I’ve been enjoying reading about director Janicza Bravo in The Gentlewoman and the FT.
After clocking her boyish style, I wasn’t surprised to learn she started out as a stylist and costume designer. With her trouser suits, caps, Derby shoes and cropped hair, she has a great, distinctive look (more…)
“Rachel Cusk and Zadie Smith have become, in effect, literary brands — once their names are removed from the context of a book’s cover and placed on a hat or a tote bag.” Terry Nguyen, New York Times.
The merch machine refuses to die. In fact, I would argue it’s only just getting started. The New York Times recently published this article on literary merch, explaining the relatively new popularity of #litcore caps (and totes and tees) that show allegiance to revered writers while telegraphing the wearer’s (perceived) intellectual superiority. The Guardian calls this “consuming culture as a performative act”, while comedian Dan Rosen simply calls it “liberal cringe” (ouch #guilty).
It’s also rampant in media, with mainstream and niche publications going all out on taste signallers. (more…)
Two new initiatives on my radar in the repair and re-wear space.
Nike’s Re-Creation project upcycles deadstock and used clothing into new, lovingly crafted pieces where stains and holes are creatively transformed or carefully camouflaged (below). It’s not an entirely unique approach – lots of small start-ups have used this method – but the execution is more in line with my taste. (more…)
“I’ve amassed more than 50 Levi’s henley T-shirts from the time they put their logo under the button placket: three buttons, four buttons, long-sleeved, short-sleeved and, the rarest, sleeveless henleys. I rarely wear them, but what does that matter? Maybe they’ll be part of my uniform next summer; maybe I’ll write a book about them. There are clothes for the fantasy of being able to transform into, say, a truck driver or a raver if I suddenly want to.” (more…)
