Y-3 at Joan Shepp
Expanding your repertoire to reach different demographics can be savvy: Ice Cube's work on films like Are We There Yet? made him a family favorite, and allowed the living brain in jar in Friday movies to die a merciful death. Broadening their selection with gear for guys, Y-3 at Joan Shepp.
After 38 years catering to fashiony femmes in the 215, Shepp's just opened the first fully licensed Y-3 "shop within a shop" in the States, transforming its 600sqft mezzanine into a boutique proffering the entire men's Fall '09 collection from the fashion-forward collab between Adidas and Tokyo designer Yohji Yamamoto, finally giving guys a reason to set foot inside on a day other than February 13. In line with Y-3's tradition of crafting high-end "sportswear" you'd never dare wear while actually playing sports, top pieces include a 70/30 blend wool/cashmere V-neck sweater (in charcoal or black) featuring Adidas's classic triple stripes running down the back; the Pique, a black longsleeve collared shirt with snaps disguised as sewn-on buttons; and a gray wool cardigan with a raised Y-3 shield logo on the front left pocket and black nylon elbow patches, which will make everyone want to rub elbows with you, just to hear the sound. Jackets range from the Prep Zip, a rayon/nylon raised-collar track number in black or navy with a double-zippered front and offset white horizontal tri-stripe designs, to the Rip Zip lightweight nylon w/ four vertical zip front pockets and another on the back, while pants include a nylon/rayon blend in black or navy that feature a combo snap/drawstring waist and a zippered pocket over the left knee called the Prep Cargo, also what you call a crate of croquet wickets.
Shepp's also stocking Y-3 kicks, from the black Honja Hi, featuring a mix of flat, textured, and perforated black leather, and the blue Hayworth Mid II with a ribbed, charcoal-tinted heelcup logo, as well as a full range of bags including the five-pocket Shopper -- also known as the only way Ice Cube could survive if he stopped getting kids' movies.
