The joy of the catalog is that it's a tangible object. For those from Gen Z who've never handled one, image a sort of bound 'zine containing crisp pages of printed matter issued by a store or brand in order to promote its wares in a pre-internet age. They went the way of the dinosaur far before Sears went belly-up and it'd take a real nut to actually wanna bring back the fashion catalog: enter STORY Mfg.
Now, to be clear, a lot of fashion brands still print physical lookbooks and linesheets. There's actually almost no shortage of stylized, editorialized, glossy print editions of seasonal campaigns and collections. But that isn't what STORY's up to this time.
What STORY has in mind is a proper catalog, something that's as granola-crunchy as old-school Patagonia and The North Face marketing materials.
The idea isn't just to spread the word of STORY Mfg's lush Fall/Winter 2022 collection (though that certainly doesn't hurt!) but to present an idealized vision of co-founder Saeed Al-Rubeyi's outdoorsy inspirations.
That's only a piece of the STORY Mfg. puzzle, to be sure, but the British brand does generate ample influence from its admiration of vintage sportswear and outdoor gear, so it's certainly fitting to offer a visual homage by way of an intentionally cluttered, charmingly lo-fi catalog.
"This was my first shoot for Story mfg. after joining in April this year, and with it we wanted to capture the un-fashion honesty of outdoor catalogues from the '80s, '90s and '00s that featured people exploring the countryside in their own natural way," STORY team member Jordan explained.
Appropriate for a buncha ardently stylish neo-hippies with their tie-dyed shirts and baggy, mushroom-stuffed cargo pants.
And the catalog is indeed a physical thing! Visit STORY's flagship store in Brighton for the real deal or peruse the catalog in full online.
Otherwise, you can merely admire the editorial imagery, which shows some handsomely hairy fellows enjoying the beautiful outdoors, basking in the rays of Cheddar Valley in Somerset. Yes, Cheddar Valley is a real place and, yes, it's as adorable as you'd imagine.
"I want to ape old Patagonia and L.L. Bean outdoor books, but [co-founder] Katy is reminded more of quaint British brands like The Sweater Shop," Al-Rubeyi explained. "The feeling of all those [publications] is this kind of pure display of clothing as product to wear in your life rather than lofty art pieces to collect."
The photos alone ought to speak for themselves but even the simple act of putting together a bonafide printed and bound catalog is an obvious signifier that STORY is very much going against the grain of the fashion industry's craving for new, new, new.
No, it ain't cool. But that's why there ain't no school like the old school.
