Go Your Own Way
Or not, I don't really care...
As I get older I find myself being more considered with my spending. Not to say I’m responsible with money – I’m still well-and-truly not – but I’m more conscious about where it goes.
When I decided I wanted a pom-pom beanie, I wasn’t going to settle for something that came from just anywhere. After a few days going down a rabbit hole I found two things. Firstly that there’s a surprising lack of fun, well-made bobble hats and second; that Chamula seems to make the best ones.
Along with the hats they also make some fantastic sweaters — each hand-knit by one indigenous Mexican artisan. The two above which I ended up getting from Pickings & Parry were both made by Norma.
Chamula‘s part of Meg Company — a name unlikely to ring a bell for many. For a certain time period they were a player in the post-sneaker/streetwear market. Their most well-known brand Yuketen – manufacturers of high-quality oddball footwear — along with Visvim played a part in pulling people from the grips of the sneaker industry.
The two other brands under the Meg Co. umbrella are Epperson Mountaineering and their clothing label Monitaly. Much like Nepenthes — parent of Engineered Garments, Needles, South2 West8 and more — Meg Co. houses brands within a distinct universe.
It comes as no surprise that Meg Co’s founder Yuki Matsuda shares a similar eccentric passion for Americana to that of Nepenthes co-founder and Engineered Garments designer Daiki Suzuki. Just like Daiki, Mr Matsuda kept a laser-focussed vision on what his company should be. Whether at the height of it’s popularity in the mid-’00s or to this very day, Meg Company continues to do what they’ve done for over 30 years.
Seeing the names Yuketen and Meg Company transported me back to a time when things felt a little less jaded and cynical. Yuketen footwear is unabashedly itself, and there was a time where that meant something. I’ve got nothing against the latest algorithm-powered “it” product, but the fun has waned for the tired old folk like myself.
With the crop of ”disruptor” brands starting to gain some traction, I’m constantly reminded of brands like Monitaly and Yuketen. I often find myself referring back to brands which have “been there, done that” but it just makes me seem old.
Fashion is a cycle and I love new perspectives, but it’s important to understand context. I’ve always sought-out those who’ve done something before the mob came to town. As trends shift, they just keep doing their thing. Ever-reliable, they’ll be there when you come back – just like you remembered.