I’m going to try to publish more frequently. That likely means further deviation on format. This post is an example of that. Hopefully it will still mean a high bar for interesting-ness. If you notice that bar lowering, please send your critique.
As part of that, I may experiment with publishing outside of Substack so as not to overwhelm this list. It could not be more ironic timing, but I started a telegram channel to share these updates, ideas, drafts, etc. If you’re interested in updates outside your email inbox, please sign up. A telegram channel is basically just a single-person twitter feed with notifications.
It's easy to get caught up in the allure of scale on the internet. The reality is that the internet's really about niche-at-scale. Let a million niches bloom, full of many clusters of true fans.
One of my favorite examples of this Ken Sakata and his studio/brand, Front Office. He's an Australian clothing designer who has used short-form video on TikTok and Instagram to build an audience. You've never heard that story before!
But he stands out for a bunch of reasons. He was a surgeon who thought it would be funny to create Queensland Football Club, a made-up FC made real through merchandise. A doctor teaching himself how to design and produce clothing, all while sharing updates on the process and reflecting on how surreal it's been.
A simple but powerful truth: when you create and share stuff on the internet, people get to come along on a ride with you. There's nothing that builds deeper fandom than letting people in on your journey.
Ken has continued to unfold into his context, iterating with feedback from his audience. He's gone beyond (fantasy) sports merch and started a design studio and clothing brand called Front Office. Some of his content is about that journey, his process, and his products. He's experimented with longer-form deep dives on YouTube and Substack too. Most notably, he also makes more generalized video essays, diving into the history and quirks of various styles, garments, and inspirations. He's as much a curator of ideas as he is a creator of garments.
For example: What were those white tees from 'The Bear'? Why are sports jerseys called jerseys? What's the functional reason for the bomber jacket's design? What actually is denim? In my favorite video, he uses three different bombers to illustrate how fashion and craft can ultimately be about using form to communicate ideas.
Of course, he makes beautiful and seemingly great product, too. I can't wait to see what comes next, and for less of it to be sold out.
The best thing about Ken is that—aside from simply representing the wonderful creative compounding that happens when somebody follows their curiosity and keeps iterating—he's a rare example of what you might call content-product-market-fit (you don’t have to; that’s a mouthful). Most people making content online find themself growing an audience for one thing and desperately trying to monetize it by whatever means necessary. Usually, this means promoting stuff that seems tangentially related to them or their demographic, or worse, a failed attempt at selling crappy merch or otherwise.
In Ken's case, there's a natural through-line from his personal interests in sportswear and clothing, his starting point with Queensland FC, his learning progress, his maturation from hoodies and tees to more robust cut-and-sew, his appetite to understand and teach the history of fashion and function, and his strong point of view on product—that you can actually go buy. In some sense, Ken is the megaphone but it's not so much about him—it's about his point of view, the stories he wants to tell, and the chance to build a brand that can be a container for those things. Best of all, he seems to be taking a long-term view.
How big can this all be? Will Front Office make it to fashion week and retail stores and the like? I'm not sure. I'm rooting for Ken, but in the meantime, I'm excited that niche can thrive on the web. My hope is that creatives like him can be a template for many more to come.
