This one leans more indie than the first Mixtape we gifted you over the holidays. It’s everything you crave hearing on the daily twisted up into one FREE hour!

It’s fearless fucking fashion. And everything is going to the beat.

The panty dancing cover shot was photographed by kirillwashere. Sexy.

Cry Wolf- Located in St. Marks (111), this boutique features goods for men and women from awesome designers such as: 80%20, Chronicles of Never, Creative Recreation, S2Vs, Jeffrey Campbell, Gram, and Nudie.  Find the best shoes, accessories, and clothing from your favorite indie designers worldwide, without having to scour through tons of internet sites.

Inven.tory- Located at Lafayette and Spring, get GREAT deals (outlet pricing) on emerging designers, and catch up on the latest trends! Inven.tory’s inventory changes weekly, so stop in frequently to make sure you get the best stuff! They don’t have a site quite yet, but you can check out their blog for all the latest news about the store, and what you should be wearing.

Gargyle- Located on Orchard near Canal (16A), this store is aiming to revitalize the country club lifestyle, and features designers like Vena Cava, Fred Perry, Karen Walker, and Surface to Air (among others).  They claim to love ‘golf, tennis, concerts, and parties,’ so if you fit into any or all of the above, or just enjoy ‘anything that lets us have fun with our family and friends,’ check out Gargyle.  Shop online if you must, but to get the full country club party experience, you have to stop in!

In God We Trust- They’ve got three stores in town, 265 Lafayette, Ludlow btwn. Stanton and Rivington, and 135 Wythe in Brooklyn.  Stop in for the sickest jewelry, antique and new, as well as fun, adventurous clothing that brings out the vintage nature in everyone.  Check out their site for previews, and stop in to get the real treasures.

Tokyo 7- Located on 7th St. btwn. 2nd and 3rd Ave, this consignment store offers limitless designer goods, everything from Prada, Gucci, D&G, Miu Miu, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Heatherette, and 5Preview.  Save on anything you could possibly want, and enjoy the ever-changing stock. No site available, sorry to all of you non-NYC natives.

Love Brigade- Located at 230 Grand Street, you’ve probably heard us talk about Love Brigade, but we want you to love them as much as we do.  They sell their original line Love Brigade, a diffusion line (ex.oh), as well as an experimental line (As We Are), as well as selected pieces from other great indie designers.  Stop in and say hi to our friends, and get some awesome clothes while you’re at it!

Assembly- Located on Ludlow btwn. Stanton and Houston, this store is just for the boys (with the occasional women’s accessory filtering through).  Get new and vintage clothing and accessories from the greatest collector in town, with tons of foreign labels and indie stuff, too.  There’s even a vinyl section in the back, so you can get your music and fashion all in once place!

Valley- Located on Elizabeth btwn. Prince and Spring, the ultimate experience in one-stop shopping.  Enjoy looking through clothing from avant-guard designers, and favorites like Grey Ant, Lady Leisure, and Caroline K, and also enjoy the skin, nail, and waxing salon, and a cafe.  This store really has it all, check it out as soon as you can!

Kiosk- Located on Spring St. btwn. Broadway and Mercer, this isn’t exactly a clothing or accessories store, but they sell a bunch of random trinkets and other goodies that would be great for a DIY project.  If you’re in one of those moods to look for something, but you aren’t exactly sure what, head over to Kiosk.  Plus, they’re right next to that window that sells the mini cupcakes, which is awesome.

First Among Equals- Located at 177 Orchard, this store sells 0044, Bess, Dunlin, Michel Berandi, and more (just for guys).  First Among Equals has recently opened a dark downstairs that you enter through a narrow spiral staircase, and enjoy a private shopping feel with handpicked clothes from designers, offering a rare flair that you won’t find anywhere else. Check out their site for up-to-date sales, but don’t miss out on this unique shopping experience.

What’s your favorite store in New York City?

The folks over at We Are The Market had the amazing oppurtunity to sit down with Alexis Holm and Anna Stenvi, the masterminds behind the shoe company Gram. Here’s what the design duo had to say:

Tell us – how did the Gram collection originate?
We blame organic growth for most of it. Started off as a modest 3 style collection in spring 2006 with only denim fabric and then mutated from there. No grand scheme at the helm, just two people doing what they think is good and true. Maybe we’ll bring back the denim when we get nostalgic…

You recently launched a collaboration with ‘Our Legacy’ on a collection of limited edition shoes sold at such retail posts as Blackbird, Beams and Aplace. What can we expect from this collaboration?
Jockum and Cristopher at Our Legacy are nice guys, they wanted a classic plimsoll for their AW08 collection, and we saw the chance to make a luxury edition of an often cheapened type of footwear. The result is great. Classy and relaxed, true calf leather matched with dry waxed cotton from British Millerain. We topped it off with an all white box, individual shoe bags, brush and shoe horn.

GramSE is your premium line of shoes. What design differences do you see between Gram and GramSE?
Well, we of course see more similarities than differences, but when viewed side by side it is obvious that we are dealing with two totally different  types of footwear. GramSE has a lot of basketball sneaker references that gram totally lacks, such as dampening and cushioned ankle support. In my mind as a designer what I set out to do with the gramSE was to create something that would have no equal, it is not a tired remake of a Dunk, it doesn’t utilize generic outsoles used by a trillion other brands before. This was built from the ground up, to be different, comfortable, indestructible and uncompromising. Kim Jones immediately snatched up a pair and proclaimed them to be his favourite sneaker, which is a good verdict considering his knowledge of shoes. Kanye West also keeps a pair in his closet for special occasions. And the beauty of it all is that when they are gone, they will stay gone, there won’t be any re-runs or comebacks for this shoe, when the last pair leaves our warehouse we will be kissing it goodbye. So get yours before it’s too late. Available internationally via www.gramstore.com

For the whole interview from Gram head over to We Are The Market! You’ll get a chance to hear about more upcoming collaborations and future plans Gram has in store for their customers!

Gram.

D.A.T.E.

Schmoove.

Y-3 by Adidas.

Sneaky Steve.

Why do guys commonly use the term “high-tops” to mean the classic Converse sneakers or the recently popular Nike Dunks? You can never go wrong pairing your black Converse with a pair of raw denim straight legs, a black button-up and a few accessories here and there. And we all know how versatile those Nike Dunks can be…a red and black pair to match your plaid or even neons to go with all of your hiliter yellows, oranges and greens. But take a look around…your brother, your cousin, your best friend’s uncle’s ex-wife’s son’s next-door neighbor ALL have these shoes. I assure you, there are other high-top options out there!

Above are a few pairs I came across while searching Ssense and Revolve Clothing. Although these high-tops are rather similar to the designs and concepts of Converse and Nike Dunks (slim fit, aeration pores, ankle laces) they have enough detail and flare to make them unique. Depending on the brand and material, these shoes can set you back anywhere from $100-$400…but it beats looking like every other Beatle band reject and fake NBA star out there!

Gram

Jon Lobb

What started off as a trend with sneakers is slowly evolving into one of my new favorite things. Cool colored laces can make even the simplest shoe look cool and hip. Don’t get too carried away though, too crazy and you’ll draw all your attention to your feet. The Jon Lobb shoes above are a display of perfection. The white laces stand out great against the blue leather shoe, and really make the shoe. The Gram shoes are a not so formal way of rocking this trend. The best part about the trend is that it’s cheap and versatile. Just take your simple tennis shoes and throw some cool laces in them. Throw some im your oxford’s and be a true fashionista.

Thanks to Selectism for the pics!

When Alex Holm and Anna Stenvi founded “Gram” in 2005 their intentions were clear. Though they planned to created a brand that could make or break an outfit, they didn’t want to steal the show. Talking about their collections they said, “They were designed to blend and enhance what you are wearing at any given moment.” The shoes do just that. Created in a variety of colors that are sure to spark, the shoes are a necessitated aspect of any complete look.