Feeling Seen
Lowkey, highkey. If you're comfortable with who you are at the moment, who am I to judge?
Let me preface this by saying I’m no judging man but if I have to say that, that means I’m judging. I wish this wasn’t the case but that’s what it usually means. When people say “Not to be like this… but” Usually that means you’re judging.
NYC is a walking city. I tell people I used to have a couple cars, used to ride fixed gear bikes, and skated from block to block in Philly. I prefer walking in NYC and if I have to get to the function quickly, I’ll take the train maybe hop on an electric Citi Bike no problem. Walking in NYC is such a great way to relieve stress, get your thoughts out, or pretend that your on the phone even if you’re talking to yourself. Once weather breaks 60 degrees, people in NYC treat the sidewalk like the runway, strutting and showing off their new fits.
Peacocking as they say. Possibly wanting NYC Looks to take a photo of them or an aspiring Bill Cunningham.
The young Bill Cunningham look in present day is interesting. Only because there has been an influx amount of film photographers. Which I’m all for. I love film, I shoot with it everyday. I don’t want to show off my camera though. You can tell when someone is an actual photographer, hobbyist, or trying to get a date. It’s by the way they dress, have their camera hung around their neck cocked to the side, keeping it out in the open for everyone to see. Or not to see. What do you think?
I see my favorites Brian Karlsson, Daniel Arnold, Jason Nocito, Sandy Kim, do their think because they are out and about documenting. Maybe they’re on assignment or maybe it’s their day off but that is what they do and it’s obvious.
My wardrobe consists of neutral colors including gray, white, black, maybe tan but majority black clothes, black silhouettes, you get the gist. I grew up in the punk and hardcore scene of the suburbs of Philadelphia. Loved going out to shows every night and destroy my earlobes. At a young age I would buy tight girl clothes at Goodwill but still keeping it all black. I still wear all black today and trying to branch out into wearing color but it’s hard. I used to wear blue jeans when I used to skate but I haven’t worn blue jeans in a decade. I want to slowly introduce it back into my wardrobe but I didn’t think it would be this hard. Friends have been trying to get me to wear different colors but somehow I navigate back to black.
When I walk around Soho, I see people coming from training and their hard workouts in blacked out ALO gear but don’t change out of it. These trainers wear blacked out workout caps to symbolize outside of this, a highly likely chance of working in finance, tech, or a creative director. Smoking Elfbar’s to destress or Juul-ing just because.
Maybe this is what I see? Do you see the same thing?
I went to school for Art Direction in Advertising and it made me understand people’s behaviors and the way people act towards a certain stereotype or their favorite cult brand. I mentioned I used to ride fixed gear bikes so when I’m in these streets I have to read the way drivers behave in their cars, what their next move is, and if road rage is upon us.
I can’t see the future, I can only understand from the past. We’re circling back. We’re in a moment of Gen Z bringing back Y2K trends. A FRUiTS and TUNE moment of Japanese magazine phenomenon has influenced the world. It’s cool to see. The hobbyist photographer would eat that up. Are the Y2K kids as comfortable as the ALO all black personal trainers? Probably not.
If you’re comfortable in you’re own skin wherever you are, in the current moment or trend cycle that you’re in, then I shouldn’t judge and should stfu.