Skate or die meets fashion fly with la’s legendary record-spinning, hip hop rock jeweler Han Cholo and Diamond Supply Co.’s latest collabo, the Sk8 To Death Necklace. Staying true to urban skate subculture, designer Brandon Schoolhouse, aka Han Cholo, drops his crudely engraved skull design in silver, gold and black with silver available online through famed skater-turned-fashion designer Nick Diamond’s online shop in extremely limited quantities. A product of the early ’90s skateboard mecca that was San Francisco’s famed emb, Diamond was already immersed in definitive skate culture prior to his company’s inception in ’98. Diamond first made waves amongst sneaker collectors with the Diamond Supply Co. x Nike “Tiffany” Dunk. The continued success of his omnipresent T-shirt line and various product collaborations followed suit.
Effortlessly traversing distant fashion galaxies with Jedi-like ease, Han Cholo’s jewelry is sported by all fashion iconotypes, from A-list celebs like Brad Pitt to superstars Snoop Dogg, the White Stripes and the Beastie Boys. Inspired by la’s urban Latino culture, his love for sci-fi and his years in the music industry, Cholo successfully mashes up punk rock, street chic and hip-hop glam producing a unique jewelry line that speaks to an ultra-dynamic demographic. Available at his retail store in Echo Park, Los Angeles and his throwback fashion-forward website www.hancholo.com, his fine jewelry pieces include the Headspin Necklace — a heavy artillery bullet ring, the Love Thy Neighbor Brass Knuckles pendant and, of course, the Han Cholo Blaster Belt Buckle. The Breakin’ Bracelet, a charm bracelet with small figures in multiple break dancing poses, and the Ghetto Blaster Necklace are testaments to his work with the Beastie Boys early in his career, while the chain steering wheel belt buckle and la finger sign pendant honor his urban Latino “cholo” background. His latest venture with sneaker giant puma is a limited-edition shoe scheduled for release in fw 09 . One look at this intergalactic, funktastic jewelry line and you’ll surely see: the force is strong in this one.
—Kristoferson Ilao
