SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

words_Nick DePaula

Day 2.

7:15 wakeup. 8:30 first meeting w/ HUGE. Yikes.

Scotty Ill Happy Gilmore is that dude.

You can’t carry more than five sheets of paper in there. And that IS a purse. AND you’re wearing gold shoes. What the hell were you thinking.

THIS is streetwear.

Perry Ellis. Home of the most confusing labyrinth styled booth there. Good lord this is massive.

Had to register at Pool. Pre-registering is for suckers. That’s where I overheard a 26-year-old girl meet back up with her boyfriend after a quick bathroom break.

“That was a dump. I did not expect to eat that much earlier.”

Disgusting, I know.

Arrived to Pool. Scheming on the American Apparel girls. Just one of ‘em. Swear to Chris Hanson.

AA crew. Girlie on the left was a cutie. (though I’m hearing this isn’t a great picture of her.) Velma was weak.

I’m a slogan genius.

Quality (tanner)Goods.

Crushed red pepper. Mmmm.

Sam Hecklewood Jr. Nicest guy ever. Never not networking.

Here’s what I don’t understand about Pool and Magic. How can you spend [I'm assuming] months “designing” a string of shirts, fly across the country to a place where you’ll blow all your money, not set up any meetings at all for three straight days, and sit there pathetically while nobody gives a got damn about your disastrous attempt at fashion. Anti Camouflage? Reeeally? Makes sense they don’t have a real website.

Why not put all your eggs in one basket? On trucker hats. For 2009.

Pool in a nutshell.

UNTIL I saw 3Sixteen. Now that’s a clothing brand. Great guys behind it doesn’t hurt either.

In a rush to some Nike shindig. Knocked out some awful food at our Imperial Palace hotel buffet.

Monorail to the MGM (no walking!) and a bit late to the Nike Happy Hour. Turns out they had an extensively catered spread all set up, all the while my stomach wanted to die inside of me. Thanks Palace.

After that, flew over to the Beauty Bar downtown for the Vice Cream Social to meet up with the crew.

Perused downtown. Saw 4 “night workers.” Shady.

How could you not go here for all your logo and brand image creation needs?

I take it this guy didn’t cross-reference his kicks in our XX3 Issue.

We then capped off the 24-hour day by taking a limo from McDonald’s. We’re innovators I swear.