ART WORLD:

Emerging figurative painter Evan Sharma is launching the CovART Challenge an interactive campaign and auction with the goal of donating 250,000 meals to children in Africa whose food supply and education has been impacted by COVID-19. Sharma learned about the culture of Africa from his grandparents who were born there and decided to use his talents to assist in helping those in need. He previously raised over $60,000 for various charities and recently decided to elevate assistance and visibility for African children with this latest initiative.

“To me, helping other people is the most important thing someone can do. I am incredibly grateful for these world-class artists who have agreed to participate in the challenge. It is all about trying to make a difference in the lives of children who need our help,” said the 17-year-old Sharma. “I am also thrilled to collaborate with Flying Kites and HATCH on this project.”

The campaign will start with Sharma auctioning off a portrait of Paul Newman entitled Drive Carefully Me, then inviting 20 other leading artists to do the same. The two-week challenge will end with the release of Sharma’s 46664 – a portrait of the iconic South African leader, Nelson Mandela.

Sharma’s works are currently sitting in private collections located in NYC, San Francisco, LA, Canada, and the Middle East. Head to the official CovART Challenge website to learn more.NIGO has teamed up with JINS to introduce a new eyewear line called JINS & SUN.

Under NIGO’s direction, the new eyewear line has been produced by manufacturer JINS. NIGO’s concept of the line was summed in two words: “EVERYDAY EYEWEAR.” There aren’t many details yet on exactly how the sunglasses will look, but a teaser for the upcoming release shows two pairs of glasses with minimal designs — one with thick blue frames and another with sleek, clear frames. The sunglasses will be displayed at a pop-up being billed as “APT.JINS & SUN,” where admission will be limited to 35 groups per day. 

NIGO’s upcoming eyewear line JINS & SUN will be available at the “APT.JINS & SUN” pop-up in Tokyo from March 24 – 30, followed by a wider release on April 1 on JINS’ website — prices have yet to be confirmed.

APT.JINS & SUN
OPRCT, 1-29-10 Uehara
Shibuya, TokyoHUMAN MADE head honcho NIGO is finally set to make his return to the music biz in partnership with label Victor Victor, the home of nearly every Pop Smoke release. Having not released any music under his own name in nearly two decades, it’s a major move for NIGO.

NIGO confirmed his forthcoming album in an Instagram post that also showcased his bespoke Victor Victor chenille-patched varsity jacket, worn in front of a mixing board below some Futura artwork with HUMAN MADE x Airinum mask on proud display. Elsewhere on IG, Ibrahim “Ebro” Darden showed off a custom Victor Victor rug realized with an identical motif to NIGO’s new jacket.

According to his post, NIGO is releasing the album on Steven Victor‘s Victor Victor — interestingly, NIGO has apparently signed with parent company Universal Music Group, though his record is launching through Victor Victor. Regardless, nothing else has been revealed about the deal, his future plans or even the forthcoming record other than the fact that it’s “coming soon.” In the meantime, it’s worth noting that NIGO’s lengthy career has never strayed far from music.

With plenty of singles, compilations and appearances to his name, NIGO’s musical output is almost as impressive as his fashion career. Though he hasn’t issued anything under his own name since the early ’00s, NIGO has since managed younger groups that include BILLIE IDLE and, of course, the TERIYAKI BOYZ, with whom NIGO also DJ’d. Not to mention, the HUMAN MADE founder is famously friendly with musicians like UNKLE‘s James Lavelle, Cornelius and, of course, Pharrell, who offered some explosive emojis on NIGO’s Instagram post.

As the streetwear world waits for more news of NIGO’s new album, consider preparing by picking up a pair of premium earphones cosigned by NIGO’s mentor, Hiroshi Fujiwara.Hiroshi Fujiwara has been hard at work lately by putting together many a collaboration over the past couple of months with the likes of RAMIDUS, Playboy Labs, ‘Cyberpunk 2077‘ and HYPEBEAST. And now his highly-revered fragment design label is beefing up its portfolio this month for a Powerbeats Pro project made in partnership with Beats.

If one were to describe this new product in a single word, one can argue that “minimalism” sums it up the best. Here, the Japanese musician and designer calls upon his signature monochromatic design language to cover the Powerbeats Pro earphones with a full black finish, only distributing small notes of complements through its branded embellishments. On these wireless ear pieces, the left side is graced with fragment’s lightning bolt logo while the right side features “FRGMNT” lettering, both of which are printed in a crisp white.

The earphone’s charging case also comes wrapped with a stealthy skin, and comes accessorized with another lightning bolt logo up front and center.

Additional details to point out include that of its sweat and water resistance, as well as its listening hours which amount up to nine hours when fully charged.

Interested in copping? These will be releasing via Apple and Dover Street Market on January 29 for $249.95 USD.