TIMEBANDITS - Art, Fashion, Urban Culture, Music, and the Retro-Future Lifestyle

On American Idol, last Tuesday night on February 26, Chikezie rocked a very cool 1970’s style retro watch provided by TIMEBANDITS Watches.

American Idol contestant Chikezie not only wore a TIMEBANDITS on the top 10 boys performance night, he also rocked a different TIMEBANDITS watch on the American Idol results show which aired on Thursday night. Chikezie performed “I Believe” by Donny Hathaway and received positive reviews from Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and believe it or not…Simon Cowell! Chikezie explained in a video clip that his Nigerian name means “something well created by God.” It is very clear that Chikezie’s positive energy and brilliant talent will bring him much success!

As Ryan Seacrest interviewed Chikezie on the stage after the judges gave their praises, you could see that Chikezie was very happy with his successful performance. As he was all smiles, he rocked his TIMEBANDITS watch with pride on stage.

The TIMEBANDITS watch model that Chikezie was wearing was a Red Calculator face on a Solid Black Sweatband, model # DCAL02R.

TIMEBANDITS is a line of sweatband watches designed by LA based designer, Jonathan Stephens. This brand of watches is the must have urban accessory for Hollywood celebrities! Stay tuned for more episodes as the American Idol Season continues. TIMEBANDITS is now working with American Idol by providing watches for American Idol contestants.

TIMEBANDITS Watches are available at: www.timebanditswatches.com

Photos of Chikezie and all of his performances can be viewed on the American Idol website at www.americanidol.com.

We’ve been waiting for this album for a long time. Radiohead is back!

Radiohead is releasing their new album In Rainbows on October 10! Now that they are no longer signed to a major record label, they have decided to allow fans to download the complete album and pay as much or as little as they like. This is a genius marketing idea that will offer a strong sharing platform to all of those fans out there. This is also a great way to give back to the listeners and receive a strong return by selling more units, and thus financing their next project. Click on the link below to purchase your new Radiohead album!

http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Quickindex.html

We are constantly surrounded by designs that inspire us as artists, and by saying that I mean that we consciously and subconsciously look to bring particular designs into our world to influence us. If you take a look around your house, apartment, office, or studio, you’ll know what I mean. We draw into us what we want to become a part of us. Therefore, the clothes you wear and the things you collect become a part of you and serve as a major force in how you are represented as an individual.

Some of the designs we like and are inspired by range from the Eero Saarinen Tulip Chair to Urban Vinyl Toys by Doze Green and Gary Baseman to The Nike Dunk Low SB - Tiffany Edition shoes.

URBAN VINYL TOYS WE LIKE …

These Urban Vinyl Toys are a MUST HAVE for your collection!

Reading from Left to Right for Rows 1 through 3:

Row 1: Gary Baseman M.O.D 8 Inch Dunny, Smoking Cat by Kaz, Bunny Duck by Todd Schorr,

Row 2: Camille Rose Garcia Dolls - set of 4, Gamagon in Red by Tim Biskup, Gary Baseman Bear Qee

Row 3: Travela by Doze Green, Obey Dog Qee by Shephard Fairey, FAFI: Irena Pale Edition

NIKE DUNK SB’s - that we like. These are the most noteworthy Nike Dunk SB’s that we can think of when it comes to innovative urban design and style.

Reading from Left to Right for Rows 1 through 4:

Row 1: Nike Dunk Lo Pro SB Avenger, Nike Dunk Lo Pro SB Heineken, Nike Dunk Lo Pro SB Tiffany

Row 2: Nike Dunk Low SB (Buck), Nike Dunk Low SB (Raygun Black Edition), Nike Dunk Low SB (Boca Jr Edition)

Row 3: Nike Dunk High SB (NL undft. Edition), Nike Dunk Low SB (Hulk Edition), Nike Dunk SB (Euro High)

Row 4: Nike Dunk Low SB (Cali Edition), Nike Dunk Low Pro SB (royal blue/orange/mesh), Nike Dunk Low SB (Hawaii Edition)

More urban design and style reflections coming soon!

Future City by Jonathan Stephens

REMIX

WalAAH

Snoop Dogg and Arch Bishop Don Magic Juan - photographed by Jonathan Stephens

Art Direction and Visual Design by Jonathan Stephens

Arch Bishop Don Magic Juan

Photographed by Jonathan Stephens

Jonathan Stephens - Designer and CEO of TIMEBANDITS Watches.

Here’s a new Press Photo taken by Ryan Alosio.

Self Portrait

Expanded Theory on Dream Evolution

Hello everyone. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jonathan Stephens, the designer and CEO of TIMEBANDITS Watches. I’d like to begin by giving you some insight into my background and what led me to become an artist and designer.

I made the move to Los Angeles, California in 1994 from Little Rock, Arkansas. Yep that’s right, Bill Clinton territory. My mom, Cookie actually went to school with him, but that’s another story. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, I was accepted to USC School of Cinema-Television and studied filmmaking. While attending USC School of Cinema-TV, I directed a series of 5 short films, produced an Incubus Music Video for Sony Music, worked as a professional photographer shooting models, and directed several music videos. After completing my BA in Cinema-TV, I was given a very fortunate opportunity to begin work on the The X-Files series. On The X-Files, I worked as the Assistant to Kim Manners, the Co-Executive Producer and primary Director of the show. While working for Kim, I learned every aspect of directing. I had the best job in the world! I was able to follow this brilliant Director around as his shadow and absorb all of the lessons that a young aspiring director should learn.

While working on The X-Files, I was also hired as a Still Photographer by FOX to shoot publicity photos of the actors, behind the scenes photos, and best of all - a series of forensic photos that would be featured on camera as a major plot device. During hiatus from The X-Files, I continued my photography professionally shooting celebrity portraits, shooting various album covers for bands, and began focusing on shooting photography that encompased the world of surrealism. I was drawn to: night time photography, cross-processed highly saturated images, carnival subject matter, candy, toys, the obscure, haunting images, nostalgic images that would take you back to your childhood, pop surrealism, and visions of a retro-future. As we were filming the last season of The X-Files, I still found the time to direct several other music videos including a rap video that was creatively rewarding to direct.

After The X-Files series ended, I continued to focus on my photography and began incorporating my photographs in visual design. My influences for my photography and art during this whole growth period were: Juxtapoz, Robert Williams, Mark Ryden, Dali, Syd Mead, Futuristic Art, Lowbrow - Pop Surrealism, kcrw music, Graffiti - street artists, and La Luz de Jesus Gallery. During this artistic growth period, I participated in over 10 Group Art Shows, many with the Underground Art Movement in LA called “Cannibalflower.” I also had several One-Man Solo art exhibits. My solo exhibit was called “The Wonderland Exhibit” and it received an overwhelmingly successful response from the LA Art Movement. The man himself, Billy Shire - the most well respected art curator in LA, showed up to check out my “Wonderland Exhibit”.

Several months after finishing up on The X-Files, I began making a few watches for myself to wear. These watches were no ordinary watches. I had grown tired of wearing leather watches so I came up with the idea of “why not just throw a watch on a sweatband? Yeah, I would wear that!” So I made my first sweatband watches and started wearing them around in Hollywood on various film sets here and there. People started tripping on them and they wanted to buy them. I started selling them immediately and then placed the product in a selection of high end boutiques across LA. The response was overwhelming and celebrities started buying them! Since then, my watch line has been sold at Fred Segal, Hot Topic, and numerous stores all around the world! The list of celebrities that have been seen wearing TIMEBANDITS is pretty remarkable. As I developed the TIMEBADITS brand, I was able to bring my art design skills into play be creating a surreal product with crazy colored designs for the retro-future consumer. It’s been an incredible journey, but I feel like I’m just getting started. I am currently working on the designs for our Spring/Summer 2008 Line and pursuing other collaborative efforts with different brands in product development.

To check out my artwork or TIMEBANDITS Watches, please visit the websites below.

www.timebanditswatches.com

www.jrsfilm.com

www.myspace.com/timebandits

www.myspace.com/jrsfilm

Thanks to all of the TIMEBANDITS supporters out there!

Best Wishes,

Jonathan Stephens

TIMEBANDITS is a line of sweatband watches designed by Jonathan Stephens.

TIMEBANDITS has successfully created the perfect hybrid accessory of the future. Our product offers a unique blend of trend and practicality, fusing retro-style watch faces with an array of funky sweatbands. Timebandits watches have a special quality that appeals to any type of person, regardless of age, gender, race, or class. By colliding elements of the past with the future, we have been able to produce an innovative fashion accessory for the retro-future consumer.

Our product is currently being worn by Hollywood’s celebrity elite such as: (SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CONTESTANT: Sara Kei VonGillern), (AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANTS: Sanjaya Malakar, Chris Richardson, and Blake Lewis), Paris Hilton, SNOOP DOGG, Nicole Ritchie, NICK VERREOS from Project Runway, Jack Osbourne, Flavor Flav, Haylie Duff, Pamela Anderson, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, Naomi Watts, PEREZ HILTON, Jenny McCarthy, the band 311, and many, many more. Our product has been featured in many magazines such as Teen Vogue, US Weekly, People, Blender, Glamour, Details, Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Wad (France), Max (Germany), Maxim (Italy), ViVi (Japan), and many more. Sara Kei VonGillern rocked her TIMEBANDITS watch on 2 episodes of “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE”. Perez Hilton can be seen on the new cover of URB Magazine rocking his TIMEBANDITS watch! AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT Sanjaya Malakar can be seen wearing a TIMEBANDITS watch in a recent issue of US WEEKLY Magazine. Snoop Dogg rocked our wristband watches on his #1 hit video “Drop it Like It’s Hot” which has aired in heavy rotation on MTV, BET, and VH1. Snoop was also seen wearing Timebandits Watches on Live 8 on MTV/VH1 which was broadcast to over one billion people tuning in worldwide. Many major US television programs such as So You Think You Can Dance (Fox), Project Runway (Bravo), The Simple Life Goes to Camp (E), Flavor of Love (VH1), The Andy Milonakis Show (MTV), CSI (CBS), Law and Order (NBC), TRL (MTV), Rap City (BET), Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC), Pepsi Smash (WB), My Wife and Kids (ABC), Party at the Palms (E), and many other shows have featured our watches on the air.

Our sweatband watches that we produce are currently being sold in the hottest and most well respected stores in the US, Europe, and Japan. Kids, teenagers, and young adults from all over the world have embraced our product. Timebandits has become a phenomenon. It has the power to put a smile on the customer’s face, transforming an average adult into a child that just received the perfect toy. Everyone needs to wear a watch, but only TIMEBANDITS will redefine the way you keep time. Please visit our website at: www.timebanditswatches.com

Here you will find the latest news in Art, Fashion, Urban Culture, Music, and the Retro-Future Lifestyle. We like to focus on the perception of how the hyper-urban dweller sees the world. Shedding light on the retro-future urban consciousness.