This isn’t an announcement. This is the co-sign. Wired Magazine‘s new iPad application is unlike anything you think it will be and manages to be everything you expect.  This goes beyond  digitizing their print format. When they could have just as easily made this one big pdf and be done with it, they’ve instead chosen to create an immersive, interactive reading experience that is unlike anything you’ve ever gotten from a print magazine. Now, this isn’t the forum to start a debate regarding the end of print, but this is the place to endorse a well executed idea. And that it is. Conjuring up descriptions for each individual interactive article in the issue draws parallels to characteristics normally reserved for Apple – well thought out, easy, designed with the user in mind, fun. Articles come to life with animation, audio and video clips enrich the content, and as difficult as it is to believe, some of the come-to-life ads are engaging. Get on it. Available here.

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By now, anyone who even remotely follows streetwear is well aware of Visvim and their high quality Ballistic backpacks.  However, due to the packs’ scarcity, few have really come into direct contact with one.  Very few of the backpacks leave Asia, and the few that do make it to the Western Hemisphere are ripped from the shelves almost immediately.  This is especially true for the bolder color choices.  Luckily, we were able to get our hands on the one and only orange example that made it to Union in Los Angeles.

It’s obvious upon first contact that preconceived ideas of very high quality are not unfounded.  The Cordura nylon feels as rugged as expected, the calf leather bottom is supple, and the waterproof Riri zippers are chunky and exact.  The monochrome orange look is a bold one and not for everyone.  That is outside of how you feel about grown folks in backpacks to begin with, as that is certainly not to everyone’s taste.  We feel they have their place, particularly when it comes to travel, or the need to carry more equipment or supplies than a brief will allow.

We really love the 22L because it combines a more classic design with the details you expect from Visvim.  The leather extends beyond just the bottom to the upper handle and zipper pulls.  The inside has two large separate compartments.  The first is a padded 15-inch laptop compartment with some extra room to possibly stash books or magazines.  The second is the main compartment, which features the typical top zipper entry as well as an additional side entry for easy access during wear.  The main compartment also includes a hexagon-covered interior pocket that is perfect for an iPod or phone and even has a small snap-covered outlet to the exterior for headphones.

Without question, Visvim delivers with the 22L.  All the hype is warranted.  This is a piece of gear that combines audacious style and luxury with high tech and heavy-duty functionality.  If you get the chance to pick one up, don’t hesitate.

More pics after the jump.

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Fresh on the heels of another story with a Saville Row pedigree which you may have caught on Selectism, comes the new collection from S.E.H Kelly. Launched last year, Preface is S.E.H Kelly’s limited run of garments for this season with mills and co-operatives “from Lancashire to Cumbria, through the Midlands to London.” Spun, stitched, cut, sewn, and finished in England, Preface includes a small range of garments in versatile materials - soft oatmeal corduroy, from a four generations-old family-run mill in Lancashire, slim-fitting trousers in mustard and navy and semi-cutaway collared shirts, made from cream and sky-coloured brushed cotton twills from a Cumbrian mill. The natural English horn buttons in the range, meanwhile, are from a supplier in the Midlands, and the garments are finished by a small factory in London. Available at their newly opened shop.

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Dating back to 1977 with Nike’s Athletic West, the AW77 with its scuba hood was, as odd as it sounds now, the most advanced sweatshirt at the time. Teaming with Japan’s Loopwheeler certainly isn’t a new now two years old, but the additional peripheral pouches are proving that NSW continues to try to push the AW77 to the peak of design more than 30 years later. For those not previously familiar with Loopwheeler’s now infamous manufacturing methods, rest assured the price is more than worth it. Each sweatshirt is manufactured using traditional Japanese loopwheel looms dating back to 1920′s Germany, in very small batches – only 8 are produced a day. NSW has rightfully claimed it as World’s Greatest Hoodie. Available here.

This one easily files under: You get what you pay for. Albeit on the pricier side of a chambray, Mister Freedom has been churning some of the best looking, best quality workshirts available today. Plus, with J.Crew up in the one-hundred dollar range, why not invest in a quality tailored, hand finished, Japanese selvedge shirt that should, by all accounts, last you a lifetime of work under the hood or nowhere near it. Available here.

Dave’s Quality Meat continues to impress with their offerings outside of the usual graphic tees and hats with a great selection for summer in the form of chinos, shorts and oxfords. Normally not ones to endorse short sleeve oxfords, the range of muted tones, slimmer cut body and perfectly cut sleeves. One can only hope these are made in the USA. Available here.

For the devoted, Stussy remains as strong as ever in streetwear even though it started rooted in surfwear culture in Orange County back in the early 80′s. No stranger to one another, Stussy has teamed up with Porter for Stussy’s 30th anniversary on a range of bags and accessories. While this collection dropped earlier this year, this is the first time we’ve spotted the army green version of the cordura nylon messenger. Available here.

The most epic of sporting events deserves the most epic of advertisements, and Nike has delivered big for the World Cup.  Directed by one of our favorite directors Alejandro Inarritu (“21 Grams” and “Babel”), the “Write The Future” ad features Nike-sponsored stars like Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Franck Ribéry, Fabio Cannavaro, Landon Donovan, and Cristiano Ronaldo, as they attempt to write themselves into history on the pitch.

The ad speaks for itself, but one thing that struck me is that while some of the scenarios are clearly over the top in their depiction (Wayne Rooney living in a caravan!), a lot of it is not only plausible but absolutely certain to occur should one these players lead their team to glory in South Africa.  Such is the status of the World Cup that there will be moments of great fame and great infamy, and one day statues will undoubtedly be erected and movies will be made.  Also, keep your eye out for cameos from the likes of Roger Federer, Kobe Bryant, Gael García Bernal and even Homer Simpson.  The only chink in the ad’s armor is that Ronaldinho wasn’t chosen in Brazil’s squad (whoops!).  The World Cup kicks off on June 11th.  It’s about that time.

While we’re sure that suede boots are not the first thing on your mind as we head into summer, this handmade derby-style example is a bit special.  The Old Curiousity Shop was first built in 1567 and inspired the Charles Dickens book of the same name.  In 1992, Daita Kimura took over the space and re-opened the shop offering handmade shoes.  Kimura’s latest boot offering is a simple high cut in black suede with a full leather lining.  It also features a top-of-the-line, never-say-die Itshide Commando rubber sole.  These boots are made to last and will only get better with age.  Available at Oki-Ni.

W & Co. is undertaking a fairly ambitious approach to bag manufacturing by moving beyond American heritage ‘inspiration’ by utilizing authentic American heritage materials. An idea that seems to be gaining in popularity and made popular in some circles by Farm Tactics, W. & Co. was founded on the intrigues of American heritage using vintage materials found across the United States. The first runs utilize use vintage canvas feed sacks from American farms fastened with copper rivets, leather bound seams and leather handles and come complete with a leather bound repair kit in a canvas pouch for impromptu fixes. Exclusively for Cleveland-based shop Brigade, available here.

NSW continues to impress this time deciding in favour of a patterned print rather than the usual monotone offerings. Packaged together with the standard NSW technical materials and processes, it doesn’t push their usual cutting edge technology but does do a good job of disguising it. Points as usual for the low key branding. Available here.

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Normally known for basic offerings like their Boston, totes and briefcases, Porter actually has a pretty dynamic line up of more experimental bags like in the case of its Union backpack, which doubles as a tote. Inspired by American gardening tool bags, it features some pretty neat technical properties in the form of a heavy duty polyester construction with a water resistant interior liner. Available here.