Culture Vulture.

When I arrived to NYC this year, I didn’t expect to go to countless clothing stores in SOHO. As someone who owns just enough clothes to last a week, the hypebeast clothing culture is foreign to me. The fascination some of my peers have for clothes attracted my curiosity.

My friends would get giddy over an exclusive item available only in the SOHO location. There was even a pair of Derek Jeter shoes that cost $50,000. I was looking for a comma and period for minutes before accepting the fact that a pair of shoes cost more than most cars.

I may not ever embrace the hypebeast culture as much as my friends, but I am glad I was able to experience it firsthand.

A takeaway I have from learning about clothing culture is that if there is a popular trend, I should dive into it even if I don’t enjoy it. There’s a reason why it’s popular and to understand it means to understand culture and communities.

Justin Hartney

5.15.18