The Material Review
Issue 149: Sea Ranch, Sumo Topknots, Tiny Cars, Hamm’s Signs, Carloway Mill, The Queen of Ween and Spotlight On: O’Connell’s NOS.
Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.
Commune Design Helps a Creative Couple Manifest Their Dream of California Coastal Bliss
“At iconic Sea Ranch, a rugged stretch of the Pacific becomes the backdrop for a thoughtful resto-vation” [AD]
The secret life of the sumo topknot
“Nothing gets between a wrestler and his hairstylist” [FT]
Tiny Cars: ‘AMAZING!!!’
“Donald Trump has fallen in love with Japan’s adorable micro-cars. Do Americans actually want them?” [The Atlantic]
Cool Enchantment
“…a return to Eden in the shape of a light box.” [Public Books]
A Bleak Island, a Struggling Mill and a Very Distinctive Fabric
“Carloway Mill, one of only three producers of Harris Tweed, turned itself into a charity organization to stay in business.” [NYT]
The Queen of Ween
“In the heart of New Hope, PA, is a mighty little punk rock store called God Save the Qweens, an unofficial shrine to the beloved hometown band that is fighting for its right to stay weird.” [Ssense]
A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.
Brown Buffalo Duffalo
SIGMA BF
Lisette Model: The Jazz Pictures
AYR The Slacker
Foris Olive packable waxed canvas long bill
O’Connell’s New Old Stock
Vintage Sero Long Sleeve Cotton Chamois Shirt
Rugby Shirt by Kenneth Gordon - ‘Regimental Stripe’ - Inns of Court
Original Duckheads Pleated Cotton Twill Trousers - Olive
O’Connell’s Chunky British Wool Ribbed Sweater
Troy Guild Sea Island cotton shirt
Gaeltarra of Ireland Ribbed Crewneck
O’Connell’s Vintage Club Tie - Orange Sail Boat - Brown
O’Connell’s Baby Alpaca Cable Knit Crewneck
The format here works well for filtering signal from noise. Instead of just agging content, the curation feels deliberate, like someone's actually thinking about what deserves attention rather than just maximizing volume.
The O'Connell's New Old Stock section is particularly strong because it shows how archived pieces can stay relevant. That baby alpaca cable knit is a good example of timeless construction meeting practical wearability. The Sea Ranch piece also caught my attention, the balance betwee preservation and adaptation in that context is tricky to get right.