne Lowit. “Everyone’s going to have the same Christmas card this year,” said Tisch.

Messing, who is the newest ambassador for YouthAIDS (a portion of the afternoon’s proceeds benefited the charity), said, “Italians have exquisite taste, celebrate everything that’s beautiful, and they’re also very practical. Tod’s bags last forever.”

A good thing considering the junior contingent, whose fingers were sticky with cupcake icing and milk shakes. “We actually made the drink straws narrower to limit their liquid intake,” said a Tod’s staffer.

THE EVENING STANDARD’S 1,000 MOST INFLUENTIAL LONDONERS EVENT HELD AT BURBERRY HEADQUARTERS

London, Wednesday 11 November - Last night, the London Evening Standard 1,000 Most Influential Londoners were celebrated at the Burberry Global Headquarters in Horseferry House, London.

The event which was hosted by editor of The London Evening Standard, Geordie Greig, was attended by over 500 guests including Alexandra Shulman, Suzy Menkes, Anya Hindmarch, Philip Green, Harold Tilman, Peter Mandelson, Richard Desmond, Boris Johnson, Ken Livingtone, Jo Wood, Nick Rhodes, Sir Paul Stephenson, Nick Candy, Holly Valance, Christine Ohuruogu, Giorgio Locatelli, Sir Sol Kerzner, Alan Yentob, Shami Chakrabarty, Riz Lateef, Richard Caring and Camila Batmanghelidjh.

The magazine celebrates the top 1,000 people who are doing most to shape and change London, broken down in 24 categories including Fashion and Retail, Art and Design, Politics, Literature, Environment, Education, Music and Sport.

Led by Burberry Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey, the dynamic interior of Horseferry House has been designed with reference to the quintessentially British values that the brand represents.

The new Burberry headquarters in London, totalling 160,000 sq ft over eight floors, houses over 800 employees and comprises cutting edge show rooms, design studios, modern contemporary office space and photo studios together with the exterior architectural features of the original 1930s building.

Horseferry House was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in October 2009.

Peseta - Thursday November 12th we’ll be presenting our collection for spring and summer 2010. It’ll take place at the Alegría y Decisión showroom (calle monte esquinza 18 5 izda, madrid) from 10am to 7pm and we´ll love to see you there…

it’s our second collection and we’ve made classic products and some new stuff  (laptop cases, handkerchieves, etc.).

ah, if you come, you’ll be able to see also the new collections of Loreak Mendian, Keep, Paul Frank, Modern Amusement, etc.

if you need more info, please let us know: jaime@peseta.org or showroom@alegriaydecision.com (913 194 193).

“Artofthetrench.com celebrates our iconic trench coat, capturing the emotional connection behind our distinctive outerwear heritage. Everybody has a different story related to their coat or the first time they came into contact with one - I love the idea that people from all over the world can share those stories and images with each other and all the different attitudes and expressions of the Burberry trench coat and the people who wear it.”
Christopher Bailey, Burberry Creative Director

Artofthetrench is a new Burberry digital platform with social networking functionality.
The site will be an ongoing project between Burberry and some of the world’s leading image makers, building a living testament to the trench coat with regular collaborations being announced.

Burberry will invite site users to submit their own portraits to feature on the site, creating a body of images reflecting personal trench coat style across the globe.

For the launch of the site, Burberry Creative Director Christopher Bailey commissioned a collection of photographs of trench coats wearers taken by photographer Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist.

For this first collaboration, Scott has been capturing street portraits of people in Burberry trench coats in London, Milan, New York, Paris, Berlin, Sao Paulo and Venice over the last few months.

LACOSTE reveals a line of punched leather sneakers from their men’s sportswear collection for Spring 2010. These six shoes embody the brand values of sporty elegance and are an ideal combination of form and function.

CADMUS 2 has side panels of square punched nappa. This hi-top shoe has its signature padded ankles and reinforced toe bumper. It comes in white, black and navy.

CAVALLION 2 uses the same panels of square punched nappa on its sides and ankles. The three-strap self-fastening loop and latch system has one strap that anchors the plackets to the sole for support. CAVALLION 2 comes in white/classic green and black/white.

CERBERUS 6 updates the now cult-classic shoe with contrast coloured side stripes that pop and side panels of punched leather. It comes in white/navy and black/green.

CERBERUS 3 is a more subtle but still strong tonal option in navy/white, white/green and black/white.

TERUSSE has punched detail on the heel and its signature sporty side stripes. This running-inspired shoe comes in off-white, black and brown.

COURSON is a perfect spring sandal with punched footbed. It comes in white, black, brown and a special French tricolour flag version in white with navy and red piping on the edge of the white leather strap.

With Ksubi, becoming a bookworm has become fashionable! Launching its Ksubi 09 /10 eyewear collection entitled “Book Club”, the phrase “have one’s nose in a book” has taken a new meaning. An eclectic mix of styles inspired by pop comic, steam punk and vintage, Ksubi’s Book Club is composed of 13 unisex frames that are straight, sharp, modern, architectural, and left virtually unpolished. By minimizing the detail of the curves, acetates, metals and lenses, the flatness and sharpness of the finish and appearance of each frames is enhanced – Simplifying and modernizing the range. Acetates are left unpolished and raw as possible – ksubi’s own acetate developments include unique digital printed leopard design & layered color acetates with laser cuts in colors such as ksubi leopard print, leopard tortoiseshell, charcoal, navy, ivory frosts and fuchsia. Playing with various techniques, metal frames are unpolished and sandblasted, each with metal inlays and mouldings.

DEV PATEL AND STEPHEN FRY WEAR BURBERRY TO THE BAFTA BRITANNIA AWARDS IN LOS ANGELES
London, 6 November 2009 – Burberry dressed British actor Dev Patel and British TV presenter Stephen Fry at The BAFTA Britannia Awards which took place at The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles last night.

Dev Patel, who was presenting an award at the ceremony, wore a steel blue mohair 2-button suit, white tuxedo pleated dress shirt, tie and black smooth leather lace up boots all by Burberry.

Stephen Fry wore a black 2-button suit, white tuxedo pleat dress shirt and a black bow tie all by Burberry to host the awards ceremony.

BURBERRY CELEBRATES NEW FLAGSHIP STORE IN TORONTO

Burberry celebrated the recent opening of its new flagship store on Bloor Street in Toronto, Canada.

Over 400 guests attended the event at the store including Ali Larter and Milla Jovavich who wore Burberry.

Music on the evening was provided by British DJ Tom Guinness who features in the Autumn Winter 2009 Burberry ad campaign and who was flown in from London for the event.

The 9,000 square foot two story Burberry store, located on Bloor Street, opened in October 2009.

The store carries a full range of ready-to-wear for both men and women from the Burberry Prorsum, Burberry London, Burberry Brit collections as well as Burberry Sport, Childrenswear and accessories.

The store on Bloor Street opened with the new Burberry store design concept, developed by Burberry Creative Director Christopher Bailey, where intrinsically British materials and themes are used throughout in a contemporary way.

Paul Smith is proud to present “British Birds and Dogs” an exhibition showcasing the work of Robert Clarke, who specializes in painting birds and more recently dogs. Below Robert describes in his own words why it is that he enjoys painting birds and dogs.

“My love of birds generally comes from years of playing golf with my Dad and him telling me what those birds were in the hedges and on the course. I’m now almost able to match his knowledge and spotted a long - tailed tit which he ummmed and arrrrred about.
The dogs are a different kettle of fish….On stablizers riding through Wardown Park aged 3 , I was knocked from my bike by a massive German Shepherd called Timber . This beast then straddled me and barked, for what at the time seemed a minute or two, drool slobbering over me before my Grandad pulled him off. The dog had no owner and roamed the park like ferrel animal. I should have known better …I disliked dog’s from then on….well big dogs anyway.

Then in 2002 I got a little Jack Russell called Bill and went to a puppy club, I was passing around all types of hounds…Bassett, Pit bull (called Nike),poodles and the likes. I saw dogs in a different light… That really is why I like painting and drawing them both”

Birds and Dogs
3rd - 19th November
Paul Smith “Globe”
Terminal 5 Departure Lounge
Heathrow

The New Balance 460 sets a new trend for Holiday 2009 with color shifting synthetic. The low profile silhouette brings forth a feminine feel for the athletic-minded woman. Available in: blue/green mesh with color shifting synthetic and pink/green mesh with color shifting synthetic.

CHRISTOPHER BAILEY CELEBRATES NEW BURBERRY STORE IN SINGAPORE

3 November 2009 – Tonight Burberry Creative Director Christopher Bailey celebrated the recent opening of the new Burberry store in Ion Orchard, Singapore.

Over 500 guests attended the event at the store including Burberry Chief Executive Angela Ahrendts, Won Bin, Li Bing Bing, Liu Wen, Zoe Tay, Christopher Lee, Kit Chan, Joi Chua, Jaclyn Tay, Wong Li Lin, Terence Cao, Allan Wu, Huang Shi Nan, Phyllis Quek, Irene Ang, Rebecca Tan, Angela May, Beatrice ChiaIRichmond, Tan Kheng Hua, Amy Cheng, Jimmy T, Celeste Chong, Celiia The, Huda Ali, Jane Chong, Amelia Awi, Junita Simon and Gladys Pua all of whom wore Burberry.

The store was transformed for the evening with an innovative digital concept event - giant video screens projected the Spring Summer 2010 Burberry catwalk shows and a blogging suite was installed allowing bloggers to post comments and status updates onto their blogs and social media sites directly from the event.

Music on the evening was provided by British DJ Chris Gove who was flown in for the event.

The 9000 square foot Burberry store over one floor, which is located at heart of Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping district, and opened in July 2009, is the largest Burberry store in South East Asia.

The store carries a full range of ready-to-wear for both men and women from the Burberry Prorsum, Burberry London, Burberry Brit collections as well as Burberry Sport and childrenswear collections.

The Burberry accessories collection is also available in the store including a range of limited edition exotic leather accessories in the store designed exclusively to mark the opening of the largest Burberry store in the South East Asia region.

The store at Ion Orchard opened with the new Burberry store design concept, developed by Burberry Creative Director Christopher Bailey, where intrinsically British materials and themes are used throughout in a contemporary way.

THE COMPETITION

Jimmy Choo and Elton John AIDS Foundation have launched a photo competition to support the launch of Project PEP, a charity collection that donates 25% of sales to the Simelela Rape Centre in South Africa. The money goes towards providing the HIV-preventative treatment PEP (which must be taken within 72 hours of exposure to HIV) and counselling to victims of rape in South Africa, which has the highest count of rape in the world.

PRIZES

The overall winners will be announced after the competition close on 7th December. On offer is a Grand Prize of the ultimate Jimmy Choo VIP experience – the winner will be invited to spend a day of luxury and the Jimmy Choo HQ and choose 7 pairs of shoes and 2 handbags to keep. Plus over 100 exclusive Jimmy Choo prizes will also be awarded.

United Nude Opens a new Amsterdam flagship store

A new milestone for the architetural shoe brand

United Nude, a brand founded by architect Rem D Koolhaas and Galahad JD Clark opens a flagship store in Amsterdam on October 22, 2009. Located in the prestigious city center address of Spuistraat 125, United Nude presents their concept, the Wall of Light™. United Nude is distributed in over 300 points of sale worldwide in over 30 territories. Up next for the brand in early 2010, are flagship stores in Shanghai and New York.

The Store Concept

From injection moulded shoes to high-end carbon fiber heels, United Nude is a brand founded on conceptual design, elegance and innovation. The characteristics of the brands products and DNA are also evident in the interior design of the flagship store, designed by brand Creative Director and architect Rem D Koolhaas. The store is a “dark-shop” concept which means the store is completely dark in all areas other than those where the products are showcased and literally highlighted. The most important and prominent element of the store design is the Wall of Light™, a computer-controlled LED wall which displays the United Nude products as a work of art encapsulated in geometric frames.

At the store opening in his hometown of Amsterdam, Creative Director Rem D Koolhaas reflected on the completion of the store design by saying “This opening is one of the proudest moments of United Nude this far. It completes the representation of the brand..”

Open seven days a week, the United Nude store is adjacent to Dam Square behind Magna Plaza.

Store Hours
Monday to Saturday: 10:30am to 7:30pm
Sundays: Noon to 6pm

United Nude - Spuistraat 125A - Amsterdam

The new Thug or Angel brand is a direct tribute to Tupac Amaru Shakur, the original Thug Angel. The brand chose to introduce the question into the 2pac contridicition in terms as a recognition that the Angel superseded in Thug in the end. Kitmeout has been informed the brand will develop an innovative collection of curb to boutique menswear including knitwear and denim.

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac (or simply Pac) and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He has sold 75 million albums to date and is one of the best-selling music artists in the world. In addition to his status as a top-selling recording artist, Shakur was a promising actor and a social activist. Most of Shakur’s songs are about growing up amid violence and hardship in ghettos, racism, problems in society and conflicts with other rappers. Shakur’s work is known for advocating egalitarianism.Shakur was initially a roadie and backup dancer for the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground.

On the night of September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died six days later of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest at the University Medical Center.

Sugar Cane Jeans on Broadway. Finian’s Rainbow is being revived Broadway and is surprisingly relevant to our time. The show has a great cast full of Broadway favorites such as Tony Award Winner Jim Norton, Tony Award Winner Chuck Cooper, and Xanadu’s Cheyenne Jackson, along with many other talented and upcoming actors. The leading man, Cheyenne Jackson can be found wearing Sugar Cane jeans.

With a sparkling score of beloved standards and a whimsical story that dances between romance, satire and fairy tale, FINIAN’S RAINBOW is a musical theater treasure.

Set in the mythical southern state of Missitucky, FINIAN’S RAINBOW pits a charming Irish dreamer and his headstrong daughter against the host of complications that await them in their newly adopted land: a bigoted southern Senator, a credit crisis, a pesky leprechaun and, of course, a complicated love affair that gives birth to some of the most witty, charming and heartfelt songs ever written for the stage.