A lot of street wear tees are usually based around the idea of “playing” with a famous logo or piece of art.  It’s not a new concept, people have been doing it forever.  Everything from Tide (early Freshjive) to Warhol portraits (1/2 the brands out there) have been given a twist to further the message of small brands.  The tees I saw in Vegas were no different - but I did feel like there was a giant increase in the number of tees touting very high end brands.  This too is not new, but I felt that this time around there were so many more.  Maybe it’s the economy crunch?  Can’t afford real YSL but I can feel close to the brand by wearing a tee with it’s logo?  Or, maybe it’s a t-shirt brands way of aligning itself with what it thinks is cool, for example, girls that like Chanel should like my brand.  Whatever it is, there were a million (not quite, but almost) of these “designer” tees - I didn’t take pics of most of them but I’d be confident in saying that almost half of the clothing brands we looked at had some kind of designer reference - Chanel and Karl being the most used.  We even saw a shoe that made a designer reference.

Oh, and by the way, word on the street is that Fucking Awesome is coming back and re-issuing the Karl Lagerfeld “Gangsta Situations” tee (Yay!) - you heard it here first.  Check out more pics after the jump . . . .

Brian Lichtenberg for Blood Is The New Black - YSL

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While we were in Vegas we had a chance to catch-up with Mitra from Blood Is The New Black at the Pool Tradeshow. There were two artist series’ that really stood out from her new line that we really loved. First, were a series of tees of women’s faces illustrated by Kime Buzzelli of Show Pony fame. Second, was a series by Brian Lichtenberg that catered to the high-fashion lovers amongst us with tees that declared “RIP YSL,” a tromp l’oeil motorcycle vest with Karl on it, and a tee that featured Balenciaga cult favorite shoes. I’m really excited for the launch of these tees and think I need to get some for myself! Check out the rest of the pictures of the tees and the Blood Is The New Black mood board after the jump.

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I know I should have told you earlier, but Digital Gravel is having the ill accelerating sale that gives you bigger discounts every day…the thing is, the longer you wait…the less likely the items you want are still gonna be there. Pick up ladies gear from Obey, In4mation, Upper Playground, Fifty24SF, Tens, Blood Is The New Black and many more. Sleep or don’t sleep…all I know is, your tee collection is looking kind of tired. Zingo baby!

Blood is The New Black is opening up a Pop-Up shop at the Pool Tradshow Offices in Los Angeles this Saturday, April 12th. Mitra will also be celebrating the launch of the Spring 08 Blood Is The New Black collection. Keeping true to its form, the event will showcase art by Blood Is The New Black artists, as well as other artists. There’ll be plenty of music, photo opps and drinks courtesy of Coppola Wines and Izze Sparkling Juice. Sounds like fun!

Details on the flyer after the jump . . .
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Here’s the final Women Making History series round-up! All 27 ladies ladies in one post. If all these ladies ever got together in one room, heads would explode, our minds would be so blown!

Thanks to everyone who read these features on the daily, posted about the series in their blogs, everyone who left lovely comments…you’re all appreciated!

Here’s a recap of the last 4 features, March 29th-31st:

• Saturday, March 24- M.A.F.I.A of Sneaker Freaker
• Sunday, March 25 - Linda of Burton/Lovemade
• Sunday, March 26 - Tammy of Lovemade
• Monday, March 31 - Gabriella & Liz, Founders of M.I.S.S. Crew

The ladies of weeks one, two, three and 4—after the jump!

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Another week of our M.I.S.S. Crew exclusive Women Making History series to recap:

• Monday, March 10 - Mitra of Blood is the New Black
• Tuesday, March 11- Karen Jane aka KJ of Not Bad For A Girl
• Wednesday, March 12 - Nicole of Nicacelly
• Thursday, March 13 - Una Kim of Keep Company
• Friday, March 14 - “Gina Valdez” of Office Tramp

If you’re new to M.I.S.S. Crew or missed week 1 of our month-long series, see the ladies we featured for that week after the jump!

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Mitra Khayyam (above with artist Patrick Jilbert), owner of Blood is the New Black, always wanted to be an artist but unfortunately she never really had the skill, even so much as to draw a straight line. Well aware of her limitations, she chose to delve into the fashion industry, focusing on the business end versus the creative.

After several years of working in “the industry”, she went from being told she’d “never work in this town again” by one of the most prominent fashion photographers to being named one of V Magazine’s “Seventeen Most Industrious” in NYC. In 2004, Mitra finally decided to launch Blood is the New Black based on her thesis written a few years earlier. Her intention is use the company to open up talented artists to wider audiences and to allow their art to become available to many in this wearable form.

More on Mitra & Blood is the New Black after the jump!

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Blood is The New Black is a Los Angeles based line created by Mitra Khayyam as a means to introduce and showcase emerging artists. All of her products have the art of a range of artists that she hand-chooses. Today some new tees dropped on Digital Gravel and they are selling out pretty quickly. Check it out here!!