DAKOTA 501 X RVCA X DMOTE X PARIS X BINGE

How lucky are we?

This week the RVCA Caravan tour stopped by to say hello to Dakota 501 and to freshen up our side wall with some killer new street art.. did I mention that we are lucky? 

The RVCA Caravan rolled down Chapel street and arrived at Dakota around 9:30am, soon after a group of weary travelers tumbled out. These guys were on the back end of a jam-packed tour from Byron, to Sydney and then to Melbourne. The tour exploded with art shows, RVCA skate shows and even the odd gig. 

We were the last stop on the tour and the guys were keen to finish it off with a bang.

Headlining the event was Sydney born, New York based artist Dmote. This guy is somewhat of a godfather to the Australian underground graffiti scene. Needless to say we were quaking in our boots as we watched this consummate pro and member of the Australian art scene royalty as he kicked into gear. 

Over the course of the day onlookers stopped to take photos, a crowd grew, and Dmote's renowned hot dog man began to take shape. It truly was mesmerizing. Without so much as a sketch on an old supermarket receipt Dmote was laying down the cleanest lines with the precision of a surgeon.

To Dmote's left were renowned Melbourne graffiti artists KID PARIS and BINGE. 

Kid Paris, for those who don't know, is credited as pioneering Melbourne's graffiti scene. At 16, Paris and his partner in art DJ Peril created one of Melbourne's best known grafs - a towering 5 meter piece on the Swan Street Auctions in Burnley. From that moment on Kid Paris became a prominent part of the Melbourne street art landscape.

  The pieces by Paris and Binge (also a much loved Melbourne artist) came up an absolute treat. The pics speak for themselves and we expect these pieces to be proudly sitting on our wall for years to come. 

We're putting together a nice little time-lapsed vid of Dmote in action so stay tuned. In the meantime check out these pics or come down and see the goodness with your own two eyes!

A big, big thanks from Dakota 501 to all the guys that helped out on the day and also to those who were involved behind the scenes. We were truly blessed to have these guys stop in and leave us with a such a dope gift! 

DMOTE

PARIS

BINGE

MELISSA GRISANCICH X RVCA ANP

Our very own and very talented artist Melissa Grisancich will be exhibiting her work as part of the RVCA ANP Art Show this Sunday the 28th at the Magic Johnson studios in Collingwood. 

Starts from 5pm, so get down there and check it out! 

Check out some of Mel's work here -http://theweightofheavyhearts.blogspot.com.au/

VANS CALIFORNIA

The California range by Vans is a revival of the vintage surf and skate culture that has for so long been a part of the Californian landscape.

Heard of Dogtown and Z-Boys? The Zephyr Team? If the answer is yes then all sorts of vivid and iconic imagery should flood to mind. If the answer is no then a) check it out and b) let me paint a picture for you; Santa Monica/Huntington Beach, Californian sun beating down on a group of scantily clad youths, skating in empty pools and disused aqueducts... you get the picture. Well, this is where it all started, and it usually started in a pair of vans. 

As the original skate shoe brand Vans holds an iconic place in the foundations of Californian surf + skate culture.  

Drawing on this rich history Vans have brought us their California range.  Made from premium materials, the California range sits at a slightly higher price-point than their plain Authentic and Era brethren. The quality, however, justifies the price-tag. Premium leather uppers, two-tone suede detailing, leather laces, herringbone lining, brushed twill uppers.. they really have gone all-out. Throw in the supremely comfortable padded foot support and the original waffle sole and they are looking more and more like a bargain.

Dakota 501 are very, very chuffed to have exclusive access to a few pairs within the Cali range so get in, have a look and grab a pair before they’re gone. You can also head over and check them out at our Online Store here

I SCREAM NAILS

I Scream Nails are taking nail art to the next level! 

This Melbourne based outfit have begun popping up their pop-ups in random locations all over the city! You might have already seen them spicing up a set of nails at the People's Market or painting on some pop over Myer Bourke Street? It certainly is something to behold!

This week we are one bunch of excited (and lucky!) sods to be having our very own I Scream Nails pop-up in-store! That's right! From this Saturday the 20th to Sunday the 21st of April you will be able to see the guys going about their business inside Dakota 501.

You can book an appointment through I Scream Nails by going to www.iscreamnails.com.au or call 0405 511 431

If you are feeling luck you can enter in our awesome I Scream Nails Instagram giveaway! Just head to our Instagram and follow the 3 easy steps! 

Dakota Gets Creative

We thought we'd provide a bit of an insight into how we go about making our specialised window displays!

This week our in-house VM Camilla Bromann has been working away designing and constructing a Dakota 501 side window display for Coal Headwear. All of Camilla's ideas are insanely original and her creativity continues to amaze all the peeps here at Dakota 501. 

We've had a strong partnership with Coal Headwear over the years and it's been great to really pour some time and effort into promoting their killer beanies and hats for AW13.

Here's a snapshot of the finished product!

 Update your look with a Coal Headwear Beanie.

1 x Natural Selection Raw Tapered jeans

1 x Libertine Libertine Hunter Short Sleeve Shirt

1 x Libertine Libertine Grill Pocket Sweater

1 x Coal Headwear Beanie

1 x Vans Era Decon California Black Wash

1 x Casio Gents Digital watch

1 x Status Anxiety leather wallet

CLARK'S ORIGINALS

This is a bit of an oldie but it's also one of our favourites! 

Has to be one of the craziest window displays that we've ever had here at Dakota 501.

Our collection of Clark's Originals is going to grow in the coming months so keep an eye out in-store and online. Of course, you will still be able to find a pretty hand selection of Clark's Desert Boots on our shoe wall in the meantime!

I LOVE UGLY

2013 is already shaping up as one of the most action packed years in the long history of Dakota 501.

So far we've gone online, we've re-shuffled the shop floor with some great new additions, we've hired some killer new staff... but perhaps the biggest of all things to happen to Dakota 501 in 2013 is the addition of I LOVE UGLY to its repertoire.

I Love Ugly is a New Zealand based label whose mash-up of U.S inspired street style, U.K lad wear  and homegrown NZ steez has taken the world by storm.

Dakota have by far the largest selection of ILU in Australia and, given the heavy New Zealand influence within our own team, are damn excited to be waving the I Love Ugly flag down under.

NATURAL SELECTION

We've just been hit with a fresh shipment of Natural Selection jeans for AW13. 

 Dakota 501 are proud-as-punch to have Natural Selection in their arsenal. The Natural Selection vibe is usually best suited to the gent who wants premium quality Japanese or Italian selvedge and who is inspired by the best of European winter style.

Denim will be back in a big way this winter and we suspect that you'll be seeing much more from these guys over the coming months.