Hypebeast Interview –

New York native Hommy Diaz, best known as the Global Design Merchant & Marketing Director over at DC Shoes. Primarily handling the brand’s LIFE collection and newly developed NVRBRKN. line, Hommy speaks of the latest innovations coming from DC Shoes, while also touching base on a more personal note with some random insights into his busy life.

The evolution of DC Shoes from skate to lifestyle… has been a part of the DC DNA from the very beginning. Our two founders Damon Way and Ken Block helped shape the industry into what it is today. Damon injected the lifestyle aspect into the brand with art and music. Pioneering the DC ReMix Series® and the DC Artist Projects® in the late ‘90s through 2008. He spearheaded the first sneaker collaborations with Shepard Fairey, KAWS and Thomas Campbell between 2001 and 2003. Just a few among the many he worked with that are most relevant now. The Damon effect lives on today at Incase as well.

Ken pushed the envelope on the action sports side with skate, snowboarding and now the GYMKHANA® series. His influence and guidance has helped the action sports side of the brand to dominate the industry with the best athletes on the planet. Our athletes bring a rock star lifestyle to the equation from the records they break to the houses they live in and cars they drive. One of them spends his time in a “Fantasy Factory” that he built, need I say more!

Developing NVRBRKN.… was a natural progression for the DC brand to offer product conceptually to cater to the crossover between skate and fashion. Today pro skaters make more than enough money to live the lifestyle they desire. How they look and feel off the board is just as important. And from the opposite spectrum we have non-skaters who have adopted the ”dressed like a skater” look.

Driven by our core skate roots and the fashion that developed out of it we were inspired to introduce NVRBRBKN. (Never Broken) – a metaphor about overcoming adversity, mentally and physicality. Branded by a broken star logo which is symbolic of the 7-point star within the DC logo. Despite the fracture,  the star is still in its true formation. Skateboarders are a testament to this spirit, since they are known for their ability to adapt to obstacles on the street using an unorthodox approach (i.e. a handrail and ledge).

Their mentality is to get back on the board despite injuries and being overlooked. Skaters pave their own way in society with a mindset that allows them to succeed on and off the board. The footwear and apparel offering is designed for moments during post injury while off the board. Consisting in premium executions of comfortable clothing to wear during the day, at night for dinner or the gym while rehabbing. Some silhouettes are designed with a lightweight EVA bottom construction to help support common skate injuries like heel bruises. The brand mantra is “Never underestimate your opponent, never compromise, and never quit.”

The importance of instilling a web presence… is the first option on the list to get your story out. Unfortunately I don’t know many people who buy the newspaper every morning these days or are home to watch the 5 o’clock news, but do know that at least a third of the world’s population is checking their Facebook page right now.

Balancing fashion and technology… is a challenge because skaters prefer to ride vulcanized shoes because the old age construction gives them more control over the board. I believe fashion and affordability has played more of an influence behind the popular choice of footwear. Fashion has steered skaters away from cup sole constructed shoes that have added shock and impact absorbing technologies. As a result comfort is sacrificed for this vulcanized aesthetic. This gives NVRBRBKN. more reason to exist. Your feet will need something more forgiving after a long session down a ten-stair handrail in vulcanized shoes. In addition DC has been in the lab working intelligently with solutions to bring the fashionable aesthetics to the skate performance market without stripping out the ergonomic friendly technologies. For now all I can say is that the new Spring ‘12 Chris Cole shoe will wake up the competition.

Traveling is… a priority despite the fact that you can see what is going on anywhere in the world via the internet. The in-person interaction and cultural participation in an environment outside your own is a priceless experience. So get out there!

Finding inspiration… when you least expect it is the best inspiration. For me the magic happens when I’m away from the desk having a good time elsewhere. I find valuable inspiration while spending time with family. I am fortunate to have over 30 first cousins that keep me motivated to do my best while setting a good example for them to respect.

Working with world-class athletes… has been a bit of a surreal experience for me. I was born and raised in NYC while watching these legendary pros’ skate in videos for the past two decades. Now I get to work and hang out with them on a regular basis. It’s a humbling experience to learn more about them and the industry from their personal perspective.

My favorite moments at DC Shoes… come every 30 days upon receiving samples of the products we work on as a team in 2D form. Sometimes the factory executes our instructions spot on…. And then there are bad mistakes along with good ones that often inspire us to push the envelope even further.

The most difficult… challenge is pleasing everyone through the effort of developing one collection each season as a global offering. This is another reason why it’s important to travel and learn about different cultures across different countries, cities, etc… In the end it’s a priceless experience even with failures along the way.

The definition of success… is doing something I did yesterday, better today…. NVRBRBKN.

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Autoblog –

Land Rover Confirms All-New Defender Concept For Frankfurt Motor Show
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

• Land Rover DC100 investigates the potential future direction of the iconic Defender
• Demonstrates the future of Land Rover capability and versatility
• Functional and purposeful design delivered by Land Rover design team, led by Gerry McGovern
• Land Rover confirms its intention to launch a new Defender in 2015

The Land Rover DC100, a modern interpretation of the iconic Land Rover Defender will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Land Rover also confirms today, that production of a new Defender is intended for 2015.

Commenting on the Land Rover DC100 concept car,Gerry McGovern, Director of Design, Land Roversaid:”Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. This isn’t a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century.”

John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Roveradded: “Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage, while meeting the requirements of a changing global market.

We plan to engage with existing and potential customers to help us finalise the details of the new vehicle. One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be an exciting journey, and we can’t wait to get going.”

The Land Rover DC100 concept builds upon the essential elements of the car’s character and allows Land Rover to open the debate and inspire people to dream about the Defenders of the future. The next chapter in the Defender story will unfold at 09:15 hrs (CET) on September 13, 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Sony presents their new HMZ-T1 headset, which features a a display for watching movies and playing games in 3D. Not only does the device feature two OLED screens, but also digital surround sound. Each screen comes with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels, which is reportedly like looking at a 750 inch (62.5 feet) screen from about sixty feet away.

The headset will make its debut on the Japanese market, November 2011 and will go for about 800 USD.

They’re not the cheapest toy, but damn I’d love to get a set of these if they’re as good as they say.

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I’d like to know how big a seller this is as it’s seriously aimed at the die-hard gamers out there.

“Developed in partnership with Intel, the Razer Blade features a fast Intel® Core™ i7 processorand a high performance NVIDIA GeForce® graphics processor. The hardware was designed torun the most demanding games of today without sacrificing the laptop’s portable form factor.The Razer Blade also does not compromise on screen size as it comes with an incredible LED backlit high-definition 17” display.

The Razer Blade features the Switchblade User Interface – Razer’s multi-award winning, highly intuitive interface technology. The interface is comprised of 10 dynamic adaptive tactile keys for easier access of in-game commands, and an LCD capable of two modes: one mode that displays in-game information when a mouse is in use; and another mode that functions as an ultra-sensitive, multi-touch panel designed for gaming on the go.”

Priced at 2800 USD, the laptop will release late 2011.

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