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I love this GQ article about JJJJound from a year ago highlighting Justin Saunders' influence on internet taste & moodboards. He's been in the background of a lot of really influential projects over the last decade, all while building up his own brand that was really kickstarted off a primitive version of what we'd call a moodboard (a version of this still exists here).
What's been so interesting to me is watching the rise and now slow decline of JJJJound as a tastemaker. I guess for us (my millennial generation) the internet really was a clear defining aspect of where we'd discover new things. We learned what was cool from Complex and Hypebeast NikeTalk and StyleForum and a plethora of other sites that either don't exist any longer or have been since bought out and bastardized into another machine that pumps out sponsored posts. Justin thrived in this era. I remember his first few drops, specifically the Vans from 2017 come to mind. People were losing their minds over them. Same for his first few New Balance collabs - absolutely chaos. I personally never found them appealing, but I understand why they created the buzz that they did.
...and yet...
When I talk to any younger guys that are into fashion and menswear and I ask what they think about some of these 'legacy' brands I usually get hit with a 'uh who?' or worse, 'they're cooked.' In a shocking twist of fate, the menswear heroes I grew up admiring are becoming irrelevant with the next generation. And although there isn't anything wrong with that, it does remind me how fleeting relevancy and taste are within the creative space. There's something impressive about being someone who lasts through the shifting trends and fads. And with Gen Z seemingly taking this anti-internet / anti-tech approach (have you looked at how many teenagers are giving up their iPhones for flip phones???) I do wonder what will happen to these guys that formed their following off of forums and message boards once those go away entirely.
Apr 25, 2024
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the social internet (and rapid, inescapable commercialization thereof) makes it so that you are what you consume, not what you do, not where you go, not who you spend your time with. before if you bought the clothes or the gear without doing it or without being in community, you were a poser. if you monetized or commercialized that interest and put those incentives over expression and connection, you were a sellout. but that doesnāt exist anymore ā democratization and anti-gatekeeping as both ideas and ends of an algorithm to maximize surface area for consumption have made it so that there isnāt a distinct authority on what you can attach to your identity or how you express yourself
but if the extent of our agency in a democratized landscape is to only to consume more instead of producing or connecting, or to produce only to commodify ourselves for money or internet points, then maybe itās a different kind of ābeing influenced by social trends rather than authentic interestā than going to a skate park, or an open mic, or a restaurant, or whatever because we heard about it somewhere and wanted to check it out, and de-centering the internet from what we see on it and how we engage with it is a way to make that healthier or more generative for ourselves, and can create beauty without immediately thinking about how to fit into a box along lines drawn by advertisers
Jan 15, 2025
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i think before tiktok or instagram there was a more homogeneous idea about what was cool bc magazines had a monopoly on the industry. now that the internet has democratized what gets to be cool there are different types of cool, which is the rise of different competing styles. but these styles arenāt really just about like ādo you like low rise jeansā so much as they are āwhat do the low rise jeans say about youā which has caused a lot of aesthetics to be simultaneously tied to a specific identity, in turn marketing and influencing has become increasingly niche. i think that certain influencers becoming enmeshed in their aesthetics hasnāt helped either where if, for example, tara yummy recommended an eyeliner the goth girls would eat it up, but the clean girls might not care, bc that eyeliner would be contrary to not just their aesthetic, but identity. but if tara yummy was emily mariko the opposite effect would happen to both camps, if that makes sense.
TLDR; niche aesthetics and microindivduality is killing mass marketing
Feb 18, 2024
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by @artifaxing on instagram.
ā Itās 2025 as I write this, and Iām holding what wouldāve been seen as a supercomputer just 50 years ago in the palm of my hand. I can Google any image, take a photo, post it online, and reach millions in seconds. But stillā¦ I find myself missing the past. The āgood days.ā And maybe you do too.
For years now, Iāve noticed something. When I scroll, I see grainy VHS clips, blurry digital photos, old games on outdated consoles. And I always ask why. But I know the answer.
Everything today feels polished. Weāve got 8K, 160fps, ultra-HD in our pockets. Even the cheapest cameras capture insane quality. But is that a true reflection of us? I donāt think so.
Weāre drawn to whatās imperfect because weāre imperfect. That raw, nostalgic look feels more real. And especially in moments of uncertainty, people turn to it for comfort. Itās familiar. It feels safe. According to fMRI studies, nostalgia even lights up reward centers in our brain, particularly the medial prefrontal cortex.
Thatās why you see it everywhere now. People are buying old iPhones just to get the early 2010s look in photos. Brands are tapping into that too. Nostalgia marketing has seen a 20 to 30 percent rise recently.
Itās not just media. Itās clothes, logos, design. Minimalism and modernism made everything clean, but in doing so, kind of erased the personality. People want character again. They want imperfection. They want bold, messy, loud. They want to feel something. ā
2d ago
Top Recs from @marianoleonczik
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I feel like thereās a special connectivity on this app that I havenāt felt in a long time, maybe since early 2010ās tumblr. The fact that you canāt promote yourself like IG is wonderful. The fact that there isnāt mass video content like Tik Tok is great. Itās not this monetized / paid sponsorship app. People are here because they want to be a part of something with nothing to gain besides friendship. Seeing the URL -> IRL meetups warms my heart so much (waiting for an NYC or Brooklyn meetup).
Thanks for your participation on this niche little app. I smile reading all the recs and all the comments and all the asks. Hope weāll all be here for a long time.
Jun 15, 2024
florinegrassenhopper riotgrrrl brendanooooo slowdazzle buck_mcgraw and indianjones ā we did it. Not only did we successfully meet for drinks, but we also schemed the hostile takeover of this app from tyler tonight.
In all seriousness ā weird that an app I downloaded in April would make genuinely want to drive back into Brooklyn during end of day traffic for a happy hour. Great app filled with great people.
Jul 20, 2024
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I think a life rule for me is to surround myself with people who know more / are smarter / are cooler than me and just absorb their aura by listening / observing them. Itās made me the incredibly smart / cool person you all know and love.
I just never thought Iād feel the same way about URL friends. Iām constantly listening to the songs I see posted here, reading the articles, subbing to newsletters, and googling topics that get tossed onto the feed.
Itās nice to know you can become a more rounded person by just absorbing what your mutuals post on here. Iām going to sit on my couch, have a cocktail and digest my lovely feed. Happy Sunday!
Sep 15, 2024