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 Hi, I'm Kyle, a.k.a. Kyality. This is my original, old school blog all about by passions for topics like entertainment, automobiles, gear, and design. Though I no longer post here, I'd like to think there's still some pretty good stuff in here. You can follow my interests and adventures on Instagram and link to my professional site here. Thanks for visiting. 

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Kikuo Ibe, Optimism, and His White Casio G-Shock

When I think about some of the most influential watches of my youth, Casio is definitely up there. That iconic black plastic casing and strap found its way onto my wrist in about third grade as my very first watch. Actually, now that I think about it, I've pretty much had a watch on my wrist every day since.

Casio's G-Shock line, invented by Kikuo Ibe in 1983, was originally crafted as a watch designed simply to withstand a fall due to the forces of gravity. Unfortunately over time, it's become more of an ultra aggressive line of bro-y, tactical-style watches that I have no interest in whatsoever.

I was recently able to snag a re-release of the original Casio G-Shock designed by Ibe himself. Its retro vibe and iconic status scratched me right where I itched. I also recently stumbled onto this great little video by A Blog to Watch, interviewing the man behind this icon.



I instantly noticed that he also still wears his original design... but in white. I love this timeless, yet postmodern reinterpretation of what he imagined decades ago. With a little more digging, I came across this great article by Hypebeast analyzing Ibe's everyday carry, or ECD. Sure enough, there's his white G-Shock, pretty much front and center.

My favorite moment of the vid is how he describes his vision of a peaceful future. He says...

I like to imagine being in space with a friendly alien 

next to me and we are both wearing G-Shocks.

I love the wisdom and optimism of this little short film. In fact, I think a white version of his original design in some ways is sort of a physical embodiment of his optimistic outlook... almost the complete opposite vibe of the more recent militaristic models. Let's just hope some space marine sporting a tact-ed out version of a G-Shock doesn't take out his little alien friend first.

2017: A Year in Review

After 10+ consecutive year in review posts of my top 3 faves in topics like music, movies, TV, cars, and more... I figure I've earned the right to shake things up a bit. So this time around, I'm trying something new. Welcome to some of my favorite things that I either loved, discovered, or got into in 2017. These are in no particular order, but there are 9 in total (so yeah, optimized nicely for the Insta).

ADPT Straps


The dudes at Worn and Wound launched their very own American made NATO-style watch strap company this year with the best color combos in the business.


2018 Subaru Crosstrek
Sure, these entry-level all-wheel drives are becoming undeniably ubiquitous, but every time I see an orange one… I just wanna get out and go.


Dunkirk


This is Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus and in my opinion it’s easily the best movie of the year. Also, check out the sound illusion that makes Dunkirk so intense.


The Crown


Just when you're starting to really feel a lack of Downton Abby in your life, along comes The Crown with all of its binge-worthy Britishness.


Arcade Fire - Everything Now


Sure it heavies up on the topical messaging and ABBA inspiration, but man there are some arena-optimized crowd pleasers here that make this one an instant classic.


Farer Aqua Compressor Hecla


Yes, I've become a little watch obsessed this year (even more than usual), and this particular model from an inspiring brand really brings it home: simple, functional, beautiful.


Gear Patrol Magazine


I love that a publication, which was born online, can enter the traditional, printed space with such style and sophistication. Opening this magazine feels like Christmas morning every time.


The Grey Nato Podcast


Adventurers Jason Heaton and James Stacey dial up the outdoor inspiration with an every-other-week podcast that kinda makes you wish it was a daily deal.


Under an Arctic Sky


Photographer turned documentarian Chris Burkard delivers an epically frigid film that captures the hunt for the ideal arctic wave. Wait until the end, it's worth it!

The Hammer: Mercedes' Gargantuan Grocery Getter

When you meet another wagon guy there's always an instant connect and mutual admiration. #WagonLove is a real thing, but typically you either get it or you don't. The guy featured in this little vid unequivocally get's it. I personally don't know how anyone can look at a car like this and not see what all us wagon guys see. So sit back, relax, and take in the power that is... The Hammer. Maybe you'll become a wagon guy (or gal) too.

The Gear of Alien: Covenant

In July of 2012, I was Portland, OR with a ticket in hand to see The Dark Knight Rises. The night before, we decided to see Ridley Scott’s latest sci-fi epic as a primer. Though I already knew that Prometheus was a pseudo-Alien prequel, what I didn’t know is that it that would fill my head with enough ideas to pretty much completely ruin my Batman experience and give me enough questions to think about for the next 18 months or so.

About 30 seconds into Alien: Covenant I realized it was in fact a direct follow up to Prometheus—not the indirect sequel we were initially led to believe. And I was stoked. Finally, answers would arise! Well, some questions were answered, others weren’t. But what was clear was—man, this movie looks awesome: the cast, cinematography, locations, sets, and yes… the gear.

Scott and his costume designer Janty Yates enlisted the help of fashion designer Craig Green to create a completely original, but familiar and functional look for the away team’s uniforms. I was completely struck by the textures and tones, the buckles and the brims. 

You can see from Green’s previous work that he has a knack for riffing on classic fatigues, giving them a futuristic and almost otherworldly vibe. 

From this interview with Yates, we learn that Scott instructed to his design team not to revisit what we’ve seen in the previous Alien films and do so with an eye for simplicity. Ironically, it was these fashionable threads’ lack of a space helmet that led to the team’s troubles. At least they looked good in the process.

Celebrating Video on Flipboard

Super excited about my latest work with RSQ celebration powerful integration of video across Flipboard. Read this Medium post about the process!