"The Things That Change Us" by @raelandmendoza - Tomorrow Works Newsletter Feature

This week's newsletter is special takeover by Tomorrow Works , featuring a personal essay by @raelandmendoza where he reflects on how his creative practice has been informed by the most unexpected of moments. "The Things That Change us" A personal essay by @raelandmendoza Have you ever had an “ohh, fuck” moment? From landing a big project contract, or receiving that text from that someone you’ve been thinking about all day, you are unexpectedly presented with a choice, and all you can say to yourself is ”ohh, fuck”. Ever changing parts of dread, nervousness, optimism, and any and all other unbridled emotions, you find yourself in a situation that regardless of how you choose to move forward, you will forever be changed. For better or worse, my life has defined by these “ohh, fuck” moments. One of, if not the most important moment of these happened to revolve around a jacket. The year is 2012. I’m freshly sixteen, and I’m aimlessly window shopping after my retail shift at the mall. I walk into a shop, I see it before me - “Ohh, fuck” I mutter to myself. Directly ahead of me on a matte black wooden display hanger was the Maiden Noir x Stüssy Deluxe Stadium Jacket. “How is this here?” “Is it my size?” “Ohh fuck, IT IS MY SIZE” “Can I afford this?!” “Ohh fuck, and it’s on SALE?!” “Why am I sweating?!?” All questions that were racing my mind in that one moment. A brief “Streetwear 1.0” history lesson: Before Stüssy became the monolithic catch all of all things cool that it is now, it was testing the market with their Deluxe line. A diffusion label which quietly released cut and sew, laidback prep styles which tastefully complimented the surf-skate graphic tees and slacks they were known for at the time. Running alongside was Maiden Noir. Based in equal parts in Seattle and Tokyo, the brand was cut from the same spiritual cloth of Nomme De Guerre - often credited as the precursor to what would become Supreme . Along with those names, Maiden Noir was one of the firsts to blend the subcultural worlds of hip-hop, sports, skate & street art with the traditional menswear design languages of prep tailoring, workwear utility, and military ruggedness. Though maybe in differing ratios, this formula is essentially what any and all “streetwear” brands use to this day. And in FW12, these two brands came together to create what would end up shaping me for years to come. I can still remember it vividly, obsessively studying blog posts after blog posts, and scouring every niche forum thread I could find. This was probably the first time I had ever become fully engulfed over a product, and the processes behind it. Until that moment I didn’t know it was possible for an inanimate object to physically represent the perfectly dialled in mastery design, textiles and artistic expression. A crescendo of perfectly executed concept, craftsmanship, and marketing swirled from my screen to before my eyes for the very first time. To this day, the product copy from the blog post is still seared into my brain: "Inspired by the perpetual winter sundown of arctic environments, Maiden Noir and Stüssy Deluxe join forces for an all black capsule collection blending British wool, Japanese denim, and American construction. Releasing exclusively in our NYC and Harajuku chapters via exclusive pop up events. " And through the mysteries of the mid 2000’s retail ether, one of the jackets had found itself in a northern Alberta mall of all places. Through asking one of the employees, I was able to find out that the shop was able to secure a small run of product from the capsule as these were the days before tiered, exclusive wholesale accounts. From there, my “ohh,fuck” moment presented me with a question: “what does this jacket mean to you?” Beyond the tangibles of price and the costs of physical materials, I found myself asking why did this jacket - stitched together pieces of waxed cotton, wool lining and leather sleeves, capture so much of my attention, curiosity and desire? What I didn’t know at that moment is I’d spend the next decade chasing the answer. In the meantime however, I paid for the jacket without hesitation and walked out of the shop with it on, no bag necessary. The jacket had all the landmarks of what would become the pillars of my approach to getting dressed. The proposition of an all-black uniform, comprised of intentionally designed garments with an uncompromising focus on materials and production methods. It may sound superfluous to you, but after trying on and subsequently spending half of a minimum wage retail paycheque on the jacket, my world and how I viewed it was forever changed. From then on design didn’t have to mean loud graphics on the front of a tee. Artistic expression in a project grew to become communicating concept through perspective, and nuance. And marketing for me focused on storytelling and taking the audience on a journey, and less about the hard data and statistics. A decade later, I find myself trying to orchestrate my own crescendos in each creative project I take on. Looking past the post-modern capitalist sentiments, I can’t help but think that it is an undeniable part of the human experience to find meaning in, and ultimately learn more about ourselves through how we express our ideas, desires & emotions through the things we create. Fast forwarding through the years: it was because of that jacket’s design language which combined East and West that led me to the FW13 collection by the Canadian brand I’d spend the next formative years idolizing, and eventually studying under. It also taught me the value of editorial and storytelling, that you could build out an entire narrative off of the strength of a few strong photos and the way you present product. So when I saw this being done at the highest level in the market in FW17 , that became the standard I’d strive for in all of my own work . And to come full circle, as my creative practice continues to push me farther away from what is familiar, every now and then I find myself returning back to the moments that shaped me along the way. In another life, maybe I didn't walk into the store that day. Or maybe I didn’t obsess over the jacket’s materials and story, deepening my love for the design process and product. Or maybe I just wasn’t into fashion, and the idea of spending that much money at such a young age is absolutely absurd (it definitely is). But in this life, that same jacket is currently in the back of my closet, ever the reminder of one of my first “ohh, fuck” moments. Whether it is a jacket, or another “ohh, fuck" moment, it is the things that change us that also lead us to the people who we ought to become. FURTHER READING wings + horns - Fall/Winter 2013 Collection Lookbook Fall / Winter 2017 – Aimé Leon Dore ICYT Uniform Hats PAX - INTERNAL GRAPHICS/BRAND IDENTITY Tomorrow Works is a boutique creative agency focused on impactful storytelling and community building. www.tomorrow-works.com ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

This week's newsletter is special takeover by Tomorrow Works, featuring a personal essay by @raelandmendoza where he reflects on how his creative practice has been informed by the most unexpected of moments.

"The Things That Change us"

A personal essay by @raelandmendoza

Have you ever had an “ohh, fuck” moment? From landing a big project contract, or receiving that text from that someone you’ve been thinking about all day, you are unexpectedly presented with a choice, and all you can say to yourself is ”ohh, fuck”. Ever changing parts of dread, nervousness, optimism, and any and all other unbridled emotions, you find yourself in a situation that regardless of how you choose to move forward, you will forever be changed. For better or worse, my life has defined by these “ohh, fuck” moments. One of, if not the most important moment of these happened to revolve around a jacket.

The year is 2012. I’m freshly sixteen, and I’m aimlessly window shopping after my retail shift at the mall. I walk into a shop, I see it before me - “Ohh, fuck” I mutter to myself. Directly ahead of me on a matte black wooden display hanger was the Maiden Noir x Stüssy Deluxe Stadium Jacket.

“How is this here?”
“Is it my size?”
“Ohh fuck, IT IS MY SIZE”
“Can I afford this?!”
“Ohh fuck, and it’s on SALE?!”
“Why am I sweating?!?”

All questions that were racing my mind in that one moment.

A brief “Streetwear 1.0” history lesson: Before Stüssy became the monolithic catch all of all things cool that it is now, it was testing the market with their Deluxe line. A diffusion label which quietly released cut and sew, laidback prep styles which tastefully complimented the surf-skate graphic tees and slacks they were known for at the time. Running alongside was Maiden Noir. Based in equal parts in Seattle and Tokyo, the brand was cut from the same spiritual cloth of Nomme De Guerre - often credited as the precursor to what would become Supreme. Along with those names, Maiden Noir was one of the firsts to blend the subcultural worlds of hip-hop, sports, skate & street art with the traditional menswear design languages of prep tailoring, workwear utility, and military ruggedness. Though maybe in differing ratios, this formula is essentially what any and all “streetwear” brands use to this day. And in FW12, these two brands came together to create what would end up shaping me for years to come.

I can still remember it vividly, obsessively studying blog posts after blog posts, and scouring every niche forum thread I could find. This was probably the first time I had ever become fully engulfed over a product, and the processes behind it. Until that moment I didn’t know it was possible for an inanimate object to physically represent the perfectly dialled in mastery design, textiles and artistic expression. A crescendo of perfectly executed concept, craftsmanship, and marketing swirled from my screen to before my eyes for the very first time. To this day, the product copy from the blog post is still seared into my brain:

"Inspired by the perpetual winter sundown of arctic environments, Maiden Noir and Stüssy Deluxe join forces for an all black capsule collection blending British wool, Japanese denim, and American construction. Releasing exclusively in our NYC and Harajuku chapters via exclusive pop up events. "

And through the mysteries of the mid 2000’s retail ether, one of the jackets had found itself in a northern Alberta mall of all places. Through asking one of the employees, I was able to find out that the shop was able to secure a small run of product from the capsule as these were the days before tiered, exclusive wholesale accounts. From there, my “ohh,fuck” moment presented me with a question: “what does this jacket mean to you?” Beyond the tangibles of price and the costs of physical materials, I found myself asking why did this jacket - stitched together pieces of waxed cotton, wool lining and leather sleeves, capture so much of my attention, curiosity and desire? What I didn’t know at that moment is I’d spend the next decade chasing the answer. In the meantime however, I paid for the jacket without hesitation and walked out of the shop with it on, no bag necessary.

The jacket had all the landmarks of what would become the pillars of my approach to getting dressed. The proposition of an all-black uniform, comprised of intentionally designed garments with an uncompromising focus on materials and production methods. It may sound superfluous to you, but after trying on and subsequently spending half of a minimum wage retail paycheque on the jacket, my world and how I viewed it was forever changed.

From then on design didn’t have to mean loud graphics on the front of a tee. Artistic expression in a project grew to become communicating concept through perspective, and nuance. And marketing for me focused on storytelling and taking the audience on a journey, and less about the hard data and statistics. A decade later, I find myself trying to orchestrate my own crescendos in each creative project I take on. Looking past the post-modern capitalist sentiments, I can’t help but think that it is an undeniable part of the human experience to find meaning in, and ultimately learn more about ourselves through how we express our ideas, desires & emotions through the things we create.

Fast forwarding through the years: it was because of that jacket’s design language which combined East and West that led me to the FW13 collection by the Canadian brand I’d spend the next formative years idolizing, and eventually studying under. It also taught me the value of editorial and storytelling, that you could build out an entire narrative off of the strength of a few strong photos and the way you present product. So when I saw this being done at the highest level in the market in FW17, that became the standard I’d strive for in all of my own work. And to come full circle, as my creative practice continues to push me farther away from what is familiar, every now and then I find myself returning back to the moments that shaped me along the way.

In another life, maybe I didn't walk into the store that day. Or maybe I didn’t obsess over the jacket’s materials and story, deepening my love for the design process and product. Or maybe I just wasn’t into fashion, and the idea of spending that much money at such a young age is absolutely absurd (it definitely is). But in this life, that same jacket is currently in the back of my closet, ever the reminder of one of my first “ohh, fuck” moments. Whether it is a jacket, or another “ohh, fuck" moment, it is the things that change us that also lead us to the people who we ought to become.