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The Row

What exactly is The Row? Is it super luxe minimalism? A way to reference and recreate brands and styles that have long left the current lexicon. Just a way for rich shorties to make a uniform for themselves?

There’s an elegance to the clothes, and it’s doubly so in the way the garments are styled for collections each season. The muted color palette, the set repertoire of the garments presented, the lengths and shapes fabric is pulled into… looking at The Row, you see something that is committed to itself. It’s doubling down on it’s vision and trying to perfect the technique with which it’s executed.

My first thoughts whe looking at the clothes and how they’re presented take me to Margiela in the late 90’s early 2000’s and as well as the Hermes years that were being worked on by Martin Margiela.There are other things that you could guess inspired the work… Comme, Yohji, Ann D, Jil… all from that same era of time. There’s also the sentiment that The Row is sort of spiritual successor to the Phoebe Philo years of Celine, and I even like to think of the clothes being from the same cut of cloth as Lemaire, both with a different viewpoint.

I’m not sure if the distinction between women’s clothes and men’s clothes matter all that much here. What is clear is that the tailoring and how fabric is shaped on the body is something important to them, though the shapes they are going for really trick the eye and obscure how the body should be read. It isn’t just kinda baggy and flowy, but more sculpted. And a very soft sculpting at that. The threads have body without being consipcuously structured. A shirt might flow in a pant, the pants might flow into the show, and jacket may tie it all together and make it feel like a single garment. The layers are fun, and the clothes make the wearer look like a giant, but in an elegant way. (obviously models have a look to them, but I think this still checks out)

#The Row #fashion #runway #some thoughts

Radiohead

I don’t know why it took me so long to get here. But Radiohead.

I’m a believer. The Radiohead industrial complex has won again.

I think I finally get why people talk about the band the way they do. Their sound is so diverse… you know drawing from so many different genres and mashing into joints that feel almost spiritual.

The lore surrounding Radiohead makes them sound otherworldly, and after spending some time with the music, looking at videos, and other peoples thoughts about the group, I really do believe all the Radiohead mythos. I’ve only spent time with 3 of the 9 albums, but I really love these 3 so far. Each for different reasons, but they all speak to the many shapes Radiohead comes in and to the many audiences they can cater to.

The three albums that I’m cycling through are The Bends, Kid A, and In Rainbows. In Rainbows is what got me in… I feel it’s the record that most sounds like it’s meant to be played in a Stadium (not that they aren’t always playing to insanely large crowds)… it\s a record that feels very easy to like and get into. Big music with clear sounds that are catchy and yet super diverse…Maybe it’s also just me thinking about the time it was was released. I think of other records of that era like Graduation, Tha Carter 3, Viva La Vida, Favourite Worst Nightmare… I dunno maybe it’s a stretch.

The Bends was where I went next after catching wind of the album art on the record… I thought the photo of the crash test dummy through a tv was captivating and made me want to check out the music that lived behind that image. I wasn’t disappointed. The music on The Bends was nostalgic. Again, it’s a record that feels like a product of its time, and fit a lot of the things my murky memory associates with the late 90’s, despite only being a kid when it was released. It’s punchy, angsty, super dissatisfied with everything and I can dig it.

I thought In Rainbows and The Bends were kinda similar, with the former being a much more mature approach to music making, so hearing Kid A flipped all of that on its head. The Optimistic sample on Frank Ocean’s nostalgia, ULTRA has sort of always lived in my heard, so finally hearing the full song made it all stick and realigned some of the ideas I had about music. The record is a little abstract, like a cyber spiritual in the sounds and the way verses are just one or two lines repeated over and over. I’d easily take track 3 to replace the Star Spangled Banner.

To close, it was really such a good feeling to hear all of this for the first time in an earnest way, especially now that I’m a fully fledged adult with thoughts and opinions. It’s also incredible to here these records now and kinda see how they laid some of the groundwork for some of the other music I listen to currently. They’ve been doing this for a long time, I’m just happy to be able to get even just a crumb of the sounds they’ve been able to assemble.

#music #radiohead #the bends #in rainbows #kid a

He Got Game (1998)

I realized recently that I’m a sucker for coming of age films and one I think that fits the bill and adds a little more is He Got Game.

When I first got to see the film, I fell in love with the look, the story, the performances, the whole vibe of the film.

What really hit for me was the conflict surrounding the father-son relationship and the different ways it was shown throughout. I think the most compelling display of their relationship is through them playing a game of 1 on 1. Basketball is supposed to be a bonding experience between father & son, and be a way for them to connect, share knowledge, and just spend time together. Instead the game becomes a vehicle the father’s abusive display of “tough love” forwards his son. Later on, the game is very much life altering for both father and son. Jesus going on to play college basketball, Jake remaining in jail, both dates sealed on a game of basketball.

I find one of the earlier scenes of the two playing 1 on 1 to be poetic.. From the lingo and banter they are throwing back and forth, to the bystander asking Jake to take it easy on the kid, to Jake casually sipping on the bottle of liquor, to Jesus tossing the ball and walking away. The music that plays as that all unravels is the icing on the cake.

By the time we get to the second and final game of 1 on 1, the game means a lot more for each of these guys, not only in the overall story but in their estranged relationship as father & son. We all know how this game will end, as do the two men, but it’s more about the act and proving a point rather than the actual outcome. It ends with one of those lines that just sticks with you days, months, years after the fact… and it helps that Denzel is the one to deliver it.

What I appreciate is that the film works within the confines of what it might have meant to make a “black film” in the late 90’s while working to tell an all together different story. Whether or not Jesus succeeds is not on the table, that’s already written in the stars, but the real talking point is how he’ll do it and who he will take along with him (and who he leaves behind) when he does ultimately succeed. And we get that in the very last scene. The film takes a kind of surrealist, existential approach to the idea of a frayed relationship that finally gets resolved. You can pass the torch but it’s ultimately up the the person on the receiving end to decide if that’s a cross they wish to bear. It’s all in the title really, Spike is already telling us what the state of affairs are, and the rest of the movie is showing us how he decides to play.

#film #he got game

favorite records of the year (that I listened to for the first time) ... a tally

#music #albums #2022

Thinking about music from 2022…

I think this year has been funky in terms of the things I’ve consumed. I decided early in the year to double down and dig back into the things I already know and love, but I did end up finding some new things to really enjoy listening to… in part by chance and in part because they’ve just been sitting on a queue waiting for me to get to it. So I wanted to dedicate a little time to my three favorite records from this year.

So the records that really left an impression on me this year were Nilufer Yanya’s Painless, Lucki’s Flawless Like Me, and Radiohead’s The Bends. The first two actually came out this year, and I found them through word of mouth (the internet)... while the Radiohead record is just something I was curious about for so long, and finally took the time to tune in during the second half of this year.

At first listen, all three records sound very different and to be very honest, they are, but I think there’s a lot of overlap between all of them. It’s a sort of triple venn diagram where Radiohead is sitting in the middle connecting the two more recent records. The connections lie not only in style but content as well… which are mainly based on my observations of course. I have no idea if any of these musicians have heard or listened to each other, but the bridging between the three is an assessment I’ve applied after listening to each for a little while.

Out of the three, Painless is my favorite, mainly because I’ve had more time with it, but Yanya’s approach to song making has such a wide range on the record. There are slow joints, fast joints, catchy joints, classic joints… Painless covers a lot of bases. Not to mention that her voice is so different. A bit husky, melancholy,

The Bends

#music #2022 #nilufer yanya #lucki #radiohead #the bends #flawless like me #painles

Moonlight (2016)

Text that wants to be a review, but is just me gushing over something I enjoy

For moonlight, I really love the diner scene with both Chiron and Kevin reunite after all that time has passed. From Kevin making the call out of the blue, to Chiron taking that trip to Miami (which is a very long drive) to them kicking it and reconnecting over dinner… it’s really an incredible sequence of events. A true reconciliation of things, feelings, personalities.

The two are dancing the entire time. Doing a little spar, if they still feel the same way, if they lost anything over the time, how they each feel about the other. What’s great is that even with all the time that has passed, their core beings are still the same. So even though they’ve gotten older and the actors have changed, the way they act still feels similar not only to the viewer but to the characters themselves.

I want to get back to the idea of sparring as a romantic exercise… or feeling each other out to get a sense of where you lie with the other person. Feelings are tough, and vocalising them twice as much, so the fact that they challenge each other still after all these years is a really beautiful thing to see. We’re watching something that is taking place over a good amount of time, but being executed by 6 different people, so it’s really an achievement with what trevante & andre were able to pull off in the last third of the film.

More than anything, the back end of Moonlight lives off of the “Classic Man” remix (which the original was a bit of a meme back in the day) and the awkwardness that is confronting the person you were first attracted to and them returning that. Even as adults, they’re dancing around each other like teenagers still. Granted, the topic of queerness in these communities is not an easily traversed one, but the film really plays into the little details of having a crush, being in love, and feeling seen, even if the folks in question are two grown adults.

Honestly, the romance of Moonlight feels cool. It reminds me of things that I felt whilst watching 500 days of summer, or Beginners, or even Amelie. That quirky kinda attraction/love that could exist on Tumblr with a small caption. It’s really masterful.

The final third kinda sheds the hardships of what it means to be queer & in love and just gives us something that is universal… so whether you’re a man that likes men, or a woman that likes women, or anywhere else on that spectrum, you could relate to this interaction that these long lost lovers are having. Yall know how it feels to be around your person… you start to act up, say and do things you wouldn’t normally do. They transform you, and you transform them, and behind the awkwardness and trepidation is truth and honesty, and unfiltered affection.

The third act of Moonlight is a level of romance I’d put up there with Sleepless in Seattle, Love Don\t Cost a Thing, Love & Basketball, etc… It’s muddy but not ambiguous. These two are more lying to themselves than to each other because they both know what they’re doing and why they’re there, so all that’s left is for them to enjoy the company and make up for lost time because that’s all we have at the end of the day.

#film #moonlight

Our Legacy

a m***rclass in taking regular degular things but freaking them. Like yeah, you’ll get a shirt or a sweater or even some denim, but it’ll be a little funky. Maybe an irregular texture or a fit that favors one side rather than being balanced, even the color might be a bit strange.

I’ve always thought of Our Legacy coming from that Scandinavian school of clothing that is minimal but not simple, clean but kinda messy… something that lied between Norse projects and Acne Studios.

Jerseys without side seams, shirts that sit a little long at the hip and shoulder… think of all the basics one could wear, but make them a little weird… and then throw in a little sauce… and you get Our Legacy.

They do it all though, from the garments themselves, to the accessories that follow closely behind, to the images and presentations that represent the Our Legacy universe.

At times, the clothes feel like an entry point for anyone looking to take a step up and away from the “middle of the mall” gear most of us are used to, but in reality, Our Legacy is more like a ladder to a world of its own making. Obviously it exists within the context of the other bits around them, but when you lock in and maintain your cruising altitude, magic happens.

#Our Legacy #fashion #runway #some thoughts

Comme des Garcons

The way I see Comme these days is that it isn’t just about the clothes. What I enjoy about CDG, and a lot of the other labels I end up looking at, is the notion of crafting a lifestyle and/or way of living. Sure it starts with a jacket or a pair of trousers, but that isn’t where it ends. Obviously there’s a way that the items are cut and constructed that strays from how most would understand a pant or a shoe to be, so in a lot of ways, clothes have to be the thing you fall back on, but they also allow you to bounce to other things as well.

Having a certain look is cool, but building a world for you to live in is fly. That’s what really interests me. You find a fit you like, and think what shoes go best? And then what scent matches this look? And then what kind of furniture is the scent on? Are there other things on that little surface that speak to the scent, the shoes, the shirt?

At this point in time , what’s incredible to see is how the new things live alongside directly with the old things. Garments from 1983 get to be in designs with CDG CDG from 2022. On one hand, thats because of the way the world operates now. Everything gets to live together in a way that feels like they’ve never left. Old with the new, outdated with the innovative, things you always return to with some ideas that have been outsourced.

At 50+ years of existence, the lore that surrounds Comme is probably warranted because it feels like they’ve done and built so much, while trying to remain true to some core ideas. I’m not exactly sure what all of those ideas are, but I like to think that it always ends up coming back to clothes and how that alters the way you move in the world.

What’s amazing is that world doesn’t have to all be built from all things Comme des Garçons. This is what I imagine the pinnacle of getting fly and turning garments into a way of life results in. Dover Street Market has now entered the chat. Retail is one thing and can be cool all on its own, but the idea of collecting things that may or may not be directly related to each other and allowing them to live and converse with one another is that extra push.

You’d think that there are only so many ways to organize a space, but allowing the world the clothes live in to spill out in some way and become 3 Dimensional is fly. Versatility in your own work is one thing, and it’s an even grander thing to have versatility in who your neighbors are, living together while speaking different languages.

#comme des garcons #fashion #runway #retail #dover street market #some thoughts

Simone Rocha

The clothes are full of drama, a kind of luxe / hard meets soft way of dressing. *disclaimer* these words are based solely on what I can see going down the runway. At times the clothes feel doll like… but if the doll came to life, grew up and decided to buy a castle on a mountain. Big “fantasy” fits without straying into cosplay. When I look at Simone Rocha, I’m looking at someone dressing up, but channeling multiple moments in their life. So shapes and textures you might associate with being a child happen to be right next to very “grown up” materials.

I appreciate the layers that go on. There’s tons of straight forward layering of shirt or jacket over a dress which might also be over some pants. But there are layers within each individual garment. One dress might have a solid mid section but sheer / lace for the legs, or be solid at the at the legs with a sheer layer for the pockets. It’s honestly impossible for me to tell if some of the clothes are one piece or 5, but the depth is really cool to see

What’s also really cool is the way the garments move as the models walk. Whether it’s something that’s sleek and close to the body or something with more shape and volume, the clothes bounce and sway and move with the body in interesting ways.

Of the many ways there are to play with garments, whether it be the shape, or the texture of the fabric, color even, what seems to continue to stay with the clothes in the Simone Rocha universe are the ways in which one can embellish their outfit. There are subtle prints that almost feel like more of a texture than a graphic. Seams and joints are exaggerated to call out the different parts of the garment. It’s fun to see sleeves that start at the collar and end at the elbow, or tops that start as a button up and quickly evolve and grow in a skirt at the bottom. The

There has also been tons of pearls & crystals as another layer on top of the clothes to add additional shape on monochromatic looks. Big flowy dresses and shoes with absurd soles become personal with the additional bits of

Looking at the clothes over the years, it feels as if the clothes have become more specific, which I really dig. It feels like in many ways, Simone Rocha has dug deep and fleshed out who they are and I diving into it heavy. Maybe these clothes that are a bit tragic and spooky but very still very regal and would fit in at a royal ball are how they feel at this moment, but lifestyle and character they invoke feels good to see. Some of the “earlier” clothes look like anyone could wear them, which is totally cool, but the latest stuff gives the vibe of speaking to a very specific type of person. I’m not sure who that person could be, but I do know they’ll be fly.

P.S. this was written before the menswear was shown… and it was teased a bit in the items sold with H&M, but a full range in the tongue of Simone Rocha was just recently put on display alongside the women’s clothing… and I have to say I’m even more of a fan.

#fashion #runway #simone rocha #some thoughts