I got a chance to sit and chat with Brock Cardiner writer for Highsnobiety. Thought It would be cool to get some input on a writer in the same field as me. He writes on Fashion, Sneakers, Music and everything in between. Check out this exclusive interview here where we will talk sneakers, his definition of style, how important it is to be well-dressed & more.
Q. Who are you? What do you do?
A. I’m Brock Cardiner and I’m an editor at online and print lifestyle magazine Highsnobiety.
Q. How did you get into writing for Highsnobiety?
A. I moved to Berlin after graduating from UCSC for pretty much no other reason than I liked the city and wanted to live here. I’d been a reader of HS for years but never knew they were based in Berlin. I was talking to a friend one day about it and she knew someone who knew the founder. He happened to be looking for a new editor at the time so I sent over my resume, went over a for an interview, and started working there within the next week. In short, a combination of perseverance and dumb luck.
Q. What is your definition of style?
A. It’s a cliche, but I think of style as an immediate form of expression. The style you choose to express yourself through though is almost irrelevant – whether it be classic menswear, preppy, street goth, tech ninja, etc. – if you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing and what it says about you then that will come through via your confidence. And to me that combination of comfort and confidence is style. Thus, you could be wearing a stained tracksuit and Crocs but if you’re comfortable in that and it gives you confidence, then you have style. (That might be an extreme example but you get the point.)
Q. Your favorite Street-Wear Brands Are?
A. Too many to list. I like what’s been coming out of Scandinavia, Copenhagen specifically, and Japan the past few years. Of course, both new and old streetwear brands from LA and NY will always be high up on my list as well.
Q. Your favorite Sneaker?
A. It’s a toss up between the Air Jordan IV and the Flyknit Racer. They each have their own time and place to be worn so I can’t really pick one.
Q. How do you describe your style?
A. I try to combine function with form as often as I can as a way to reflect my lifestyle. On any given Friday, for instance, I’ll bike about 30 minutes to the office, put in a day’s work, check out an opening in the evening, meet some friends at a bar, and then head to a club. I’m lucky because I’m often able to wear the same thing for all of these activities since they’re each an extension of the culture I’m a part of.
Q. Do You Feel Tumblr is an influence on style these days?
A. Big time. In fact, as a shameless plug, I actually wrote about it recently. (http://www.highsnobiety.com/2013/07/30/tumblr-fashion-brands/) Basically, I think it’s a great medium but there seems to be an entire style-culture built around the platform causing a lot of what’s seen on there to have no context outside of the Internet. The Internet is amazing in a lot of ways but certain things like style and the ethereal qualities it brings can only really be appreciated in person.
Q. How do you feel about the Yeezy “Red October” dropping soon?
A. I’m a huge Kanye fan so I’ll probably be picking up a pair if I have the chance. I could wax poetic for days on how everything Kanye releases is part of his larger body of work and that the “Red October”s are just as much a part Yeezus as any track on the album, but to increase the chances of myself getting a pair I’m just gonna leave it at that.
Q. How important is being well-dressed in your opinion?
A. It’s only important as you want it to be. I don’t believe in dressing for other people, but whether you like it or not, people will treat you differently based on how you’re dressed so it’s up to you to decide how you’d like to be perceived.I remember I read an article on reasons why the Occupy movement failed to really change anything and one of the reasons it mentioned was because of the way the protestors dressed. The article argued that large-scale protests were more successful in the past because those protestors dressed like they meant business. They wore suits and caps and looking at those old black-and-white photos you can really see why the powers that be would be more likely to take them seriously. Of course, it’s a totally different world today but it’s an interesting and relevant point nonetheless.
Q. Your last words..
A. I was trying to think of someone cool to quote like Hunter S. Thompson or Vonnegut but I can’t so instead I’ll quote American folk hero Larry the Cable Guy and say, “Git r dun!”
This wraps up my interview with Brock! Thanks for your time!!
Instagram: Brock Cardiner
Author Page: Highsnobiety/Brock Cardiner
Interviewed by Ajrashed
