UPPER PLAYGROUND TEAMS UP WITH LOS ANGELES ICONS
MISTER CARTOON & ESTEVAN ORIOL TO OPEN FOUR RETAIL EXPERIENCES IN THE HEART
OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
Grand Opening Celebration Features an Open House of the New Storefronts
WHO/WHAT: San Francisco-based apparel and art company Upper Playground,
photographer and director Estevan Oriol and artist Mister Cartoon are
excited to announce the unveiling of a series of four one-of-a-kind retail
establishments in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles. Each storefront
will offer customers a unique fashion and fine art experience. In
celebration of the new properties, the three entities will host an open
house on Saturday, May 31, 2008 that will feature a special art exhibit and
appearances from some of the world's leading designers involved in the
project. Details about the four businesses are included below.
Upper Playground
Upper Playground includes apparel for men and women including their popular
line of hoodies, t-shirts, jackets, shoes, luggage, an innovative line of
home furnishings and more. An exclusive line of Los Angeles-inspired apparel
designs will also be available. The Upper Playground store will have a
separate space for an art gallery similar to many of Upper Playground's
other retail locations. Upper Playground L.A. marks the seventh city in the
world to feature an Upper Playground retail establishment since its
inception in 1999. The company recently opened two other California stores
in Sacramento and Berkeley.
"Upper Playground has a large following in the L.A. market and we're excited
to offer our Southern California friends an outlet to experience rare art
and fashion from some of the world¹s leading designers," said Matt Revelli,
founder and owner of Upper Playground. "As a West Coast brand, Los Angeles
is a natural progression for Upper Playground to have a retail presence and
it's nice to be located in a developing area of the city. Upper Playground
thrives in unique and emerging neighborhoods like Skid Row, and we're
honored to be working with the talented Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon on
such an innovative retail experience."
Upper Playground is the pioneer of combining fashion and fine art. In
celebration of the new store opening, there will be a special art exhibit
featuring the works of Usugrow, Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish, David Choe, Herbert
Baglione, San, Retna, Saber, Alex Pardee, Ron English, Doze Green, Slick,
Armsrock and David Ellis. Many of the featured artists on display also
contribute designs to Upper Playground's apparel line.
In addition to Upper Playground, the new venture includes "The Last Laugh,"
which will house the Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol retail experiences.
Mister Cartoon Popular L.A. tattoo and graffiti artist Mister Cartoon's new
store will house signature Mister Cartoon items and artifacts from his
passions and hobbies. "I wanted to create a space that was open to the
public that is an extension of my lifestyle and culture," said Mister
Cartoon. The Mister Cartoon experience will include a special tattoo station
for a select group of tattoo artists to make guest appearances.
Estevan Oriol In 2006, photography legend Estevan Oriol selected Upper
Playground as his official apparel partner. This new retail space will house
Oriol's apparel line with Upper Playground and his iconic photography prints
will also be available for sale to the public. "Upper Playground understands
what I want to convey with my art and they have given me the freedom to
transcend my imagery with my apparel line in the way that I want," comments
Oriol on his experience working with Upper Playground. Oriol is a longtime
resident of L.A. "I wanted to open a store in downtown L.A. because it's
where we've spent a lot of our time for the past thirteen years," said
Oriol.
Bonus Space
The fourth location involved in the new retail project will be a rotating
concept that will house unique fashion and art concepts for short periods of
time. During the open house, it will feature a display of custom motorcycles
from 1998 AMA 250cc Champion-turned motorcycle designer Roland Sands and
limited-edition fashion pieces from designer and model Tony Ward's line, Six
in the Face. From August through September the site will be transformed into
a truly unique promotional experience for the upcoming feature film from
Overture Films called "Righteous Kill" starring Robert De Niro and Al
Pacino. SA Studios Global, the agency of Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon,
was selected to produce the iconic poster for the film. The space will
become the exclusive promotional headquarters for the film and will feature
a shrine to the film's stars.
WHEN: Grand Opening: Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 1 8 p.m.
WHERE: Upper Playground & The Last Laugh
125 E. 6th Street (between S. Main St. and S. Los Angeles St.), Los Angeles,
CA 90014
ABOUT UPPER PLAYGROUND:
Based in San Francisco, California, Upper Playground was founded in 1999 and
has become a leader in today¹s progressive fine art movement with its
innovative apparel line and art gallery, FIFTY24SF. Recognized as a catalyst
for the fusion of fashion with art, Upper Playground produces apparel lines
bi-annually and features designs from notable local and international
artists. Upper Playground apparel is sold nationally and internationally in
over 300 boutiques and online. Please visit www.upperplayground.com
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
· Interview opportunities with Matt Revelli, founder and owner of Upper
Playground, and artists attending the opening including Mister Cartoon,
Estevan Oriol, Sam Flores, premier Japanese painter Usugrow, and others
· Photos of the new store
· Images of Upper Playground¹s Los Angeles-specific apparel designs
-SAL
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