The Material Review

Issue 083: Q&A w/ Throwing Fits, The Cult of Le Creuset, Hand Loomed Madras, Phish, The End of Roadside Attractions, Zitomer, Michael Hainey and Ghurka x David Coggins.

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

The Color-Drenched Cult of Le Creuset

“The weighty cookware, which just turned 100, has inspired generations of home chefs and fans who feverishly hunt for their favorite shapes and shades.” [NYT]

How hand-loomed madras is made: A visit to OMTC, Chennai

[Permanent Style]

After Forty Years, Phish Isn’t Seeking Resolution

“People who love Phish do so with a quasi-religious devotion. People who dislike Phish do so with an equal fervor.” [The New Yorker]

The Zitomer Mystique

“Why can’t every pharmacy be as happiness-inducing as this fancy drugstore on New York’s Upper East Side?” [Air Mail]

The End of Roadside Attractions

[The Paris Review]

Six Things I Learned About Life Selling Men’s Clothes

[Drake’s]

The Greatest Motorcycle Photo Ever

[Life]

A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.

Patagonia Tidal Threads Camp Shirt

Palm Springs

La Botte Gardiane Jerome fisherman sandals

Vintage Griswold Cast Iron Skillet

The Anthology Strider Technical ‘A’ Raincoat

Halo Edition Mini Horizon

Throwing Fits

Cultural vanguards Lawrence Schlossman and James Harris are co-hosts of the #1 global men’s fashion and lifestyle podcast, Throwing Fits. We tapped into their “roughly child’s XL sized” noggins to discuss some of their recent purchases, style trends (both good and bad) and the clothing pieces they’ve owned the longest.

What’s a memorable recent purchase you’ve made?

James: I just went in for a suit fitting with Husbands. I was on the fence about an MTO splurge, but after podding with founder Nicolas Gabard for 1.5 hours, his enthusiasm for the romance and elegance in menswear, which are qualities that are too easily buried in all the noise of contemporary life, was simply too infectious to not grab a last minute slot at their New York trunk show. I won't even have the suit for another few months but having Monsieur Gabard light a fire under the seat of my soon-to-be perfectly tailored pants is something I hope will stick with me for a while.

Lawrence: I did it. I bought the A.PRESSE zip-up hoodie. No chance it’s worth the sticker price, but it was my birthday gift to myself and the brand kinda feels like the new visvim in many ways, so I wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about. Not to mention, I have roughly a child’s XL sized head which would make me the first grown ass man the intentionally-designed-too-small-for-some-reason hood will actually fit.

What's something in the style world you wish would go away?

Lawrence: Nearly everything product-related served up to me via cursed algorithms these days feels so forced or just, like, incorrect? Granted, I’ll take a fake trend manufactured to get rage clicks over a green screen, front facing camera video influencer trying to sell me clothing they have never been hands on with, know nothing about and probably never will because apparently that’s not what you need to go viral. Nothing pisses me off more than watching someone masquerading as a talking head disseminating wrong information. As a nerd this is personally offensive.

James: The need for fresh storylines and constantly churning out content makes content creators from individuals to legacy titles way too quick to call someone a style icon. More often than not, we're confusing "well-dressed" with just being hot. No disrespect to the recently departed, but the other day someone posted a gallery of a just-deceased acting legend and hit them with style icon status. I covered dude's beautiful face with my thumb and clicked through, and without the glorious visage, the fits were objectively and fundamentally mid.

What is something you’ve had your eye on?

James: SKU-wise, nothing really. I'm more curious to see how brands, retailers, and manufacturers navigate these tariffs. I'm not sure it'll be as simple as foisting the added cost onto the consumer, and everyone's gonna try different things. I just ran into two homies who are flying across the world to meet with their textile manufacturers to discuss how they can get creative with their terms. I'm sure consumer-facing marketing budgets will shrink, which fuckin sucks for photography, production, and video teams, and will require some serious adaptation on everyone's part.

Lawrence: If I know anything, James’ MTM Husbands suit is about to hit me like a FOMO nuclear missile as soon as it touches down. I will not be missing their next trunk show as soon as they are back in town.

What’s the piece of clothing you’ve owned the longest?

Lawrence: My memory is dog shit and—this might come as a shocker—I’m not even remotely precious or sentimental about my clothing. A quick torched mental inventory brings to mind an og Dime logo tee my buddy Vince gave to me when he was visiting New York well over a decade ago. He had probably just started as the art director there and it’s been amazing to watch what the brand has become since.

James: A merch tee from when I was a summer intern for the company that did the distribution for Sizzurp liqueur ("Sip That Purple Punch!") that Dipset was involved with. They also did a liqueur with Lil Scrappy that was leprechaun-branded for some reason.

What current trend do you see as having the most staying power?

James: This isn't a good thing, but whether in the form of logos, a viral garment, or flexing of any kind, conspicuous consumption will always stick around just because mad people are insecure and need external validation.

Lawrence: It’s gotta be denim, right? I know that’s a bit of a cop out, but it’s been exciting seeing all different types of demographics fall head first into indigo in real time, from Gen Z and their baggy barrels jeans to the new crop of menswear influencers discovering raw Japanese selvedge.

What’s a dream brand that you would like to work with?

Lawrence: Let’s go with Rolex.

James: I work with my dream brand everyday.

Ghurka x David Coggins

Field Tote No. 296

A just dropped collaboration with American Luxury leather goods brand Ghurka and our pal David Coggins. Made in New York City — this is the perfect city and outdoor bag.