Freshest Goods Market Vendor Feature: 100 Miles Brand

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There’s a lot to learn from the 100 Miles Brand. They’ve been in the Toronto street wear scene for over 20 years and are still relevant today. The 100 Miles Brand proves to be more than just a t-shirt brand by having a clothing line that’s available for men and women. They are heavily influenced by hip-hop and urban culture, but stress the importance of shining a positive light on it. – Written by Samantha Singh / Interview by Cassandra John

What’s the story behind the name 100 Miles Brand?

It came to me 23 years ago when I was in my university lecture at Ryerson, and the professor said to us to look at your life and find something that inspires you.  It just happened to be the TTC bus strike. I was in front of the 100 miles kilometre sign and I was like, “100 km, nah that doesn’t make sense…100 Miles!” From that everything came into place. I came with a concept where 100 miles symbolizes the world, the fact that we as people go through a lot of struggles, so we have 100 miles to go in everyday life.

What was it like creating a line in 1992? In this day and age there are so many resources available for people wanting to start a line, I could only imagine the resources or the lack of resources there was back then. Could you walk me through the process?

The process back then was the Yellow Pages and your feet! Basically being a minority, a lot of people didn’t take me seriously [and] being young were some of the obstacles that I faced. I had to be mature to get what I wanted without being so demanding. It took a lot of research, trial and error. No one was there to say, ‘Hey! Get more followers or hash tags!’ There was none of that. It was pretty much you believing in yourself, or having a small team of people that saw your vision and wanted to help in terms of getting it to the next step in the career or just the vision. It was a lot more difficult, a lot more footwork, people closing the door in your face. It’s not like now, where it’s a buyers market and everybody wants a piece of something.

Your brand has been worn by some of the most influential people in hip-hop, both alive and dead. Explain what that feeling was like.

I would say surreal, humbling, to say the least. From Tupac, to Biggie, to Wu-Tang Clan, living legends like EPMD, KRS1, A Tribe Called Quest, just to name a few. It’s been a blessing and an honor as a Toronto clothing brand and as a member of Toronto to have people globally recognized now to wear our clothing. To feel recognized in the sense that Toronto is a fashion capital, in my eyes at least, a place where people do respect the fashion job of our city.

The heights that you’ve take 100 Miles Brand to, most people can only dream about. What’s a takeaway that you can share with the Freshest Goods audience?

I would say believe in yourself. Always have faith in the powers above, and stay humble. Don’t let it get to your head, things can happen. As much as you feel that you’re in control, there are other energies and people that are also in control or assisting. You’ve got to believe all the time strongly in yourself, believe in what you’re doing. Do it for the love of it, don’t do it because of money or you want to get famous, do it from the heart.

How has the 100 Miles Brand managed to stand the test of time? What are some of your secrets?

Smiling, laughing, enjoying, just loving every minute of it. Loving the customers that are buying our merchandise or even rooting us on. It means a lot to myself and the rest of our company, getting the positive encouragement and even when we get criticized we prove that we’re taking it in a positive direction. Just building with our consumer base, now it’s global and just spreading the love that to me, that’s what it’s about. Trying to stay positive and staying creative and not leaning towards trends, but always trying to lean towards fashion.

The 100 Miles Brand will be at the Freshest Goods Market at Live at the Square on Sept. 19th. You can find them at 100milesbrand.com, Instagram and Twitter.


 

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Bringing you The Goods

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This past May Manifesto was in Ottawa for Hip Hop Playground: Battles and Beats, our event at Scene Ontario. While in the Capital, Freshest Goods Manager Taurean Scotland and the Manifesto TV crew got a chance to check out NRML, a shop that has been keeping Ottawa fresh for almost 20 years.

The shop features an impressive roster of brands, from Jordan and adidas to Primitive and Comme Des Garcon. It’s a one-stop shop for streetwear; all the hot brands and styles under one roof. As Mike, a designer at NRML says “There’s like some skate shops and things like that, but in terms of core streetwear we’re the only place… if you want Jordans you can also go to Footlocker, but you’re not going to get Stussy, you’re not going to get Obey, you’re not going to get brands like that all in the same spot.”

The episode was the first of a new series called “The Goods”, a Freshest Goods initiative to showcase independent retailers and businesses in Ontario. With the FG website launching soon, which will contain a blog and web store, the series will come as another medium to bring the amazing talent in our province into the spotlight.

Freshest Goods at Bastid’s BBQ

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This weekend is the fifth annual Bastid’s BBQ at 229 Richmond St. West (next to the Ballroom) from 3:00 Pm-11:00 PM. For the second year in a row, Freshest Goods will be in attendance selling goods and products from local designers Vice x Virtue, MNFSTO, Original 6, Champstiles, Notaurious, Tomboy, and Wild Moon.

The BBQ is a great way to support local design and talent! As of this morning the DJ set times are:

  • Paul Chin 3:00 – 3:30
  • Rhek 3:30 – 4:00
  • Big Jacks 4:00 – 4:45
  • Bambii 4:45 – 5:30
  • Starting From Scratch 5:30 – 6:15
  • Wristpect 6:15 – 7:00
  • Skratch Bastid (1) 7:00 – 7:30
  • Big Toe’s HiFi 7:30 – 8:15
  • DJ Dopey 8:15 – 9:00
  • Hedspin 9:00 – 9:45
  • Chris Karns 9:45 – 10:30
  • Skratch Bastid (2) 10:30 – 11:00

 

Skratch Bastid is a long time friend to the organization and we are very excited to be a part of this community event. If you haven’t already purchased an early bird ticket, it isn’t too late to head over to his Eventbrite page and purchase one, or buy at the door for $20+tax.

For more information on the event and real-time updates, head over to his Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/384570968414194/

As well, make sure to stay up-to-date with our status at the BBQ through our Instagram and Twitter pages. See you there!

INTRODUCING… ARTDATA!

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If you are a youth arts group in Toronto how do you measure success? It can’t be just about revenues. Or huge crowds to local events.

What we can measure is the cultural impact of Manifesto on our community at large.

Artdata is an interactive data visualization funded by the Laidlaw Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council that gathered data on the programs and reach of 12 youth arts groups across the city. The interactive map, the Toronto Star Website, and ArtData on our own website will be launched today.

Here is sneak peek at the footprint of the Manifesto programs of 2014.

ManifestoFootprint

So Toronto: this is how WE measure success! Total number of  programs across the city!

This is how we measure the global impact of our Manifesto messengers. Tour dates for 8 Manifesto messages between 1999-2003.

This is how our community – 12 other youth-arts led organizations – spell success! This is our collective footprint – measured by outreach programs, participation, audience and community partnerships.

manifestototalimpact

And if you want to see just how some of our young artists get around check this out!

Randell Screenshot

This is how you navigating the interactive visualization.

To see the impact of individual organizations, click on the stars across the map. To see the collective impact of our ecosystem click on the PARTICIPATION, TOTAL IMPACT AND SPONSOR buttons along the top of the map.

To view the impact of individual artists who have participated in youth-led arts groups, click on the ART TRAILS button.

Shout out to the Laidlaw Foundation and Toronto Arts Council who funded this project. #artdatatoronto

>> Launch ArtData

NEXT LEVEL: Cultural Hotspot South Scarborough Closing Celebration

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CulturalHotspots NEXT - Postcard - v0.9

 

Celebrating the next generation of artists in Scarborough and beyond!

 

Saturday, October 25
Warden Woods Community Centre
74 Firvalley Crt (1km South of St. Clair off of Warden – South Scarborough)
TTC: 69 or 135 Bus South from Warden Station to Firvalley Crt.
1:00 – 8:00pm
Cost: FREE w/ RSVP (see RSVP links below)

LEARN /// 1:00-3:00pm

Unity presents:
Workshop with B-Boy Lego from The Supernaturalz Crew
The Original B-Boy w/ a Different Movement
RSVP to attend: http://bit.ly/1tbZiR7

Manifesto presents:
In Conversation with Lenny Len (Flavorshop)
hosted by Fly Lady Di
RSVP to attend: http://nextinconvo6.eventbrite.ca/

NETWORK /// 3:15-5:00pm

Arts Mentor Speed Dating
A speed dating event featuring an amazing roster of mentors providing advice and guidance across a variety of topics and areas of the arts. Young people and developing artists are encouraged to attend, sign-up with their choice mentors, and learn from experts in their respective field. Speed dating slots will be 10-minutes in length and sign up for one of nine spots per mentor begin at doors open at 1:00pm.

RSVP to attend: http://nextlevelspeeddate.eventbrite.ca/

Confirmed mentors include…

Rich Kidd (studio basics + recording)
Tanika Charles (live performance + touring)
Heather Campbell (accounting basics)
Lenny Len of Flavorshop (choreography + dance instruction)
David Delisca (artist 101)
Jalani Morgan (photography)
Fly Lady Di (multidiciplinary artist + work balance)
Mark Kurupt Stoddart (small business + entrepreneurship)
Giles Monette (art show curator + visual artist)
Kate Fraser of Artreach (workshops + arts education)
Jen Fabico of Scarborough Arts
Dwayne Dixon of Manifesto
Mike Prosserman of Unity
Chris Jackson of The Big Ticket (concert promoter)
Omer Ismael of AVNU (avnu.ca)

REMEMBER: Sign-up for speed dating spots begins at 1:00pm when doors open.

CELEBRATE /// 5:00-8:00pm

5:00-6:00pm

All-Styles Battle Round of 16 + Round of 8
$500 prize to the winner!
Battle DJ: Andy B Bad
Register to battle: http://bit.ly/1DALzVY

6:00-8:00pm

* Welcome + Cultural Hotspot supporters
* Visual art showcase by We Are Lawrence East and Precious Gems
* Host DJ: Fly Lady Di
* Beatboxing performance
* R.I.S.E. Artist Showcase
* Fancy Dance by Classic Roots
* All-Styles semi-final and final
* Tanika Charles & The Wonderfuls (full 30 minute set)

Hosted by: David Delisca + Jordan Viera

The Freshest Goods: Designs From ‘the 6’

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By Michael Baxter

“The message Toronto is sending is to take us seriously. That we’re not just New York’s baby brother. We have our own culture.”

‘We Made It’. Those words come from Bryan Brock of 1LOVE T.O., one of many Toronto designers helping to make Toronto one of the most up-to-date and fashionable places around. It’s safe to say that Toronto is on top of the map these days (and not just in a literal sense anymore either). In everything from music, to art, to sports it’s easy to see that Toronto has become a major player on the international scene, a designation that wasn’t always so easily afforded to ‘We the North’.

“Toronto has always had incredible talent, but over the past few years a giant magnifying glass has been hovering over our city, allowing the world to see what we have to offer,” says Brock. ”There’s no denying the fact that international success from local artists such as Drake and The Weeknd have helped in making our city popular.”

With Drake, arguably the most popular hip-hop artist on the planet calling Toronto home and the Raptors basketball team finally finding its footing after years of mediocrity, it’s no surprise that Toronto has become a place that people are finally recognizing as an up-and-coming mecca for all things cool.

With this popularity designers have begun to use Toronto, in all forms, to fuel artistic, creative and decidedly Canadian designs and clothing lines. These designs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but the constant is an edge that has been missing from the design scene that only Canadian designers could provide. While each brand does their thing in their own way, they all get the point across that it’s Toronto’s time now and the city is going to run with the spotlight while we have it.

“I started noticing it last year when 5ives on Top made the Scarborough hat and it sold out in 20 minutes,” says Taurean Scotland, Manifesto’s Freshest Goods programmer speaking about the increasing number of brands incorporating a Toronto focus into their designs. “Last year Manifesto launched the T-Dot hat and we saw huge sales. Right now there is a lot of hometown pride, people are proud to be from Toronto and they want things to represent that.”

While a few different brands use Toronto for small parts of a line, or as a nod to the local culture, there are some brands that take it up a notch and have completely based their brand around ‘the 6’. Brands like The Four One Six and its owner Jermaine Finn feels like it’s a long time coming.

With The Four One Six brand the name of the game is making something to unite the Greater Toronto Area. The brand is extremely new (only having been around for half a year or so) but is already making noise in the Toronto area. According to Jermaine, The Four One Six is looking to differentiate itself as a Canadian brand by separating itself from a CN tower-centric design focus, featured on many Toronto designs. By representing the city as a whole and not focusing on one aspect of the city, Jermaine has managed to create a brand that represents a whole community and not just a singular idea or image.

Toronto designers show that the city has more to offer than the world thinks.

When asked about the message that Canadian, and specifically Toronto designers are trying to send to the rest of the world Finn says, “The message Toronto is sending is to take us seriously. That we’re not just New York’s baby brother, we have our own culture.” Adding to this sentiment Brock describes 1LOVETO’s creative process. “We brainstorm a lot. We ask ourselves what would we want to wear, and we try very hard to create something that feels inclusive. People want to represent where they’re from, and it’s our job to deliver quality goods that people are proud to wear.”

Brands like MNFSTO are showing Toronto to be as well rounded as all of its metropolitan peers. With a clothing line to accompany the ongoing festival and its other events, the brand’s aim is to reflect the community from which it emerged.

“If you look at American brands, almost any brand from New York or L.A. has something representing their city. Of course brands in Toronto would start to do that,” says Scotland. “It’s an easy sell when you go out to events even if a person isn’t into hip-hop or street wear they would still buy something with Toronto on it as long as the design is good. Especially if you’re starting out as a brand, a good way to get people behind you is something they can relate to and using the city as inspiration is a great way to go. I think there’s tons of stuff that we haven’t seen yet from designers.”