Visually as appealing as her work, Najwa Moses has mastered her game as a stylish tastemaker and an earring connoisseur. Taking the industry by storm with her large personality and explosive sense of style, you can find footprints of Najwa on the side of great designers, fashion events and behind the mic on interviewing for her video-podcast, The In List.

With the release of Salte, picturesque and one of a kind art for your lobes, Najwa has introduced her debut collection “The Hollywood Set”. Playing on the characters in the thick of the entertainment world, each piece is designed to represent it’s name and scene such as the The Stylist, The BFF, The Celebrity and of course, The Blogger.

The best part about these gems? They are all hand-made, lightweight, 100% leather (except where noted) and make a statement without saying a word.

Bonus! Check out this video with Najwa interviewing TRACE Editor-in-Chief Claude Grunitzky and designer Diane Von Furstenberg.

Check out more about Najwa and grab some of her collection on Styleaholics.

There’s something irresistibly simple and fun about Jason Solarek’s AirWear line. Emblazoned with global airport codes and unabashedly, cheerfully yellow, his messenger bags communicate glocal life like a cryptic message between folks with ties and homes the world over.

Perfectly sized for laptop travel and weekend world jaunts, roughly 60 codes are available for order now here.

Or, because TRACERS are unmatched at making new homes in new places, you can email TRACE here and get any code you call home on a free custom, one-of-a-kind piece.

So much could be said about the insidious way mainstream media has re-appropriated graffiti. Many still question the credibility of street artists who choose a gallery or any other “conventional commercial outlets” over the street to display their work; but still, graffiti remains one of the most intricate and creative art form!

Over the last few years Fafi has imposed herself as one the leading female graffiti artists (alongside Claw Money, Indie , Miss Van…) and this is just the beginning, the fafinettes are here to stay!

After the bags, the shoes and the make-up she’s now invading your desk with these ultra-girlie sets of “sticky-notes”, notebooks and vinyl-shaped notepads, courtesy of Japanese brand Mark’s.

Check them out here.

(UP)Rising Sonz! is no easy phenomenon to explain. Recently, it has become a book, but even in that form it becomes something more — a collection of connections made with images and ideas.

Created by Mark Felt and TRACE contributer, Scott Kinsey, (UP)Rising Sonz! feels like the lifebook of a micromovement or a mad roadtrip undertaken by ’soul skaters’ who travel through (sub)cultural and lingual borders by skating, experimenting with styles, making art and tagging up their urban global playgrounds.

In reality, UPRising Sonz! started as a simple creative endeavor to connect up with Japanese skaters, travel and kick around on a strong DIY tip.

We caught up with Scott to check in with his own thoughts on what (UP)Rising Sonz! is all about, what exactly a ‘Soul Skater’ is and what’s up with global youth subcultures.

Check out the book here.

TRACE: In your own words, what is (UP)Rising Sonz!?

Scott Kinsey: (UP)Rising Sonz! communicates so many things on so many different levels to each of us that was involved in its creation. We set out to create a project in which we could first and foremost, be creative and
we wanted to work with our friends to incorporate all the things that make us happy in life. The point of all this was to get lost in the moment…Lost in the art of it all with friends and family and share our experience and our art. (UP)Rising Sonz! is our window into the lifestyle of our friends and family. It is creativity, it is skateboarding, it is art, it is a lifestyle.

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Swishing down the runways from today through Friday in London, the annual Alternative Fashion Week returns to showcase over sixty hopeful young designers vying for a bit of limelight, glory and riches.

To be clear, it’s not all high fashion and glamour here. Some of it may be, but regardless it is quite an event and it is free. Some of the launching labels, moreover, are actually pretty nifty, too, and will no doubt be heard from again quite soon. Alternative Fashion Week a good time all around and it’s also one of few avenues for the recently-graduated-from-art-school to show off their imaginations without having to pay for it — the event is fully sponsored by Alternative Arts and fully free for both designers and audience.

Also, check out the parallel Fashion Market happening around the runways at Spitalfields Traders Market. Catwalks at 13:15 every day and wallet frenzies daily at the Market from noon to 15:00.

The Japanese street couture label, Rocksmith Tokyo is one of the fastest growing independent street wear labels on the Japan-U.S. fashion scene. Rocksmith’s success story hails from the much-welcomed renaissance of the underground creative industry that has begun to reclaim the lead in design and production from the monopoly of corporations.

Rocksmith was founded in 2002 by DJ Masterkey, Japan’s number one hip-hop DJ, whose record label The Life Entertainment partnered up with NYC-based Kilo International to take the goods worldwide. Having U.S. partners Erik and Kenshin on board bringing the NYC flava, the brand is ready for a complete global takeover.

Attention to detail is what makes Rocksmith stand out amongst the rapidly proliferating street wear labels. Using clothing as a vehicle of art, Rocksmith delivers sophisticated cuts reminiscent of the minimalist aesthetics of 1920’s art deco combined with carefully selected fabrics — Erik and Kenshin regularly travel the globe to hand-pick fabrics — and brilliant visual references steeped in 80s and 90s hip-hop and pop culture.

Check the fly 2008 Spring collection featuring the zip-off sleeved Boom Box Windbreaker, the French terry and velour Rich Boy Hoody, the gold satin Raising Hell Baseball Jacket, the weightless all-nylon Slash Windbreaker and the clean cotton Allante Barracuda.

From The Cool Kids, Mickey Factz, Theophilus London aka KAPPS to Hollywood Holt, Mano, and Steedlord, you’ll see the new generation of hip-hop heads rocking these goodies on the regular. Also make sure to peep the new collection of Rocksmith’s twin-brother, Kilo Goods offering limited edition couture for lovers of the Miami fresh. Get yours at Karmaloop.

Or, e-mail TRACE here with your details. Yep — we’ve got gear to give away!

It’s pretty easy to recognize the iconic mark of Claw Money — which is part of the point of a good tag. Once upon a time, good tags would hitch rides on metal subway cars, screaming “Look! I’m here, too!” You could spot a piece a mile away and know who did it by the style alone. Soandso was all over the A train line and whatshisface was king of the F.

Claw’s design collaboration with Boost Mobile, which drops for public retail today, seems a long way from this, but if the point is to tag early and tag often, then she still might win — even if she’s bending the rules a little.

Maybe it’s all the same thing in the end, but one thing is for sure: whether painting the metal tanks of subway lines or printing on the mobile device cases of her own line, the Claw Train doesn’t stop!

Mark your calendars: the No 1’s Done It Right collective presents their third charity event, Cherry Blossoms, on April 16th. Get sprung for the spring, as the event showcases the latest collections from designers Kathy Misick, Brian Wood, Pastry, BKc (The Brooklyn Circus), Miss Bruno, and Cranberry.

The evening also features live performances by new-wave/jazzmatic band HEAVy and hip-hop new schooler Mickey Factz. Get there on time for gift bags and giveaways, and stick around for sets by Kev Sakoda, Brina Payne, and DJ Treats on the wheels.

Everything kicks off at The Delancey in Manhattan next Wednesday for a measly 5 bucks. You don’t want to miss this one…

There are many that see fashion as more than a means to looking fly. Some see it as a vehicle to express one’s creativity. As champions of the latter statement, Fabric by Blackburn has entered NY’s luxury street market with sights set on awakening our fashion senses.

Opting for substance and style over hype, Blackburn takes an artistic approach to dressing city dwellers. Experimenting with a palette of expressive colors and patterns, including 60’s style paisley and floral prints, Blackburn is able to create wearable art with function, form and vintage warmth. Each garment speaks to a sensibility rooted in positive vibes and progressive thought.

Be on the lookout this summer when Fabric by Blackburn disturbs the retail slumber.

The BK Style Foundation is excited to debut it’s Fifth Season of the BK Fashion Week{end}, bringin’ “Brooklyn Underground Fashion Rocks!” to Williamsburg. This three-day soiree promises to catch the attention of savvy fashion nuts from across the boroughs, while providing a platform for emerging Brooklyn Designers to rock the runway with collections for Fall 2008.

Tonight the jump off begins at 5pm, with music by The Rozz Nash Band and the “International Designers Night” with collections of Denis Michel’s French-inspired designs; bold looks by Ghana-native Nana Boateng and Romania’s Catalin Botezatu.

Saturday and Sunday night’s line-up will be sure to show an innovative and eclectic variety including street designs by Riddim Driven, sexy denim by the lovely Joan Vaccianna, transformational pieces by (one of my favorite duo’s) Miss Bruno and many more.

Get a eyeful of what is developing in Brooklyn fashion here