The Material Review
Issue 122: Virgil Abloh's Archive, Restoring Forgotten American Cars, Massive Book Collection, Prison Stores, Passport Stamps, Spinal Tap,Spotlight On: No Man Walks Alone and Q&A w/ Leon Hedgepeth.
Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.
Inside The Top Secret Virgil Abloh Archive
“In the years since the premature death of the former Off-White and Louis Vuitton creative director, a team of archivists has tirelessly catalogued one of the most remarkable private fashion collections ever assembled. We’re revealing it here for the first time.” [GQ]
The European Heir Restoring Forgotten American Cars to Glory
“An Italian jewelry scion has turned an old drive-in theater in Pennsylvania into a showplace for his collection of domestic vehicles.” [NYT]
Bound for Glory
“Richard Axe is celebrated in the bookselling trade for owning one of the largest collections of antiquarian and second-hand volumes ever assembled. Since 2005, his stock has been arrayed in a huge former youth hostel in the Yorkshire Dales, but now his career is approaching its coda” [World of Interiors]
Normal, Søstrene Grene and the strange appeal of “prison stores”
I’ll Miss My Passport Stamps
“Part document, part conversation starter, stamps are a physical reminder of where you’ve been. Their demise may be progress for some, but it's a loss nonetheless.” [Skift]
Scenes from the “This Is Spinal Tap” Cutting-Room Floor
“On any given day, brilliant stuff would spontaneously fly out of someone’s mouth. A lot of that stuff had to go, to keep the film’s motor running.” [The New Yorker]
A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.
Champion USA Reverse Weave Hooded Sweatshirt
Lafuma Mobilier Reclining Zero Gravity Chair XL
elrow industries miniphone ultra (mpu) case
Métier Sergeant Carryall
Charvet T-Shirt
No Man Walks Alone
Farnese Brown suede "tubo" tubular dress belt
Bigi Wool tie in dark green and burgundy block stripes
Inis Meain Claochai stone wall crewneck
Doppiaa Aariosto pearlsnap western shirt
StandardTypes Naval trousers in brown cotton twill
Leon Hedgepeth is a menswear writer who brings a sharp eye and an approachable perspective to bylines in GQ, The Wall Street Journal, and others. We spoke about his daily driver watch, the under-the-radar labels he’s excited about, his skincare essentials, and what’s really worth spending on.
What’s a memorable recent purchase you’ve made?
I’ve had my Unimatic UC2 for a little over a year now, and it’s easily my go-to watch. I wear it every day, and the value for the quality is incredible. Plus, it’s a legit dive watch rated to nearly 1,000 feet—which is wild, considering the deepest I plan on going is about 5ft. in a residential pool. Still, it’s nice to know it’s got me covered, HA!
What’s something you have your eye on?
I’ve been hearing whispers that Red Wing is planning to re-release their engineer boots, and I’d jump at the chance to grab a pair. On top of that, 3sixteen’s FW25 lookbook has this brown nylon loop bomber that’s just unreal. Brown’s one of my go-to colors, and the looped button detail really seals the deal for me. And these plates from East Fork Pottery are something I've been looking at every few days.
What are some under the radar brands that you think more people should know about?
Too many to name, honestly, but here's what I've been excited about as of late:
Haven's in-house label (picking up where Wings + Horns Left off)
As someone who reviews a ton of different brands/products for your writing, has your personal approach to buying things changed at all?
Not really. If anything, it’s just made me more aware of how much stuff there actually is out there. Growing up in retail, I’ve always been a product-first person and leaned on my gut and taste—that’s still what guides me whenever I’m recommending something to readers or friends.
What are the key or essential products you would recommend to someone looking to get serious about a daily skincare routine?
Guys should ease up on those overly masculine, heavily scented face and body washes. If you already have a signature fragrance, stick with fragrance-free everything instead, so it's not clashing. For a cleanser, opt for a gentle option—something like Cetaphil—will always get the job done. Then, invest a little more in the good stuff: a quality serum and a solid moisturizer. This is what I've been using:
KLUR Immersion Serum Concentrate
KLUR Essentialist Transitional Moisture Cream
What’s something you will always buy at full price?
A bag of coffee beans, candles, or incense. I drink my coffee black, so instead of paying a shop to hand me a plain cup, I’d rather put that money toward a whole bag of beans. And when it comes to candles or incense, I need one burning morning and night while I’m writing—Kuumba is one of my go-tos.
Leon bringing the recs!
Nice to see Superstitch getting some love. I stumbled upon the shop on the left bank a few years ago and spontaneously got a pair of Arthur’s flagship piece. Still love them. Such a nice guy.