Kat Von D isn't the only tattoo artist who has gotten major exposure from a reality TV series. Darren Brass, one of the main players in TLC's Miami Ink, just got some California love from the DC Shoes crew, who invited him to design two men's and two women's shoes, two hooded sweatshirts and a New Era cap bearing his original art. Though he was born in Waterbury Connecticut, Brass says he spent much of his youth skateboarding and tagging up in the streets of New York City — graffiti and street art, then, are major influences in his work as a tattoo artist and both play a big role in his first DC collaboration project.
Pictured above are the two ladies' sneakers Brass designed for the collection, both created using the popular DC Shoes mid top Manteca model (my personal favorite). The first, "Grapes of Wrath" (how clever is that name?!), features cheeky grape illustrations infused with vibrant colors and yet also featuring a bit of that faded-around-the-edges feel you get from body art designs. The illustrations pop harder than champagne bottles when set against the shoe's purple suede accents and cork paneling and overlays (a clever reference to wine, perhaps? I mean, it is made of aged grapes!). The sneaker is finished off with purple laces and a gold-and-silver lace holder shaped like a grape bunch (which totally reminds me of the Fruit of the Loom grape bunch, by the way!).
The second shoe, dubbed the "Peach Basket" features woven basket paneling, textured suede "peach fuzz" accents, and bright peach tree illustrations in neon greens, pinks and blues. The final details, of course, include neon green laces, a neon green sole, and a metallic peach-shaped lace holder.
Now, while I love the woven basket paneling on the "Peach Basket" shoe, I must admit I'm particularly smitten with the "Grapes of Wrath" model. Conceptually, the shoe features numerous nuanced elements (from the name to the illustrations, color scheme an cork detail) that work together to paint a vivid portrait. And admittedly, as a literary sort, I'm also smitten with the shoe's name, which references the classic Jonn Steinbeck novel, The Grapes of Wrath. For those of you not familiar with this classic work, Steinbeck's novel focuses on an Oklahoma farming family that's uprooted from its home after a drought ruins its crops, hence ruining any financial prospects. Undeterred, the family sets out to California hoping to find virgin soil, amenable weather conditions, and tons of employment opportunities —only to find that the reality there, too, is quite somber. Set during the Great Depression, the book captures much of the economic uncertainty and the feelings of hopelessness and anxiety that plague U.S. citizens right now as we endure this recession.
Which reminds me: at $75 each, these shoes are limited edition jewels that won't flatten your pockets. They drop on February 1st, so get your money right by then!
Hopefully, I'll be toasting my "Grapes of Wrath" pair with a nice glad of — you guesses it— red wine!
Darren Brass x DC Shoes "Grapes of Wrath" an "Peach Basket" sneakers, $75 each. Visit DCShoes.com for more information.
