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Unkommon Kolor

Despite the universe of gear out there, your idiosyncratic needs might still not be met -- sure, you can find a Galaga tee, but what about a tee honoring its far superior successor, Gaplus? Customizing gear to your unreasonable specifications, Unkommon Kolor.

UK's a streetwear collective of mostly UT Arlington alums who paint custom designs and photo-based reproductions on everything from shirts, shoes, and pants to skateboard decks and hat bills, spreading word of their work partly through unsolicited giveaways to hip-hop stars like Lupe Fiasco and Trey Songz, who's very popular despite his exceedingly short concerts. While any request is honored, UK's $20/hour artists won't repeat designs (Jay-Z's Black Album pose? Done); past work includes the Sistine Chapel on a Yankees cap, a tee sporting a star-eyed face whose lolling tongue drips with slobber, and kicks featuring everything from Thriller-era Michael Jackson to the graffiti-inspired Saved By The Bell logo, though wear those, and no bell will save you. Other one-off works included deck tributes to N.E.R.D., KRS-One, and President Obama (one was even turned into a clock), and Kidrobot figurines molded and painted to look like the Joker and Andre 3000 -- a design best not put on shoes, 'cause they'd inevitably step in poo poo poo.

UK also screenprints their own designs on tees in super-limited lots of 24; just-dropped examples include a video-game-ish boxing glove punching through the UK logo, and a greenback-flush Pac-Man clearly ready to make it rain -- galling, since all your poor, under-appreciated Gaplus can do is cry.

ExhortAdd this to My Thrillist

ExhortThe upcoming Fall line includes bow ties! Check the unique stylings at UnkommonKolor.com.

Unkommon Kolor (Emailed on October 5, 2009)

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