Mo’ magazines being draped on the table to justify an update. And two extremes. Kind of. But both these publications are linked by a certain slavish devotion to a subject matter being pushed to its most hardcore. Can’t stop picking up publications. Mono Workwear’s been covered to death elsewhere, but despite the barmy £30+ pricetag (Steve at The Non Place – master of Amazon.jp pickups inspired me to cop a copy when I saw this Argos catalogue sized publication in his possession and testifies that unless you’re buying big, shipping and exchange rates can kill a £10 import bargain stone dead) it’s absolutely outstanding. Lightning and Free & Easy are superb, but this, and, given the title, you’d be disappointed, if it wasn’t is pure workwear. Less old man slacks reproduced, sheds, interiors or Rugged Museum visitors (shouts to “Mr. Small Head”) – lots of jackets. Lots of lots of them.
Seeing as even the most staunchly hetrosexual taken to stroking the jacket fabric of other males admiringly to the point of homo-eroticism, this right here is historical jacket pornography. Workwear is everywhere, and its easy to get apathetic – the whole poor man’s Frank Serpico look shouldn’t kill your love for utilitarian garments and design that’s built only for protection and necessity – the mother of much outerwear innovation. No amount of cash-ins trying to better Naval, Mountain or General Research can kill that love. Mono’s effort just cements that. This is the Private of the clothing publication world – the remove-from-beneath-the-counter-with-a-wink-type-shit. Why is there no English-language equivalent? There’s nothing to match the density here – someone needs to make a short video documenting the editorial meetings and assignments that create glorious products in this vein. We westerners just haven’t got what it takes – we’d sooner exhale second-hand blog post smoke.
As the second volume (pictured here) celebrates British workwear in all its forms and their cultural impact, it’s a fine entry point for anyone wanting to take a gamble with a non-English language periodical that’s high cost. That it takes another nation to celebrate our innovations while we choose to jock an idealised Americana is sad but understandable, and the trip here into Nigel Cabourn’s (a big Mono fan) archives, sou’westers for days, Barbours, duffels in extreme conditions, ancient ads are downright priceless. Stateside, there’s Dickies, railroad workers and some great Carhartt content too. Only the burger edition of Lightning can top this one in execution stakes. Get down to Superdenim if you’re UK-based and grab a copy.
On the departure of an old colleague, a graffiti-related education has come to a standstill. Things seemed to get a little too slick when it came to presenting the artform – all embossed and spot varnished – 12oz wannabes lacking Allen and company’s legit status. If you crave the kind of thing you’d pick up on a megabucks Tower Records (RIP) binge back in the day, while it’s not Life Sucks Die (but really, is any magazine on that level? Unfair expectations) the UK’s Keep The Faith is just destruction. That lurid cover sucker punches the design snobs and it scorns the legal types who’ve made the huge money (D*Face on Xtina’s album? We thought she had better taste than that) with wack work – topless women, a great Coma interview, Mira’s ill Moomin piece, obituaries and lots and lots of train damage.
Mr. Chris Aylen spoke to the man behind the magazine here in depth, and you can buy it here. you know things are fucked up when an old-fashioned spot of vandalism feels refreshing. Seriously people, stop supporting bullshit…Keep The Faith on the other hand, is well worth your time.
GWARIZM 