1000 Words

" I drive up and down Harlem blocks, iced out watch, knots in my sock, cops think im selling rocks, pulling me over to see if Im drunk but Im sober they wouldnt fuck with me if I drove a nova.." Big L

Lol... there was no real reason for me to quote BIG L before beginning this article.. other than the fact that this 1000 WORD article is about nothing else but swag.. and New York City fashion.

This photoshoot encompasses every element of classic New York City streetwear.. swag, and its tradition. The original idea for this imagery was to shoot a commercial. A commercial that captured the small nuances that are often overlooked but are significant within the culture.. like the unlaced boot.. or the way your jeans sit on-top of your sneaker, or something as simple but, impactful as the way you bend the brim of your hat.

" .. culture is taking a workmen's construction boot out the box, putting them on, untied, unlaced, and rocking them outside in the street.. " - Vegas Jones

The original idea was to use the vintage phone booth as my back drop and focal point along with other elements, but ran into some trouble locating the right car that would depict the vibe that I was looking for. I was also hesitant in selecting a "model". I needed someone that didn't need to be created, that didn't have to be coached on displaying the natural swag of a street kid.. My idea was to shoot a short commercial (maybe 30 sec).. of a guy pulling up to the phone booth in a 1998 GS 430 Lex.. hopping out wearing an oversized forest green long sleeve tee, a pair of sweats, the left leg pulled up, showing the scrunched white tube sock, beef of brocs, and the Troubled Youth High Crown Collegiate Snapback.. walk in to the booth, put a quarter in, punch in the number and start the conversation with "Yo" (like when BIG picked up the phone when Puff called about his flight to LAX)..

For now, I put the commercial idea to rest and decided to do a photo-shoot instead. The commercial would've been fire but, how many times will you watch the same commercial? For me it was better to do a photo-shoot.. because a photo pauses time. It's more impactful. A photo makes you flashback to a period in time, place, or experience.. With a collection of photos, I would be able to capture that time.. in multiple frames, allowing the viewer to relive or remember that image, time and place more than once.

This photo-shoot bleeds New York. From the phone booth, to the 40 below's, vintage Avirex, to the high crown snapback, that was popular in the late 80's... when I mention New York, I'm not only referring to the aesthetic, but more so the feeling, the attitude, the swag. A swag that is shaped/molded by the streets and tunnels we walk through.. an attitude that is sculpted by the shoulders we bump as we walk through train carts, and the emotions of danger and excitement we get as we explore unfamiliar parts of the city.

Model: @Lavish_lifestyle

Jacket: Avirex

Hat: Troubled Youth

Pants: GAP

Boots: Timberland (40 Below's or 40s)

The 1000 Words article is in reference to that old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words". This article will explain the meaning, idea(s), or influences behind each photoshoot. I prefer to do things with purpose, significance.. Doing a random shoot, at a random location, holds no value.. Everything that I do.. will be done, with intent.

Since the development of Troubled Youth, it has been my idea to use my own life's experiences as the backdrop for the imagery in my shoots. Each shoot has an element or reference to my life, whether past or present, the association is relevant.