[ the future is now ] TRUTH

These articles will be weekly 'chapters' from the daily 'FUTURE / work in progress' posts. Each week will focus on a theme.

'The future is already here, it's just not very evenly distributed', attributed to William Gibsons is a much debated quote. The only certainty is that the future starts now.

Future #001 THE FUTURE IS NOW

A springboard from today into tomorrow.?

Future #002 UNMISTAKABLY YOU

Last week in Copenhagen, the Aesop Kronprinsensgade store crystallised a long time reflection; stores should be a reflection of the brand, without the need of a brand mark. They should be recognisable in their own right, without a sign off.?

You know it's a Picasso without reading the signature. Right?

Aesop is genius at this. No two stores are the same, yet each store is uniquely Aesop. A few other brands have excelled in this space, Gentle Monster for example, or who else can really sell cellphones from a table other than Apple.

Product's can have this same genius too. You know a Chuck Taylor silhouette or an Off White zip tag. You can even open a new iPhone from it's box with your eyes closed and know its an iPhone. No logo needed.

Future #003 INSPIRED HOMAGE

The future is always an iteration of what has gone before, so inspiration always comes from what we love most. In Hamburg I stumbled upon the Iron Heart store, Shinichi Haraki's brand, and the only Iron Heart store outside Japan.?

I love this brand.

The genius here is the homage to the Levi's Arcuate on the rear pocket, it's as if half of the arcuate is folded down, squashed in place as you sat on your iron horse. Homages and magical interpretations of the existing are powerful links between the past and the future.

Another example I came across was Philippe Cognée's 'Le catalogue de Bale' exhibition at the Voorlinden art gallery. He meticulously painted artworks from the catalogue of Art Basel between 2003 and 2013.?

With such a rich heritage of brands and products in the world today, the future always has space for intellectual iterations.

Future #004 ESTEEMED PROVENANCE

Last week a pair of 1890’s XX Levi’s Jeans sold in Tokyo for $240K. One of the oldest known pairs in the world. Vintage sneakers have broken the $2M mark. Vintage clothing has exploded over the last few years, both online and in physical stores.?

In Hamburg we discovered the treasure trove that is Vintage Gallery. The owner had stories and narratives about all his products. In Bremen we discovered another store, which was selling dead-stock from a family owned German department store. Apparel dating back to the sixties, in pristine condition. Each garment had the exact year on it, due to handwritten product codes added to all the garment tags when new.

These details are priceless. Provenance is priceless. As prices for grails rise, provenance, as with the the art market, will be the future.

Future #005 ORIGIN, UNDISPUTED

This weeks posts have all had one theme in common, truth. Origin of products, often production, but also that of concept, is fundamental to this notion. We want our Champagne not only from France, but from a specific 34,300 hectares of France.?

Amsterdams 'New Optimists' clothing atelier offer you the opportunity to 'discover our non-industrial take on fashion. Meet the makers?who show you their craft and offer insights into circularity, pattern drawing, and garment construction', while Tellason make jeans in San Fransciso, and that's every detail of a pair of jeans, and I still want my Brooks saddle made in England.

Origin adds value and creates community.

FUTURE / work in progress 001 | 002 | 003 | 004 | 005