In today’s Internet age, new brands are very polarizing. They appear out of nowhere, and with the right backing and co-signs can become wildly popular in a matter of days. Most of these brands seem to be somewhat of a flash in the pan, but one that appears to have some staying power is Anti Social Social Club, founded by Neek Lurk of Stussy. With celebrity co-signs from Kanye West to Keith Ape, and releases that sell out almost instantly, they’ve become somewhat of a force…but opinions on them are widely divided.
Their supporters say that they’re creative and innovative, with a strong message. Their detractors say they’re basic, and have used hype and co-signs to fill in for a lack of actual quality designs. There’s truth on both sides of the argument, so we’re exploring it today. Let’s investigate the Anti Social Social Club in hopes of coming to a conclusion.
We’ll start with the pros. Neek Lurk, the founder, has always fancied himself somewhat of a social misfit and an outcast, so his brand’s aesthetic fits that perfectly. Strong and simple messages on basic garments get the point across, and even if you’re not a fan of the designs, you’ve got to admit that they picked a solid font to stand behind. They also recently hosted an exhibit in LA entitled “Self Doubts”, complete with Lurk’s decked-out Porsche, and messages written in the walls in their signature font, and released a short film entitled “20 Miniutes“. Although the exhibit and the video were somewhat simple, they was tastefully done. The brand’s taken the awkwardness of the Internet and distilled it into simple, clever sayings and phrases
So there’s some good to be had. But, as promised, we’re going to explore the negatives as well. Page through social media and the Hypebeast comment sections, and you’re likely going to find opinions like these. The brand is flat-out basic. They picked a font in Illustrator, distorted it, and bam, a brand. Neek used his connections to push his brand, and if he didn’t have those connections, nobody would mess with it at all. Bootlegs are abundant because it’s produced with a simple font on cheap blanks. Neek’s making light of a social disorder, and enabling his consumers to act like they’re sad.
There’s chops to this side of the argument as well. Nobody’s going to tell you that Anti Social Social Club is a groundbreaking brand design-wise, but some will credit them for sticking to their asthetic.
What do we think about Anti Social Social Club? Well, we’re a little bit divided.
The designs are rather simple..but sometimes simplicity is a good thing. Although it’s not the most innovative brand in the world, there is a place for it especially in today’s Internet world. We also can’t help but think that some of the dislike for the brand comes from some of the people who wear it, not the brand itself. So our opinion is that there’s certainly a place for it and they have a few cool pieces (editor’s note: I own a black ASSC coach’s jacket, which I like)…but it’s not as groundbreaking as Neek proclaims it to be. If you lay off the hype, and the messages speak to you, then it’s solid. You’ve got to admit, it’s a lot better than some of the other wacky brands the Internet cooks up.
What do you think of Anti Social Social Club? Do you think it’s dope or gimmicky? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.
-RDwyer
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