OP -ED
Urban expert thinks Indy is onto something. About a year ago when Polina Osherov approached me about writing a post for a blog that was part of a new fashion movement in Indianapolis, I was taken aback. Fashion is one of the most centralized industries in the world. Even major cities like Chicago have struggled to build any sort of a fashion scene. Indy is not exactly known as a bastion of stylish dress, and I was pretty skeptical that the city had any hope of creating anything like a fashion scene. I was wondering what I’d even write. Yet now that I’m finally writing that piece here for Pattern, my perspective has changed a bit. When I lived in Chicago, I remember asking myself the question of what I would give up if I moved to Indianapolis. The answer from 15-20 years ago would have been huge. It wasn’t even easy to get a good cup of coffee in Indy back then. But when I made my more recent list, I only came up with two big things that were important to me: world-class opera and fashion. Today, I could actually scratch both of those off my list. Opera is taken care of by the Metropolitan Opera simulcast, which some people argue is better than being there. Some folks in Chicago have actually ditched their Lyric Opera tickets for it. Fashion is likewise far less of a problem. Thanks to internet retail, it’s easy to find pretty much anything I’d like online, and have it shipped to me. This has even changed the geography of retail. For example, one of the best denim stores in America is Context Clothing in Madison, Wisconsin, which carries all sorts of exclusives. That’s where I order my APCs, so who cares if there’s a store where I live that stocks them? Actually, the Internet itself is probably responsible for my own personal interest in fashion. I was never a stylish dresser –quite the opposite to tell you the truth– and during the dotcom era when most of us ditched our suits for khakis and polos, I particularly let myself go. After returning from the startup to the corporate world, my boss let it be known that my dress was not quite up to par. Shortly thereafter, I was assigned to a client that still wore suits. Most of mine were worn and in bad shape, having sat in my closet unused for years. Not knowing anything about suits, I decided I’d better educated myself about them, so I started reading and participating in internet forums dedicated to the art of classic men’s tailored clothing. Soon enough, I was emptying my bank account on handmade Italian shirts, seven-fold ties, vintage double-sided cuff links, and the like. While classic looks remain my favorite, from there it was only a short leap to the world of fashion proper. I particularly fell in love with fashion photography, perhaps less for the clothes themselves than for the incredibly evocative fantasy worlds created, and the glimpse we get as through a door into them. So today, with the Internet and magazines, supplemented with occasional trips to New York, I could continue to indulge my interests in fashion pretty much anywhere. But what good does that do you if you’re alone? It’s difficult to live life in a place where you don’t share the values or where no one there shares your interests or passions. It will slowly suck the life out of you. That’s where Pattern and Indy’s small but passionate fashion community come in. With real life events, stores, and things like Pattern paper, there’s more than just an ability to consume virtually, or wear clothes no one in town will ever recognize; there are people to talk to, people who share the same passion for fashion. That community is part of what makes Indianapolis a real city, and what makes it possible for people like fashionistas to live there -even if there isn’t a Barneys. As for Pattern paper itself, I am honored to contribute. When I got the first issue, I was frankly surprised at the high quality level of what was put out, especially after having just seen a major magazine launch in Chicago fall flat despite setting an extremely high ambition level, and being run by old magazine pros. I was very impressed with what Indianapolis was able to produce, particularly for a first issue. If Pattern paper is any guide, Indy’s fashion community will only continue to grow in the months and years ahead.
AARON RENN_URBAN EXPERT
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PATTERN ISSUE NO. 2