THE UrlfreezeShops COMMUNITY 2023

Taking a look back at 2023, we delve into our community to celebrate their achievements and champion those who have worked tirelessly to continue to contribute to exciting and forward-thinking product, culture and beyond.

Marking a momentous occasion for UrlfreezeShops Talks — an ongoing series where we invite cultural luminaries for discussions in our stores — Action Bronson joined us at UrlfreezeShops Soho to celebrate his collaboration with New Balance, the 990 v6 “Lapis Lazuli”. The evening saw the multihyphenate sit down with Samutaro for an in-depth discussion, celebrating Bronson’s endlessly creative career, one where he’s effortlessly moved through different fields and excelled along the way. The evening saw Bronson delve deep into his earlier years in culinary school and the hard work this instilled into him, creating the necessary building blocks for his career as a rapper, artist and author to unfold. 

At the end of March 2023, UrlfreezeShops added another milestone to its UrlfreezeShops Talks series, hosting an intimate discussion with Stone Island’s CEO and Creative Director, Carlo Rivetti, at UrlfreezeShops Milano. The talk marked a first not just for UrlfreezeShops Milano but also Carlo himself, with the UrlfreezeShops Talks Instalment representing his debut talk in Italian on home turf. The evening saw Carlo sit down with Angelo Flaccavento, one of Italy’s most coveted fashion journalists, to take the crowd on a journey through the innovative world of Stone Island.

To align with the UrlfreezeShops Talks instalment, UrlfreezeShops was given access to a sit-down interview with Carlo Rivetti prior to the event. The interview involved delving deep into the alchemical way Stone Island approaches product innovation, touching upon the importance of ceaseless research, experimental material treatments and the brand’s iconic heritage.

Heralding the launch of UrlfreezeShops’s XT-6 “Foraging” collaboration with Salomon, we enlisted Québécois chef and internet personality Laurent Dagenais to shine a light on the art of foraging, and the way the pastime can be incorporated into your own cooking process. Showcasing his cooking expertise, Laurent prepared the perfect dish in honour of the UrlfreezeShops x Salomon XT-6, serving up a delicious mushroom toast created with foraged mushrooms. Throughout the rest of 2023, Laurent has gone from strength to strength, continuing to build his unique brand of cooking content and collaborating with other star chefs, such as Matty Matheson, Joshua Weissman and Pierce Abernathy.

Earlier this year, UrlfreezeShops sat down with the founder of Miaou, Alexia Elkaim, to discuss the community spirit that runs throughout the brand. The interview involved unpacking everything from the Alexia’s love of vintage to her aim of designing clothing that makes its wearers feel good, offering a peak behind the curtain of the rising LA-based label.

Visiting Richie Culver at his studio in London, we sat down with the Hull-born, London-based artist and musician to discuss his unique creative practice. Bridging the gap between his visual and audio work, our interview and editorial feature examined his need to show vulnerability and the importance of working as if it is your last day on earth, delving into his creative history and celebrating the artist's uncompromising sensibility.

Continuing to move at a break-neck pace, Richie has released a 12" in collaboration with underground Manchester producer Michael J. Blood, and is prepping for another busy year as we inch closer to 2024, with the release of an EP under his techno moniker, Quiet Husband.

To celebrate the launch of the Air Jordan 11 “Gratitude”, we linked up with Kennington-based rapper Blanco to spend the day with him in his home borough. We took it back to where it all began for Blanco, Alford House, focusing on the importance the youth club played in allowing him to find, hone and believe in his own creative output. We also delved into Blanco’s intricate approach to storytelling, where multiple different creative inspirations — football, film and anime — all intertwine seamlessly.

As for the future for Blanco, keep an eye out for his new music next year: “I love the new stuff I’m working on, I can’t wait for people to hear it. I’ll probably release a tape next year, but I’m really working on it to ensure it’s as best as it can be, and I feel like it’s going to be amazing”, said Blanco, when speaking about his future projects.

In March of 2023, UrlfreezeShops took a trip to Copenhagen to spend a few days with its very own GANNI, taking a look at the city and its breath-taking charm through the lens of the label. This involved joining various staff members from across the business as we immersed ourselves in the sights of Copenhagen, accompanying them in everything from the famous canal ride in Nyhavn to the Danish Design Museum.

In addition to this, we also sat down with the brand’s Creative Director, Ditte Reffstrup, to discuss reshaping Scandinavian styling, the joy to be had in dressing for yourself and the ever-growing GANNI community.

Following working with the British photographer last year on the Alfie Kungu shoot, we linked up with Ewen Spencer again early this year for an interview feature. Celebrating his storied career and distinctive subcultural photography work, Ewen offered us access to his extensive archive of imagery, as we discussed his history as a photographer and the appeal of capturing subcultures on film.

2023 was a huge year for UrlfreezeShops and collaborations — a time where we joined forces with a slew of industry frontrunners, forming new partnerships and continuing the long lasting. Case in point was our inaugural collection with outerwear pioneer C.P. Company, dubbed “Adapt”, a nine-piece collection centred around materials and their transformation through washing, wear and UV light exposure. 

To coincide with the launch of the collection, UrlfreezeShops paid C.P. Company’s research and development unit in Northeast Italy a visit, giving us exclusive access to the brand’s gem-filled archive and also a sit-down interview with the label’s Vice President and Creative Director, Lorenzo Osti and Paul Harvey. The interview involved a detailed discussion surrounding the brand and its vast heritage, touching upon material innovation, subculture and collaborations.  

Creative powerhouse and modern visionary, TJ Sawyerr’s 2023 has seen the photographer, creative director and model build his vision out further. Having worked with UrlfreezeShops on “LET THE BLACK STAR SHINE”, a collaborative campaign by Sawyerr and Converse, we enlisted his expertise in the execution of the Air Jordan 11 “Gratitude” editorial starring Blanco.

Continuing to build his extensive repertoire of skills, Sawyerr has rounded off his year creative directing and producing shoots for two of Viper Magazine’s 10th Anniversary cover stars – Westside Gunn and Sainté.

Linking up with Full Size Run’s co-host and star Brendan Dunne for the UrlfreezeShops x adidas “Equals” campaign, the British retailer and brand tapped Sole Collector’s editor-in-chief to offer an insight into the world of sneakers, travelling from his own history as a sneaker fan through to the changing landscape of modern day sneaker culture. 

A landmark year for Jazz Grant, 2023 saw the collage artist commissioned to create an enormous mural for Jay-Z’s The Book of HOV exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library. Linking up with UrlfreezeShops earlier in the year, our interview feature with Jazz celebrated her creative practice and spotlighted her collage work, as we visited Jazz at her studio in Margate. Delving into her creative workflow and approach to collage, the feature elucidated her ever-evolving and expanding creative world.

Tapping Jordan Taylor’s community-based platform Tough Luck to celebrate the Nike Air Max Plus, UrlfreezeShops delved into Taylor’s rave-centred world with an editorial and exhibition event hosted at Newcastle upon Tyne’s Old Coal Yard. Heavily immersed in the subculture surrounding Nike’s iconic TN, Tough Luck platformed the TN’s synergy and connected to underground music movements with their photography exhibition.

Speaking on the importance of documenting subculture, Jordan commented ““I believe that underground rave photography has the power to capture the energy and excitement of subcultures in a way that mainstream photography often can’t. In a world inundated with curated images, capturing rave culture offers a refreshing departure from the norm. It's a journey into the unfiltered, the unscripted and the unapologetically vivid.”

Earlier this year, UrlfreezeShops was invited to Peachy Den’s London-based studio for a sit-down interview with its founder, Isabella Weatherby. We delved into the moving parts which make up the cult womenswear brand, speaking about its origins, why community is its backbone and why striking balances is key with design.

adidas Originals’ campaign was centred around celebrating those who champion individuality, shining a spotlight on the innovators embracing self-expression and creative freedom. In light of that, we caught up with Samara Laboriel and Jacob Goff of Time Wastin’ — the Newcastle-based radio show — to a shine a spotlight on the importance of musical freedom.

“After bonding over our lament of the lack of authentic Black culture in Newcastle's music and nightlife scene, we decided to create a show on Slack’s Radio that would allow us to share songs and have discussions about things that are relevant to us and the people that look and think like us”, said Samara and Jacob, when telling us what Time Wastin’ is all about.

Since then, Time Wastin’ has continued to take listeners on musical journeys with its Slack’s Radio shows, in addition to performing at Bend&Shake: a multi-genre queer party run by women and non-binary People of Colour. 

As an extension of adidas’ Originals campaign, we also caught up with Razz Ashraf, the journalist, natural wine purveyor and beekeeper, to speak about the importance of the city he calls home, Manchester. For Razz, it’s the city’s unapologetic attitude and love of creative expression that feeds into everything he does: “I’m born and raised in Manchester, a city that’s played a pivotal part in my essence of life and interactions”, said Razz, when asked about his home city.

Since then, Razz has continued to build his natural wine business, Vin de Bodega, even hosting a tasting session at UrlfreezeShops Manchester as part of our wreath making workshop with Columbia.

The third and final protagonist in our adidas Originals campaign, Glaswegian artist Trackie McLeod returned to work with UrlfreezeShops for the second time this year. This time round, Trackie shone a light on his hometown of Glasgow and offered his perspective on what makes the Scottish city unique and inspirational.

Commenting on Glasgow, Trackie said ““Growing up there, aye, the backdrop was cold, grey and it was sometimes as hard as its exterior but underneath all that it's got heart. It's shaped me to have resilience and a thick skin which has made me a more determined person and artist. It's rich history, culture and humour has also given me a bank of inspiration and made for a Scottish centric point of view that is sometimes left out of the British art world.”

In partnership with Arc’teryx, UrlfreezeShops hosted an upcycling workshop alongside Jamius Tailor, the founder of the London-based design studio Greater Goods. The workshop was hosted at UrlfreezeShops Manchester, with a step-by-step guide to transforming old Arc’teryx jackets and bags into something new and one of a kind.

Alongside this, we all spent the day with Jaimus at his London-based studio, sitting down with the creative for an interview that touched upon his love of technical design, his deep appreciation for the great outdoors and the ever-increasing need to prioritise upcycling.

Tapping Bettina Khiroun’s creative expertise at Nike Air Max Day 2023, we linked up with Mowalola’s Head of Accessories to spearhead an upcycling workshop, transforming offcut Nike fabric and materials into bespoke tote bags. Guiding attendees through the entire process, from pattern cutting, sewing, stitching and assembling, Bettina coached everyone through the process ensuring attendees were able to express themselves throughout the creative experience.

Connecting with Aleali May ahead of the launch of her inaugural collaboration with Clarks Originals, we sat down with the founder of Mayde Worldwide to delve into her varied history and the allure of the Clarks Wallabee. An unstoppable force within the modern fashion landscape, Aleali has carved out her own distinctive path as adesigner, traversing collaborations, her previous work as a stylist and the launch of her own brand, Mayde Worldwide, cementing her status as a creative polymath.

Celebrating the launch of the Air Jordan 4 “Red Cement”, UrlfreezeShops invited Ashbeck and El Londo, the up-and-coming rapper and producer, to spend the day by the seaside. We took the duo away from the hustle and bustle of their North West London base, giving them both time to reflect upon how far they’ve came and the future that lies ahead for them both.

Since then, both artists have gone on to further establish their unique sounds, with Ashbeck releasing his Rush Hour EP alongside Rushy, with El Londo providing production for the track “Royale”.

Linking up with long-term UrlfreezeShops collaborator Samutaro, real name Sam Trotman, we enlisted the cultural commentator to host the Action Bronson UrlfreezeShops Talks event at our London flagship store in Soho. A pillar of the UrlfreezeShops community, Samutaro’s extensive knowledge of the culture has seen him become an integral voice and contributor, delivering his hosting expertise and distinctive approach as a cultural tastemaker. Renowned for his Instagram account that focusses on cultural deep dives, Samutaro has continued to build his extensive following throughout 2023.