Organic Anagram Industries

Moving on to the second part of this post where we show you some designs that were not used and other promotional items.

This has been used occasionally and I dig it.

In our website there is still a preview for a skateboard video. It looks tasty, but unfortunately it was never finished. The director went on to work on the new Batman movie (obviously not as a director).

This is an early sketch of our skateboard deck.

This is a test for a cover of the Slaughter/Memória book. It was then decided to have the green cover with a different arrangement.

With the release of our first t-shirt, we could decide the colour matches that we would use, so we made this graphic to see how they looked together.

This monstrosity in size A2 is our first Print Club release. It created several problems to ship it all over the world, as you can’t find tubes big enough at the post office.

Another promotional poster.

3D and retro, never used.

An alternate cut of what was shown on Part 1.

Looks good, but it doesn’t really translate well when printed.

A very specific aesthetic, I don’t believe this was used anywhere.

Over the years there have been literally thousands of these flyers distributed all over the world.

A different take on one of our first logos, that was included in the All Seeing Eye zipper.

One of our very first images, which aimed to create an impact.

This was about to be used on a hoodie, but then it was put on hold for later use.

We will finish this journey on Part 3.

I am going to use this post to share with our friends some of the designs that never made it, some alternative cuts, and some things that were not good enough to put out. We have quite a lot of images, so this will be split into three posts.

So why not start from the very beginning? Organic Anagram Industries evolved from another project, but when we decided to start the brand, we bought the domain, and all there was to show was a Facebook link on the website, until things were ready to be displayed.

This was a design submitted for a t-shirt that was not produced, simply because it doesn’t make that much sense and is not visually strong.

This was something done on my request, as I really love Norway and Norse mythology. It was a simple yet effective logo, but it was never used on anything, possibly because it didn’t have the word Industries. We might recall it someday!

When we released two prints by Iain Macarthur, this was another option. Looks sick, but it was not meant to be.

A little homage to Roy Lichtenstein. Never printed on anything, just randomly shared online.

During the next months, a new skateboard will be released, but initially there was the idea of creating another division just for skateboards. It was not a good idea, and the logo was not good enough, so it was dropped.

This logo is occasionally used in random promotional items, and the interconnected OA is an idea that will be explored in the future. I was initially septic about using it due to the use of apes by Bape, X-Large and other brands (and because I don’t particularly like them), but it was a very nice submission.

OA Industries written in a custom Kaws typeface.

Black on black, simple, effective.

Remember these? They still haven’t been used, but they will be, in the future.

Promotional poster for our first t-shirt.

A random hand-drawn logo.

Before our website went live, this was all you could buy. There are a few versions of this promotional card, and we got a lot of pre-orders at the time!

Our take on the ghetto classic.

This will certainly be used in the future, as I love it.

A t-shirt that was submitted but never produced as it looks too generic.

This one was just random. Cool idea, just not for us.

Cool promotional poster when we celebrated our first anniversary.

Rough sketch for a tank top. It was made in the very beginning and the designer didn’t really get the size of the tank top, yet it seems like a decent idea, especially using the red from the fabric as a background.

Just a quick idea for a t-shirt that was never produced because it was not very strong. Our take on the Helvetica Beatles t-shirt, using the Organic Anagram Industries, Wu Tang Clan, Dipset and Bricksquad.

That is it for now. The best is saved for the second and third parts, so stay tunned. Meanwhile, check what we have at www.organicanagram.com and we will have some new amazing releases very soon.

Last post about Berlin, this time for some photos of the city.

Fortunately, I’ve lost the habit of rolling into towns without anything booked. Not that I have to research a lot, I just have the location of the hotel and then I find a way to get there once I arrive. Luckily, I never get lost and I don’t really waste time, I’m just over-confident in this because somehow it always works well.

I arrived in an early flight and the airport was not crowded at all. That always puts me in good spirits.

I’ve experienced this before, and there is a huge difference between the architecture in cities that have been heavily under communist regimes. This part of town was really bland.

This is Alexanderplatz. What the hell is wrong with Germans and big electronic stores?

This part reminded me of Paris.

Oh.

The bakeries look amazing there. I went 4 days straight to have breakfast at the same place. Not a single disappointment, and they make cakes in manly sizes.

I like this photo.

I had to.

Checkpoint Charlie.

On the second day, the sun came out. As you have seen from the previous posts, I went to Germany to attend two tradeshows, yet I managed to have time to see everything I wanted. Apart from the cold (brrr), and walking so much, I squeezed in a lot of places and I saw everything at the fairs.

I woke up super early and I was in bed at 8pm.

The Bradenburg Gate and a Mercedes, I know, I know…

I really enjoyed the Reichstag.

This is a Jewish memorial that everybody goes to.

www.ripoffskateshop.com

Bright is a smaller tradeshow held at the same time as Bread & Butter, in Berlin. It is  exclusively for skateboard brands. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

These are some pictures from Bread & Butter Berlin. It’s the biggest tradeshow in Europe for streetwear/casual brands. Click on them to enlarge them, even though they are not super high quality due to the space left in the blog servers.

There haven’t been many updates, but there are some things on the way. We will release a cool pack of zines/book soon along with a few apparel items. Also, in a few days I shall leave here some cool photos of my trip to Berlin to attend Bread & Butter and Bright, two amazing trade shows. For now, these are some old and random photos.

Sun, West Coast and Bubba Gump? I would want that right now!

I had so many of these snacks in Japan. Mint ice cream and that amazing bottled tea.

I painted this beast for a friend of mine, I’m proud of it.

The best.

A staple of streetwear shops, the bench.

Boom.

One big room, full of good Rothkos.

Retna in Pasadena.

Oh to be young.

Got to make more of these, as they have been posted in cities for more than a year and they still hold up in good condition.

On the wall.

Found this Neckface in Tokyo.

I love writing in notebooks.

The Mojave desert.

Louisiana.

Eight years ago I was into Kaws, flannels and apparently into stealing road signs.

I once photographed Josh Kalis.

You know what’s the worst? None of these works. You know what’s the best? My girlfriend gave me a 3DS Ocarina of Time Edition.

The Avenger is getting dropped, but the next Ellington shoe still has the same sole. This Jordan colourway is too good.

This is a sample of the things I was given in Berlin and that I brought back.

This is what I left there because I had no space in my bag. I didn’t have to pay for any of it, so it’s cool.

A Philippine woman that said ‘bon apetit’ suggested that I drink a yoghurt drink with mango, it was so good. The rest was not bad either.

NBA team hats by New Era coming next season. How have I seen this? The upcoming post will tell you.

I love airports.

Air Max as a door knob? Want.

In Berlin I was chauffeured to the Supra showroom that was isolated from the fairs. They definitely know how to treat people right, and the next releases are awesome.

Antwuan is out of the the team though, no shoe until he comes back from jail. I’m still rocking these though.

To keep it on the same topic, I gave these to my girlfriend. Googly eyes.

I love cycling this fixed gear. I might be writing about bikes soon.

I am saying this without confirming, but I believe this is from the Chapman Brothers. I find it repulsive/appealing.

I love the aesthetic of this. And there are a million of reasons why I love you, this is just another one.

I’m upset looking at this photo. This used to be my favourite Chinese place, but now it changed ownership. Two minutes from my house, every time I went in I always asked for ‘Thai red curry with chicken’, it always came out amazing. Now they don’t even have that on the menu. But the view to the Emirates Stadium is still there.

Every single day I wake up to starts with Chinese football and breakfast in bed. Just kidding.

The best about this picture is that the mask on the left is actually in my living room now!

Heath Kirchart was so happy to see me that day!

I occasionally do this.

And this.

And this too.

This post is dedicated to show our new zipper that will be available very soon in Small, Medium and Large.

New grey colour, extremely comfortable, with great details. The fit is amazing and the zipper is super soft.

Link soon. Available in Small, Medium and Large.

Sorry for the lack of these updates that seem to please people, but I was without a camera. Basically some things I did today.

You miss the strangest things from home. Early, as you can check on the watch, and I downed two of these. Yumm.

Mail some orders. Keep it coming, order from www.organicanagram.com

I was ten years younger when I did this. Stupid, I know, but in a decade they managed to flip it upside down, rather than finish the construction job.

I will not say anything.

All in the details.

Sick, sick. Sometimes we take these things for granted, but I sure do pay attention.

Quick jump to the skateshop for a chat.

Oh.

Alife and Project X? New York to the fullest!

Such simple things can mean the most.

I still have to sit down and watch the Real Since Day One DVD. Excited for it. Coarse is sick, and when I got these Nikes for 30$, I knew they would be my Winter favourites. And so they became.

Portugal in the Euros, ballin’!

Don’t forget to check our Tumblr and follow!

As the next deadline that I have to meet is in January and I’ve been making a steady progress on that, I’ve been using my free time to see every single blog entry from a popular street blog since 2006. Despite being really entertaining and giving you a good perspective on how things progress, it also shows a dismal scene. Here I had already talked about how much of the London scene had changed since I got my first contact with it. By looking at these posts dated from 2007 and clicking on the links, you realize how all these companies and shops have disappeared. The big players have changed hands and it really is a difficult time for us now. I feel it myself as I have to be a more conscious buyer, as I do not have as much money as I used to have, and I have different priorities now. You see sites like Plndr.com being stacked with entire collections of big brands like Married To The Mob or Crooks and Castles at 80% their retail price and with free shipping. Brands can sell some of their stock and make a minimum profit that allows to pay some bills, like we do here at the Industries, but if I had to pay rent for a single week based on the sales that we make, I would be homeless within two weeks. I would not be able to keep a store open by paying store rent, paying employers and paying my own rent. And this is a Eastern World phenomenon, as brands with 3 or 4 stores worldwide cannot pay their employers, let alone buy new stock. That is why it is more important than ever to support those that are closer to you. DC Shoes is owned by the Quicksilver group, and they had to close their Los Angeles store, right on Melrose. If DC cannot keep a store open in an old Jewish neighbourhood because it is not profitable, you have to wonder how it is for the rest of the players out there. I guess we should all be more responsible now and buy less, be more selective. I feel it in my personal life, and it makes you be more creative. Me and my girlfriend sometimes wonder how amazing it is that we get to witness so much natural beauty out there without paying a single dime, because there are things that money cannot buy. That is why we try to offer really good products at a good price for our clients. I want to thank you for sticking with us through this depressing economic times, but hopefully we will have live to see a more prosper era, where we can all share the riches that are abundant in this world.

On with our news. We still haven’t released the latest newsletter about the watches that came and sold out. We still have some tote bags available at www.organicanagram.com, they are of great quality, amazing print and large handles. We were going to make some new grey beanies, but the factory closed, so I guess that will not go forward. But not all is bad! We are waiting to receive new zippers in grey and two new skateboard decks are being designed.

Meanwhile, follow us on Tumblr for sneak peaks of products and random inspiration. http://organicanagram.tumblr.com/