THINGS&PEOPLE

HOODY & HENRY

It was a pilgrimage of 3,500 miles. From Brick Lane, London to Rivington Street, New York City. Henry walked through the east village, his soundtrack – Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Wu-Tang and Pharoahe Monch. He took a left onto Rivington and turned off his iPod, he’d arrived at number 158. This was the Alife store and Henry had come to buy sneakers. Airforce 1s and Dunks, Bapestars or Attitude Hi DBLs, Henry wasn’t allied to any particular brand. But this time he was seduced more by the clothing and a collaboration between Alife and Wu-Tang Clan. Back in London Henry lived in his Wu-Tang hoody, perhaps because it antagonised his girlfriend. She asked him how old he thought he was, wearing a top like that. Weeks later, walking down Fournier Street, she was still reminding him that he was 36. They passed the house of the artists Gilbert and George. Gilbert was outside, holding court to a crowd of art students. He stopped mid-sentence and pointed to Henry, ‘Marvellous, absolutely marvellous. Great top, bravo!’.

01 Feb 2015