More Dopamine Please

The surf world is familiar with the work of Steve Gorrow, thanks to his award-winning advertising efforts with Aussie mod label Insight, which has to be my favorite label out there. Insight has got to be one of the most creative and innovative companies in the industry. I would like to shed some light on one of their recent creative advertising campaigns called Dopamine, which consists of some amazing underwater photography shots. They have been pushing the limits on their clothing and advertising campaigns, which have stimulated other surf companies to either boost their creative efforts, or get left behind in the dust.

In my opinion, the surf industry is very watered down. The over saturation of action sports companies that we have seen is a result of an onslaught of brands coming into the market in the early 2000s, which has changed the landscape of the industry. In addition, the big companies that have been doing it forever (Billabong, Quicksilver, O’Neil, Rusty, etc) have completely sold out to the mass market by selling anywhere and everywhere, diluting their brands and focusing on their bottom lines. The creative juice that the industry was found on has all but been dried up, and the core customers have been left with a half assed product that lacks any sort of story.

The industry is now dominated by corporate minds, and the primary reason why the top action sports athletes accept sponsorships from them is for the money (why else does Dane Reynolds ride for Quick?) Luckily, however, this has allowed smaller creative companies to enter into the market, and offer an alternative to the mass marketed crap we see on the shelves of Pac Sun. One of these brands that have been most successful is Insight, and they have fueled a revolution to create a product that is unique, fashion forward, and functional.

The tides have now turned if you will. Big corporate minded companies are struggling to keep up with these new alternative, fashion forward driven companies that are taking over the smaller market. In fact, from an extremely reputable source, I know that during Quicksilver’s marketing meetings, Insight is brought up frequently in order to set a creative and innovative standard on how to market their products. Not to knock Quicksilver or any other of the big brands, but it just further illustrates the types of changes that are taking place.

In my opinion, this is fantastic for the action sports and apparel industry. This will only weed out the companies that shouldn’t be in the market in the first place. This will clean up the mass produced, large volume product lines that we have seen the past 10 years. Brands are now focusing on their core products, and are not deviating from what they do best. The industry is also getting younger. The generation that have brought big brands this far is getting way to old to keep up with the most dynamic customer base in the apparel industry. Campaigns are getting more creative and are more focused.

And now, I would like to show you the creativity that Insight has brought to the industry. Here’s a little background on the Dopamine campaign:

The black and white photo series encapsulates interesting events both above and below the surface. Motorbikes, naked girls and interesting groups of people make the underwater scenes, captured together with talented surfers pulling tricks on the surface. Insight have really produced some mind blowing creative images here, check out “Dopamine” below:

Inside a Fine Fabric Mill

Have you ever wondered were your fine wool sweater has come from? Why is that blazer so damn comfortable? Why are the best wools woven in Italy? Today, I am going to take you inside an old Italian mill and give you a behind the scenes look to how things are made. This particular mill is located in Biella, a region that has been known for centuries for its fine textiles. It is a mill that Kitson works with, so given the quality of clothing they make, it’s probably safe to assume that this is one of Italy’s best mills.

It takes multiple steps to transform raw yarn into woven fabric. At this mill, the process begins by storing bobbins of yarn underground at a constant temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and a humidity level of 80%. These conditions ensure the yarns’ workability until they’re ready to be sent on through the successive stages of manufacturing.

Next is the warping process. This begins by unwinding the yarns and transferring them to beams, which will then be placed into the weaving looms. The worker prepares this process by twisting two threads together in order to make them stronger.

After the warping process is complete, the workers prepare the weaving looms. The beams, which are now filled with threads, are carefully inserted into combs and reeds. Each individual thread must be put into a reed, in the loop of the head, then in the tooth of the comb. The beam is now complete and ready to be loaded onto the loom.

These Italians got this down to a t. On the loom, warp threads are woven into weft threads, which form whatever pattern has been chosen for that particular fabric. Once the fabric has been woven, it is discharged from the loom and sent to the finishing stage.

During the finishing stage, the completed fabric is washed and dried depending on what the final look is supposed to be. Is it weathered, clean, dip dyed, subtle, and natural? These will determine the fabric’s look and feel to the hand.
 

Of course, quality control occurs thought this whole process. Thread counts are continually verified and the yard is regularly checked to ensure that is strong. In addition, the fabric is inspected to make sure it is free of defects. And once the garment is completed, you can bet your bottom dollar that it is inspected with the highest quality standards.

This process is very similar to what most clothing companies encounter when producing a garment. For example, loathing companies select fabrics for their designs, manufacturers work with fabrics to produce those designs, and the finished garments are sent to stores. People always remember the designers and retailers in this system. Maybe some people even think about the manufacturers. However, no one ever thinks of the mills, but it’s ironic because they determine the first thing we experience when we touch a garment. In short, this process needs to be known and appreciated.