I love this GQ article about JJJJound from a year ago highlighting Justin Saunders' influence on internet taste & moodboards. He's been in the background of a lot of really influential projects over the last decade, all while building up his own brand that was really kickstarted off a primitive version of what we'd call a moodboard (a version of this still exists here).
What's been so interesting to me is watching the rise and now slow decline of JJJJound as a tastemaker. I guess for us (my millennial generation) the internet really was a clear defining aspect of where we'd discover new things. We learned what was cool from Complex and Hypebeast NikeTalk and StyleForum and a plethora of other sites that either don't exist any longer or have been since bought out and bastardized into another machine that pumps out sponsored posts. Justin thrived in this era. I remember his first few drops, specifically the Vans from 2017 come to mind. People were losing their minds over them. Same for his first few New Balance collabs - absolutely chaos. I personally never found them appealing, but I understand why they created the buzz that they did.
...and yet...
When I talk to any younger guys that are into fashion and menswear and I ask what they think about some of these 'legacy' brands I usually get hit with a 'uh who?' or worse, 'they're cooked.' In a shocking twist of fate, the menswear heroes I grew up admiring are becoming irrelevant with the next generation. And although there isn't anything wrong with that, it does remind me how fleeting relevancy and taste are within the creative space. There's something impressive about being someone who lasts through the shifting trends and fads. And with Gen Z seemingly taking this anti-internet / anti-tech approach (have you looked at how many teenagers are giving up their iPhones for flip phones???) I do wonder what will happen to these guys that formed their following off of forums and message boards once those go away entirely.