Louw Brouns

Louw Brouns

@blacksnake735265 · Jan 10, 2026

What’s a “secret” from your industry that most people don’t realize?

I’ll go first.
I recently learned something interesting from a few people in the manufacturing world..
Brands like Zudio, Gap, H&M, Levi’s, etc. often get their denim made in the same factories, sometimes using very similar raw materials. The process isn’t as different as we’re usually led to believe.
So when we pay extra for “premium” jeans, a lot of that cost goes toward branding and marketing, not drastically better quality.
Kind of wild how much value we put on a logo.
What’s a behind the scenes truth from your industry that would surprise most people?

Louw Brouns

@blacksnake735265 · Jan 10, 2026

I think I figured out why we are all so obsessed with the 80-90s and Y2K

Honestly I think our obsession with the past is getting kind of deep. It isn't just about childhood memories anymore. I think we are all just collectively terrified of the future. The 90s and even 2007 feel like a safe point. It is the time before everything got so unpredictable and messy. Now we have sequels and remakes and Y2K fashion everywhere because the present doesn't have a clear shape. It is like culture is just stuck on a loop re-recording the past over and over.
Digital culture turned the past into this infinite archive. Now people feel nostalgic for eras they weren't even alive for. We consume these old aesthetics because they feel solid and whole. It is a symptom of anxiety really. When you can't imagine a better future you just hide in a safe past. Am I just overthinking this or does everyone else feel like we are just reliving an old dream because we don't know where we are going?