Why The Ultimate Luxury In Fashion Is A Human Connection

I’ve always thought that the ultimate aspiration, as far as getting dressed goes, is to wear only clothes made by people you know. If you were able to do that, then there would always be a reason to get dressed, some kind of higher purpose to the act of putting on clothes—less a declaration of brand affinity than a signal of support, or a pledge of allegiance. Like going to a restaurant where you know the chef, or being backstage at a concert, you would somehow become complicit in the clothes that you wear. You’d be somehow better than the average customer—more connected to the stuff you spend every day in. As a goal, this is not really feasible—Giorgio Armani knows loads of people, but you aren’t likely to be one of them. Nor is it necessarily desirable—the fashion category known as “my friend’s brand” is robust but of dubious quality. But the crux of the idea is that you should wear clothes made by humans who you can relate to and identify with and, yes, maybe even text on occasion. That’s a wonderful notion. Read more at GQ.