New Balance Drops This Shoe Once Every Five Years

On May 29th, New Balance is dropping the highly anticipated 1300JP.

Originally launched in 1985, the 1300 was marketed as New Balance’s most premium running shoe, featuring advanced technology, top-tier materials, and expert craftsmanship from their Maine factory. It quickly gained a cult following, especially in Japan, where craft and quality are appreciated.

The sneaker is made in limited quantities every five years, adding to the shoe’s allure.

While I don’t wear sneakers as often these days, I’ve always admired New Balance for their understated style, functional design, and commitment to Made in USA production.

Too Many Ideas, Too Little Time

The arc of an artist often begins with the question of What should I create?

But once you find your craft, the problem flips. Suddenly, there are too many ideas and not enough time.

With Olive Tree Writing Club, I want to host another Write-a-thon, a writing retreat, mastermind groups, a conference, open mics, workshops, maybe even expand to new cities.

With Riveting, I want to write a guide on summer fits, interview NYC shop owners I admire, host menswear events, experiment with Reels, maybe even launch a stylist business (everyone keeps asking me), start a store, or learn how to make my own clothes. I was telling a friend the other day that I could see myself with a Netflix series where I travel the world exploring cultures through clothing (Call me the Anthony Bourdain of fashion).

And outside those two projects there are endless ideas and possibilities. I want to build tech products, dive deeper into AI and apply it to real-world problems. I’ve always wanted to learn how to cook and live out my Food Network dreams. I’d love to try a combat sport. Write poetry. Study physics.

Perhaps I was a chef, a martial artist, or a physicist, in another lifetime. But I’ve already got my hands full in this lifetime.

It helps you stay in touch with friends. Reading my daily blog newsletter is the best way to keep up with what I’m doing. It’s like giving my friends a regular update on my life.
It feels personal. One thing I love about newsletters is how intimate they feel. Because they’re less discoverable than platforms like Instagram or YouTube, they come off as more genuine and less performative. I even have friends who run private email lists just for their close circle where they share personal updates.
It lets you explore your interests. I started a weekly menswear blog, and it’s been a great way to explore and share my interest and learnings about menswear.
It attracts people and opportunities. This one’s huge. I’ve met so many interesting people through my writing. Every now and then, someone emails me to say my blog inspired them to start writing too.
It’s fun. It’s a great creative outlet and a way to express yourself.

Experimental Mindset

One of the biggest takeaways from my job in Growth is the importance of running a high volume of experiments.

What matters most isn’t whether we hit the our number, what actually matters is how much we learn. That rate of learning is what leads to success.

It’s a mindset I’ve carried into other parts of my life too, whether it’s the community I host, the newsletter I write, or any creative project I take on.

A Few Pieces I’ll Wear for Life

When I first started revamping my wardrobe, my goal was to buy pieces I’d wear for life.

But I’ve learned that it takes time to really know your style. As I look back, there aren’t many pieces I bought two years ago that I’ve kept or would buy again.

Over time, I’ve gotten a better sense of my taste and the pieces I gravitate toward. Here are three that I’ve worn plenty, and could see myself wearing for life:

Buck Mason Chore Coat

I found this at Urban Jungle in Bushwick in late 2023. While I was trying it on, someone walked by and said, “That jacket was made for you.” It was in perfect condition too. Oh also it was only $12. It was an instant cop.

There’s so much to love about this coat. First, it’s functional. It has the 3 pocket design because it’s a chore coat. For example, now it’s my go-to travel coat because I can stash my passport, tickets, and receipts easily. Second, it’s versatile. I’ve worn it to conferences with black trousers, but I’ve also thrown it on with sweats for a Trader Joe’s grocery run. It combines the durability of a chore coat with the polish of a blazer. Absolute steal of a piece. And did I mention it was only $12?

3Sixteen Black Leather Side Zip Boots

NYC-based brand 3Sixteen dropped these boots in January 2024, and they sold out instantly. They’ve lived in my head rent free ever since.

When I saw they were restocking in April of last year, around my birthday, I figured it’d be the perfect gift to myself.

The boots dropped on Thursday at noon. I remember it distinctly because I was in Austin, Texas, at a customer onsite inside a construction trailer. At 11:59 AM, I told the team I needed a quick bathroom break. I stepped into the trailer bathroom, pulled out my phone, and bought the boots the second they dropped. At 12:05, all the boots were sold out. I bought them just in time.

I rarely buy pieces at retail, most of my wardrobe is vintage or secondhand, these boots are easily my most expensive clothing purchase, yet since I’ve worn them at least three times a week since buying them. The cost per wear is low.

I brush them after every wear and clean and shine them often. They’re comfortable, go with everything, and elevate every outfit. It’s a timeless style that won’t go out of fashion.

What I learned from these boots is I love pieces that are versatile and look better they more you wear it. They’re developing a rich patina, softening around the ankle.

Jil Sander Straight Raw Denim Jean

Like many fashion mfs, selvedge denim was my gateway into the menswear.

I spotted these at my local Crossroads Trading, hanging on the wall. I must’ve stared at them for five straight minutes. The wash was perfect, the cut was exactly what I was looking for, and the size looked right. I tried them on and they were slightly loose at the waist, but I knew my tailor could handle that.

When I looked them up, I found they retail for an eye watering $1100. They were selling them for 60$ at Crossroads. Sometimes I wonder who’s out here buying luxury pieces and donating them in perfect condition. This is up there in one of my best thrift finds.

Just like the boots, what I love about these jeans is how they elevate any outfit, and with raw denim, the fades and wear patterns develop uniquely over time. They only get better the more I wear them.

New York City is the Greatest City in the World

I was reading Jeff Staple’s book, “Not Just Sneakers”, when he gave a shoutout to NYC:

New York City is the greatest city in the world.

Sure, New Yorkers live in New York City, but New York City also lives inside New Yorkers. In my opinion, it’s the only city that operates this way. NYC is like a living, breathing organism. It embraces you, but it also fights you every step of the way. It champions its heroes while simultaneously expelling people it doesn’t need.

As an outsider, I had to climb a metaphorical wall to get in. And after getting across that wall, I still had to prove that I belonged there to gain acceptance.
It’s absolutely true what they say — if you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere in the world.

After living in the city for almost three years, I agree with everything Jeff’s saying. NYC is the greatest city in the world.

Host More

Host a picnic for your birthday.

Host this years thanksgiving.

Host a launch party for your menswear newsletter.

Host a reading and discussion for your next essay.

Host a salon on balancing a job with your art.

Host a slow read of that fire blog post you read last week.

Host a watch party for the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics playoff game.

Host a dinner as an excuse to practice cooking Filipino food.

Host a party for no reason at all.

Fashion Dissertations

Cross posting from my menswear blog Riveting

A friend asked me the other day if I could’ve started any clothing brand, which one would I choose. For me, it’s probably the Japanese label, Visvim.

Hiroki, the founder and creative director, travels around the world learning traditional textile and clothing techniques from artisans. Then using what he’s learned, he creates a piece or a collection from the ground up. Each drop is accompanied by a written dissertation that he shares on Visvim’s blog. It’s almost like he goes through a mini-PhD program for each release. For example, I shared this piece on my blog awhile back on Visvim’s dissertation on Doro-Zome, the Japanese technique of Mud-Dyeing originally used to dye Kimonos a rich black color.

I love Hiroki’s approach of studying and understanding a tradition then reimagining it in a way that still honors the past.

After reading and writing about fashion for a while, that’s what I’m drawn to as well. I love unpacking the origins, asking “why,” and deconstructing pieces in my own way.

Anyways, onto this week’s fashion five!

Diversify Your Sources of Meaning

Last year, I met someone I caught feelings for. We spent a lot of time together and it came at the expense of other parts of my life. I stopped going to Verci as often. I extended the Olive Tree Writing Club hiatus. I wrote less. All that attention and energy went into one person. For a short while, she became my main source of meaning.

When she left, it hit hard. I had pushed my chips to the center of the table, and went all in on her.

But that time and energy that went into her, I started to pour back into my friends, my communities, and my hobbies. I learned to not take them for granted.

Since moving to New York in July 2022, I’ve built a strong foundation. I find meaning through the writing community I host every week. I find meaning in the creative cowering space I’m part of. I’ve come to love fashion and menswear as an outlet for curiosity. And I’m lucky to have a job where I get to learn and earn.

What I learned from that relationship is that when someone new enters your life, don’t lean away from the other parts that bring you joy. Double down on them.

Discipline > Inspiration

I meet writers who only write when they feel inspired. And when that inspiration hits, the words flow like a river.

When inspiration strikes, take full advantage of it.

But I don’t rely on inspiration. I write everyday. I literally can’t rely on it. Most days, I don’t feel inspired at all. But I still sit down and write something anyway.

What I’ve learned is that discipline leads to inspiration. The hardest part is just sitting down to write. But once I do, I can summon the inspiration at will.

Breaking Through

Two weeks before Christmas last year, I got the news that my team was being pivoted toward Growth, and I’d be leading it.

Over the break, I reflected on what that meant. I realized I was in a rare and exciting position, I had the chance to lead a team early in my career and learn one of the most valuable skills in the industry. I thought, If I master this, I’ll be set for the rest of my career. Growth is the skill of throwing shit on the wall until you find the one idea that works. Mastering it means you can plug me into any company, and I can make it money. This skill would serve me anywhere, whether I want to stay in a job or apply it to my own projects.

The first quarter this year was tough. I had to step into an entirely new role. I had to educate myself on wtf Growth even was. I had to deeply understand our GTM motion, learn the challenges across the org, and try to rack up quick wins along the way. We didn’t hit our goal. In the past, that might have caused me anxiety. The thing about growth is that you’re given a number and it’s black and white if you achieved it or not. As such, it can be a high pressure job. Either we hit the number, or we don’t.

But this time was different. Instead of focusing on the outcome, I was focused on learning and growing. Success would be a by product of that. I kept the team focused on shipping well-executed projects and making sure we learned from each one.

Then last week, we hit our first real breakthrough, one with the potential to generate millions for the business. Excitement is building across the org.

But the work isn’t done. Now it’s time to double down and turn this discovery into dollars.

Bar Raisers

Wrote this quick reflection as part of the Sunrise Writing Club

There are certain people I meet that make me rethink what’s possible.

Adam is one of those people.

Adam lives a life that’s unapologetically himself. I see this in his writing, how he runs his business, and how he carries himself.

It’s inspiring to witness, and it reminds me of how I want to live my life too.

Happy Birthday Adam!

On Falling in Love

One of my favourites memes is the one from GTA San Andreas where he says, “Ah shit, here we go again.”

That meme accurately describes what it feels like when I start catching feels for someone. It’s an intense, exciting feeling. Yet, I can’t help but to be scared too. Every single time I fell in love in the past it’s lead to disappointment, grief, heartbreak.

After experiencing heartbreak again and again, apathy became my defence mechanism to prevent myself from going through that pain again. But that apathy held me back from not only loving others but expressing myself fully.

I see this in so many around me too. This tendency to keep your guard up because of trauma from past relationships.

Today, I’m putting my stake in the ground. I want to fully embrace the feeling of falling in love.

The thing is, love is a risk and heartbreak is inevitable. It might come as a rejection, a break up, or even loss through death. But heartbreak is the price of love. In a way, there’s something beautiful about mourning someone you once loved. The pain, the scars, they’re proof of the love that the love is real.

The Intangibles

Yesterday at OTWC, I was in a discussion group with Evan, a former NFL coach for the Miami Dolphins.

He shared a story from his time as a recruiter for UCLA’s football program. He was visiting a high school to scout a player named J. Typically, recruiters speak with the high school football coach. But the thing is, coaches are often incentivized to have their players recruited by big programs because it reflects well on their team and builds their own reputation.

Instead, Evan walked into the academic counselor’s office and asked to speak with his academic advisor about J. Two students in the office overheard him and asked, “You want to talk about J? I’m J. Why would you talk to my academic advisor? Why not just talk to the coach?”

Evan replied that he would speak with the coach later. Right now, he wanted to talk to his academic advisor.

When he sat down with her, she didn’t sugarcoat it. “J’s talented,” she said. “But he can be difficult to work with.”

You can be the most talented player on the field, but talent alone rarely takes you far. In J’s case, if he’s difficult to work with, will he be coachable? Will he learn the system? Will he support his teammates? What kind of energy will he bring to the team?

Evan’s point was that whether it’s in football, entrepreneurship, and life, it’s rarely just the most talented people who go the farthest. It’s the intangibles that carry you.

Blue Gold

Historically, colored garments came from three sources: plants, minerals, and animals. Red, for example, came from the madder plant. In parts of Africa and Asia, black was made with iron dyes. Purple was extracted by crushing thousands of sea snails.

Blue, or indigo, came from the Indigofera plant, native to India and Southeast Asia. Extracting dye from it is a labor-intensive, multi-step process. First, the leaves are fermented, sometimes over a year in the sun. Then, the pigment must be reduced in a carefully balanced dye vat through a process that requires precise control of pH, temperature, and oxygen.

Because of how difficult it is to produce, indigo was once considered more valuable than gold. Indigo played a role in colonial exploitation, sparked revolts, and shaped trade along the Silk Road. In Japan, samurai wore indigo-dyed clothing, not just for its striking color, but also for its supposed antibacterial properties. Culturally, indigo became a symbol of luxury and status, often reserved for royalty, hence the term “royal blue.”

But everything changed in the late 1800s, when synthetic dyeing was invented. What once took months of careful labor could now be done in days. With the invention of synthetic indigo, the color became accessible to the working class and used for denim, workwear, and uniforms. Indigo shifted from a prestigious, high status color to the color of workwear (think of the term blue collar).

This shift nearly wiped out the 4,000-year-old tradition of natural indigo dyeing. But in places like India, Japan, and Southeast Asia, some artisans and craftspeople are keeping the tradition alive.

What drew me to natural indigo isn’t just the history, it’s the way it ages. Synthetic dyes often look best the moment they’re applied. But natural indigo? It fades and ages beautifully over time, developing a patina that reflects how you’ve worn and lived in the piece. It becomes uniquely yours.

Non-Negotiable Commitments

I host weekly writing events in NYC through the Olive Tree Writing Club.

Because I host it, I’m there every week.

I make my plans around it because it’s a non-negotiable for me.

Today, for example, I was dead tired on Saturday, and If I wan’t hosting I probably wouldn’t show up.

But I have to go. It’s not event a decision I make before an event to go or not to go. I go anyways.

But the thing is that’s why I gained so much from the Olive Tree Writing Club. The consistency is why I’ve met so many people in the community.

Make The Thing You Wish Existed

My friend Yeng recently started a fashion tech startup that was funded by a Tier 1 investor.

He called me yesterday to share his vision for an editorial, one focused on dense, thoughtful fashion discourse.

The idea resonated with me. One of my frustrations with the current fashion media landscape is how much of it leans toward consumerist content like brand recs, pickup videos, and haul culture. That stuff can be fun, but I’ve been craving something deeper.

Yeng said one of the joys of running his own company is the freedom to build things he wishes existed, whether that’s creating products for fashion lovers or launching a fashion editorial.

I found that perspective inspiring. It’s a powerful way to think about building anything: create the things you wish existed.

Olive Tree Ideas Club

This is a post I wrote for the Olive Tree Writing Club, the writing club I organize. Season 6 tickets are here.

During one of our Olive Tree sessions this season, my friend Lucas happened to be at Verci and decided to drop in. It was a coincidence, he forgot that OTWC happened on Sunday mornings, but he told me, “I was going to write today anyway, so this is perfect.”

After the session, I asked him what he thought. He said, “This was incredible. Can I give you some feedback?” I said, “Of course! What’s up?”

He told me that when he first heard about the Olive Tree Writing Club, he assumed it was just for capital-W Writers, you know, folks working on a novel or writing poetry. But when he joined, he saw people writing all kinds of things: sci-fi novels, personal Substack posts, screenplays, and scripts like himself. And that shifted his perspective.

That’s something I always try to emphasize: writing isn’t just for novelists or poets. Writing is a tool for thinking and exploring your ideas, no matter what you’re working on. Whether you’re building a business, designing an app, creating videos, or into fashion, writing helps you articulate what you’re trying to say and do.

That’s what makes Olive Tree different from any other writing club in New York. I couldn’t find a space that reflected this broader view of writing - so I created one.

Maybe instead of calling it the Olive Tree Writing Club, it’s more like the Olive Tree Ideas Club. Because yes, we write, but just as importantly, we talk, we think, we explore. That’s why people love the discussion part of OTWC so much. The writing time is powerful, but the conversations around it are what make it come alive.

So whether you’re working on a novel, a short story, a blog post, or just the seed of an idea, the best way to nurture it is to write it out.

Write Like You’re Texting Your Friend

Sometimes, I’ll use AI to clean up the first draft of a blog post but then I’ll heavily edit it to match my own voice.

For example, I’ll upload a fit pic and ask AI to break it down. It’ll write something like, “This is an aesthetically pleasing outfit.” I’d never say that in real life. So I delete it and write, “This outfit’s drippy.”

That’s voice. We all have one. It shows up in our slang, our references, the way we joke around. It’s how we talk when we’re with friends.

I find it interesting when I meet someone super expressive in conversation, but when I read their writing, It sounds bland. They’ve removed everything that makes them them.

I remember struggling with a draft the other day. It didn’t sound like me. Then a friend told me: “Try writing it like you’re texting me.” That made all the difference.

If you’re ever stuck, try that. Pretend you’re texting your friend.