Sometimes an image is so good that it renders any text obsolete. Snoopy in the legendary Gucci Tennis from the book to coincide with 1984’s Japanese Snoopy in Fashion exhibition is a perfect case study. Idea Books Instagrammed it this morning and made my day. Even better than Donald Duck in Timbs. Speaking of wheat workboots, a couple of good promo print projects arrived in the post this week — Oi Polloi’s always excellent Pica~Post is back with some extra metal, an interview with Patagonia Alpine Outerwear Christian Regester and Mr. Gary Aspden (it’s heartening to see the low-key looks of the SPEZIAL Ardwick become an object of desire in a world where the same old Technicolor yawns get eBay bids) who really, really went on the campaign trail for his labour of love after years of not doing too many Q&As — Next’s role in casual culture, a picture of Gary with a spaniel and a Preston b-boy crew called Mystic Force makes this amazing. The increasingly prolific David Hellqvist (aka. the Baron) has done a good job with the Document project on the Timberland topic — there’s fashion talk in there, design talk and a really good conversation between my friends Nick Schonberger and Ronnie Fieg on the topic of the brand and its connection to NYC that I loved (sample quote: “Chris Webber used to buy 15 pairs of Timberland at a time”). That’s the kind of insight I want to read when we’re talking about brands that I’m smitten with.
The hustle of retail is draining and I’m rarely surprised by anything on the shelves any more because everything’s either been blogged to death pre-release or is a global rollout that makes shopping abroad significantly less fun. So I ranted about it, and my friend Mr. Ronnie Fieg was kind enough to host my moaning on his blog.
Ronnie is that dude for a number of reasons — he knows his market as both a fanboy and as a retail veteran, he likes some weird shit and he’s one of the best E-marketers out there. Those qualities make him pretty fucking successful. I’m sure this is as close to a tangible collaboration as we can get because: 1. I can’t wear Ranger Boots, because they look wrong on me, 2. I can’t wear boat shoes without them looking wrong on me unless they’re those warship-size Visvim Hockneys and 3. Because I like mesh toeboxes and he rocks with nubuck.
Ronnie’s making ridiculous power moves with Sebago, and I’m in no doubt that a few more brands are going to be pleased they agreed to work with him too. It’s all about the relentless work rate. Plus his Clarks Weaver boots were — on the downlow — last year’s best footwear collaboration.
Again, go check that talk out on his blog. I want to just wander into a sports shop again and see that next shit on the shelf. I remember my small hometown (boogie-down Bedford) being home to no less than eight stores stocking an array of footwear circa 1990. That number of destinations was significantly amplified during London visits. Those experiences, often a simple case of window shopping, set me on the path to where I am now…sat on my arse, tapping away at a MacBook.
So here, out of sheer laziness (what can I say? I’m on holiday until tuesday) is the imagery I sent Ronnie for that piece, broken into bite size chunks. I really, really love the 1970 ad with the most remedial illustration of an adidas Superstar ever committed to paper, the $26 Campus, a shit Blazer picture and a store where you can buy rifles as well as Ewing Rivals and varsity jackets. I’m currently studying the world of store advertising before everything became ruinously slick. There’s merits in a cruder approach to marketing.
NOSTALGIA OFFSET
Mr Porter (not to be mistaken with Denaun or Charlie) is a good site. It makes me want to spend some cash, but I wouldn’t want to have to look after those journal features. That’s some high maintenance work right there, but they seem to be doing a fine job thus far.
My real gripe with online fashion retail is that the clothing has a tendency to turn up looking terrible. I’d sooner have someone take far too long folding up and bagging an object in front of my eyes than for it to arrive still in its plastic packaging as if it was “liberated” from a warehouse by a baghead acquaintance. They seem to be keen to break the spell of the aesthetically displeasing arrival with this much-hyped endeavor.
Mr Porter looks nice too…even if it ain’t hard to tell that ‘Fantastic Man’ was on the design moodboard. Selling Aubin & Wills isn’t a good look at all, but I guess that prick pound is a lucrative one. I just like gawping at brands like Marni one there — like Limoland (soon to arrive on the site too), it’s the sort of insider-favourite that crops up on the pages of ‘Monocle’ with pieces for the monied who seem to favour a certain restraint.
Two Tone Derbies and lambskin backpacks are some millionaire dress down styles, but the Contrast Front Panel Shirt is doubly ill for looking like a reverse version of Tré’s “Mr. GQ Smooth” comedy shirt in ‘Boyz n the Hood’ without the doubly bizarre circular detailing. That’s a strong look if you’re looking to engage in some Cuba-style gurning and wooing at daytime barbecues any time soon…
GWARIZM 
