Homies in Waiting
Logging On - June 17th
Logging On is a weekly sprint through the timeline — Raeland Mendoza filters the noise into his takes on fashion, media, music, and whatever is moving the needle.
Expect the weekly titular column, sharp personal essays, guest features with industry friends, and enough taste to hold you over until the next big algorithm shift.
Explore our latest columns, features and posts here.
This weekend, Ethan (from great read and fellow substacker Human Pursuits) invited me over for summer garden link up and reading.
Despite talking shit on the internet for year(s) now, I’ve never really considered myself much of a writer. Next thing you know, I’m standing in front of crowd of people I only had met minutes ago reciting an excerpt from an essay I was still editing on the Uber ride there.
The night was a reminder that sometimes, the biggest of vibes are usually on the other side of slight social discomfort.
More on that later in this weeks feature -
THIS WEEK ON THE TIMELINE
LINKS AND READS:
THE NAME IS MAMDANI
Fresh off his Throwing Fits guest appearance, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s delivered the emphatic mic drop New York needed post Knicks loss
LOVE ISLAND AND THE 2 GEN Z’S, TIKTOK
This Tiktok by creator Amandayp19 comes at the perfect time. Watching through this season, one thing I’ve noticed was how much of Gen-Z’s (specifically younger, “Gen Z 2.0”) slang and their generally conservative views were so Far-Right/Manosphere coded. Maybe Love Island really is a conservative Psy-Op.
NOBLE SAVAGE VIEW OF NORMIES, TIKTOK
Museum of Twitter is one of my favourite TikTok segments as it combines my love of being chronically online and observing the internet through a anthropological lens while still being funny. I do indeed, have a noble savage view of normies.
FASHION
SHE RUNS, BRANDS WALK?
By far my favourite read this week was consulting agency Edition + Partners article She Runs, Brands Walk? which asks the question: Where are all the women-lead performance brands?
We live in a world dominated by Run Clubs & Strava, with brands like Satisfy Running, Pas Normal Studios, District Vision and the list goes on. But where are all the independent, women-lead brands that push performance over blush and pastel toned aesthetics?
Edition + Partners digs deep:
“This piece explores the whitespace. Challenges the assumption that it exists. And lays out the case for a women’s performance brand that’s built with real teeth, not just resized leggings and a community manager.”
While also outlining some of the nuances on both sides of their argument. Definitely a worthy read for those interested/in the brand, design and performance space.
MUSIC
2 MAZZA, SMILEY FT. DRAKE
Smiley, they can never make me hate you. OVO affiliate and great TikTok follow is back with The Boy himself for “2 MAZZA”.
Last week on Final_Final_Final, I wrote about how I still watch a lot music videos. Seeing Smiley and Drake in tanning booths and Korean Ram Towel heads further illustrates that point.
It’s gonna be a 2 MAZZA summer fr.
FEATURE: PUBLIC READINGS AND SWAG-THERMODYNAMICS
”You really buried the lead there. You didn’t tell me I was gonna be up there with so many actual writers” is what I told on Saturday night after publicly reading an excerpt from a personal essay I’m working on. I wasn’t expecting to be on the same line up alongside capital “W” writers - journalists and masters degrees and all.
I’m being overly dramatic. Biggest of dawgs Ethan hosted a super casual link up over the weekend with writers and friends alike. Everyone was super welcoming, and I wouldn’t have guessed where the mix of readings and writing styles ended up going in the best way possible. I honestly don’t think I’ve laughed like that in some time.
Leaving the event into the summer night, I had my ICYT days top of mind (more on that in said essay). I was reminded by a sentiment Alfred and I would say to each other:
“You should be able to pull up anywhere and have a good time. Do things and go places that are a little outside of your comfort zone. If you’re at an event, strangers are only homies in waiting. And ultimately, the vibe of the room is only limited by the energy you bring to it.”
This night was a welcomed reminder of our mantra of swag-thermodynamics. Even in the most socially-frigid of cities like Vancouver - community, connection and third spaces are almost always on the other side of your comfort zone.
Amongst other things, Raeland is a Creative Director and Designer in Vancouver.
Explore his work at TOMORROW WORKS.
The key to thawing Vancouver? Invite the Albertans.