READING: INVENTORY/FANTASTIC MAN

Reading is fundamental. Now that you remember that let's move on. It is a dream of ours to have a magazine stand in doors one day soon or than later. Developing the culture means taking the time to feed them with content they can develop their own feelings about and the war is won by getting people engaged. And feeding the culture isn't by force - it's through accessibility. Brands and lifestyle like eTc weren't conveniently accessible to Tacomans and its surrounding suburbs and cities. Needless to say staying the loop is hard for some, so in order for a us to be the pillar we plan to be it's our duty to provide physical access to as many forward-thinking, well researched, written and reference content paths as possible. All of that in an effort keep the youth exploring the culture, developing or redesigning personal style and expanding the taste for things unknown. Starting a book club isn't the answer but magazine publications that focus on particular industries such as art, skate, fashion, style, food and music can be easily be entertainment and tools for keeping our customers in the know should they choose. 

Inventory Magazine, which in comparison to some of our other favorites, has not been around long but that's a great thing. They understand the modern viewpoint men of today in terms of menswear and more particularly American menswear and Americana replica Japanese brands. They not only feature some of the most coveted pieces and necessities for the season if you're heritage products need an upgrade but they also host the upper echelon of designers in their aesthetic on the covers and interview them in detail. Their solid reputation has made the content kings and they have access to products and brands from inception in some cases that most retailers won't have for months. It's that kind of insider information that leads to creating cult fans because they know the full story - there is a connection built, it's a bridge to understanding. The presentation of Inventory is the reason it caught my eye next to Dazed & Confused and VMAN, not only is it excellent content but it has home decor appeal as well. 

Another publication that caught my eyes a few years ago and has been a guide to helping me evolve my aesthetic over time is Fantastic Man. Again caught up it was the cover and presentation that caught my eye but it was the amount of content and how in depth things got that really struck me. Learning about the people that make brands great and hearing about their experiences in the industry and working with other infamous personalities in the industry is a huge part of learning what it takes in terms of perseverance in any industry. Just now Raf fans are getting the chance to see inside his process because of his Dior short film but if you've been a Fantastic Man reader his interview is, per usual, revealing, interesting and inspiring. For an aspiring writer it is also quite helpful with understanding tone and formulating a synopsis of events without being 'wordy'. Ben used to always tell me to never stop reading so I read on my phone often but there isn't anything like finding a publication full of your interests and getting the insider look at artist, designers and newly formed hybrid genres. The cooler part about Fantastic Man is it's female counterpart The Gentlewoman - it's full of powerful women doing powerful business, performing in arts and mastering their craft.