Streetwear fashion label BruceGlen has an expressive take on streetwear. The Los Angeles based brand goes for vivid looks. I met twin brothers Bruce and Glen Proctor at the Milan Fashion Week Hub while the duo were showing some of the expressive pieces. Are these pieces a person would wear everyday? Who cares! As they said, “It’s about fun.”
Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. Lagerfeld.
Choose, look away or goggle, at times that is a hard decision to make, especially if it is a sudden choice in a rather embarrassing situation, especially if it involves a man’s large bulge. At the 2024 Paris Olympics the games come across as a public acceptance of OnlyFans. Male athletes are known for performances and packages. Sometimes you have to wonder why do people put on certain pieces of clothing before heading out the door. Were they in a rush? Was it a quick decision or a grab and go? That was the only clean piece available. I am not sure how the Karl Lagerfeld quote would apply to this moment in life.
People wear sweat pants for comfort, a quick errand, going to the gym or just laziness. It was clear sunny day in London. I decided to have a walk from the market to the other side. While crossing the Southwark Bridge, admiring the cityscape, looking down the Thames seeing London Bridge, a funny thing happened on the way to the north bank. On the horizon I saw two guys approaching from the opposite way. From the outlines, one looked slim to athletic, the other, more muscular perhaps, brawny. But, I was still enjoying the scenes of a bustling metropolis, just keep moving, thinking about a finding a café or hitting a Tesco supermarket for deli a chocolate chip cookie.
The male duo got close enough to get a clearer view. One was muscular blonde, square head shaped, around 1.83 meters wearing a white t-shirt with grey sweatpants, a bag over his shoulder. The leaner dark haired one carried a large fitness handbag. Maybe they just left a gym.
Without warning, the hunky blond in the grey grabbed my attention in a “Jim Carrey Ace Ventura” way, a double take with swollen eyeballs locked below his waistline. In a flash, London disappeared before my eyes. The city’s vistas became meaningless. Juggling in loose baggy track pants could have been cantaloupe large enough for a two-plate lunch salad. The eggplant meme was not popular then. Mr. Melon noticed my animated reaction. Suddenly, he broke into a smile while we passed each other, an acknowledgement of appreciation for seeing his very obvious for a few seconds.
That fleeting time on a bridge has stayed with me all these years. I wonder if he had sweatpants in different colors. Bye the way, I forgot about the cookie.
Style moved from Having It to Faking It. As with so many elements in modern life, expensive handbags may not be what you think, fake handbags are stylish. Once a secret, today buyers and influencers proudly display cheap knock offs.
The history of denim was displayed in Berlin. While walking around a trade fair I came across a stall with vintage jean pieces. The Jeans Museum located in Zurich Switzerland contains over 14,000 pairs of jeans and jackets. Curator Ruedi Karrer is a walking encyclopedia on the textile subject.
The Jeans Museum is on Kochlistr 25. Zurich
contact-reudi@jeansmuseum.org
Fashion designer Brett Johnson talks about creativity in this Before Tacky Brief.
Check out the entire podcast here:
Today, I got back my repaired Nudie Jeans. That was fast, the hole got repaired. Better than going out buying a new pair. Here is hoping these last a few more years with a lot of wear.
To buy a pair of jeans or use the free repair service, the Nudie Jeans store is located at Memhardstrasse 7, Berlin.
Designer Brett Johnson returns for a conversation on this Before Tacky episode. The Milan luxury fashion head talks about his vision for his label, the quiet luxury trend and the current state of the industry.
The Fake It Till You Make You culture took a hit on Wednesday. The Chinese fashion platform Pandabuy got raided by police. The popular app is known for selling clothing at low prices. The open secret, many fake luxury goods purchased find their way to global influencers. TikTok accounts littered with newly purchased designer labels displayed with so much glee, even Ryan Gosling would need sunglasses. Never mind the source of the clothing. That questionable Dior bag sales for $176 dollars. Why pay 1500 dollars for the real thing? Sixty dollars for a pair of Valentino Sneakers is a steal, no questions asked.
Talking to a professional colleague about the Pandabuy story, this reflects the modern zeitgeist. External validation not with a brand, but with an imitation. Striving for likes and clicks, openly flaunting faketry has no shame.
Recently, while attending some fashion press events, I noticed many Gen Z and Millennials attendees with emblazoned monograms on jackets, shirts and bags. Wondering how so many could afford wearing thousands of dollars on their back, questions answered. The e-commerce site understands its customers. Pandabuy targets young digital content creators who pitch what to buy.
Shutting down one fake site, “with demand comes sellers.”
Another Nudie Jeans post, The denim brand is a staple of my wardrobe. I met the founders in Berlin at Bread and Butter in the early 2000’s. The label has always stood for sustainable. I got my first pair in 2012, I’ve been a fan ever since. The Repair Bar in the Hackersham Market Store shows the level of commitment from the Swedish fashion label. The crotch came apart, probably wear and tear from riding the bike. After my drop-off, I can expect the repaired jeans back in six weeks or perhaps I may trade them in for new jeans.
From Milan Fashion Week this past February with a color from the Caribbean, fashion brand Sugaboi hit the runway with a collection blending a hot palette with a figure hugging forms. Creative head Geoff Cooper made the most of his calendar debut.
