The Material Review

Issue 091: Anatomy of the L.L. Bean Tote, Run-Club Haters, The Magic of Kitchen Objects, Remote Mail Delivery, Milk Has It's Mojo Back and Q&A w/ Om Malik.

Michael Williams

and

Taylor Stacey

May 17, 2025

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

Anatomy of a Classic: The L.L.Bean Tote

“A simple bag that’s remained timeless and functional for 80 years” [Valet.]

The Run-Club Haters

“For some solo runners in New York, the rise of group jogging has sparked hot rage.” [Curbed]

Death, divorce and the magic of kitchen objects: how to find hope in loss

“As they pass through different hands, cooking utensils can magically connect us to loved ones who are no longer with us” [The Guardian]

How the Most Remote Community in America Gets Its Mail

“Transporting letters and packages to the village of Supai requires a feat of logistics, horsemanship, and carefully placed hooves.” [The Atlantic]

How milk got its mojo back

“The dairy industry’s efforts to woo customers away from plant products are a masterclass in corporate survival tactics” [FT]

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

As you know very well, I am a bit biased towards the Leica, especially its SL-system. I love the idea of M-Mount Leicas, but my eyes being what they are, I prefer an EVF. So it is a good compromise for me — M-Lenses with the convenience of the SL. I love the minimalism of the system, and the pared-down OS and menu. I am using my preferred Leica SL2-S and Leica SL 601, the original. I use two lenses — 50mm and 90mm Summicron lenses. I have a couple of SL lenses but I don’t use them as much because I am not traveling to distant locations for landscape photography as much these days. I have also added a Leica Q3 43 to the mix. So, for now I am enjoying this set-up. I am hoping to get my hands on the new Sigma BF camera — it looks pretty hot.

When I saw you last month, you gave me a bunch of camera gadget tips. What are some of the little photography accessories you are digging right now?

I don’t really have that much in my kit. I use filters from Wine Country Camera for creative effects, and have a NiSi polarizer. Apart from that, I have a Peak Design tripod, but don’t use it as often as I used to. I do have a really great Arca-Swiss tripod head, and it allows me to make good use of the tripod. I use Peak Design strap system to carry my cameras, though I have custom leather straps adapted to that design system. On software, I can’t recommend Topaz PhotoAI enough. It is far superior to Adobe and makes it easy to clean up the noise, and increase the resolution of the raw files.

I always scan your newsletters carefully for great app recommendations. Are there any apps you love for photography, or just general apps you want to tell people about?

I am not paying too much attention to apps these days — I use Glass.Photo and ViewFinder. Glass is like having your own camera club. It is small, intimate, and anti-Instagram. ViewFinder allows me to set the camera and the lens, and then use the iPhone camera to pre-visualize how a scene would look through different lenses. It prevents me from pointlessly switching lenses. My approach to photography is to do as much work in the camera and spend as little time on the computer. I have a workflow for speed but optimized for my look. As you know, I make photos for my own aesthetic pleasure and not Instagram-likes, so it is easier to keep everything in control.

You are the connoisseur's connoisseur. What are some brands you are obsessed with?

So this is a hard one — for these days, it is hard to be obsessed with just one brand. That said, I am quite into many lesser-known brands from Japan. For instance, I am loving Blurhms and Yoke from Japan, but just their knits. I am totally digging Document (from South Korea), though I don’t have many pieces. I just love small upstarts who have an opinion. I recently bought my first pair of sneakers in three years. For the past three years, I was rocking these nice slip-on sneakers from Athletic Propulsion Lab (APL) that are so good that I wonder if they will ever die. I wasn’t looking for something new, but then I came across Norda — they are a Canadian running shoe company. I am no runner, but the sneakers they do are amazing. They have such a great aesthetic — the lines are so clean, the sole, the body of the shoe, and the shape are an example of shoe design done right. I love the design language of their products.

Among other things, I have become a big fan of Maison de L’Asie, a small perfumery that is inspired by Asia. It is definitely one to watch — they have a very distinct vibe and clarity about their perfumes. Another new perfume brand is Akro. However, something I drink pretty much every day is sparkling water — it is from Kimino and it has only Japanese flavors - Yuzi, Ume, Mikan, and Ringo. They make juices too, but for me, sparkling water does the trick — just the right amount of flavor, and a lot of hydration.

How is that for obsessions :)

Tell us about a recent purchase you regret. What about one you really love?

I don’t know if I have any big regrets — just have been disappointed by some products after all the hype. However, the product that I totally love is this fountain pen I picked up from Amazon on Prime Day. It cost me $40, and I can’t stop writing with it. It is called Asvine P36 and I fill it up with waterproof ink and write with it all the time. It was a happy purchase.

Thanks for chatting with us. Anything else we need to check out?

If you want to see my photos, I am on Glass.Photo/Om or Om.co/Photos. And if you are into reading about tech and in general want to keep up with my likes, dislikes, and stuff, come to Om.co. Sign up for my newsletter (om.co/newsletter) if you are not into going to websites :)