Urban Techwear

[TEKsevenZERO]

I wonder if the logo was an ACRNM one there would be different comments......

[danii]

hopefully it would take more than just branding

EDIT: not even spanish fly buckle would help

Edited July 25, 2017 by danii

[brainerd666]

That's actually one of the aspects of the last couple seasons of ACRNM that drew me to buy my first piece, the lack of branding. I've shied away from buying some of the older pieces that have either of the logos. 

[TEKsevenZERO]

in other news techwear for the younglings : https://www.dezeen.com/2017/07/05/ryan-mario-yasin-petit-pli-clothing-expands-fit-children-grow-royal-college-art-design-graduates/?li_source=LI&li_medium=recommended_movies_block

 

[WillKhitie]

Also, given how Gibsonian this is, I'm surprised this hasn't found it's way here in any permutation. 

Pick it up here:// https://www.ssense.com/en-us/interview/engineering-the-end-of-fashion

Here's their actual:// https://www.lot2046.com/

[AnomalousTautology]

1 hour ago, WillKhitie said:

Also, given how Gibsonian this is, I'm surprised this hasn't found it's way here in any permutation. 

Pick it up here:// https://www.ssense.com/en-us/interview/engineering-the-end-of-fashion

Here's their actual:// https://www.lot2046.com/

I'm truly impressed

I'm not sure if I should subscribe immediately or avoid it like the plague 

...

I don't want to become the product of an A.I.s

[brainerd666]

Subscribed. I'd rather be the product of AI than humans at this point. The humans are doing some really lame/fucked up shit en-masse lately. 

[Dolphinski]

Let us know what it's like...interesting concept!

[Inkinsurgent]

8 hours ago, WillKhitie said:

Also, given how Gibsonian this is, I'm surprised this hasn't found it's way here in any permutation. 

Pick it up here:// https://www.ssense.com/en-us/interview/engineering-the-end-of-fashion

Here's their actual:// https://www.lot2046.com/

this is an extremely interesting concept from an artistic point of view. the problem with it as a consumer product is that the actual items are rather lackluster. 

[brainerd666]

@Inkinsurgent Whereas you see lackluster, I see minimalist. Minimalist pieces are always a plus to have in one's wardrobe IMO, as it can easily round out a look. I'm more interested in the overall build quality, and how the drops adjust to my preferences month to month. 

[twistedtrees]

idk, kinda looks like the OK Soda of clothing brands

[Hades]

Does anyone have an opinion/experience with recent Stone Island gear? There's a lot of hype right now and vague rumours of lower quality as production has expanded. I personally love what Stone Island was and what's they've achieved previously, but I don't want to buying SI clothes if that quality isn't there anymore.

Edited July 27, 2017 by Hades

[Toilettebun]

2 hours ago, Hades said:

Does anyone have an opinion/experience with recent Stone Island gear? There's a lot of hype right now and vague rumours of lower quality as production has expanded. I personally love what Stone Island was and what's they've achieved previously, but I don't want to buying SI clothes if that quality isn't there anymore.

Just don't buy the money grabbers aka any stone island pieces that looks like regular clothing but has a SI patch attach or heavy branding. They still release amazing stuff and continue to do research but steer clear of money grabbers. 

[Inkinsurgent]

17 hours ago, brainerd666 said:

@Inkinsurgent Whereas you see lackluster, I see minimalist. Minimalist pieces are always a plus to have in one's wardrobe IMO, as it can easily round out a look. I'm more interested in the overall build quality, and how the drops adjust to my preferences month to month. 

Minimalism is about achieving perfection through simplicity. I don't consider some $20 straight fit uniqlo jeans and a pair of vans knockoffs "minimalist". 

 

[brainerd666]

@Inkinsurgent Point taken. I thought they appeared to be an even simpler version of those above mentioned brands, minus any branding, which is an immediate improvement aesthetically IMO. This could all just be a bunch of junk in a box, or lead to more and more refined and interesting products. I'm willing to take the gamble. I've definitely spent far more in the very recent past on pieces from much lauded labels that I found highly disappointing. 

[parka-boy]

9 hours ago, Toilettebun said:

Just don't buy the money grabbers aka any stone island pieces that looks like regular clothing but has a SI patch attach or heavy branding. They still release amazing stuff and continue to do research but steer clear of money grabbers. 

I have a stone island plain black t-shirt (with the small square compass logo over the left chest) and it's gotta be the nicest feeling cotton I've ever experienced tbh (soft + smooth + sturdy). Got it for 30% off during a mr. porter sale last year, and was extremely pleasantly surprised.

[AnomalousTautology]

@Inkinsurgent @brainerd666

I don't think any of us can really speak of the products of LOT2046 yet, we don't know what it really is unless we have it in hand, and that's just the stock items from first few months, who knows what LOT will send to certain people multiple years into the subscription 

I agree that the stock examples are super derivative, but those pieces are only a starting place for a service that tailors your package to your tastes. LOT doesn't know your tastes at the start, so LOT is staying relatively conservative, they are what the company has decided would be the best pieces to attract the attention of different people with different tastes.

These first pieces lack any kind of specialization, they are intentionally unassuming, and yeah, kind of boring. But the program seems inherently anti-fashion. It removes brands or trends or aesthetics from the user's consideration. You get what they send, and if you don't like it, you send it back for another piece that is hopefully satisfactory. Fashion is based on the wearer's choice and is one of the most blatant ways to advertise one's values. LOT is akin to being dressed by your mother. A small limitation of choice. 

I'm interested to see whether it adjusts itself around your pre-existing tastes more than you adjust to its.

[Inkinsurgent]

you both bring up interesting points. i think what puts me off is that what's shown (and reviewed) is simplistic (and very sweatshop-y) rather than minimalist. i think the concept would resonate better with me on a consumer level if the goods produced suggested a more refined (yet still minimalist) design process befitting of the concept as a whole. 

[AnomalousTautology]

Just to say, I haven't subscribed (and probably won't)

I totally agree, those shoes especially look super 'sweatshop-y'

My interest is in the concept, I don't plan on (proverbially) submitting to our technological overlords that easily.

LOT, or rather its implications are what is most interesting to me. It's that Gibsonian idea about it, human tastes as defined by an algorithm, as seen in what articles Facebook decides to show a certain user, or what items are first on a google search. All of it is becoming more and more regulated by algorithms designed to show what a person is most likely to want to see, like Amazon's highly sophisticated program that knows what book you want to read well before you do.

 

[Inkinsurgent]

in a sense, isn't that what the uniqlo's and h&m's of the world do as well? i mean, LOT follows it through to a condensed extreme, but essentially if you buy fast fashion you're also subscribing to a highly quantified distribution system that knows what you want to buy and steadily supplies you with precision targeted throwaway consumer goods.

maybe that's the point LOT is trying to make and the irony is people think it's smart/minimalism/art?

 

 

[AnomalousTautology]

yes,  you're right, they are operating on totally different degrees of magnitude.

the idea of it is minimalistic in the sense that minimalism is reducing the factors one might worry about, in that sense, LOT is totally minimalistic. 

I'm not sure what LOT is trying to do just yet, whether it is an art project or a serious anti-fashion service. It is simply too young. Who knows, maybe ten years from now, half the population will be wearing slightly different T-shirts that arrive on their doorstep every month, maybe LOT will disappear in a few months.

From what I extrapolate from the website and the SSENCE article is that the 'personalizationa' is a bit gimmicky and superficial right now, but who knows what the future holds

[piece keeper]

Breaking the chain here if I may.

Anyone got some suggestions for white tops for the hot and humid?  I tried Outlier's Ramielust but it's way too sheer.  

[danii]

I must admit I like the LOT2046 concept but I do not understand why should I be paying and recieving random stuff for first months just to test waters and adjust for future LOTs, when there is already so much options on the market and if you like tighter black nobrand tees you have probably already found out your favorite. What would most people do with a tattoo machine? @brainerd666 (and everyone who signed for it) would you mind creating a separate thread and post what you got each month and how you tailored your preferences? (I know I am asking a lot, but I am really curious, but not 99usd/month curious). Thanks in advance!

Edited July 29, 2017 by danii

[brainerd666]

@danii Will do. Regarding the algorithms ruling our lives conversation... I've yet to see any other service actually predict my wants. Needs perhaps. To a degree. But neither amazon, ebay, Facebook (the latter of which I dropped almost two years ago) etc etc ever seem to be able to properly track what appeals to me aesthetically. I also despise having to remember to shop for basics such as said t-shirts, as well as socks, soap and such. That aspect appeals to me greatly. The idea of having a potentially close to true black article of clothing on hand is also rather appealing. I often prefer a bit of patina, but new black always has a certain charm. I am curious what their end use/repurposing program is regarding the return of used goods. I'm planning to shoot them a bit of correspondence tomorrow to see what they have to say in that regard. 

[brainerd666]

Double post strikes again. 

Edited July 30, 2017 by brainerd666

[brainerd666]

On a whole other topic...

For some reason this: 

 

Reminds me of this: 

 

[AnomalousTautology]

1. above post is absolutely hilarious 

2. I was speaking of the influence of algorithms more in the sense of what the companies we have already mentioned (Facebook, Amazon, Instagram, eBay, etc) on less politically involved people, none of them have tracked my aesthetic properly either, but I know it is desperately trying to, and meld it with whatever it thinks the most effective advertising possible is (Instagram is becoming especially obnoxious here). I don't think that it will be able to predict the wants of people closer to the fringe for a while still. 

The whole thing reminds me of that bit in Idoru about Slitscan's audience being able "only express its mute extremes of murderous rage and infantile desire by changing the channels on a universal remote. Or by voting in presidential elections.”

Returning to more topical material

I would love to hear about LOT whenever you want to share. I can't disagree with you. Shopping for basics is a total pain, and is boring, 

[danii]

most of the algorithms on sites mentioned above work in a pretty lame way and they are based on other users who look/buy/wish same things as you are. only site that kinda works is pinterest and l would say it's because they use image analysis too. according to the ssense article l am under the impression that it's more l. then A.I. (LOT:would you prefer another color of your items? USER:yes LOT sends in gray shirt).

if you gave them access to your social media they would be able to harvest some big data and adjust you preference (you like few let's say #lunarcore fits and LOT sends you white jacket instead of black one). or even access your cookies to be full gibsonian and send you long sleeve tshirt because you were recently searching for one, send you shorts because it knows that next month you booked an appartment in Croatia via airbnb, send you a merino shirt because your speed and gps route seems like you cycle to the work.

on the other hand that would require not just AI better than fb/amazon/sumally/pinterest but most importantly a almost bespoke production for each user which is something l can see working for fewer users and LOT2046 approach is otherway round: the more subscribers the better items (they create them in LOTs).

yeah shopping for basics sounds like a boring thing, but it really takes just one search for favorite brand and you buy truckload of boxers(or other underwear design, don't know about you but l cannot wear briefs)  and if you need replacement you just buy them again. 

speaking of underwear, what brand do you wear? l spent some time searching for best pair while ago, so far my most favorite ones are d.hedral seamless series (warning the site features extremely macho imagery). l have enough pairs to wear them between washing and my oldest pair is like 3-4 years old and still 10/10.

Edited July 30, 2017 by danii

[brainerd666]

I went commando for years till I found these https://www.meundies.com/products/trunk (careful, super metro imagery)

Super comfy. Super durable. Super cool fabric, both literally and figuratively. And my girlfriends have seemed to like the way they look;) I've had the same few pairs for a few years now, and they've held up excellently.  

 

[WillKhitie]

UNIQLO Airism. Don't know if they sell it outside of Asia (it's a summer only product here).

As for the LOT talk, I do not have enough 3rd world pennies to subscribe to it, but please let us know how it goes.

It would be 10/10 if even this first encounter is already an example of the brand tailoring itself.

i.e. Somebody with very different demographics, seeing a LOT site that sells brightly colored basics, gardening tools, and a packet of chia seeds.