Thursday, December 31, 2009

Free Tee and Shipping

Happy 2010 everyone!!! For the new year we are giving away a free INVS tee and shipping with every purshase of $50 or more just type in the promo code: FREETEE for all online orders in the month of January.

Also we recieved the newest season of OBEY for men's and women's. Here is a preview of what we recieved which is now available in-store and on-line.
For Him - OBEY: Bounty (Black)


For Him or Her - OBEY: Late For Class (Heather Grey)


For Her - OBEY: Satellite (Elephant Skin)


For Her - OBEY: Mask (Grape)

Monday, December 21, 2009

Chomp Chomp Video

Here is a video of our newest toddler shirt "Chomp Chomp" which has glow in the dark teeth printed on both sleeves. The shirt is now available in store and comes in purple, pink and black.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Holiday Giveaway!

Happy Holidays everyone! INVS wanted to do a quick giveaway for a lucky winner and will recieve an INVS T-shirt of their choice.

I hope this will be pretty easy, so just follow the instructions:

1) From now till tomorrow Monday the 21st of December at 12 noon (So package will be sent out for shipping to hopefully recieve by Wed).
2) Click on this link: Giveaway and pick out an INVS t-shirt only.
3) Comment this blog post by clicking on the COMMENTS link on the bottom of this post with just your first name and item you like with size (you dont have to enter an email or sign up).
4) Email sales@invisiblestripes.com the name you used in the comment and also the shirt and size.

*Sorry US residents only.
**One entry per person.

Around noon I will announce the the winner by using a random picker generator program. So check back and I will contact the winner via email as well.

Thanks everyone!

INVS

Friday, December 18, 2009

INVS Leather Jacket - Series: 01










100% Sheep Nappa Leather
Quilted Red Satin Fully Lined
Zipper at Sleeves for Gloves
4" High Ribbing Collar
Inside Lining Chest Pockets
Red Satin Contrast Inverted Pleat Front Pockets
Embossed "Wingtip" Detailing on Chest and Back

RELEASES: Saturday, Dec. 19 @ INVS 627 Post St.

12pm PACIFIC or 3pm EASTERN - ONLINE

Retail: $260

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

5th Column x INVS









SF based INVS and Brooklyn's 5th Column come together and celebrate Saturnalia with the release of a this tee. Saturnalia is a holiday where Romans feasted together to celebrate one of their Gods, Saturn.

The design of the shirt is based off of Spanish artist Francisco Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son."

The collab comes in two different colorways, black and burgundy, both are printed with 3M reflective ink. They release Thursday, December 17 (Saturnalia) at the INVS shop in San Francisco. It will release online the same day at 3pm on the INVS web store.

Punk Drunkers (Tokyo) SF Invasion @ D-Structure Fri. Dec 18th


In 1998 Punk Drunkers was founded in Sendagaya, Tokyo. For the past ten years they have kept to their philosophies. Never becoming stagnate and falling behind, and always embracing originality. Their brand concept mixes Japanese culture with western influences, which always creates a unique approach and original designs. It's no wonder Punk Drunkers has been successful for the past ten years they've been around.

With a decade in the industry, Punk Drunkers has always been very exclusive with the brands and stores they collaborate with. That's why D-Structure is the only store in San Francisco to carry Punk Drunkers, let alone, one of the few American brands to collaborate with them.

With a loyal and large fan base in Japan, Punk Drunkers will finally make their San Francisco Debut December 18th at D-Structure. Here are some sneak peek photos of the designs that are invading D-Structure.


With the release of the colab, live art, music and dance - I am sure this would be a dope event check out. Come support our friends and family and see you guys there.


Monday, December 14, 2009

INVS Leather Jacket & Oxford








Press Release


INVS continues to build their Mens line with a leather jacket and oxford shirt. Their aim is to offer classic pieces, quality materials, at a price that is not marked up to hell. "We want to make pieces that every man should have in their closet and enjoy season after season." For the leather jacket they used 100% Napa leather. It is a full-grain leather made from unsplit sheep skin known for its softness and durability. It also boasts a full red quilted satin lining. The leather jacket will be retailing at a price of $260.

The leather jacket releases in-store at INVS 627 Post St. San Francisco this Saturday, Dec. 19th. It will be available online at 3pm the same day.

The oxford is made out of pinpoint oxford fabric and is called the tuxedo oxford because it has a stitched in faux placket in same color thread. The oxford will be retailing for $56 and releasing next month, January.


Friday, December 11, 2009

Temporary Tattoos

Just to let you know that all of our toddler pieces from now on will come with a custom temporary tattoo. Our toddler collection has been growing because of our supporters and we wanted to thank you in some way.

Fun for all ages, stop by and grab one...they are free.

Thank you.






Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Shape of INVS to Come





Today, Beans & Croydon helped us shoot our new leather jacket and Oxford button-down. This is something we are very excited about as it is not a new beginning for INVS but somewhere we always wanted to be. What we are trying to do with our mens line is not "reinvent classics," as a lot of brands/designers say. We do not seek to reinvent the wheel, we merely want to provide high quality garments at an affordable price. We are making mens staple items and we are confident that they will stay in your closet and you will enjoy them for many years to come.

Please enjoy these previews while we get ready for the official press release! The leather jacket releases next Saturday, Dec. 19 @ INVS 627 Post Street and to our Online Store.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Closest Thing to an Invisible Shoe



To footwear designer Andreia Chaves, each shoe is an individual work of art. Raised in the busy metropolis of Sao Paulo, Brazil – Chaves understands that beauty can be found in chaos, a concept that reveals itself in her footwear designs. She explains this in her own words, "The fact that I grew up in a chaotic city like Sao Paulo, full of contrasts, being in contact with such diversity and constant exposure to different visual inputs, has inspired me in how I think and conceptualize my shoes. Looking at my work, I can clearly see influence coming from my South American sense of versatility. Also in the mix - what I have been experiencing in Europe."

During her time in Florence she’s been intensely studying form, texture & visual effect, and experimenting with different materials on footwear design. These concepts come to life in each shoe created. For example, “The Invisible Shoe” has a mirrored surface, creating a deceptively obscured optical effect with every step taken. The chameleon-like façade blends in perfectly with any environment.

Saturnalia




[Christmas was invented to replace Saturnalia.]

The Saturnalia
was an ancient Roman holiday marked by a week of wild partying, lawlessness and a holiday celebrating the return of the sun; ending in dedications to the temple of the god Saturn, which was on 17 December. People did any damage they pleased without fear of
consequence as the Roman courts were closed and law stated that no one
could be punished for anything. This tradition began by Roman
communities choosing someone as an enemy of Rome, representing the Lord of Misrule.
Each “enemy” was forced to over-indulge in food, sex, and mayhem for a week.
At the end of the week, the person was murdered in representation of
conquering the forces of darkness.


Source: 5th Column

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Leather Jackets in the 20th Century

In the 20th century the leather jacket achieved iconic status especially in the cinema. The most obvious has to be Marlon Brando's Johnny Strabler character in The Wild One (1953),as a result these all masiveley popularised leather jackets through out American and British youth. The leather jacket appeared in everyones wardrobe from the "greaser" subculture in the 1950s and early 1960s, an example of this is The Fonz's iconic leather jacket from Happy days. The Fonz's leather jacket has now been layed to rest in the Smithsonian Institution.

Leather jackets were also worn in aviation and the military they were often reffered to as "Bomber jackets" and were also seen on many stars in the 1940s and 1950s examples include Jimmy Stewart in the 1957 film, Night Passage. The brown leather jacket has been a de rigueur part of the wardrobe of a Hollywood adventurer.
There are many more examples of iconic leather jackets worn in popular culture towards the end of the 20th century from the T-800 Character in the Terminator movies, to the longer ¾ length trench coat style worn by action heroes such as Steven Seagal and then again in The Matrix as worn by Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne.

Brad Pitt gave the world a fresh spin on the leather jacket in the movie Fight Club, where Tyler Durden constantly appears with different variations of his red leather jacket.


Leather jackets have always been popular in music. Punk rock groups such as the Ramones and the Libertines were both seen wearing several styles.

By: Gojira

Insight Holiday Collection

Now available online and in store Insight tops for men's and women's. Here are a couple of previews from the collection, check out the rest of the tops here.

MENS: INSIGHT Blunt Time 2 Flannel (Ocean)

WOMENS: INSIGHT Hey Friends Flanno (Smut)

Monday, December 7, 2009

History of the Leather Jacket

The history of Leather Jackets

A leather jacket is a jacket made of leather. The jacket usually has a brown, dark grey or black color. Leather jackets have a rich history and can be styled in countless ways, different leather jackets have served different purposes from fashion, to motorcycling, to the military

The history of wearing animal hides can be traced back as far as the palaeothic period where cave paintings were discovered depicting the use of leather clothing, unlike the modern approach primitive man discovered that smoke could preserve skins, and that they could be treated with natural ingredients such as barks and plants.

Wall paintings and artefacts in Egyptian tombs indicate that leather was used for clothing, burying the dead and for military equipment. The ancient Greeks and Romans also made good use of leather and it has remained an important industrial raw material since those times.

The Romans used leather on a large scale for footwear, clothes, and military equipment including shields, saddles and harnesses. Excavation of Roman sites has yielded large quantities of leather articles such as footwear and clothing.

Leather manufacturing was introduced to Britain by the Romans, and by religious communities, the monks were experts at making leather, especially vellum and parchment for writing purposes. The Britons then used leather for footwear, clothing and leather bags. They were also used on the hulls of the early boats, known as coracles

Through the centuries leather manufacture expanded steadily and by mediaeval times most towns and villages had a tannery. Many of these tanneries still exist, but in many towns the only remaining evidence is in street names, like Tanner Street, Bark Street and Leather Lane.

By: Gojira

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Francisco Goya


Francisco Goya was born in 1746 in a small town near Zaragoza. When he was 14 he began a 4 year apprenticeship to a local master, José Luzan. Goya then left for Madrid with the intention of winning a prize at the Academy of San Fernando. Although he didn’t win, he met the court artist Francisco Bayeu who was to prove influential in forming Goya’s early style.

Bayeu was heavily influenced by the German painter Anton Taphael Mengs, and passed elements of this style on to Goya. Bayeu was also instrumental in Goya’s first involvement in a commission. This was the fresco decoration of the Church of the Virgin in El Pilar in Zaragoza.

From 1773, after spending a year in Italy, Goya worked on a number of other fresco projects, including one for the Charterhouse of Aula Dei, near Zaragoza. However, it was in 1798 that he worked on his greatest fresco project for the Church of San Antonio de la Florida, Madrid. Goya had now begun working on prints based on paintings by one of his two greatest sources of inspiration, Velázquez. Rembrandt was the other artist that Goya drew inspiration from.

Goya began working on official portraits commissioned by King Charles III around 1786. One of his paintings from this time, Marquesa de Pontejos, is on display in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. He also worked on several tapestry cartoons depicting Spanish life, and these revolutionized the Spanish tapestry industry. However, in the winter of 1792, Goya’s life took a dramatic turn when he became totally deaf after a serious illness. Not surprisingly, this led to much of his subsequent work having a pessimistic air to it. He drew and etched the first in a series of prints, the satirical Los Caprichos (The Caprices). Others followed, including the Desastres de la Guerra (Disasters of War), and Disparates (Absurdities).

Goya had witnessed the horrors of war, at first hand, during the French occupation of Spain, and he drew on this for two of the paintings that he completed in 1814. The Second of May, 1808 and Third of May, 1808 both depict brutal massacres of his countrymen by the French. The thick, bold strokes of dark colour that he used were typical of many of his later paintings. Another characteristic of Goya’s paintings towards the end of his life was that they had an openness and honesty, especially his portraits. His portrait, Family of Charles IV, portrays the Royals in a realistic manner, and not idealized as many other artists did. It is on display in Madrid's Prado Museum.

Towards the end of his life, Goya painted a series of fresco scenes on the walls of his country house. These were the Black Paintings, and he used mainly blacks, browns and greys to depict scenes of witchcraft. Goya was evidently becoming depressed by the political situation in Spain, and these paintings reflected his mood. He was forced to leave Spain in 1824, because of the oppression in his native land, and moved to France. Goya began to pursue the then new art of lithography, and he produced a series of bullfight scenes that are among the best lithographs ever made. He died, in France, in 1828.

Source: http://bit.ly/6lxsqD


5th Column x INVS