Room 322 | Lifestyle Streetwear

Today starts a new beginning for Room 322. When the blog first stated we have originally wanted to showcase the lifestyle of Room 322 and the raw experiences that we faced from day 1. Finally, we have the opportunity to fully express Room 322 behind the scenes.

June 10, 2010 marks bobbyt graduation from university finally, allowing full time  focus from Room 322. It is important to say the picture above showcase the people behind the scene that made this Graduation possible. Dredi sharpm, my mother, grandmother and my father made everything possible. Without these people in my life I would not have the drive and passion to A) Take over the world and B) create Room 322. To start things off with a bang we will take you from a unique point of view of JA (Jamaica) from the tourist/ RAW side of things.

Today I caught the midnight flight out of Edmonton to Toronto with a few members of Jamaican Association of Northern Alberta ( JANA). JANA is an organization that Room 322 volunteers with in order to give back to the community. This organization is grown and expanded through handwork and perseverance of a group of individuals.

JA is not the most highest grousing nation , but does very well as tourist based economy. The travel to resort was very interesting showcasing a variety of different venues and communities in Jamaica. One of the best things about traveling is the amount of knowledge and experiences acquired throughout the trip.

Today, I noticed that a lot of people traveling to JA were working Jays. From Spizikes, to a few of the retros (Jordan 1, 3, and 9) it was  one of the hottest footwear rocked by general public.  Always nice to see a family Rocking Jays, which just shows how comfortable these shoes have become. Travel was long and almost endless, but none the less was a great experience.

This will be my office for the next 7 days. I will be trying to showcase some of the fashion out here and in addition to that focus on the lifestyle of Room 322. We are just not a store, we are a lifestyle. Check out the pictures below and check back tomorrow for Day 2 feature Jamaican’s nightlife!

Yesterday, evening I went over to my friend Jared’s house to check out his latest painting and decided to take a few pics of his random drawings. He is a talented artist that focuses on painting. Over the last few months he has created a few random characters and drawing concepts that are interesting and fresh. Below are a few of my personal favorites.

Both fashion and art, work hand and hand in the fashion world, but sometimes you can see some brands really lack in the design department. Seems currently that there is a shift of attention to fabric quality and manufacturing process, rather then the originality, or concepts in the designs. I guess in time we will see if people will demand more creative designed graphic tees, or stick to simple clean prints.

Last Saturday was a crazy day at Room 322 with the launch party Master  + Commander. We would like to thank everyone who came down to support and make the event a blast! We had over 75 people attend, which made it a full house! To showcase the collaboration the lead designer, Robert created a fresh concept for the bags that were given out on Saturday evening.

Spring is here…  FINALLY! Well I will not get a head of myself, but in Edmonton April is the turnover month for spring time. Spring means many things, but for people at Room 322 it means kicking it with friends, all night BBQs, video games ,breaking out fresh kicks, video games, blazing fires, and simply good times (playing VIDEO GAMES)!

This spring keep it clean and fresh with Room 322 and come correct this year around. Year round some people “see double” from all the fun they having, but Spring/Summer people’s social drinking increases.

Any case stop by Room 322 soon, cause these pieces are already making there way out the door! See you soon!

I have said it time and time again, but one of the best things I like working for Room 322 is meeting people. One of main reasons why Room 322 started was because of the lifestyle behind streetwear. What really sets the genre of “streetwear” clothing apart is the lifestyle behind the brands and the themes and stories of each season’s collection. Unlike runway fashion, instead of focusing on the designer and materials, streetwear brands try to tell a story behind their brand and seasonal collections. Each season brings a new perceptive and twist that many of us  can relate too, which better represent us.

Support Room 322’s offical dj, DjO Nonymous by voting for him for 2010 Stylus Awards! The main areas of interest will be the following:

Mixtape of the Year

One of the best things about working at Room 322 is chatting with people about fashion. Today I was kind of shocked when a customer said they hate logo apparel and avoid clothes that simply have the brands logo attached to it. The main reason he explained, was because he felt that he was advertising for the brand and did not dig that idea.

This is a common mindset with a lot of people, but I feel people are getting the wrong idea. Logo apparel is for people that really believe in what the brand is doing and is about.  An example could be 10 Deep, which represents the person who goes 100% into there grind with two hands (10 fingers) in, and do it proudly without caring what others think. Wearing this logo sends a message to others that you follow that same mindset of 10 Deep. This is one of the beautiful things about streetwear brands, they have a story and history instead of a gimmick, or fad.

Next time you see a brand of clothing that you like, check out there website and what exactly there about. You will be surprised how much you can relate to some of them and really feel connection between yourself and them.

-bobbyt