Empire in the Air

karljamesmountford: go home - by karl james mountford

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:58:40 -0400

go home - by karl james mountford

Welcome to the future Empire in the Air store! Okay, just...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:01:08 -0400

Welcome to the future Empire in the Air store! Okay, just kidding. Every time I pass this forgotten and abused building in SJ Japantown, I can’t help but imagine a storefront, the back storage, and art studios and offices upstairs. I imagine the people observing, hanging out, and even performing for monthly open mic nights. I can see all the dope vinyl toys and friends’ artwork chillin in the office… okay. So I have a vivid imagination and I know there’s no certainty that this building will be mine. But hey. What IS certain is that the home of Empire will exist one day and its doors will be open for all of you. But for now, dreaming and running towards making it real.

Dreamin’ The designs for the next collection are still...

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:15:31 -0400

Dreamin’

The designs for the next collection are still cooking. Nothing is set in cloth yet but in the meantime, I’ve been trying to get some other irrelevant ideas flushed out my mind. (If you follow my Instagram, you’d know what I mean.)

I made this design as a means to fulfill my recent lack of zen. School and work kicked my butt this past year so the yearn for serenity has been reflecting in my doodles lately.

Off to more!

- ChiChai@Empire

Lala land Took a mini vacation with Christopher to Los Angeles...

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:02:00 -0400

Lala land

Took a mini vacation with Christopher to Los Angeles this past weekend and it seemed like a big vacation of sights and food… a lot of food. I doodled to capture as much as I could in my sketchbook. And, in order to share the journey, I quickly vectored and colored the doodles.

The museums we hit up were LACMA and the Getty. I do recommend to give yourself a hefty amount of time to visit them. They’re both pretty darn big. I visited both places before but I still haven’t seen everything.

LACMA is exciting for its grand variety of modern and contemporary pieces but it also has a nice touch of cultural collections. One building is even reserved for Japanese art! My favorite collection is their Art of the Pacific. I love the intricate wood and shell carvings.

The Getty has an enormous collection too but the architecture and landscaping is what awes me. My jaw dropped the very moment I laid eyes on the vast garden. The Getty’s open space full of open field, flowers, and statues creates a serene environment that overlooks LA. I suggest to bring a sandwich and have a picnic on the lawn. Also, note that the Getty is free! All you have to pay for is parking which is $15 flat.

As for the food… drool drool drool.

Luckily Chris’ friend Patrick, who has lived in LA for the past 8 years, is a big foodie. He gave Christopher a long list of good eats close to both museums. There were more restaurants but I’ll just talk about three: The Alcove, Coco Laurent, and Father’s Office.

Alcove and Coco Laurent are relatively close to LACMA. Alcove is the perfect place for breakfast. I’m already drooling thinking about their crab cakes benedict. They also have a drink list that complements their meals. Coco Laurent is a French restaurant who stays true to the French cuisine but gives American-sized portions. They were on the pricier side of our budget. The food was delectable nonetheless and pushed us out of our food comfort zone.

We topped off our vacation at Father’s Office, a hole in the wall in Santa Monica. Once we walked in, the host asked us if we’ve been there before. We said no so he nicely gave us the directions: order everything at the bar and make friends since seating was limited. The wall behind the bar seemed like a collage of beer taps. So many to choose from! Aside from the lovely beer choice, the food was scrumptious. They served American food that tastes perfectly with beer.

I wish we could’ve stayed in SoCal longer but work called. Wah wah wah *in boring teacher’s voice from Peanuts*. Either way, it was a much needed getaway and an opportunity to enjoy LA outside my typical Disneyland-only trip haha.

- ChiChai@Empire

Walk the Line Stage Art (Late Post) I kind of sort of graduated...

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 02:20:00 -0400

Walk the ~~Line~~ Stage Art (Late Post)

I kind of sort of graduated two weeks ago. And I mean it when I say kind of sort of… I have three classes left, haha. But my department required me to participate in the commencement already because 1. Our department only has spring ceremonies and 2. I am short only a handful of units anyhoo. Thus, I kind of sort of graduated.

Now that’s cleared up, I want to let you know this post is not so much about me graduating but about the art put into graduation in general. Participating in two ceremonies (the Global Studies/ Geography Commencement and the Pilipino Commencement), I realized how much graduations bring out the creative side in everyone. Graduation caps are decorated, posters made, leis laced, flowers bouquet-ed, etc.

The top picture shows the caps I decorated for my friend Vince and I. Goten and Trunks are shown commemorating our best friendship lol. Just kidding, kind of. Vince will hate me for saying that.

My friends Sharoleen, Char, and Ann made these lovely lace leis. I love the colors they chose! They definitely added vibrance and flavor to the plain black gown.

Everyone remembered sunflowers are my favorite! The best friend Cestine bought a bouquet for both ceremonies and then Chen, my momma, and Christopher contributed their own batches. Oh, and of course, Melanie gave me a lovely flower as well. The only issue with all this love was I had nothing to contain them in. The only vase I have was one I made my senior year of high school. Thankfully, I do live in a college student galore apartment thus mugs and bottles — from water to beer to soda— were readily available!

Last but not least, the posters. Those darn cute yet oh so embarrassing excessively huge posters. Ann and Char call me “Ate Strawberry” hence the adorable strawberry. But don’t let that darn tooth fool you! The back of it only says one word: cry. Then there’s my “twin” Nikisha’s poster who captured our … erm… extra fun moments haha. My grands Clif and Christeven put together their artsy skills to whip up this poster and drew themselves holding my heart. Yes, I know. They’re cute. Then! The most embarrassing one but, man, you’ve gotta give it to my roommates for rasterizing.

Thank you everyone for the love and bringing out your creative side!

- ChiChai@Empire

P.s. Congrats to the rest of class 2013!

One Last Project! My geography professor assigned us a final...

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:59:00 -0400

One Last Project!

My geography professor assigned us a final project rather than a final this semester. Sounds cool and all… but. Let’s be real. A final merely requires the simple study hours whereas a project requires you to get out of your room and into the field. School and work ferociously eats up my energy everyday already, so the thought of getting off my butt sounded like a drag.

And then, my professor told us ever-so bluntly that we can do whatever we want for the final. All she required was that we make a legitimate map.

At that realization, I decided to stop the lazy/whiny/senioritis talk and take advantage of this project as an opportunity. You see, I am graduating this year from SJSU and the one thing that consistently kept me sane in these four years was the art community. So… Why not take advantage of this project as a chance to capture the art in my most recent home and share it with my global studies comrades?

And with that thought, I decided to share it with you guys too. I swear, although this school was my last choice, this city has spoiled me with art and love like it was meant to be.

- ChiChai@Empire

P.s. Nimbus 2000 modeled to serve as a scale lol

Spring Break 4 Evah! Finally taking a break from bombarding your...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:22:02 -0400

Spring Break 4 Evah!

Finally taking a break from bombarding your dashboards with an influx of buy-me-now links. I decided to share some good ol’ Californian appreciation.

Money and time created a travel radius limit this spring break, but hey! Nothing is wrong with the “backyard.”

Christopher, Jen, Anthony, and I headed down to Santa Cruz for its famous soft sands, boardwalk, and arcade. We made it seem like a dream date with jiggy music and Christopher’s cinematography (and the new clothes). You can read more about it here.

The day after, Christopher and I put on some black&orange, hopped on Bart and Muni, and basked in the sunlight pouring down the AT&T park. It was the pre-season game Giants vs A’s— a Bay Area battle royale. Just kidding. It wasn’t that epic (it was a pre-season game and… ugh, we lost.) But! Sitting in the bleachers, we got to enjoy the bleacher perks: easy-access to fatty food and beer, join the crowd in unified yelling and cursing, and laugh and high-five with everyone as though they were our best friends.

This spring break wasn’t that eventful but I am grateful nonetheless. Times like these make me appreciate what’s readily there. I suppose anyone’s backyard is awaiting playtime.

- ChiChai@Empire

P.s. I lied. This is the last day to purchase anything from the True Connections collection! Click here :)

Pre-sales end on March 31 April 1 for all three pieces of the...

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 23:40:00 -0400

Pre-sales end on ~~March 31~~ April 1 for all three pieces of the collection True Connections.

The Cloud Tee, $20
The Jetpack CrewNeck, $30
The Bridge Hoodie, $40
And keep in mind that 10% of the profit will be going to Project PEARLS. My momma wants to use our donations towards their Brain Booster program, a program for “homework help, basic english, math, spelling, reading, writing tutorial, arts and crafts, story telling, fun learning games.”

Santa Cruz Jig Christopher and I deviously tricked our friends...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:15:00 -0400

Santa Cruz Jig

Christopher and I deviously tricked our friends Jen and Anthony to feature in a new video by inviting them on a double date to Santa Cruz. Actually, all our hangouts involve us throwing on some Empire shirts onto our friends and filming them. Just kidding! All the videos and photos are all voluntary [ I swear]. But… we really were on a double date… and we really did ask them to.

Anyway! In all seriousness, since we are all on Spring Break, Santa Cruz served as a good day vacation for us four. We ate scrumptious 1/2 lb burgers at Betty’s Burgers, got competitive at the arcade ( guess who won first place at Mario Kart— yee yee mfkas!), played wannabe DDR, strolled along the soft sanded beach, and ended the trip with good ol’ Marianne’s ice cream. It was gloomy but the good company made up for it. (Which is why Christopher and I couldn’t help but take advantage of these happy characters by putting Empire clothes on them haha.)

Thank you Jen and Anthony for joining us!

Everyone! Don’t forget that the 31st is the last day to pre-order anything from the True Connections collection at www.empireintheair.bigcartel.com

The Cloud Tee, $20
The Jetpack CrewNeck, $30
The Bridge Hoodie, $40

And keep in mind that 10% of the profit will be going to Project PEARLS. My momma wants to use our donations towards their Brain Booster program, a program for “homework help, basic english, math, spelling, reading, writing tutorial, arts and crafts, story telling, fun learning games.”

-ChiChai@Empire

Pre-sales end on March 31 for all three pieces of the collection...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:35:07 -0400

Pre-sales end on March 31 for all three pieces of the collection True Connections.

Project PEARLS was founded in the Bay Area but all its love goes...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:58:22 -0400

Project PEARLS was founded in the Bay Area but all its love goes to those in Ulingan. Now, about 5 years later, people all over the world are connecting with the organization.
Right in the middle of the bridge, the California Bear and the Pilipina Eagle happily meet. This design represents the joy Project PEARLS’ connection brings. It shows that no matter who you are or where you are, we can all work together.

***PRE-SALES END ON MARCH 31***
***Please e-mail for pick-up arrangements***

Keep in mind that 10% of the profit will be going to Project PEARLS. My momma wants to use our donations towards their Brain Booster program, a program for “homework help, basic english, math, spelling, reading, writing tutorial, arts and crafts, story telling, fun learning games.”

Purchase yours now at empireintheair.bigcartel.com

Pre-sales end on March 31 for all three pieces of the collection...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:37:16 -0400

Pre-sales end on March 31 for all three pieces of the collection True Connections.

Thank you to everyone that’s supported so far! Please continue helping Empire on this journey. Let’s keep this climb’s momentum!

The Jetpack The “Jetpack” is made out of the same materials as...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:51:00 -0400

The Jetpack

The “Jetpack” is made out of the same materials as homes in impoverished areas— scraps of wood, plastic, and metal. The feather is a personal touch for the wings. This design insinuates how you can use what you got to rise above, even if all you have are “scraps.”
The girl’s determined face and trusty Jetpack is a shout-out to Project PEARLS and its beloved kids. Together, we too can rise above.

***PRE-SALES END MARCH 31***
***Please e-mail for pick-up arrangement***

Purchase yours now at www.empireintheair.bigcartel.com

Coloring, coloring, coloring! We had a table full of little...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 01:34:00 -0400

Coloring, coloring, coloring!

We had a table full of little coloring pieces for the guests at the Release Party. In all honesty, we didn’t expect that much people to get their crayon on but man. I’m happy we had it. It was fun seeing people activate their creative side. Another plus was the love notes. (Thank you Melissa, I found it! Haha.)

Also… More of a side not. You can still purchase anything from the collection at empireintheair.bigcartel.com

- ChiChai@Empire

True Connections x Poetic Justice This is Aiko. She is a Project...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:29:57 -0400

True Connections x Poetic Justice

This is Aiko. She is a Project PEARLS intern (semi mine) and a beautiful dancer. ( Shhh, Aiko. Stop denying it).

Christopher, Raymond, and Aiko shot this video on Sunday from about 11pm-2am and Christopher edited it yesterday— super duper crunch time to give you all a lovely reminder that you can still purchase your pre-sales from the collection.

Get your pre-sales here!

If a flower bloomed in a dark room, would you trust it?

- ChiChai@Empire

Empire in the Air Release Party This past Friday, March 15,...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:55:00 -0400

Empire in the Air Release Party

This past Friday, March 15, marked our very first Release Party. We wanted our debut back in the street wear game as a big bang! And the only way to make this year crackin’ would be to celebrate with you guys.

Samantha, Christopher, and I have been planning this event for the past few months. Samantha was the decor and set-up genius ( I swear that girl knows how to improvise anything and everything) while Christopher engineered the logistics and took care of the promo material.

We had the venue on lock (Sin Lounge— courtesy of the owner, Aimmie, who happens to be Christopher’s cousin) and although it may not be the most conventional place, they gave us all the leeway and assistance we needed.

Steven Cheung spun old-school funk and hip-hop vinyls (… and even hyphy) for us to dance the night away.

Hungry Fam featured as special guest performers while rockin’ the latest shirt I designed for them. ( Big thanks to Randy Le for arranging everything!)

Jelyn, Aiko, Aaron, Mark, Cestine, and Angelo handled all the sales the entire night. All of them, as well as Jesse, helped set up too.

Nea, Hidee, and Ansel greeted everyone in.

And! Melissa, Alan, and Johnny captured the night’s favorable moments. The pictures above are actually from Melissa herself.

Everyone listed (and more) helped make the night as fun as can be. But more importantly, this was all for you. We hope you enjoyed the new releases, the music, the coloring table, the photo-booth, etc. This party was intended to welcome you in our brand’s adventure to the top. Thank you for welcoming us in your own adventure.

- ChiChai@Empire

P.s. Special shout-outs to Faded Friday, Raymond Baltazar, everyone that drove from other sides of the Bay Area, and Sin Lounge.

P.s.s. We are currently uploading pictures to the Empire FB Page.

seventeenfiftyfive: Part of my latest photoshoot for Empire in...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:34:04 -0400

seventeenfiftyfive:

Part of my latest photoshoot for Empire in the Air. Check out the fierceness of the lovely Ellaloraine and Celestine Pearl as they model The Bridge Hoodie and Jetpack Crewneck— paving the road to TRUE CONNECTIONS.

Pre-sales begin this Friday, March 15 at the Release Party and it’ll be $5 cheaper that night. So for the Release Party only, from True Connections…

$15 Tee

$25 Crew-Neck Sweater

$35 Hoodie

**THE RELEASE PARTY**

Friday, March 15
Doors Open @ 8:00PM
FREE ADMISSION
18+

Sin Lounge
1632 Story Rd
San Jose, CA 95122

He ain’t lying!

True Connections For the first time, we are having a collection...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:55:01 -0400

True Connections

For the first time, we are having a collection rather than one piece. We will begin the pre-sales this Friday, March 15 at the Release Party and it’ll be $5 cheaper that night.

So for the Release Party only, from True Connections…
$15 Tee, $25 Crew-Neck Sweater, $35 Hoodie

Thank you to all the great people who helped put together this collection’s presentation. On behalf of them and myself, we hope you like it!

- ChiChai@Empire

P.s. To see the full lookbook!

Last 3 Hours to purchase the Original Tee here and we’re...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:24:10 -0500

Last 3 Hours

to purchase the Original Tee here and we’re publishing another promo video… with my face! O_o

In all seriousness, we wanted to give you guys a quick background story on Empire and why we’re rereleasing the OG shirt.

Thank you to everyone for supporting this brand. We hope to see all of you on March 15 at the Release Party.

- ChiChai@Empire

(tomorrow)

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 20:51:00 -0500

(tomorrow)