BOLDFACERS

Multi-culti ingredients

The 70-year-old Syrian Grocery Importing Co. (270 Shawmut Ave.; 617-426-1458)—the place for everything from olive oil and vinegar to tamarind concentrate and pomegranate molasses — is “last of a breed and an important part of Boston's cultural history.”

Sneakers and boards

Concepts (11A Brattle Street, 617-868-2001, cncpts.com) in Cambridge broke out from the back space of The Tannery into its own sneaker, skate and snowboard shop, with innovative interiors by Soldier Design using wood panels to depict the ply layers of a skateboard.

Cutting Edge Clothing

In Allston, “AWOL holds it down” with unusual hoodies and kicks way beyond the typical Nike, New Balance, Adidas (Addictive Way of Life, 190 Harvard Avenue, 617-787-0600; awolboston.com).

Vintage Clothing

Bobby’s from Boston (19 Thayer Street, 617-423-9299) is where vintage virgins to go get an education in high quality used fashion. It’s “one of the most amazing second-hand clothing stores in the world, no joke, just ask Ralph Lauren — that’s where he cops a lot of ideas.”

Anything but middle of the road

Middlesex Lounge (315 Mass Ave, 617-868-MSEX, middlesexlounge.com) in Cambridge is “one of the few places that doesn't play music that is an embarrassment to Boston. When I have brands visiting Boston from out of town who want to go out, we go there. It has an enormous room.” He also likes to hit the lower level at Good Life (28 Kingston Street, 617-451-2622, goodlifebar.com), the Afterlife Lounge, known for DJs spinning quality music, and the Beehive (above).

Where hipsters shop...

Keywords: Fashion

Wassup? Hey, I’m on Newbury Street. Speak up, I've only got one bar. I'm kickin' it in front of Karmaloop. You know that clothes store online, urban streetwear? Yeah, I love that Obey shirt you got. Really dope graphics. Well they got a store here. Everyone goes there—Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels… No, it’s closed now. Like, closed closed. They’re renovating. Sign says May. It’s gonna be huge. They’re ditching all the minimalism. Leave that shit to Calvin Klein. Word is they’re going for a Victorian-Gothic vibe, with a fireplace and a huge chandelier from Holland… Yea, I said Holland. I don’t know why Holland, just Holland. Yea, I know the dollar sucks. They must be raking it in. They get something like a million and a half new hits a month. I heard $17 mil last year, who knows…. $30? Really? Yeah, heh heh, his wife’s in for some bling this Christmas… She’s Harvard Law and Tufts Fletcher School? Ok, so she buys her own bling. Anyway, you seen KarmaloopTV.com? They scored an interview with Russell Simmons, and did some funny shit at an anime convention. You know, that comic culture thing. Whatever. And the head guy Greg Selkoe —he covers hip hop and fashion and urban culture. He knows his shit. Yeah, he must, $30 mil…. No, he’s from here, just some dude from JP whose dad is a famous Harvard doctor…he started it in his folks’ basement. No, not ‘pays rent,’ I said ‘basement.’ Hold on, chill, now I’m getting two bars over here. Better? Your cousin knew him from where? Huh, I figured him for one of those Harvard guys… Sure, Google him, I’m not goin’ anywhere …Well, Kennedy School, that’s Harvard. ‘Fight the evil McFashion empire’? There’s a slogan for ya… No, never heard of Kallusive shirts. Cool idea though, giving up real estate on Karmaloop for designers no one’s heard of yet…Yeah, click on Sons of Liberty, let’s see what kinds of shirts this Harvard guy designs himself. Obama license plates on a t-shirt? Huh. Send me the link. Junglelife.com is coming where soon? Click it. “Social networking for cutting edge culture’… Well, if it’s like Facebook, that's cool…. ‘Invite-only’? What up with that? Big customers and celebrities? So you’re telling me I can only get in if I’m sponsored by two members? Sheeeeeeit, that sounds country club.... You see a picture of Selkoe doing what? Heh heh, nothing country club about that. Well dog, shut us out of the jungle, we can always get into the store. In May. A’iiight?

www.karmaloop.com
160 Newbury St,
Boston - (617) 369-0100