vestoj is a both a forum and a paris-based sartorial publication where academia, the museum world and the fashion industry can collaborate and work together to write about the cultural phenomenon that is fashion, in a greater sense.

vestoj issue n° seven, on masculinities
simone de beauvoir once said that ‘one is not born a woman, but rather becomes one,’ and many would argue that the same could be said about being a man. The social nature of masculinity is a pattern of practice, and one rife with complexity and contradiction. Today, it seems more apt to talk about ‘masculinities’ in the plural, to underscore the many ways in which one can be a man, or become one. What we have thought of as ‘masculine’ has changed considerably during different historical periods and inside different cultures, and the social position of masculinity has helped shape not just the gender order by which we continue to define ourselves, but also a hierarchy of masculinities that encourages certain ways of being a man over others. What we consider masculinity is sustained by men, but also by women: how women interact with boys and men continues to have a considerable influence on what we regard as masculine. While the concept of the human mind as a tabula rasa is no longer fashionable, and most today agree that the answer to ‘what makes a man’ lies somewhere between the influence of nature and nurture, the society in which we live continues to have a considerable and ever changing effect on how we perceive ourselves…. read more here.

you may ask, what makes these so special? for one, vestoj exists outside of a trend – based, and news – focused articles. meaning these thoughts and theories that stand the test of time. vestoj champions the independent thinker (hey a little like us) in combination with academic theory, and just a bit of good old-school glamour which is difficult to find these days.

anja aronowsky cronburg lecturing at polimoda (private fashion school in florence, italy.) , on proposing an alternative way of engaging with fashion.

there are a total of 9 issues currently out to date, all produced in minimum quantities and only sold in a selected number of distinct bookstores. personally, i’ve only gotten to get my hands on one and have been searching ever since for my next edition… issues include: issue #9 on capital, issue #8 on authenticity, issue #7 on masculinities, issue #6 on failure, issue #5 on slowness, issue #4 on fashion and power, issue #3 on fashion and shame, issue #2 on fashion and magic, issue #1 on material memories. by lb