The Material Review

Issue 095: MiniDisc, The Greatest Sports Photo Ever Made, Inside Omega HQ, Buying Multiples, The Bean King, Woodstock and Q&A w/ Tyson White.

Michael Williams

and

Taylor Stacey

May 31, 2025

Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.

How MiniDisc Worked

“A Format Ahead of Its Time” [Obsolete Sony]

The Greatest Sports Photo Ever Made Turns 60

“When Muhammad Ali knocked down Sonny Liston on May 25, 1965, a 22-year-old photographer named Neil Leifer was ringside. Decades later, the image he captured still has our attention.” [NYT]

Inside Omega HQ: The Speedmaster Moonwatches They Don’t Let You See

“Esquire got rare access to the museum, the manufacturing floor – and a sit-down with Omega’s CEO” [Esquire]

‘I’ll take three!’ — the pros and cons of buying multiples of your best clothes

“It can be reassuring to have twins or triplets of your favourite pieces in the wardrobe. But it can backfire” [FT]

At Home with the Bean King

“Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando built a legume empire. He’s finally relaxing—a little.” [Alta]

The Not-So-Groovy Side of Woodstock

Accounts of the peacefulness and generosity of the festivalgoers are all true—but they have tended to miss the point. [The New Yorker]

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

Stripe Linen-Cotton Long Point Collar Shirt

Original Fibres Summer Straight Leg Trouser

One, we don’t play by anyone’s rules but our own. We are only interested in making great things - things that will last from a quality standpoint, and things that are almost timeless in their design. We don’t design categories - we design essential items. We only use the best materials and construction methods and we believe in building product the right way, the first time. Two, with SPC/LST, we don’t see ourselves as another clothing or accessories brand, we truly aim to solve real problems and make products that fill a void.

What’s a memorable recent purchase you’ve made?

Some time in the past year I bought a Daniel Arsham sculpture that I love. I’ve also bought a couple crystal skulls from Jack of The Dust recently.

What is something you’ve had your eye on?

These are not related at all, but I have a Grenadier purchase in my future somewhere, as well as a stay at the Folly Mojave Hotel.

Are there any newer or under-the-radar brands you think more people should know about?

Selfish plug here, but our other brand, The Brown Buffalo, literally makes the best bags in the world. (We recently re-launched after a nearly 2-year hiatus) Not only is Doug (Davidson, my partner & original founder) a renowned designer (maybe the most renowned), but you literally can’t construct a bag better. There’s not a single corner cut, anywhere. It’s a beautiful, flawless product.

What brands and/or products do you consistently go back to?

I’ve always been a huge fan of Stone Island. I have way too many pairs of Retrosuperfuture eyewear, and I collect books so I’ve amassed a healthy collection of Taschen.

From all your years in the industry, what’s one category most people consistently get wrong—and what brands or pieces do you think are actually doing it right?

I don’t know if I’d say that there’s a category that people get wrong because in every category there are great brands that produce at a best-in-class level. I would say that the vast majority of brands, in my opinion, are approaching how they create product wrong. This is especially true with the biggest brands. Instead of identifying a problem and solving it, in most cases, brands are working backwards from a target retail price and a margin they’re trying to hit. The objective isn’t as much to solve a problem as it is about revenue and profit margin; the actual PURPOSE for that product (if there truly is one) is very much secondary to those two things. I won’t go so far as to say they’re wrong, but in my experience, the best brands and products always begin first with WHY and then don’t cut any corners on HOW. A truly great brand will build things with real purpose and build them the best way possible. Most brands have lost sight of that.

How has your approach to buying changed over the years? Are there brands or pieces you’d never have appreciated ten years ago but swear by now?

I’d say that over the years, my taste has gone progressively more in the direction of quality and timelessness. I’d rather spend $1,000 on a jacket that I think is high quality and timeless design than waste my time or money buying fast fashion garbage that you mostly find in the market. So any brand that makes a timeless product that is high quality, I appreciate, even if it’s not my exact style. Trends come and go so fast…But what do you stand for? Are you chasing those trends or making things that have meaning and real purpose?