‘NaCo was created in 1999 by Tijuana’s Edoardo Chavarín and Mazatlan’s Robby Vient, schoolmates at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. What started as a hobby has turned into an internationally known brand of t-shirts, hats, backpacks, wallets and other apparel and accessories’. What makes NaCo so special? Well, Naco is originally a derogative term used by upper and middle-class Mexicans to describe things and people they felt were way beneath them in terms of hipness, taste and economic status. NaCo’s ‘Ser Naco Es Chido’ tagline means ‘to be naco is cool’. Phrases like ‘NA/CO’ instead of AC/DC, ‘Los Bitles’ for The Beatles, or ‘Estar Guars’ for Star Wars have been used in more than 300 designs using ’spanglish’ and iconic imagery, playing with double or triple sense words turning these ‘tacky’, uncool tees into a million dollar business.
Also by ANDRES COLMENARES
Inspired by surf and skate culture, Brazilian illustrator Apo Fousek brings some fresh brushes to the Latin American artspace. Read more
Circo Da Madrugada and Tombés du Ciel
Picture this: a crowded bullfight ring in downtown Bogota, under the moonlight of the brightest full moon of the year, surrounded by gigantic, colorful buildings. Read more
La Silueta is a design studio and editorial house from Bogota, Colombia, with a select portfolio of new artists’ books (Nicolas Paris, Doble Faz, and others), local street art and the publication, Chino Magazin. Read more
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You hear the words ‘unique’ and ‘original’ thrown around quite a lot these days. I use them myself regularly. But every now and then you find an artist who truly deserves those terms to be used in relation to their work. Travis Louie is one such artist. Read more
I spent the formative first six years of my life in Wellington, New Zealand, a beautiful windswept city framed by a magnificent harbour in one direction and a stunning collection of green, rolling hills in the other. Read more
These very sweet folks from Seattle supported Broken Social Scene on our last American dates of the Spirit IF tour. Although they haven’t quite hit their stride as a live outfit, the tunes from songwriter Grant Olsen have some very lovely moments that fall somewhere between Velvet Underground and The Everly Brothers. I think Arthur and Yu could take over from where Grandaddy left off, though with better songs. No offense to Grandaddy.
Mexican architecture firm Senosiain Arquitectos recently designed a shell-shaped dwelling for a Mexico City couple. The owners are already living in their new abode with their two very happy children. The structure is maintenance-free and earthquake proof, and is full of soothing greenery and smooth, rounded surfaces. Read more
We’re launching a new email newsletter in a few weeks time called My Secret Playlist in which a different guest musician each week will write about eight songs that they’re loving right now. Read more
This awesome promo video for the Lost At E Minor site was created by our friends over at New York-based design studio, Lifelongfriendshipsociety. Read more
We love the range of prints created by graphic-tee fashion label, the-affair. Read more
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Things are happening almost too quickly for Sally Seltmann, the bashful Melbourne balladeer who plays under the guise of New Buffalo and who wrote Feist’s 2007 hit single, 1,2,3,4. Read more
It looks like the New Rave movement is making a big comeback thanks to Carrie Mundane, designer of the UK-based fashion label, Cassette Playa. Read more
Travis Louie’s paintings are inspired by 19th-century portrait photographs. Instead of people, however, his subjects are goofy-looking monsters. Read more
We’re big fans of Texas-based group, Midlake, whose melodic indie-rock is deliciously produced. We interviewed guitarist Eric Pulido. Read more
Italian illustrator and designer Massimiliano creates vivid, dynamic and richly textured work. We caught up with him recently and asked him what had been keeping him busy of late. Read more
To tie in with the release of the new Raveonettes album, Lust Lust Lust, we have four [2 small, 2 medium] Brett Rubin screen-printed t-shirts to give away to randomly selected new subscribers to Lost At E Minor. Read more
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