Articles of Interest Returns with "Gear": New Season Investigating the Connection Between United States Military & Outdoor Clothing Industry
Hosted & Produced by Avery Trufelman, Seven-Part Podcast Series Runs October 22nd-December 3rd
New Episodes Out Weekly with Radiotopia from PRX
Today, acclaimed podcast Articles of Interest returns with the start of a new seven-part series called "Gear," investigating the connection between the United States Military and the outdoor clothing industry. New episodes will be released weekly across all major podcast platforms in partnership with Radiotopia from PRX, beginning with a trip to Buck Mason's militaria collection in "Gear: Chapter 1."
While the civilian-military divide has never been bigger, the military is everywhere in our daily lives, and throughout the "Gear" premiere, host and producer Avery Trufelman(99% Invisible, The Cut, Curbed) begins to unravel the deep entanglement of military aesthetics with fashion and culture. From the luxury buckskin suits that were once a form of Indigenous wear, to everyday t-shirts, hoodies and rubber-soled shoes that were once the uniforms of soldiers, to the new high-tech garments that are increasingly expected to "perform" in a changing climate, to the idea that America is fundamentally a nation of shoppers, "Chapter 1" sets the stage for Articles of Interest’s most revelatory season yet.
Listen to the "Gear: Chapter 1" Here
Throughout the special series, "Gear" will explore not only how the United States Military informs the world of high-tech performance wear and vice versa, but the way the field jacket heralded the start of a new philosophy of dress; the veterans who returned home and seeded the early movement of lightweight comfort and durability into the outdoor industry; the counterculture and anti-war protesters who turned surplus into fashion; the emergence of brands like Patagonia, North Face and Banana Republic; the private sector's invention of modern camouflage and the prevailing influence of special ops teams; the introduction of "gorpcore" and the COVID-era boom of sweat-wicking, sunproof and breathable fabrics; the soldier-civilian divide and the experience of those who rely on this gear for survival; and the ways in which outdoor equipment can better serve the pressing needs of homelessness, climate change, and beyond.
As the culmination of more than two years of research and far-reaching reporting – taking Avery Trufelman to a military convention in Washington, D.C., the Outdoor Recreation Archive in Utah, the Quartermaster Corps Archive in Virginia, the corporate archives of REI in Seattle, the Functional Fabric Fair in Oregon, and a myriad of other places that had never allowed press before – "Gear" marks Articles of Interest's most ambitious work to date. As it picks up the story from 2022's award-winning "American Ivy," the series further illustrates why Articles of Interest was recently named one of the "Best Podcasts of All Time" (TIME) and why it remains the premier show about what we wear.
Articles of Interest is available free on-demand across all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. For more Articles of Interest updates, subscribe to the companion newsletter at articlesofinterest.substack.com.
|
|
About Articles of Interest
Articles of Interest is a show about what we wear and is the podcast industry's prestige show touching on fashion and culture. Host and producer Avery Trufelman investigates our collectively held beliefs about fashion and explores topics like the intellectual property law behind knockoffs, creation of tartan and the history of plaid, and how a collection of dolls in a rural museum in Washington state saved French haute couture. Articles of Interest is a smart, insightful take on the clothing industry, for fashion nerds and dilettantes alike. Host Avery Trufelman is a veteran of the design podcast 99% Invisible, and former host of The Cut from New York magazine, and Nice Try! from Curbed.
About Radiotopia from PRX
Created in 2014, Radiotopia from PRX is the first network of its kind. As a network of independent podcasts, Radiotopia empowers audio creators with the artistic freedom to thrive on their own terms and to bring audiences inspired, high-quality, and well-crafted soundscapes. Programming from across Radiotopia has received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the duPont-Columbia Awards, the Tribeca Festival, the National Magazine Awards, and the Pulitzer Prizes.
Immerse yourself in stories and conversations of all kinds — intellectual and emotional, real and imagined, entertaining and thought-provoking. Be part of a community that values bold authenticity and boundless creativity. Discover award-winning audio with vision at Radiotopia.fm.
|
|
For more information, please contact Matt Hanks, Greg Jakubik or Henry Thomas at
Shore Fire Media, 718-522-7171