New York artist and graphic designer Kenzo Minami's Fall/Winter 2008 line of tees have just shipped. Expect them to hit the racks in the next few weeks and to sellout shortly thereafter.

Minami's tees are at the top of the highend tee game and worth their weight in gold: the graphics are simultaneously simple, yet complex; the fabric is perfectly washed to feel like that tee you've had since junior high; and they're cut to flatter. Once you see the collection and try one of these tees on, you'll be addicted. Trust me.

Says Minami: There are 2 elements for theme and concept for FW 2008 - 2009.

One is POISON. This is the main concept and this comes up in different interpretations and manifestations through out. Especially, the most obvious and evident one is MK-69 POISON/GIFT and MK-74 HAZARDOUS. I usually have one word which is almost the title of the season (I often start the whole process of designing by coming up with one word) and it was POISON this season.

The other is the period in Japan called Taisho Period which was the short period from 1912 to 1926. This was a period that was interesting and surely with impact despite its briefness in Japan. Politically and culturally, everything was in flux and in transition, new was coming in to replace the old, and western culture was coming in to mix with traditional Japanese culture. This is more that I wanted to capture the overall feeling of it, rather than it being a concept.

For example, MK-71 ZIGZAG or MK-72 TRI_ZERO (feeling of kimono pattern which are usually surprisingly modern looking) or MK-73 BLOCK-II (which is a remake or deluxe version of MK-41 BLOCK from Spring/Summer 2007, but I wanted to make it into something which hints the armor of samurai warrior.) Though I guess me looking at this period and state might somehow have connection to the fact that I have lived in Japan and U.S. pretty much half and half so far at this stage of my life."

Checkout the pics below. The line can be found at Seven New York (they also sell from their website), Cry Wolf (New York), Loveless (Tokyo), Alex & Chloe, and at Reborn (Montreal).

Kenzo has generously offered up a few tees for me to give away on the site in the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled.