Marc mndt
I'll Lock Up
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Interesting. I think the internet and the ongoing quest for authenticity though consumer goods has resulted in many people seeing things and looking for things that mostly were not really noticed before. Even a by-product of photographing everything has resulted in us all becoming more detail obsessed.
My old custom leather jackets made in the 1980's and 1990's were well made, solid, heirloom items but there was no cult of artisanal craftsmanship around them back then. The jackets were hand made and heavy and had some uneven stitching and the odd mistake. It wasn't really thought to look closely at these things back then because we hadn't really fetishised jackets (and so many other goods) to this point yet. They also weren't as expensive.
Manufacturing quality, small details and the quest for perfection in execution are all something much more in evidence these days. Do I care that my 1980's leather jacket has a crooked seam? Not really. But I might these days if I were to buy a new one, because we've have been trained to look for perfect details. I would also have to pay over $1000 for a new jacket which I probably won't bother doing.
The custom jackets you bought in the 80s and 90s were probably more necessity goods than luxury goods. They were purpose built. The jackets we discuss here today are luxury goods.
It's like comparing a Michelin Star dinner with a dinner at the local bistro. With the former, the presentation of the food is hugely important. At your bistro, not to that extend.
I don't think the internet made us more detail focused. The internet did create a (global) market for non-fashionbrand luxury goods like the jackets we discuss here. Before the internet, Himel or FL would not have a viable business model because they could only sell locally (with local demand for luxury jackets being too small to run a business)
Before the days of the internet we were also obsessed with details. But those details could not be found in your locally made jacket. They could be found in garments made by world wide operating (haute couture) businesses like Monsieur Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent or what have you.