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"It's All Cosplay" with Mordechai Rubinstein
203 Plays27 days ago
Years in the making, we hosted someone who inspired the show, someone whose influence is undeniable, someone whose hot takes are scorching, we welcome the one, the only Mordechai Rubinstein, photographer, writer, father, dude, Deadhead, archivist. Truly a man of many parts! Our extended conversation was exactly what we’d hoped for: explosive, enjoyable, telling, and a barrel of laughs. We talked uniforms, we talked photography, we talked ethos, and perhaps most importantly, we talked about the origin story and the lore around who he is. We even got a speedrun through a portion of his closet! We hope you’ll enjoy this journey of a nearly mythical man as much as we did.
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Transcript
Introduction to Mordecai Rubenstein
00:00:01
mordechai rubinstein
Tell me about what this is about or what you guys are about or where I'll just shut up and not ask any questions.
00:00:07
Conor Fowler
There we go. Greetings all. Here today we have possibly our longest in the pipeline show ever. We have been playing phone tag for some time now, but here we are.
00:00:19
Conor Fowler
The groundhog did not see his shadow, but we will see one of fashion's sharpest, most enigmatic, least restrained Mordecai Rubenstein in the studio. We'll get into it.
00:00:30
Conor Fowler
But I don't think that there would be an Apocalypse Studs without Mr. Mort, the blog. um So much to say, much respect to you. I mean, you are like the jack of all trades, the whatever, the Bill Cunningham without a camera, whatever.
00:00:38
mordechai rubinstein
We left it.
00:00:44
Conor Fowler
ah It's an honor, truly, to be here with you.
00:00:47
matt
Yeah, thanks.
00:00:47
Conor Fowler
So welcome.
00:00:48
matt
Thank
Fashion Choices and Influences
00:00:49
matt
you. Thank you for coming on.
00:00:50
mordechai rubinstein
Just came in from the outside. I was going to bring the log carrier as a little, you know, like, you know, my wife's like, what are you doing? You have to be on camera.
00:00:57
Conor Fowler
Welcome.
00:00:57
mordechai rubinstein
And I'm like, well, this is all part of it. They're coming into my studio, you know, let them see, feel the fireplace, the this, the that, the outside vibe.
00:01:05
Conor Fowler
Thank you.
00:01:06
mordechai rubinstein
So, you know, it's very rare I live to show myself and blah, blah, blah, blah blah but less than this every day, because I don't want to tell people how to dress. I just want to show off and like show and inspire. However, I do love the camera. So when I do one of these and i haven't done one of these so long, it's like, Oh, what do you wear? What do you wear? What do you wear?
00:01:23
mordechai rubinstein
It's like zoom culture, podcast culture, whatever. It's like, you know, you got to show this, but you really got to show your toes, but like we're menswear. So we might want to show our toes if it's colored or socks or the weight of socks or slippers or, If you're like me, what are you fucking wearing right now?
00:01:37
mordechai rubinstein
Norwegian check is cute, but you got pajamas on there or you got trousers. If you're wearing it.
00:01:41
Conor Fowler
I got, well, I've got, as as it happens, I have the bean button zipper trouser sweatpants.
00:01:45
mordechai rubinstein
Yes.
00:01:49
mordechai rubinstein
I've never heard that.
00:01:49
Conor Fowler
ah
00:01:50
mordechai rubinstein
So we can go on about that for days, but you know, um since I'm just coming in from the outside. you know
00:01:57
Conor Fowler
So what did you decide on today? i mean,
00:02:01
mordechai rubinstein
I've never been a shawl guy, a shawl collar guy, but now that I'm in a home, not an old age home, but I'm in living in a house and all and and it's and and and it's real winter temperatures, I find myself like almost going to sleep at night in ah in a cowie chow, shawl, call it what you will.
00:02:05
Conor Fowler
Well,
00:02:16
Conor Fowler
it's a, well, it's a, um it's a, it's a house, it's a house jacket, right?
00:02:21
matt
ah Yeah, yeah.
00:02:21
mordechai rubinstein
But anyway.
00:02:23
Conor Fowler
I mean, it's like a, right, right.
00:02:24
mordechai rubinstein
Yes, yes, yes. So, so, so, so I thought you said, you said wear your best evening wear. So I thought pajamas, pajamas with a bow tie and evening in pumps.
00:02:33
Conor Fowler
right
00:02:35
mordechai rubinstein
Evening wear is, is, is, is what you wear in the evening, right?
00:02:40
Conor Fowler
Yeah, and we're getting we're getting close to the evening as it happens.
00:02:40
matt
Right, right, right.
00:02:43
matt
Yeah, well, I mean, you're in New York, sunset will be like in 45 minutes or something, right?
00:02:44
Conor Fowler
I mean...
00:02:48
mordechai rubinstein
What? Have you seen a pajama with a Winston Churchill dot self-tape?
00:02:49
matt
Yeah.
00:02:54
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, when?
00:02:54
Conor Fowler
That's what I'm saying. I think that's one of my favorite combinations.
00:02:55
mordechai rubinstein
When?
00:02:57
Conor Fowler
That like blue and white dot Blackwatch tartan plaid.
00:02:58
mordechai rubinstein
What? You've seen that before?
00:03:02
mordechai rubinstein
You've seen that before? You've seen that before?
00:03:03
Conor Fowler
No, no, no, no, no. Not that. I mean, that that that plaid tie combination, I think, is really classic and wonderful. But what you're doing, of course, who has done that?
00:03:16
mordechai rubinstein
Exactly. You know, King Solomon or whatever, like they say, every great song has been sung or whatever.
00:03:17
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:03:21
mordechai rubinstein
And look, man, all the outfits been done. I'm even going back to my little spank bank to just try to find other like, oh, I wore that in 1992. When no one was alive, let me let me get that back on.
00:03:32
mordechai rubinstein
You know, like I never wear all pink.
00:03:32
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:03:34
mordechai rubinstein
Let me wear all pink. um But, you know, man, the staying home makes me want to do this more or doing this today makes me to this more because
00:03:35
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:03:43
mordechai rubinstein
I've been trying to wear pajamas daytime and like, you can easily look like a hobo, homeless, whatever not, not those things, but it's like, you know, like schlep and I encourage people to get dressed.
00:03:52
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:03:53
mordechai rubinstein
So it's like, so then I felt like I get dressed with, but you know,
00:04:00
mordechai rubinstein
I showered and changed out of pajamas into pajamas, believe it or not. This isn't rolling out of bed. I don't roll out bed.
00:04:06
Conor Fowler
you
00:04:07
mordechai rubinstein
I don't roll out of bedtime. I can barely tie it as it is. But I've been sleeping in mock necks and turtles, sleeping in PJs. I'll shut up. What's up?
00:04:15
Conor Fowler
No, dude, me too. I mean, it's fucking cold. I think we're climate similarly.
00:04:18
matt
Yo.
00:04:20
Conor Fowler
Like I'm here in Baltimore, which we can get into that, but like it's been 10 degrees.
00:04:23
mordechai rubinstein
Northeastern.
00:04:26
mordechai rubinstein
chilly.
00:04:27
matt
Dude, our low a couple of days ago in fucking Georgia 15 degrees. Like,
00:04:32
mordechai rubinstein
Excuse me while I outfit change to make this louder so I can see.
00:04:36
Conor Fowler
Yeah, that's a palatable.
00:04:36
matt
Hey,
00:04:36
mordechai rubinstein
what
00:04:37
Conor Fowler
I mean, so it's weird to like, I don't know, i i was talking with somebody about this. I don't think it was Matt, but it's like, it's weird to wear the clothes, right? Because everybody has these clothes that are like, ah you could wear them in a po like a polar exploration scenario, but now we've got to wear them.
00:04:54
Conor Fowler
And it's kind of it's kind of odd.
00:04:57
mordechai rubinstein
I never thought I'd shawl collar. Never say never, kids, because...
00:05:01
Conor Fowler
You're going from one to the other. I mean, you're really ah committing to the shawl collar.
00:05:05
Conor Fowler
So what is that?
00:05:05
mordechai rubinstein
short
00:05:07
mordechai rubinstein
night I brought a bunch of hats and a bunch of stuff to like rotate. Oh man. One second.
00:05:14
Conor Fowler
This is so great. It's like ah the chameleon before our eyes. Yeah.
00:05:19
mordechai rubinstein
Put all the hats away. Sir, had pile of hats. you put them away? a pile of hats.
00:05:25
Conor Fowler
Yeah, so this is ah basically as expected. Mordecai has, I don't know that Mordecai has left the building, but ah is on a hat quest of some kind.
00:05:39
mordechai rubinstein
Sorry, you know.
00:05:40
Conor Fowler
And here, and here he he returns.
00:05:42
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, I had like, you know, my not a spiel, but like, you know, like fleece, up man, you know, I post something on IG and someone says, oh, are they real mountaineers?
00:05:54
mordechai rubinstein
And I say, bro, bro, I don't fucking know. Okay. an outdoorsman because I'm going outside to and bring wood in. am my I cut wood and do I have an axe yet?
00:06:03
Conor Fowler
Right, right.
00:06:06
mordechai rubinstein
No. No. Am I playing it yet? It's all cosplay. It's all fun and games.
00:06:12
Conor Fowler
It's all cosplay.
00:06:14
mordechai rubinstein
So someone's Nantuchus gets hurt. You know what i mean? it's all It's all like, I never thought I'd wear this. And it's like partially to like piss my daughter off when I get her off the bus. Like, oh, why'd you wear that, dad? And partially
00:06:29
Conor Fowler
How old is she, if you don't mind, approximately?
00:06:31
mordechai rubinstein
you say She's eight and partially it's just like, you have kids?
00:06:34
Conor Fowler
Oh, yeah. ah She's going to burn you, dude no i'm but I'm a teacher. I mean, I've got, like, sometimes almost 40 kids.
00:06:43
mordechai rubinstein
Fuck.
00:06:44
Conor Fowler
Right. In Baltimore. In Baltimore.
00:06:47
mordechai rubinstein
is this just Is this reflection, is this light, bad, good?
00:06:50
Conor Fowler
No, I think it's fine. I mean, because you're close you're close enough. Yeah.
00:06:54
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:06:54
Conor Fowler
um
00:06:55
mordechai rubinstein
Thanks for having me.
00:06:56
matt
Yeah, man, thank you for coming.
00:06:57
Conor Fowler
Dude, it's really funny because like, I feel like I have talked about you so much. ah One of my like early fashion memories is beauty in the everyday uniform. And like you going after someone like on Vine screaming fashion boy, fashion boy, fashion boy.
00:07:14
Conor Fowler
And that is just like a formative quarterspan for me, like that someone is out there doing this kind of work.
00:07:22
mordechai rubinstein
Man, you know, i was I was just in Paris and I was looking out the window, as I do, and I saw this guy working on the street in orange high-vis uniform.
00:07:33
mordechai rubinstein
And i put on stories and someone, that that needs to be on the main grid. It's too good. And I thought that, but like, I was like, the main grid's dead. Like, let's be honest, you know, people are
00:07:42
Conor Fowler
It does feel that way, doesn't it?
00:07:44
mordechai rubinstein
stories. But what it did make me think was how U.S.
00:07:46
Conor Fowler
Thank
00:07:48
mordechai rubinstein
uniforms and and like I can't say U.S., but I say New York because that's where i spend most my time. They're non-existent. You walk by a construction site, dudes are wearing either D-squared or, you know, their own version of Bugle Boy jeans that are skin tight, you know, fake Balmain jeans with maybe knee pads and a hard hat.
00:08:05
mordechai rubinstein
But they're not wearing any sort of uniform. You know, there's like no uniformity in the group. And it kind of looks like Day laborers, like they don't look like a team. They don't look like a union, like workers.
00:08:16
matt
Right.
00:08:17
mordechai rubinstein
They don't look like a group. And it kind of pisses me off because you go to Paris, street cleaners, construction workers, they look so almost dapper. And I've studied this for years, but it's.
00:08:27
Conor Fowler
Well, well, don't you think it's because they are union?
00:08:31
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, and we hear we're not.
00:08:33
Conor Fowler
Yes, that would be my that would be my thing because the union would pay for the uniform.
00:08:34
mordechai rubinstein
Well, I know that.
00:08:39
mordechai rubinstein
I don't know. mean, USPS is a good study. And, you know, this ah there's a guy, Marty Grace on Instagram.
00:08:41
Conor Fowler
Sure.
00:08:45
mordechai rubinstein
He worked for the USPS as a letter carrier for like 30 years, retired. And he is credited in my books and Heron Preston, I think introduced me to him as he made his all his own USPS gear.
00:08:56
mordechai rubinstein
Long story short, he did like pink for breast cancer and he sold it right outside two of the main depots Manhattan.
00:09:02
matt
Oh, wow.
00:09:02
Conor Fowler
Wow.
00:09:03
mordechai rubinstein
he got He got years of cease and desist from the USPS when the new supervisor, whoever the head is, commissioner, custodian, whatever.
00:09:06
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:09:12
Conor Fowler
What is that guy's name? ah
00:09:13
mordechai rubinstein
they went
00:09:14
matt
Is it still Louis DeJoy?
00:09:15
Conor Fowler
It was DeJoy, right.
00:09:15
mordechai rubinstein
They went out.
00:09:17
matt
Yeah.
00:09:17
mordechai rubinstein
They went after him, but it it was like, l LOL, he's still supplying like all the main Manhattan letter carriers are all wearing his shit. And he put MG, he put this little logo on the back, you know, which was like wild that he was doing that, but USPS wasn't making anything cool.
00:09:28
Conor Fowler
wow
00:09:32
mordechai rubinstein
And now fast forward, they're all wearing whatever they want. And i don't want that.
00:09:36
matt
Right,
00:09:38
mordechai rubinstein
Like I want to be, I want to land in LA tired and jet lag and see
American-made Clothing and Perception of Luxury
00:09:41
mordechai rubinstein
the same letter carrier. Maybe he's in shorts and hot, a guy, a bear shirt, but it's still USPS s colors.
00:09:47
matt
right. Yeah,
00:09:48
mordechai rubinstein
You know, i love that USP UPS, you know, they had the Brown boonie hat, but it's all Brown. they're the the They're the only one FedEx is Interesting.
00:09:56
Conor Fowler
Well, their union their union FedEx is not union
00:10:00
mordechai rubinstein
Interesting.
00:10:01
Conor Fowler
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:10:01
matt
yeah.
00:10:02
matt
yeah oh
00:10:02
Conor Fowler
And I would say, i would say, I'm sorry, Matt, but my final, my thing on this is that like the reason that the guys are not wearing uniforms is because the uniforms are not supplied by the construction companies anymore because they're cutting, you know, it's money.
00:10:14
mordechai rubinstein
So why should pay an extra $10? Yeah.
00:10:17
matt
Well, I mean, we we can also connect like the like French workwear is the thing.
00:10:19
mordechai rubinstein
It's messed up.
00:10:24
matt
And there's various, you know, various types of uniforms for like various work. And also America at one point, we like, you know, any any big.
00:10:35
matt
company had a uniform distributor, like all the best, you know, US work with. That was basically what it was. Like it it was, you know, there they were sold at department stores and shit also, but you could, yeah, you could like, you know, get the same company to make the uniforms that your employees wore to work.
00:10:43
mordechai rubinstein
All right.
00:10:49
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. think.
00:10:55
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:10:56
Conor Fowler
We're talking like Montgomery Ward, right? Or like JCPenney.
00:10:59
matt
Yeah, or like Robux and Big Ben and Wrangler, like
00:10:59
mordechai rubinstein
But we're not.
00:11:00
mordechai rubinstein
ah
00:11:01
Conor Fowler
e
00:11:02
mordechai rubinstein
but We're not taking pride.
00:11:02
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:11:04
mordechai rubinstein
I think it's a big part of it. And like, not like the did the mayor of New York wearing a made in China, you know, Carhartt. That's what else i mean.
00:11:12
matt
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:13
mordechai rubinstein
You know what I'm saying? It's like as a nation, we're kind of like, and i don't want to be political with it, but like we kind of gave up and we're like, Oh yeah, it still says Carhartt. Like it's the real deal.
00:11:24
matt
Right, right.
00:11:25
mordechai rubinstein
I'm lying. It's like, nah, that's future landfill while you're Norwegian. I don't care if it's LL Bean or Sears. It looks like Yeah.
00:11:31
Conor Fowler
actually abert It's actually Abercrombie and Fitch very long ago.
00:11:35
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:11:36
Conor Fowler
Like back when they were making like hunting gear, basically.
00:11:37
mordechai rubinstein
Polo just did a USPS jacket.
00:11:39
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:11:41
mordechai rubinstein
i don't know if it's that's just a press hit or if it's real or if it's just for the store. It doesn't matter to me. It it it seems like when I worked at Levi's, they schooled you on like, you know, in 1952, you couldn't use the backstitching on the pocket for the arcuate because the country needed it to make parachutes.
00:11:55
matt
Right, right.
00:11:56
mordechai rubinstein
ah That's a cool story. You know, like, yeah, we, you know, at one point, Woolrich and Schott and all these companies had contracts with the military. And now ah we don't talk about where it's made. Well, we're fucked.
00:12:07
mordechai rubinstein
um It's just so interesting to me.
00:12:08
Conor Fowler
Thank
00:12:09
mordechai rubinstein
yeah We don't take pride in and in in a lot.
00:12:12
matt
Yeah, 100%. And I think, like, the clothing industry in particular, you know, Made in USA has, has for the past number of years, been, like, such a such a big claim, but, like,
00:12:20
Conor Fowler
Thank you.
00:12:25
matt
a lot of like A lot of it is just small brands that that don't have the capital of a Levi's or Ralph or...
00:12:32
mordechai rubinstein
It's interesting when a man resaw or one of these made in the USA brands pops up. I don't want to say it, but like, and I'm not challenging any brand. How long can they stay?
00:12:42
matt
Yeah.
00:12:42
mordechai rubinstein
Like sometimes I go the street
00:12:43
Conor Fowler
Yeah, no, and that's so real. That's so real. Like I am not a math person exactly, but there is a graph, right, where they're making their stuff, but then eventually they need to be making more money and more money and more money.
00:12:55
Conor Fowler
And so they have to take it elsewhere. Yeah.
00:12:57
mordechai rubinstein
Right. It's like, you know, can, and we don't need to get into it but like, can USA manufacturing really come back? And can it come back at that scale? and it it yeah I don't know.
00:13:05
matt
it's it's basically impossible at this point.
00:13:07
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, exactly.
00:13:08
matt
Like, it and it sucks. And and the part of the reason, like, i've I've worked in the clothing industry for a long time at this point. And, like, part of the reason it can't come back is because the majority of people don't make enough money to afford it at this point. Like, it's not, it's never going to be the the heyday of, you know, post-war to the 70s. Like,
00:13:31
matt
like
00:13:31
Conor Fowler
It feels like the cat the genie is out of the bottle, the cat is out of the bag.
00:13:33
matt
Yeah, like like it it has to be luxury because it costs a luxury amount, but most people can't afford the luxury price. And they've also been conditioned to think that like a $25 pair of jeans at Walmart is, is all you know, what what a pair of jeans is worth.
00:13:52
matt
And you're like, guys, like these two things are are so diametrically opposed at this point.
00:13:57
mordechai rubinstein
The
00:13:59
matt
I i don't know.
00:13:59
Conor Fowler
You can't hold on to these at once.
00:14:01
mordechai rubinstein
definition of luxury, I don't read white papers. I know they're all on there, but it's cool that you brought that up because I never would have thought like a made in the USA shirt and a Chanel bag, you know, are arguably luxury item.
00:14:12
matt
Right, right. It's...
00:14:14
mordechai rubinstein
And you just put proof in the pudding in my mind. Yeah, that made in the USA shirt. That's a luxury item that most people can't afford.
00:14:20
matt
Yeah.
00:14:21
mordechai rubinstein
I want to get into, don't care to get into. They'd rather the landfill. It's so fucking bizarre.
00:14:25
matt
Yeah, yeah. it's It's one of those things that, like, you see it, and, I mean, there are there are American brands that make things that aren't, you know, necessarily luxury, like the kind of mid-range shit, but, like, you have to pay the money
00:14:39
mordechai rubinstein
and the premium
00:14:39
matt
for it at this point because the workers have to get paid and the fabrics and, and, you know, all the other things that go into making a garment. It just, it's, it's not, it's not as affordable as it once was.
00:14:53
mordechai rubinstein
wondering who's doing it the longest, Billy Kirk. I mean, you know, it's just
00:14:56
Conor Fowler
Made in USA consistently, like probably like a tool brand. Like, yeah, I would think so.
00:15:01
mordechai rubinstein
fine.
00:15:05
mordechai rubinstein
um I'm but tying it back to like a clothing accessory, but it's it's like, I don't know, it's a good one.
00:15:07
Conor Fowler
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:07
matt
Yeah.
00:15:08
matt
Yeah.
00:15:11
matt
Yeah, Billy Kirk's been, i mean, he's been doing it for, what, 20 years at this point? So...
00:15:16
Conor Fowler
Yeah, I think around that.
00:15:18
mordechai rubinstein
People can recycle a company, bring out an old company that one ever heard of.
00:15:22
matt
Right, right.
00:15:23
mordechai rubinstein
It's just like, which one?
00:15:24
Conor Fowler
It's so funny. I was doing some research and I found that Mr. Mort clothing label. Which you know about, because I've read in an interview that you found it yourself, and that inspired the name of the blog, ah which I just thought was
00:15:37
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
Legacy of Mr. Mort and Fashion Inspirations
00:15:39
Conor Fowler
delicious.
00:15:39
Conor Fowler
I mean, I thought that was a great a great little fact.
00:15:39
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. Yeah. It's like, i don't know how search engine optimization, all that shit works, but it's like, it it kind of pains me when you Google Mr. Mort. that I come up, look, man, I mean, we don't need to get into it, but we will for a second.
00:15:50
matt
Thank you.
00:15:53
mordechai rubinstein
Long story short, there's a guy, Stan Herman. I think he was his, really but I met him on the street one day and I said, hey man, I just took this name, Mr.
00:15:56
Conor Fowler
Mm-hmm.
00:16:02
mordechai rubinstein
Moore. I know you're behind it. It was sold to Liz Claiborne, Russ Toggs. It went bankrupt. No one even picked it up. I changed it from MR. to M-I-S-T-E-R because I wanted it to be new. i didn't want to just off.
00:16:12
Conor Fowler
hear
00:16:13
mordechai rubinstein
But the guy invented loungewear. I think he did too
00:16:16
matt
Oh, holy shit.
00:16:17
mordechai rubinstein
TWA uniforms, Hardee's, Avis rent the car. I think he's crazy.
00:16:20
Conor Fowler
Right, the Avis, I remember that.
00:16:23
mordechai rubinstein
For the woman where the skirt is an Orthodox Jew, I like it. The suit was kind of attached to the skirt or whatever. Like it was like a one piece, but he, you know, there's old ads that were in vogue that were beautiful.
00:16:29
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:16:33
mordechai rubinstein
They were meet Mr. Mort. And it was a woman on a tailoring block with the tape and everything. And it was just an appointment, I guess, to get something made by Stan Herman.
00:16:43
Conor Fowler
Yeah, well, listeners definitely check out because there's a ah website that has ah all of the labels.
00:16:48
mordechai rubinstein
evil
00:16:50
Conor Fowler
And there's like there must be like 20 Mr.
00:16:50
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. if
00:16:52
Conor Fowler
Mort labels, all of different stripes and colors and stuff.
00:16:54
mordechai rubinstein
One of them, my favorite one was, was MR. More. And between the two was a figure of, of, of, I'll say a person in, in black, it was black and white, but in tails and a stick.
00:17:05
mordechai rubinstein
And said to Jason Poland, may he rest in peace, of my favorite artists that my brand is not complete because between the Mr.
00:17:05
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:17:12
mordechai rubinstein
and the Mort, I want somebody to make a character running with a camera, with a fitted,
00:17:14
Conor Fowler
Thank
00:17:17
mordechai rubinstein
The next day, some photo blog kind of did their own version of it. with they I think it was back. yeah I'll just drop it. I think it was Backyard Bill. Look, I'm not saying anyone's off.
00:17:26
Conor Fowler
he
00:17:27
mordechai rubinstein
I'm not even saying he was inspired by it But I think it was very interesting that between like the Backyard and the Bill or the Bill Gentile, whatever it was, there was this like character running. And I was like, damn, did I just let it out of the bag again?
00:17:37
matt
Oh, man.
00:17:38
mordechai rubinstein
It's fine because I never, you know, I never even trademarked Mr. Mort. I put an OR, put TM on stickers. You could rate take that shit from me today. You know what
00:17:45
Conor Fowler
Well, that's the funny thing, dude, is like you don't really have to put much effort into coining shit. It just seems to happen. Right. I saw in the GQ interview where you're talking about dad core.
00:17:53
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. Yeah, it's good.
00:17:57
Conor Fowler
You were talking about norm core. Right. Yeah. That's funny as shit. I mean, you're not whether or not you coined it, you are close. Right.
00:18:05
mordechai rubinstein
Thanks, man. Thanks. Because Esquire did they did, I think they credited me or almost closely credited me with Norm Corbett.
00:18:10
Conor Fowler
yeah yeah
00:18:12
mordechai rubinstein
That was so funny. You know, I just a picture of a in Paris of a guy walking on the street with the two walking poles. It happens to be, I'm like whispering, that he looks like an Orthodox Jew, which I like seeing in Paris.
00:18:22
mordechai rubinstein
I like seeing him how they look in different parts of the world because this is how I grew up. And in some places, you know, like not that they're hiding, but like, you know, they want to don't want to be as loud and proud. And I totally get it. But he's walking with the things.
00:18:33
mordechai rubinstein
And I wanted to put up a story on IG and say, Gorbcore is totally popping in Paris.
00:18:37
matt
Ha ha ha ha
00:18:39
mordechai rubinstein
but But I don't think that he is the poster boy, so I just didn't put the photo up. But it's also just like everything I do is for a gag. Everything I do is like making fun of that. Like, like you know, I made snowshoes 10 years ago. I still haven't tried them on.
00:18:54
mordechai rubinstein
You know what mean? Now I'm in the woods. I'm trying to get into it. I don't even know put them on. But I'm just here to have fun. You know, I mean, I...
00:19:01
Conor Fowler
Yeah, dude. And that's what it's about. It definitely shows. Cause I can remember being in my dorm room, like looking at like early hashtag menswear shit and being like, there is someone sort of alone who understands like what I am trying to do with this, you know, which is to like be funny.
00:19:19
mordechai rubinstein
be more alone. I should stay alone. where Where were you in school? I'm going to ask questions.
00:19:24
Conor Fowler
i went to UMBC. So, uh, in Catonsville, I mean, they call it Baltimore, but it's Catonsville.
00:19:31
mordechai rubinstein
Are you guys both in Maryland, both in Baltimore?
00:19:33
matt
No, I'm in Atlanta.
00:19:35
mordechai rubinstein
Got it. They've seen it winter weather too. I mean, the whole world is seeing winter and you're in Baltimore and you guys got me, you know, Connor been trying to get me. I was thinking of the words persistence.
00:19:47
mordechai rubinstein
Um, uh,
00:19:48
Conor Fowler
Lay it on me.
00:19:49
matt
Yeah. And I...
00:19:50
mordechai rubinstein
the good persistence, consistency.
00:19:50
Conor Fowler
Annoying.
00:19:54
mordechai rubinstein
And there was one other word. And I was just like, because I'm bad with scheduling and he didn't give up on me. And I'm so thankful for that. Thank you.
00:20:03
Conor Fowler
Dude, that's so that's so good to hear.
00:20:03
matt
No.
00:20:05
Conor Fowler
I feel like we should use this as an advertisement for the show. but
00:20:09
matt
And I also worked in New York for in the menswear industry for a few years, like 2011 to 2014.
00:20:10
mordechai rubinstein
You know, there's
00:20:16
matt
don't think you and I ever met, but we had mutual friends. So
00:20:20
mordechai rubinstein
ah thought you're gonna say, well, you saw me backstage at the Aronson show.
00:20:22
matt
no, no. But like I'm friends with Jake, Jake Gallagher. Like I hung out with him and Lawrence and like,
00:20:28
mordechai rubinstein
Like you said, you pulled up my coat string on the backstage of the Aronson show and said, hey, will you do will you be on this block? Because there's three, and I'm going to name drop because I'm not asked to be on a ton of these, that I've been asked to be on and I didn't get back to them.
00:20:40
mordechai rubinstein
And I think that the other two wrote me off. Perfectly imperfect and... and and um Blackbird's biplane. I think they both wrote me off.
00:20:52
mordechai rubinstein
So I'm thankful for you that... that
00:20:55
Conor Fowler
It's just, dude, you are a you are, i mean, I've read probably five interviews with you and it's probably, i hadn't read a lot of them because I had just followed the blog, you know, and like learn, learned about you and your tastes through, ah your photos for the most part.
00:21:10
Conor Fowler
And i just like, it was, it was essential.
00:21:14
mordechai rubinstein
Enough about me.
00:21:16
Conor Fowler
It was like essential. And a Matt will, Matt will corroborate this. Like your name has been on our list of shows forever.
00:21:23
matt
Yeah, yeah. We like talking to people that that, you know, like, kind of embody the ethos of this show, which is taking, you know, taking, like, beauty from just everyday shit.
00:21:23
Conor Fowler
Um,
00:21:36
mordechai rubinstein
the show.
00:21:36
matt
Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Like, we
00:21:38
Conor Fowler
Which is an odd, which is an odd, like kind of reverse distillation, right?
00:21:40
mordechai rubinstein
That's the show.
00:21:43
Conor Fowler
Because what we say is we ask people where they grew up and like what they saw while they were growing up. What did your grandfather wear? That sort of thing. um And we try to get a better understanding of people, ah all people, I would say.
00:21:57
matt
Yeah, it's like a sociological experiment, which like in leading up to this and me and Connor preparing, like that's kind of what you've been about the whole time too.
00:22:07
Conor Fowler
The reluctant anthropologist in your own coinage.
00:22:10
mordechai rubinstein
This kid's DMing me and I say kid cause he's a student, but I call myself a student too. And I'm 50. So it's like maybe, you know, and I'm not enrolled in any programs, you know, it's like, you know, keyboard warrior, whatever the word is.
00:22:19
matt
Right, right.
00:22:19
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:22:22
mordechai rubinstein
And this kid comes at me.
00:22:23
Conor Fowler
so
00:22:23
mordechai rubinstein
He's like, Hey man, where'd you study anthropology? left him on scene, you know, month goes by. He's like, so, um, you know, anthropological studies, what did you find in, uh, and I'm like, I got to Google that. Be right back. Another few months goes by and he does everything except for like, why are you calling yourself an anthropologist, bro?
00:22:44
mordechai rubinstein
And I rewind. I'm like, why couldn't you have just asked me that first?
00:22:48
Conor Fowler
you
00:22:48
matt
Right, right.
00:22:49
mordechai rubinstein
ah Just innocent, man. I, you know, should I change my bio? You know, my boss at Levi's told me you love people just as much as you love clothes. It's very interesting. And I'm like, oh shit. And then he's like, when they zig you zag. I'm like, oh wow. Can I,
00:23:02
Conor Fowler
I've read that quote too. Well, and it's funny, man, because you say like the dad hat is becoming popular. So I am like, fuck the dad hat. But I saw someone with a Harvard dad hat on and I found that very funny. Right. And if I am wearing a Harvard dad hat, I'm not even a father.
00:23:21
Conor Fowler
You said that.
00:23:21
mordechai rubinstein
Did I see that?
00:23:22
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. I love the i love the stores, right the campus stores. NYU, Campus My Tuchus, you're on Broadway.
00:23:26
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:23:29
Conor Fowler
Right. Right.
00:23:29
mordechai rubinstein
amen. Call that at camp is no problem, but it's really the only college campus I've spent time on actually, coincidentally. Anyway, you walk into that store, you see purple, my favorite color. One of my favorite colors.
00:23:38
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:23:39
mordechai rubinstein
And it's great. But in the hat section, before dad hats are popular, NYU dad, NYU mom, that's cute. That's cute. That's cute.
00:23:47
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:23:48
mordechai rubinstein
You know, I've always loved that stuff. Anyway, yeah.
00:23:51
Conor Fowler
Like my girlfriend has a sweatshirt that says number one, grandpa on it. It's that same thing. I just think it's nice, you know?
00:24:00
mordechai rubinstein
i mean, from the family, none of your business, you know, it might
00:24:03
Conor Fowler
It's from the thrift store.
00:24:04
mordechai rubinstein
Right. Even better, even better. I mean, when I, you know, I almost wish this stuff came with chips went from the thrift store because I want to know all the info, you know, who owned it, why they got rid of it, how they get that hole. Did it come from carrying a gun? Did it come from, you know,
00:24:19
Conor Fowler
That'd be so amazing. Like,
00:24:20
mordechai rubinstein
Iron baby in her pocket. Like, what's that stain from? And we're never going to know on a lot of things. And then I'm sure you've sold stuff. I've sold stuff. Sold stuff where, i'm like, I kind of wish I got it back. And I'm, like, thankful for eBay. You know, I sold a shirt to Bacon's Closet.
00:24:34
mordechai rubinstein
A beautiful, beautiful Western that I bought off. You want to make an appearance? Or that I bought off a rodeo Get out of here, will you? I'm
00:24:45
Conor Fowler
ah hey what's up how you doing it's a great it's a great jersey
00:24:47
mordechai rubinstein
kidding. Go ahead. yeah i'm kidding thanks
00:24:52
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, yall it's funny because I asked her do you have cheerleading? did She says, no, I'm just trying. it on That's the real sportsmanship. That's the Ruben Smith.
00:24:58
Conor Fowler
Yeah, dude, that's, a yeah, dude, you gotta be proud.
00:25:00
mordechai rubinstein
That's the real No, I might even put my new cane in hockey on just so they think I'm the hockey coach of your thing. So I bought a shirt right off the rodeo rider. When I say rodeo rider, you know, i know what you know about the rodeo probably more than I do. Toughest guys on dirt, toughest athletes on dirt, whatever.
00:25:18
mordechai rubinstein
um i DMed a guy that works on the field. He wasn't a team doctor, but he's like the guy that opens and closes the gate, which is one of they're not.
00:25:24
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:25:26
mordechai rubinstein
Okay. So there's the bull riders. They were the first ones to wear Solomon's and them and Ralph Lauren, fuck the internet. Uh,
00:25:31
Conor Fowler
hmm.
00:25:32
mordechai rubinstein
left the um You know, they were the first people I saw that with, you know, they were wearing long, long shorts with leggings and Solomons. And it made a lot of sense. You know, they're not trail running, but they're in the dirt, right?
00:25:41
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:25:42
mordechai rubinstein
The guys that open and close the chute, they wear the Wranglers up to here, Stark shirt.
00:25:45
Conor Fowler
yeah.
00:25:46
mordechai rubinstein
Every few years, PBR gives them a new one. And it's on the back. It's so polyester and disgusting, but on the it's black on black stripe. Western on the back of the giant, giant, giant applique. I should go upstairs and get it. This is a PBR's 50th or something.
00:25:58
mordechai rubinstein
So after the MSG event, they call them off events. I like that. I'm DMing with the guys like, all right, cool. Meet me at the locker room. You know, you got it, you know? And it's like, I didn't give him 50 bucks.
00:26:08
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:26:11
mordechai rubinstein
You know, I wear it once and either my wife pushed me or I brought it to Beacon's closet for $5. Dude, you forget the whole experience of being at Beacon's and selling. Do they know me? Do they know me? Instagram?
00:26:24
Conor Fowler
Right, right.
00:26:24
matt
Right, yeah.
00:26:25
mordechai rubinstein
Is Jeremy this yeah me Scott going to find out I sold his Adidas?
00:26:25
matt
Been there. Been there many times.
00:26:29
mordechai rubinstein
God forbid. I never did. But, you know, you know, you know, is the brand going to find out I got rid of something? And. I don't know how long it went by, but it wasn't more than a day. i went back and and I bought it.
00:26:42
mordechai rubinstein
I bought the shirt. It's not the first time, but I bought the shirt off the rack. Now, thankfully, one of their one of their employees didn't take it or buy it.
00:26:47
Conor Fowler
Well, that yeah.
00:26:51
mordechai rubinstein
Thankfully, some hipster idiot didn't take it and buy it or steal it or shoplift it. I just can't believe that it was there a day or two because it takes like the library probably to get out. It takes a couple of days to get out on the floor and we all know
00:27:03
Conor Fowler
Very un unusual.
00:27:04
mordechai rubinstein
from today till tomorrow working there that could have taken it. No one liked it.
00:27:08
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:27:09
mordechai rubinstein
You know what it was? I took a picture of my daughter wearing this shirt as like a dress when I was promoting my book, Dead Style.
00:27:14
Conor Fowler
you
00:27:15
mordechai rubinstein
And when I sold it, I was like, ah, I saw the picture from my phone and I was like, what are you idiot got rid of that shirt? So anyway, long story short, you know, when things go around, you never know if you know, because today when I was at Levi's and you went to LA for the Rose Bowl from San Francisco, oh, this thermal is found in a mine something. 1880, 1884, the oil.
00:27:38
mordechai rubinstein
And I'm like, dude, give me one more bond kit and you sold me, but I didn't have the extra bond kit. So don't try to sell me that cockamamie bullshit. And I feel like this was pre-Instagram, you know? So I feel like it's only gotten worse than that fake mine.
00:27:51
Conor Fowler
Oh yeah.
00:27:52
matt
Oh, 100%.
00:27:53
mordechai rubinstein
And, you know, not that you're going to get the true story of the oldest pair of Levi's, but we're this close to not knowing the definition of anything anymore. Because if you Google it, I Google it. We're both going to get Todd Snyder, Norwegian check, Woolrich, Norwegian check, LLB, Norwegian check, Norway check, Israeli check, Czechestan.
00:28:10
mordechai rubinstein
don't know. You know, i mean, whatever we want to hear, man, I need to shut up.
00:28:10
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:28:13
Conor Fowler
No, dude.
00:28:14
matt
No, man, this is this is great.
00:28:15
mordechai rubinstein
I love your green Norwegian with the green plants. Did you plan that?
00:28:19
Conor Fowler
Well, when I saw this green sweater, I was like, I have to have that. I hadn't ever seen the green Norwegian before, so I was like...
00:28:23
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, did.
00:28:26
mordechai rubinstein
It's a cool one. You know, look, man, it's funny because, you know, i don't care about the origin. I care that Bean popularized it, you know?
00:28:33
matt
Right.
00:28:33
mordechai rubinstein
you ummbie I'm like, all right, cool.
00:28:33
matt
Right.
00:28:34
Conor Fowler
Right.......
00:28:35
mordechai rubinstein
It might be made in Norway. You know, the Todd Snyder or whomever did them after L.L. Bean because if everyone's done them now from Our Legacy to fucking Nanamica probably, you know?
00:28:45
mordechai rubinstein
I'm not name dropping, but you know i mean Like everyone does a Norwegian check.
00:28:46
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:28:49
mordechai rubinstein
Probably Selene do it next week. And you catch me liking it and it's like, oh shit, it's not made of Norway. I can't like it.
00:28:56
Conor Fowler
Well, that's one of the beautiful things about clothing, right? Is that like everyone kind of does their riff on it.
00:28:59
mordechai rubinstein
pay disma I'm kidding. I'm messing with
00:29:03
Conor Fowler
Yeah. Well, no. And then I saw in an interview, so you're talking about dead styles. Then you said you don't even like the dead.
00:29:10
mordechai rubinstein
you. Dude, I couldn't stand them and I have no problem.
00:29:12
Conor Fowler
They're terrible. And i was so i was so miffed.
00:29:14
mordechai rubinstein
I'm kidding.
00:29:14
matt
la Dude, yeah, I am a convert also.
00:29:15
Conor Fowler
I was like, i was like what the fuck?
00:29:16
mordechai rubinstein
I'm not arguably like, oh, they're the best band, but I will go to bed. i will go to my dad's bed. I will go, you know, I like them now. You know, don't give me the name.
00:29:25
Conor Fowler
You're a convert.
00:29:29
matt
Like, it took me a fucking long time, but...
00:29:30
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, oh absolutely. Yeah.
00:29:32
Conor Fowler
I think you just have to be of a certain age.
00:29:35
matt
Like, when...
00:29:36
mordechai rubinstein
That too. That too.
00:29:37
matt
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:37
mordechai rubinstein
That's.
00:29:38
matt
like Like, as I've gotten older, I've i've started to to appreciate, like, I spent a good 10...
00:29:44
Conor Fowler
As your brain is atrophied.
00:29:47
matt
Well, I spent a good, like, 10 years... like only really diving into stuff that I tangentially knew from back in the day. Like the band is one of them. The Grateful Dead is one of them.
00:30:01
matt
And once like a friend played me a American beauty and I was just like immediately taken.
00:30:07
mordechai rubinstein
um even know what is.
00:30:07
matt
It's like, all right,
00:30:08
mordechai rubinstein
The movie? Movie or?
00:30:09
Conor Fowler
You don't know it. It's a song, right?
00:30:11
matt
no, it's a, it's a record. Like that whole record is yeah.
00:30:14
Conor Fowler
is a Grateful Dead record?
00:30:14
mordechai rubinstein
Okay.
00:30:16
matt
American beauty.
00:30:16
mordechai rubinstein
Excuse me. That one and the van? The van is also a Grateful Dead record?
00:30:21
matt
Oh, no, the band. Like, the ones that did The Weight and King Kong.
00:30:26
mordechai rubinstein
The van.
00:30:27
matt
ah Yeah, like, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, you know.
00:30:31
mordechai rubinstein
I mean, look, riding the trader cooking fine, fine. But if I'm in the, when I got in the car with my buddies, whether it was going to see a fish show and I seen six or going to upstate, just take a ride. I probably was stolen the whole way in the car. And the first thing my friends, you know, love Ben Jacobs and that the first thing you put on was always the grateful dead. And then I, when I nixed that, it was fish. And I just, all I wanted to hear was hot 97. Call me dumb, ignorant. Like this is is like, I just wanted hot 97. Yeah.
00:30:57
mordechai rubinstein
Just, just, that's what I needed. I needed it loud. i grew up with Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Life of Agony, Propane, and Bible Black.
00:31:01
matt
Right, right. Life of Agony, shout out.
00:31:04
mordechai rubinstein
And
00:31:05
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:31:06
matt
Yeah, yeah.
00:31:07
mordechai rubinstein
and right and i feel like I'm dying. yeah
00:31:09
matt
Yeah, yeah. I mean, i cut i come out of punk and hardcore and metal, so like great you know Grateful Dead took a long time, even though I grew up grew up with my parents loving classic rock.
00:31:12
mordechai rubinstein
ah the smoking You know that song?
00:31:22
matt
It took a long time to really sit and hit with me.
00:31:24
mordechai rubinstein
I guess that's my long story short is that took forever. And then i mean, years later, you know, went after hearing like, so you're only into the iconography. Oh, he loves the iconography.
00:31:32
Conor Fowler
Right. you that nice likey
00:31:35
mordechai rubinstein
i can on roughly the i of So I wasn't 12 years old drawing bears like my wife. Sorry. Sorry. My wife has a Grateful Dead tee that fits me.
00:31:44
Conor Fowler
Wow.
00:31:46
mordechai rubinstein
It's adult extra large that she wore when she was 14.
00:31:49
matt
Oh, wow, yeah, yeah.
00:31:50
Conor Fowler
Wow.
00:31:51
mordechai rubinstein
And she was into the music million years, but she's 15, whatever years younger than me. Like, you know, it took me a long ass time. And when I did, loved the shit. And I love that my little brothers are into it. And I love that the kids are so, so into it now.
00:32:06
mordechai rubinstein
And yeah, it's definitely a maturity thing because I was immature.
00:32:11
matt
Yeah, weren't we all? Weren't we all?
00:32:13
mordechai rubinstein
And someone gifted me the most, Garrett and garrett McGrath, that that was my publisher of the book, that is is a deadhead, um gifted me this book. He's like, if we're doing this book, you got to read this. And he gave me book and it's called i The Grateful Dead Reader.
00:32:29
mordechai rubinstein
And it's one of my favorite books. I've never finished it. I shouldn't say I've never. I haven't finished it. I need to start reading. anymore now that was kid. um Anyway, and it's all about the lyrics and stuff and it's, you know, box of rain and smells like grain.
00:32:35
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:32:38
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:32:42
mordechai rubinstein
Like the shit is just so good. It's so hippy dippy. Good for you. Shit. Anyway, ill enough about that.
00:32:48
Conor Fowler
God, maybe I'll give it a yeah give it a try again.
00:32:49
matt
ah No, no. Wait, wait ah I would be remiss if I didn't ask what your top dead song is.
00:32:59
mordechai rubinstein
You know, A million years ago, Nick, who runs Classic Kicks, he's he's like him and Ben Jacobs and are really like my top go-to, you know, Grateful Dead rabbis.
00:33:09
mordechai rubinstein
And, you know, for me, it was not Fade Away.
00:33:14
matt
Okay, yeah.
00:33:15
mordechai rubinstein
But I still can't find a link of the one that I want because every time I i go to Spotify and I just put it it in or Google put it in, I don't own music. i don't even have a Spotify. so Subscription is really bad.
00:33:25
mordechai rubinstein
And it gives you a different one every time. And I want that fast one. du du and didn didn did I want the fast one, not the live of Cornell and Schmournell.
00:33:30
matt
Right.
00:33:32
mordechai rubinstein
Like, i I don't have the the head, the bandwidth for that live shit. Yeah.
00:33:37
matt
Yeah, because there's so fucking much.
00:33:40
Conor Fowler
Well, because, so I guess all the s songs are significantly different.
00:33:41
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:33:43
mordechai rubinstein
ah yeah kind of
00:33:47
matt
From, like, one performance to the other, yeah. And, like, yeah, like, like also just the the fact...
00:33:49
Conor Fowler
That's what I mean, yeah. So it's like...
00:33:53
mordechai rubinstein
those words and the fastest as opposed to like no words and you don't know where the songs ends and go like the fish heads that are like whoa that's welcome to the freezer combined with Harry hood and you're like know these bands
00:34:06
matt
Right, right, right.
00:34:07
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:34:09
matt
Yeah, but the like, the for me, with like, The Dead, Fish, White Stray Panic, even the Allman Brothers to a point, like, wait when the jam takes on like, a whole persona that's like 12 minutes long in a song, it's it annoyed me so much for so long, and it still kind of does sometimes.
00:34:27
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, yeah.
00:34:33
Conor Fowler
I just can't fuck with any. the It's the length of the song.
00:34:36
mordechai rubinstein
And then now they all want to go see Eggie and um the other one. Come on. Billy Strings and the other one.
00:34:45
matt
Right, Billy Strings.
00:34:45
mordechai rubinstein
We
00:34:47
matt
Fuck.
00:34:49
mordechai rubinstein
don't need to get into it.
00:34:49
Conor Fowler
I'm the wrong guy. I mean, I have no idea. No, I don't.
00:34:53
mordechai rubinstein
But my brother tries to drag me once a year and or around the New Year's run to fish. He comes from out of town. And and I always like either have COVID or I'm sick around then or something, you know, so God blesses me with something to stay home.
00:34:59
matt
Yeah.
00:35:06
mordechai rubinstein
And Grudgingly, whatever there was, i went last year or two years ago. And as soon as we sat down, i was like, dude, I got to go home. like, what do you mean? Back to the burbs? And I'm like, yeah, I got to go.
00:35:17
mordechai rubinstein
Like, dude, like this is, I can't sit in a seat like this. I feel ill.
00:35:21
Conor Fowler
Mm-hmm.
00:35:21
mordechai rubinstein
And I just started walking around myself. And I ran into this guy, Jake Brownstein. It was a band called, i think, Egg or Eggie. We're stopping and taking his photos, not autographed, but I was like, who is this guy?
00:35:34
mordechai rubinstein
Just wants to talk to me and walk with me. And he's, and a lot of people were asking for his photo and patting him on the back. I thought that was so cool. And he's got the, he's got a fan. Anyway, if enough about me.
00:35:47
matt
No, no. that this This interview is about you.
00:35:51
Conor Fowler
Truly.
00:35:52
matt
you know ah yeah so where like where did you You're obviously in New York now, have been for a long time, but like where did you grow up? like How did that kind of play into the the Mordecai that you become?
00:36:08
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, you know, good question. Connor, when he was reaching out to me, I didn't reach back, read out, read back because I was like, wait, what are we supposed to talk about? I just left alone. But I was reared or whatever the word is.
00:36:19
mordechai rubinstein
You know, even growing up, it's like, oh, where'd you grow up?
00:36:20
Conor Fowler
you
00:36:21
mordechai rubinstein
It's such a weird question because it's like, well, I put my time in the New York streets.
00:36:26
matt
Right.
00:36:26
Conor Fowler
ah
00:36:28
mordechai rubinstein
uh, Israel or like, you know, but I was born in Providence, Rhode Island.
00:36:28
Conor Fowler
yes
00:36:32
matt
Okay.
00:36:32
mordechai rubinstein
And, and I say that because I feel like that's where I got my new England injection. You know, like that's why i feel like that's why it's okay. Look, I don't need to say, oh I wear bean because I love bean because, but what I will say is I grew up, I grew up Lubavitch.
00:36:48
mordechai rubinstein
I grew up Hasidic, you know, and it's not Hasidic, the long curls and the fur with the long black coat, but it's is Hasidic in the sense of that, you know, it's a black fedora and it's a white shirt and black pants, you know?
00:36:55
matt
Right.
00:37:01
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. The brim sizes change in the fedora, but at the same time you grow a beard and you go to Yeshiva, supposed to study to become a rabbi, but you know, We grew up, when we moved from Providence to Baltimore early, before like nursery, because I went to all my elementary school was Baltimore.
00:37:02
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:37:19
mordechai rubinstein
I think this one brought Connor to me or things that Connor and I, you know, got in common.
00:37:21
Conor Fowler
Mm-hmm. see.
00:37:24
mordechai rubinstein
But I went, I grew up in Baltimore from nursery or kindergarten, wherever the first one is, up until high school.
00:37:30
matt
Oh,
00:37:31
mordechai rubinstein
And in in customary in the Hasidic world, you know, 10th, 11th and 12th, you go away to out town yeshiva. You study to become a rabbi. So I left for high school.
00:37:41
mordechai rubinstein
And during that time, my parents moved to Brooklyn when I was in like, I don't know, 10th.
00:37:45
Conor Fowler
i see
00:37:46
matt
so wow. Yeah.
00:37:47
mordechai rubinstein
And they kept the house in Baltimore forever. But my family, eventually brothers, sisters, like everyone moved to Brooklyn and all over the world. My parents were alone. They moved to Brooklyn. And I still have an aunt in Baltimore.
00:37:59
mordechai rubinstein
i went to school in elementary. I didn't go to a Hasidic school in Baltimore. I went to all boys in Pikesville called TA, Tamudical Academy, Yeshiva Safetz Chaim. My father was a teacher there for many, many, many, many many many many years. it and um yeah, like I'm not into that anymore or whatever the word is.
00:38:18
mordechai rubinstein
But um yeah, it's still very warm place.
00:38:19
Conor Fowler
but it's But it's when you say this the suits and the hats and the kind of rigid uniform, right? We're going back to the uniform.
00:38:30
mordechai rubinstein
Well, you're a changed colors.
00:38:30
Conor Fowler
And I feel like, right, right.
00:38:32
mordechai rubinstein
I mean, I think that uniform.
00:38:33
Conor Fowler
For you, it did. ah And I think that that's so fascinating.
00:38:37
mordechai rubinstein
Thank you. Cause I think that uniform stick really in it. Like, you know, when you're wearing a suit at 12 years old, not a flu at your bar mitzvah, when you're suit and a white shirt on the Sabbath, every Friday, you take care of it because your parents are getting 30 suits and 30 white shirts, you know?
00:38:44
Conor Fowler
Right. Right.
00:38:48
Conor Fowler
Yeah. Right.
00:38:53
mordechai rubinstein
So you take care of your shit. You know, i even as a little kid, i remember when the, wish i had a pair of pants here. Well, i actually do.
00:38:59
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:39:00
mordechai rubinstein
When you
00:39:00
Conor Fowler
if you if you can' If you haven't realized this yet, Mordecai has brought a ton of clothes to the interview.
00:39:05
mordechai rubinstein
ah they were but you know when you take your pants off at the end of the day, you know ah a gentleman will do it like on the seams.
00:39:09
Conor Fowler
Yep.
00:39:13
mordechai rubinstein
and you know A weird guy like me might take it like this and make sure, right put it on the hanger. Your average could take somebody throws them on the chair, throws him on the floor.
00:39:20
matt
Right.
00:39:22
mordechai rubinstein
10, 11, 12 years old, I was the kid to like buy the crease because my parents weren't right.
00:39:25
Conor Fowler
Cause you want to maintain the crease or you got to pay to get it done again.
00:39:29
mordechai rubinstein
Which I think is against the Jewish religion of like completely doing it on the Sabbath, whatever. But anyway, it's like most kids, I think we're strong just throwing that shit in on the floor. You know, fast forward a couple of go to away to yeshiva and everyone has white shirts on Friday night that they dry clean and they're going around giving titty twisters.
00:39:37
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:39:45
mordechai rubinstein
They would grab you. and give a window on a perfectly starched shirt.
00:39:47
Conor Fowler
My God.
00:39:50
mordechai rubinstein
And you were skewed.
00:39:50
Conor Fowler
That would be terrible.
00:39:51
mordechai rubinstein
I need you like me. Get fucking, fucking touch me. You know?
00:39:54
Conor Fowler
Yeah, it might be terrible.
00:39:55
mordechai rubinstein
So, so, so I stopped dry cleaning my shirts, bro. You're going to give me a little titty twister. Guess what? I don't care. There's no,
00:40:02
Conor Fowler
There's no texture there.
00:40:04
matt
Yeah, yeah we get we could talk for days about how disgusting drag cleaning actually is.
00:40:06
Conor Fowler
Mm-hmm.
00:40:08
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, terrible. but But I think that got me in the headspace of like taking care your clothes. Yeah, two older sisters, they stole my sweaters, blah, blah, blah. But like, i I don't think I learned fashion from them, you know, like I'd love to try to take that.
00:40:20
Conor Fowler
he
00:40:20
matt
Right, right.
00:40:22
mordechai rubinstein
But yeah, that is a big part of it. And the reason I mentioned New England is because we recently up and left Brooklyn and moved to the woods in Connecticut. Now, I'm only an hour from the city, but I tell most people, we moved uptown.
00:40:33
mordechai rubinstein
We moved uptown.
00:40:34
matt
Right, right. I mean, it's essentially the same thing.
00:40:35
mordechai rubinstein
was.
00:40:36
Conor Fowler
It is the same thing functionally, right?
00:40:37
mordechai rubinstein
yeah I didn't know Westchester was right here. Growing up, I thought Westchester was upstate. okay And I'm 15 minutes from Westchester, so might as well be in a New York suburb, FTW.
00:40:47
mordechai rubinstein
I'm a commuter. you know so So I can't get to the city as quickly as I can.
00:40:49
matt
Right, right. Yeah, all right.
00:40:52
mordechai rubinstein
But anyway, I've returned to New England. And I think now you know the log carrier, my bean shit makes a lot more sense.
00:40:59
Conor Fowler
That's funny, you grew into it.
00:41:01
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. You know, and I still like, you know, I brought different slippers and stuff to show because I was like, oh, you're in my office.
00:41:03
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:41:07
mordechai rubinstein
You know, I receive people, shawl collar, you receive somebody at the door, you know, whether it's FedEx, UPS or the mayor, I don't know who's going to knock at the door. You want to be in Belgians, you're your right house slippers, um you know, the right socks.
00:41:18
mordechai rubinstein
And I've got 13 slippers, none of them are right.
00:41:21
matt
See.
00:41:21
mordechai rubinstein
13 shawl collars, none on them are right. You go to sleep in a turtleneck with flannel pajamas. You're like, one layer's got to come off. Why are you wearing kits with the flannel, bro? Anyway, sorry.
00:41:31
Conor Fowler
It's hardcore though. And I think that like, as I was saying at the very beginning of this, like we're sort of getting a taste of the temperatures that these clothes were made for. At least here I am in Baltimore because like it's terrible.
00:41:45
mordechai rubinstein
And we need to be wearing, you're at home, not a reason to not get dressed, but like, oh, you know, you could cry, kvetch, and preach all day.
00:41:46
Conor Fowler
It's 20 degrees. It's 10 degrees.
00:41:55
mordechai rubinstein
Like, oh, get dressed in and put a tie on for no reason. It just makes you feel good. Come on.
00:42:00
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:42:00
mordechai rubinstein
Do we really want to wake up, put a tie on? Kind of, you know?
00:42:03
Conor Fowler
Like the bow tie. Well, you did the bow tie and the self tie bow tie, which people don't get at all. People are still tying clip-ons or attaching clip-ons, I guess.
00:42:13
mordechai rubinstein
and And I don't even know how to do it. So I went, I was, I sold bow ties to, um to Bloomingdale's.
00:42:15
Conor Fowler
No, it's a mystery.
00:42:20
mordechai rubinstein
And um in the meeting they said, can we see it on?
00:42:24
Conor Fowler
Oh dear.
00:42:25
mordechai rubinstein
And, and I looked at the guy i made them with Baron Von Fancy. And i was like, dude, do you know how he's like, no, do you know how? No. i I was like, give me a second. I went to the bathroom and I did this.
00:42:37
Conor Fowler
Right. It's like tying your shoes around your neck.
00:42:39
mordechai rubinstein
It's the only way I know how to do it. And guess what?
00:42:41
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:42:42
mordechai rubinstein
Nine out of 10 times, it's fine. But like, if you look at it closely, you know, it's like, maybe this part should be in the outside and the other part should be in the front, but I'm not fixing it.
00:42:54
mordechai rubinstein
I'm just like going as is waiting for the one billionaire to be like, ah bro, let me teach you. na na no na no, no, no, no. na no
00:43:00
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:43:01
mordechai rubinstein
I found the link that said, tie it around your leg like a shoelace. i don't know what it means. I don't know what it means.
00:43:05
matt
Yeah, never worked for me
00:43:07
Conor Fowler
I didn't see, I had never, it had never occurred to me to tie it around another ah appendage, but I do find tied around your neck, like you're tying your shoes makes sense to me.
00:43:19
mordechai rubinstein
Doesn't work.
00:43:20
Conor Fowler
ah
00:43:21
mordechai rubinstein
Anyway.
00:43:21
Conor Fowler
yeah Well, the trick is holding that one loop and then pulling the other loop part
00:43:27
mordechai rubinstein
I guess final point is, is that I don't mind it. You know, I think, you know, but this is the part, this is the part where it's like, I wish I knew how to get it right because it's, it would be smooth.
00:43:32
Conor Fowler
No, it looks better when it's off kilter.
00:43:39
mordechai rubinstein
And when I do it, it's always twisted, but it's also like, yeah, I tied it, bro. Yours is a clip on, you know?
00:43:44
Conor Fowler
Yeah, and that's the that's the maneuver.
00:43:44
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:43:44
matt
Right. Totally. Totally.
00:43:46
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:43:47
mordechai rubinstein
really the move nowadays because like, Ooh, girls wearing ties with no shirts, you know, you know, people are wearing ties as belt. It's like the new look at me, a fucking tire on the forehead in Italy, whatever, some stupid shit, you know, ties at Celine ties in the runway.
00:43:59
mordechai rubinstein
Woo hoo. Ties are back. GQ ties are back. You know what you want to really be a fucking, like you could have cereal milk, you could have waffles, you could wipe your ass and you're not getting dirty.
00:44:02
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:44:10
mordechai rubinstein
You know, that's why the real, real doc, real ballers,
00:44:11
Conor Fowler
So you
00:44:15
Conor Fowler
you are aware of the ah A.M.
00:44:18
mordechai rubinstein
I'm not.
00:44:19
Conor Fowler
Sylvester brief history of workwear book that just came out?
00:44:24
mordechai rubinstein
Yes, Tony. what I don't see it.
00:44:25
Conor Fowler
It has, yes, it has the fucking bow tie in it. It has the, at the very end of the book, there must be like 20 articles of clothing at the very, very end. Spoiler alert, it's a bow tie, which I thought was amazing.
00:44:38
mordechai rubinstein
Huh. I don't know anything about the book. I just like Tony.
00:44:41
Conor Fowler
just finished it. And well, in his point about the bow tie is that it began as a workwear thing to keep the tie out of the machinery.
00:44:47
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, I know.
00:44:50
mordechai rubinstein
I didn't know that. See, that makes total sense. You know, last night, our
00:44:52
Conor Fowler
let me We're going to interview him next week.
00:44:57
mordechai rubinstein
our town has a daddy-daughter dance. And my daughter and I went last night and I got all dressed up and I came down the stairs and she just said, no.
00:45:08
mordechai rubinstein
Now, you know, and want to be that, that guy like, fuck you, kid.
00:45:08
Conor Fowler
Of course.
00:45:09
matt
Ha ha!
00:45:12
mordechai rubinstein
Like I'm wearing what I want to wear. This is my night, just as much as yours.
00:45:15
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:45:16
mordechai rubinstein
But then I want to be like, no, you know, she's let her have a little say to date night. You know what i mean? Like I look to my wife, let me look, you know, same thing. Let me look to my daughter. It's it's her night, you know? And I, all I did was switch the bow tie for a tie.
00:45:29
mordechai rubinstein
But when I was getting ready for the podcast, I was like, Oh, I do layers. I got full comment. Like I'm coming from the outside. and i didn't want to do a whole shirt with the, this was, I guess my point was this was just laying around. Cause I, I, I, you know, also
00:45:43
Conor Fowler
But you're the kind of man who just has a bow tie laying around.
00:45:46
mordechai rubinstein
but i must have 30 of these. I don't own a black tie. You know, it's like,
00:45:50
Conor Fowler
I don't have a black bow tie either.
00:45:52
mordechai rubinstein
i don't I don't have black shoes. I got the wedding shoes. I got married in their whack, but they're black evening pumps. You know, but i don't want I have a black suit, but it's not really a a tuxedo. It's not really a suit. I never wear it. You know, someone smart told me a long time ago, American men wear black shoes for two reasons or men.
00:46:11
mordechai rubinstein
She, on one hand, she was making fun of American men. And the other hand, she was saying the reason that we have to, we have black shoes are for weddings and funerals.
00:46:18
matt
Right.
00:46:19
Conor Fowler
you
00:46:19
mordechai rubinstein
I don't know what her point was, but it's like, you know, you have friends like, oh, I'm getting married tomorrow.
00:46:23
mordechai rubinstein
I need suit. Like, bro. Or no, I'm going to a wedding. I need suit. You don't buy a suit last minute because you're going to a wedding. You have seven suits and you pick the right one for the event. Now, look, none of us have seven suits. So it's like we've got to pull it together last minute. But I hate that shit because like then we're not grown up.
00:46:40
mordechai rubinstein
But mine and I don't know what my point was.
00:46:42
Conor Fowler
Well, it goes back to the uniform thing, right? It's like there isn't there isn't a sort of decorum anymore, which is one, on one hand, good, but on the other hand, bad...................
00:46:45
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:46:53
mordechai rubinstein
well yeah Oh, you know what? it's an interesting thing that I was going to touch on a long time ago. It was like, so I thought i was going to do a book with Heron Preston with the USPS because he introduced me to Marty Grace and he was, oh, DSNY.
00:47:06
mordechai rubinstein
He was big with the DSNY, blah, blah, blah. No comment. And and it never happened.
00:47:10
Conor Fowler
that's the department is that the department of sanitation okay dude that's so fucking funny that's so funny
00:47:13
mordechai rubinstein
And I collect, I have a lot of DSNY stuff and, and, um, just
00:47:22
mordechai rubinstein
but's the That's the only version, you know.
00:47:27
matt
Nice. Fucking nice.
00:47:30
mordechai rubinstein
I got the little one, too. But anyway, um they made a go they made a cool lamp, too.
00:47:36
Conor Fowler
Wow, dude, you're hysterical. That's like.
00:47:41
mordechai rubinstein
I wish i was in New York. But anyway, I took pictures of this USPS... and do Look, at the time, the coolest DSNY guys, they were either wearing a Yankee fitted, because, you know, Yankees, and you know, the hat here, at the yarmulke in New York.
00:47:55
mordechai rubinstein
And they had, they put this and y um a patch right over it. You know, I got, I got, oh, here, here we go. They wore this one, but much smaller.
00:48:07
mordechai rubinstein
Look at this drawer full of fucking patches.
00:48:08
Conor Fowler
Wow, dude.
00:48:08
matt
ah
00:48:12
Conor Fowler
That's amazing.
00:48:12
matt
Oh, my God.
00:48:13
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. So, no, I emptied out an LL Bean tote because I needed to carry or something, and I just threw it into the junk drawer, you know, so my wife wouldn't find them because otherwise she'll throw it all away. But they would take this, but the smaller version of it, and cover the Yankees just enough.
00:48:27
mordechai rubinstein
And if you're smart, you're like, that's New Era. They didn't cover that. MLB didn't cover that.
00:48:30
Conor Fowler
Right?
00:48:32
mordechai rubinstein
They only covered the Yankee logo because in DSNY... bible You're not allowed to wear other things. How do you say that?
00:48:39
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:48:40
mordechai rubinstein
Eventually, they would wear DSNY hats and they would put Yankees on the side. And that's another one. they They just wear whatever they want anymore. they make But the coolest letter carriers and Sandmans, I like that, short for sanitation workers, they call them Sandmans.
00:48:54
mordechai rubinstein
They make it their own.
00:48:54
Conor Fowler
Which is funny.
00:48:56
mordechai rubinstein
And I always thought that's a really beautiful thing of what I can get away with without the principal knowing, without the rabbi knowing, without the fucking head guy, you know, like, like, you know if you work at L.L. Bean and you sew this on your jacket, you know, would they ever notice?
00:49:10
mordechai rubinstein
You know what I mean?
00:49:10
Conor Fowler
Right, right.
00:49:10
mordechai rubinstein
like Like, I live for that stuff. You know, can you put this?
00:49:14
Conor Fowler
Low stakes hijinks.
00:49:15
mordechai rubinstein
What? What?
00:49:16
Conor Fowler
Low stakes hijinks.
00:49:18
mordechai rubinstein
Low sticks hijinks. Exactly. You know, just because you put this on your fucking denim jacket doesn't mean you went to the show. Doesn't mean you work for them. Doesn't mean nothing anymore. We're all faking the funk.
00:49:28
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:49:29
mordechai rubinstein
I did go to Tokyo and landed on the Ralph anniversary store once. But. um
00:49:34
Conor Fowler
So i got i got a question for you then in this vein. do you know what your first Instagram photo was?
00:49:40
mordechai rubinstein
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:49:41
Conor Fowler
You do, you do.
00:49:43
mordechai rubinstein
You know why? Hunter. Huntington. Remember Huntington?
00:49:49
Conor Fowler
The brand? Huh.
00:49:50
mordechai rubinstein
No. was that is for Foster Huntington. What a name.
00:49:53
Conor Fowler
35. Yeah.
00:49:53
mordechai rubinstein
What? How old are you? Like, you know what? Scratch that.
00:49:55
Conor Fowler
thirty five
00:49:56
mordechai rubinstein
I didn't hear. It's fine. i only know that you're younger because you told me that you're in the dorm room studying my shit.
00:49:59
Conor Fowler
but
00:50:01
mordechai rubinstein
So that makes me know that you're younger than me, but I don't want to know. I don't care. Anybody's right. So there was a guy at Polo named Foster Huntington. You got to look him up.
00:50:10
Conor Fowler
perfect for writing this
00:50:12
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, parents or mom worked for White and Kennedy, so he had that in. But he's a cool kid, you know, you know cool kid. He one day packed up his van and said, I'm out of here, left New York, moved to SF for the West Coast, traveled the world with a surfboard.
00:50:24
Conor Fowler
this.
00:50:26
mordechai rubinstein
I don't know what that means, but he did the book, Van Life. He did the book, um you know, he did another book before Van Life of like camps.
00:50:31
Conor Fowler
Okay.
00:50:34
mordechai rubinstein
ah um I can't remember, but you know who I'm talking about.
00:50:37
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:50:38
mordechai rubinstein
He was one of the first people I ever saw on Instagram.
00:50:40
Conor Fowler
Thank you.
00:50:41
mordechai rubinstein
He's in San Francisco. I'm in San Francisco. He packs up. I leaves New York. I packed up, left New York. And he picks me up outside Levi's one day. And he's like, there's this app and it's made for you. I said, what's it called? He said, Instagram.
00:50:53
mordechai rubinstein
Whatever. Time went on. i don't know if it was a couple days or a couple weeks, but I joined the first photo. And I'm not looking, I believe. First photo. I'm glad you asked because if anyone's listening to this, i will pay somebody to scrub my internet. say No, no, no, no. to
00:51:07
Conor Fowler
Oh, dude, when some do we should have ads for a Reputation Defender.
00:51:07
matt
Ha ha ha ha ha!
00:51:12
Conor Fowler
but
00:51:12
mordechai rubinstein
i want I want somebody to archive every one of my posts.
00:51:17
mordechai rubinstein
The world doesn't deserve them now.
00:51:17
Conor Fowler
Listen, I will do it. I will do it. You wouldn't even have to pay me very much.
00:51:21
mordechai rubinstein
honor You're holding the lighter. Careful. So, so, so, so the first, so in SF, you know, you take me out and it's like, Oh man, I can only shoot New York fashion week.
00:51:27
Conor Fowler
Thank you.
00:51:32
mordechai rubinstein
Not that you're challenging me, but like, no, I see, I want to see the beauty and edit tow truck convention in Holland, hill Florida at a rabbi convention, a priest convention. I want to be anywhere where there's groups of people and study what they're wearing and how they wear their clothes and how they interact with each other too.
00:51:46
mordechai rubinstein
And in SF, one of the first things I saw, you know, when I picked up and lived, I was i was working for Dockers doing marketing PR. And one of those big wigs would come into the office all the time and he's packing duffel bags.
00:51:57
mordechai rubinstein
I'm like, you know, variant of product. He's like, what are you doing here? Come work for us at Levi's in the corporate office. I'm like, doing what? He's like, design. I'm like, yo, I don't design. He's like, you have a concept design.
00:52:07
mordechai rubinstein
i'm like, wow, they don't have a concept team. That's only polo is the concept team. Wow, cool. So we went there, we started a concept team.
00:52:12
Conor Fowler
Oh,
00:52:13
mordechai rubinstein
I never thought I'd move. You know, my wife is like, yeah.
00:52:15
Conor Fowler
yeah.
00:52:15
mordechai rubinstein
come back or or stay there forever. Eventually I came back, we got engaged, got married, but it was nice to be away there for a while, smoke legal weed, you know, in the streets, shit that I never did. And, um you know, freely anyway.
00:52:26
mordechai rubinstein
So what did I see?
00:52:27
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
00:52:28
mordechai rubinstein
I saw cars with patina. The way the sun hits it, the surfers, beautiful, beautiful shirt.
00:52:31
matt
Right.
00:52:35
mordechai rubinstein
Homeless or less fortunate. The way their colors hit hit the black where the way it wears in the streets is also really beautiful. I saw that in Oregon too. and I think it was Portland where like the blacks and all look brown.
00:52:45
mordechai rubinstein
Everything looks Wilson. You know, I like that because very outdoor look.
00:52:48
Conor Fowler
yeah
00:52:49
mordechai rubinstein
But I saw one, I think my first post was, oh no, maybe, yeah, was a Mustang and it was like three different colored doors.
00:52:56
Conor Fowler
Yeah, motherfuck, dude.
00:52:58
Conor Fowler
This is so funny because Matt and I were, Matt, you're correct.
00:52:58
mordechai rubinstein
What?
00:52:59
mordechai rubinstein
You saw it?
00:53:01
Conor Fowler
Yeah, I scrolled all the way to the back. Yeah, just now.
00:53:03
matt
What?
00:53:04
mordechai rubinstein
When? For this preparation or just now?
00:53:06
Conor Fowler
No, for this, because I had, because it takes forever to scroll.
00:53:08
mordechai rubinstein
Okay.
00:53:09
Conor Fowler
So I scrolled and scrolled and scrolled and scrolled and scrolled.
00:53:10
mordechai rubinstein
That's what I'm asking. You did it while I'm talking or you did it before?
00:53:14
Conor Fowler
I did it way before. we did this a couple of days ago.
00:53:15
mordechai rubinstein
Okay.
00:53:16
Conor Fowler
Me and Matt were on the phone talking about your Instagram.
00:53:16
mordechai rubinstein
Okay.
00:53:19
Conor Fowler
We went through the whole thing.
00:53:20
mordechai rubinstein
Thank you for doing your homework. So that photo, you can tell the year because the photo, how bad the photo was, you know,
00:53:26
Conor Fowler
It's really funny, actually. I have a screenshot of your grid for your first like nine posts or whatever.
00:53:32
mordechai rubinstein
So some of them, you know, it might even be in that nine. We're like every apartment i ever lived in. ah i had them looking like a thrift shop, you know, which my wife can't stand now that we're married.
00:53:42
mordechai rubinstein
I'm dude. It's like, I mean, these are like two eBay purchases recently that I, that are just disgustingly itchy lambs wool, but I cannot get rid of them.
00:53:44
Conor Fowler
That's how my house is. I know that's how Matt's house is too.
00:53:54
mordechai rubinstein
They were only a dollar on eBay, but I paid seven for shipping, you know? So it's like, i'm waiting for the right friend to visit so I can give them a wallet.
00:54:00
matt
right Right. Yeah, there you go.
00:54:02
Conor Fowler
I have that exact, I have a flannel in that exact color, I think, from Bean.
00:54:05
mordechai rubinstein
you know and And you look at them separately. They're beautiful. Anyway, long story short, one of those photos that was the early nine was my bedroom in SF as I either unpacked the crates or I was packing to leave because I never it was corporate housing. I never thought I was staying.
00:54:19
mordechai rubinstein
You know, thought I'd stay a couple months, come home.
00:54:19
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:54:21
mordechai rubinstein
But because it was a corporate move, I moved everything but a piano. If I had a piano, would have moved the piano. Companies paying for it.
00:54:27
Conor Fowler
Right. Hell yeah. yeah
00:54:27
matt
Right, right.
00:54:29
matt
That's moving.
00:54:29
mordechai rubinstein
Back up the trucks, you know? So that being said, i deleted a lot of old photos because I saw William Yan. People have like zero photos. I think it's so tough guy and cool. They have like zero photos.
00:54:40
mordechai rubinstein
So I want to find somebody that can just go archive, archive, archive, archive and get rid of, look what look what I found.
00:54:48
matt
Just more.
00:54:48
Conor Fowler
Wow.
00:54:49
matt
Nice.
00:54:50
mordechai rubinstein
Someone sent that to me. Isn't that a cool label?
00:54:52
matt
Yeah, that's awesome.
00:54:54
mordechai rubinstein
Um, so, so I love that you found that because, you know, you can tell, i i already know what the first few won. One is a selfie.
00:55:02
Conor Fowler
Well, dude, people are not like that, period.
00:55:02
mordechai rubinstein
I'm
00:55:04
Conor Fowler
I don't know what my first i don't know what my first shit was. I'm sure Matt does not know.
00:55:07
mordechai rubinstein
wearing ah saw i'm wearing a tattersall vest with French, with a denim shirt with French cuffs with dice cufflinks. That's, that, that's one of the next ones I can tell you right now, you know?
00:55:17
Conor Fowler
That's hardcore.
00:55:19
mordechai rubinstein
And I hate that I have 5,000 photos. So I love that you went through them because I want to, I mean, I've been paid for a few. So I'll leave those up in case the companies come at even though they won't.
00:55:29
mordechai rubinstein
But it's like, I don't think that the the average listener, long time caller has the, like, I don't want to give them, I'm giving it all away on IG.
00:55:35
Conor Fowler
that
00:55:39
mordechai rubinstein
Anyway, enough about that.
00:55:40
Conor Fowler
No, man, that's true.
00:55:41
mordechai rubinstein
I feel
00:55:41
Conor Fowler
and
00:55:41
matt
Well, I think this also goes to a point like Instagram used to be fun.
00:55:47
matt
It used to be
00:55:47
mordechai rubinstein
so like these are the same.
00:55:48
matt
like you know it it it was It used to be fun it used to be about connecting with your friends.
00:55:49
mordechai rubinstein
Used to be what?
00:55:52
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:55:55
matt
you know i've got some
00:55:57
mordechai rubinstein
That's the size they put on the fitted. Sorry.
00:55:59
matt
ah
Social Media's Impact on Fashion Experience
00:56:00
Conor Fowler
Wow.
00:56:00
matt
You know, like, we all we all have, like, those photos when we were just like, hey, this is really cool.
00:56:00
mordechai rubinstein
Go on.
00:56:07
matt
Like, I've got a bunch from when I was in Europe in 2013. And I'm like, like it's as it's a stupid joke or, like, something that, you know, that I thought looked rad.
00:56:11
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
00:56:19
matt
And it's not that anymore. And it's and that that sucks.
00:56:21
mordechai rubinstein
What great accent. I just, I just listened Matt's accent when I hear a little Atlanta slang, man.
00:56:24
Conor Fowler
Thank
00:56:27
matt
Oh, yeah. Yeah. There's definitely a little bit. But yeah, like I don't know. The relationship that we all have with with like Instagram in particular and social media as a whole at this point, it's just so different. and it like it It's a bummer because it could be It could be like something that we all still enjoy.
00:56:51
mordechai rubinstein
Love that question. You know what your first Instagram post is?
00:56:53
matt
ha ha!
00:56:54
Conor Fowler
Well, got another and sort of annoying one for you. What advice would you give to young Mordecai? That's
00:57:02
mordechai rubinstein
Stay in school. um
00:57:04
Conor Fowler
fair. That's fair advice.
00:57:06
mordechai rubinstein
I don't know. You know, I see sometimes people my age, you know, or people that I look up to it that I think are my age are all on some like, you know, tell this to your younger self. And I don't know, you know,
00:57:23
mordechai rubinstein
I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't switch anything up. I mean, it's very easy to sit here and say, like, I wish I had more confidence. What could i done to help build my confidence?
00:57:30
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:57:32
mordechai rubinstein
I'm only thinking about that now because I have an eight-year-old. I'm a very confident young man.
00:57:37
matt
Right.
00:57:37
Conor Fowler
No shit.
00:57:37
Conor Fowler
No shit.
00:57:37
mordechai rubinstein
i want to build it in my kid, and I don't know how.
00:57:41
mordechai rubinstein
I'm thankful I know how to read and write. i don't know, man. That's a good question.
00:57:45
Conor Fowler
No, this is a good answer because ah I was going to ask you, like because you said repeatedly that you want men to be more confident and comfortable in their dressing.
00:57:48
mordechai rubinstein
I'm more
00:57:57
Conor Fowler
And that's like what you are documenting right as a means to display this confidence.
Confidence in Fashion and Advice to Younger Self
00:58:04
Conor Fowler
So...
00:58:04
mordechai rubinstein
So much so that sometimes somebody will write back to one of my stories and say, do you really like that? You know, like, like, and they might not use those words. It might be a friend, you know, trolling and be like, bro, really?
00:58:14
Conor Fowler
Thank
00:58:15
mordechai rubinstein
And I have to think twice. am I just excited in Paris? It's four in the morning. And I thought the girl girl was cool, you know, and the guy had to cool out. Like, I really have to check myself. And then sometimes I'm like, no, no, no I'm a journalist.
00:58:26
mordechai rubinstein
And like Ruth Laferle on the New York times, this is what I'm seeing right now. FTW. I liked it, you know, but I do try to capture confident people doing their regular thing, you know, not fussy gussied up, but it's like, you know, when I pack for pity or a trip, I pack 30 extra outfits if I can,
00:58:31
matt
Right. Yeah.
00:58:35
Conor Fowler
Right.
00:58:47
mordechai rubinstein
And that's if you're not feeling confident that one morning and you don't want to wear the yeah ERL comic pants and you just want some good or slow jeans. But more times than not, I go with the like the crazy outfit and not with the the easy one.
00:59:03
mordechai rubinstein
But.
00:59:05
matt
I mean, I got to say, you're you said you're 50, right? Like, you've got, I'm 42.
00:59:09
mordechai rubinstein
Mm hmm.
00:59:11
matt
two But like, you know, there's so much more energy that you project and and like how passionate you are about shit that, you know, I don't think that a 50-year-old 20 years ago, like the the ones that we grew up around had that same kind shit.
00:59:28
Conor Fowler
Definitely not. Yeah, you've got the juice.
00:59:32
mordechai rubinstein
You know, at the father-daughter dance, it's an old school town.
00:59:34
Conor Fowler
Sure.
00:59:36
mordechai rubinstein
They're very Navy blazer and khakis.
00:59:39
Conor Fowler
sure
00:59:40
matt
Right.
00:59:40
mordechai rubinstein
And you might say finance. I might say vanilla, you know, and these are my new neighbors, my countrymen or whatever the word is. And i I spent so much time documenting. Look, man, I love rich styles. I call it white styles. I don't think I'm white because my rabbi, my Chinese rabbi told me, you're not you're not you're not you're not white, you're Jewish.
Cultural Identity and Style Preferences
01:00:02
mordechai rubinstein
And it was one of the best things he ever told me. But at the same time, we're perceived as white. So I got to be careful. But, ah you know, I'm not some fat, rich, white Republican, but I love that shit. ah You know, like the 13 collars. I mean, they do things really well. Some of them, I don't know where i'm going with it.
01:00:17
mordechai rubinstein
But, you know, I've never.
01:00:18
Conor Fowler
You do though, you know exactly where you're going with it.
01:00:20
Conor Fowler
You have to finish the point.
01:00:20
mordechai rubinstein
so
01:00:21
mordechai rubinstein
want to go to the country club, but I love the critter pants and I love their whole lifestyle. So now that I'm cosplaying wherever the words for so long, I'm like, Oh dude, like I want to go to the affair.
01:00:31
Conor Fowler
Thank you.
01:00:33
mordechai rubinstein
I want to have a double breasted jacket with critter pants on and a bow tie. But then I'm like, Oh God, like these guys are wearing cause suits with fucking skinny ties with Robert Graham contract.
01:00:47
matt
Oh, God, not Robert Graham.
01:00:48
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
01:00:48
Conor Fowler
Well, just like don't ever want to be perceived as a libertarian. You know what I mean? And that is the one N association with a bow tie, right?
01:00:53
mordechai rubinstein
that means, but you know
01:00:56
Conor Fowler
It's like, you're libertarian. What is wrong with you?
01:00:59
Conor Fowler
um But I'm bringing the fucking bow tie back.
01:00:59
mordechai rubinstein
what I mean?
01:01:00
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
01:01:01
Conor Fowler
I'm like tired of not wearing them.
01:01:02
mordechai rubinstein
That's what I'm saying. I kind of want, i i not kind of, I live the fuck around. Like, i don't want to fuck out.
01:01:07
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:01:08
mordechai rubinstein
But like, just because I'm wearing head to toe J press or Brooks brothers does not mean, i don't even know what libertarian means, but it doesn't mean i'm one of those, you know, that's like a variant.
01:01:16
Conor Fowler
it's like a form of It's like a form of conservative that is... ah it's like a It's like a Republican who wants there to be legal weed, but they suck.
01:01:20
mordechai rubinstein
yeah
01:01:26
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. You know, look, I'm looking up like vineyard vine ties and stuff on eBay because they made them in the U S and there's a lot of that donkey elephant shit.
01:01:30
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
01:01:34
mordechai rubinstein
And I'm like, I'm like, i have to like, remember like wifey, which one are we again? and I'm like, yearss though like, you know, they, they, in 2016, they made a, they made a stars and bars bow tie.
01:01:38
Conor Fowler
Right. No.
01:01:41
Conor Fowler
No.
01:01:46
mordechai rubinstein
And I want it because it's for like the presidency or something. It's like, don't, I don't, I don't want it because it says the T word on it, you know, but it's cool.
01:01:50
Conor Fowler
Jesus.
01:01:53
matt
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's like that this is what, you know, reclaiming shit or like, you, I don't even know if reclaiming isn't the right word, but like,
Reclaiming Americana Fashion
01:02:06
mordechai rubinstein
You need to reclaim Americana.
01:02:07
matt
like we're co-op, like cool people co-opting shit and kind of like turning it on its head is kind of the basis for like all the shit that we're into.
01:02:08
Conor Fowler
Kind of though.
01:02:10
mordechai rubinstein
What?
01:02:19
mordechai rubinstein
Caravelle taint.
01:02:20
Conor Fowler
Thank you.
01:02:20
mordechai rubinstein
The English expression. Turn the world upside down.
01:02:22
matt
Yeah. Yeah. Like, like wearing military surplus at, as a punk rock dude, you know, or a metal dude or whatever. Like, you know, it's, it's, that's kind of, i don't know, that kind of defines a lot of what you seem like the way that you come off.
01:02:39
matt
Like, you're just having a good time and you're...
01:02:41
mordechai rubinstein
I remember being on the subway and some old dude coming up to me and be like, you, did you do any tours? I'm like, I was wearing an M65, never wore it again.
01:02:46
matt
Right, right, right.
01:02:50
mordechai rubinstein
It took a few times of that where I still wore it. and After a while, i was like, all right, man, respect.
01:02:55
matt
I can't wear a shit with patches on it. Like,
01:02:57
mordechai rubinstein
It's not cool.
01:02:58
matt
but Yeah, like, I am, I sell vintage clothing and and military ah is my concentration.
01:03:03
Conor Fowler
Yeah, but that's that that's different.
01:03:05
mordechai rubinstein
so corny. I did this and I had them sewn on by the shoe repair. Cause it's a thick bag, you know? And once I put them all on, I'm like, it's so corny. I can't be seen carrying this Bob weird dies. So like, I'm never letting this go now.
01:03:18
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:03:18
matt
Right, right, right. We all have our struggles.
01:03:19
mordechai rubinstein
and and This is the one that was loaded, loaded with patches. Cause I want to sew them all on. And I said to myself, I don't have tattoos. I was actually in these places. It's site specific, you know, but it's,
01:03:31
Conor Fowler
I think if you have more on there, it would be less
01:03:34
mordechai rubinstein
I will, I will. But it's like, you know, like I bought this on eBay and it's fake. Like, it's just like, it's a fake of the real. And it's like, ah like I can't afford the real peace sign from the sixties, but I can get a peace sign from the nineties on eBay for 20 bucks.
01:03:41
matt
Right.
01:03:41
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
01:03:48
matt
Yeah, yeah. but I mean, bootleg shit has its own...
01:03:49
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:03:51
matt
i mean, like parking lot tees, for example.
01:03:54
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:03:55
mordechai rubinstein
That's a good conversation right there with that, because it's like, you know, needles didn't invent this, you know, I'm,
01:04:02
matt
Right, right.
01:04:03
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. It's so interesting that whole Grateful Dead, like coming after the people, like I think the dead themselves, i mean, I, you know, went out, like sent their own, even internal police around the lot back in the day, confiscating shit.
01:04:15
matt
Right, right. Yeah, it's it's always been a part of, like, rock and roll merch. And, you know, the new ones that are just doing it, cranking it out, you know, in some, some like, enslaved factory, that's not cool.
01:04:31
matt
But, like, I don't know.
01:04:32
mordechai rubinstein
Right.
01:04:34
matt
there's There's a, I don't know, there's a certain, like, panache to it, in my opinion.
01:04:39
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
Fashion History and Influences
01:04:40
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, look at this label I just found. Can you read that?
01:04:43
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:04:45
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:04:45
matt
Whoa, so shit.
01:04:47
matt
That's awesome.
01:04:49
Conor Fowler
President's associate Harvard college fund, all silk made in USA.
01:04:53
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, probably came from a Thai factory.
01:04:55
Conor Fowler
That's a good guess. Cause
01:04:57
mordechai rubinstein
i mean like I visited a lot of Thai factories. I'm thinking like, oh, you know. Yeah,
01:05:01
Conor Fowler
that's what you wanted to do. Right. At the beginning sometime.
01:05:05
mordechai rubinstein
yeah. yeah I went to FIT to study accessory design. i thought it was going to make women's women's shoes.
01:05:09
Conor Fowler
Yeah. Wow.
01:05:11
mordechai rubinstein
Kate Spade, RIP, was just like, your school's cute. Come work for me. you know And I was working for a men's shop, an incredible men's shop that's no longer around called New Republic.
01:05:22
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:05:22
matt
Okay.
01:05:23
mordechai rubinstein
Another search word that it's like when that shit's gone, I'm going to repeat what they taught me, but it was turn of the century through the 70s, all remade in New York.
01:05:30
matt
Oh, wow.
01:05:31
mordechai rubinstein
Wardian, LaGuardian, you know, velvet collars, high-waisted Hollywood pants, multiple pleats, American Paul Smith, all made in New York.
01:05:41
Conor Fowler
wow
01:05:41
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, the guy, Tom Oatman, he's living in Arizona. His wife's got a bakery. But he like, he brought the schoolboy scarf to America. You know, he told me a cool story that when he was, he's from Detroit and grew up up at the car offices and stuff.
01:05:56
mordechai rubinstein
And he told me like in the 70s or whatever year, when he would meet with the international resellers of the of those years and they'd all be wearing Levi's, he he showed up one day and they all had the tab cut off.
01:05:59
Conor Fowler
Thank
01:06:10
mordechai rubinstein
And I got chills like, oh, wait a minute.
01:06:11
matt
Oh,
01:06:14
mordechai rubinstein
Pre-internet, pre-WhatsApp, pre-text chain. They all met from all parts of the world. And all the dudes were actually on the same shit.
01:06:24
matt
right.
01:06:24
mordechai rubinstein
Like, it's pretty cool. And these were the owners of Canal Street Jeans.
01:06:26
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
01:06:29
mordechai rubinstein
These were the owners. These were the first Israelis, the first people that brought jeans to Tokyo, that brought Levi's, you know, to other parts of the country, or other parts the world. These were the earliest, earliest, earliest vintage sellers.
01:06:41
mordechai rubinstein
You know, it's pretty cool that they were all on the same page without like, hey guys, when we show up, we're going to all do Hawaiian. You know, even if the guy's lying to me, like he taught me everything about menswear.
01:06:49
matt
Right, right.
01:06:54
mordechai rubinstein
I showed up to that job. had a yarmulke as a pocket square.
01:06:58
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:06:59
mordechai rubinstein
You know,
01:07:00
Conor Fowler
Let's see, that's a, to that's like a perfect, that's is a perfect innovation of yours, I think, you know, it's like, it's like sort of earnest, but car still irreverent.
01:07:06
mordechai rubinstein
I'll have to agree.
01:07:12
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, I was afraid back in the day that, you know, i'd get into a car crash or die and my parents would have to read about me and see a picture of me without a yarmulke.
01:07:20
Conor Fowler
Wow, dude.
01:07:21
mordechai rubinstein
That's why i never took my hat off. and never Only lately I'm photographed. I'm like, don't wear I'm not wearing a hat. It's like brand new for me. I'm like FTW.
01:07:28
Conor Fowler
No, it's funny. You have good you have good hair. i mean,
01:07:32
mordechai rubinstein
These are good yarmulkes.
01:07:32
Conor Fowler
oh
01:07:33
mordechai rubinstein
I've got 100 yarmulkes up here. don't it with me Don't make me get them.
01:07:37
Conor Fowler
Right, right, right.
01:07:41
matt
Well, shit. Mordecai, this has been fucking awesome, man.
01:07:45
mordechai rubinstein
Did talk too much?
01:07:46
matt
No, no. It's been...
01:07:47
Conor Fowler
talked the right amount.
01:07:48
matt
Yeah, we we were hoping that you were a wordy fellow and you didn't you did not disappoint.
01:07:53
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, wait. How low can you see? How low does the camera go? Fine.
01:07:59
matt
What you...
01:07:59
Conor Fowler
Mmm, which one? My camera?
01:08:02
mordechai rubinstein
Like, you see, where does it cut off?
01:08:03
Conor Fowler
It cuts off at your chest.
01:08:03
matt
right, cut.
01:08:05
matt
Yeah.
01:08:06
mordechai rubinstein
Oh, interesting. Okay, fine. I'm not hiding anything, but I was wondering, i was wondering if you can see, like, you know, pink and red or slippers.
01:08:08
Conor Fowler
No. but
01:08:13
mordechai rubinstein
i
01:08:14
Conor Fowler
Dude, hardcore.
01:08:15
mordechai rubinstein
much you show off, you know, you know, I'm
01:08:16
matt
ah yeah Like you said, you live the camera.
01:08:19
Conor Fowler
Yeah, that's what this show's all
Family, Community, and Personal Style
01:08:21
Conor Fowler
about, so...
01:08:21
mordechai rubinstein
just so happy that my wife, when I, once I accepted the the date or whatever the time, you know, um I told my wife, I got the call today at four. She's like okay, I'm working.
01:08:32
mordechai rubinstein
What do you want from me? I'm like, yeah, but I need quiet in the house. And somebody needs to take care of our daughter after school from four to five. Oh, I, you know, and today she like canceled her meetings from four to five. So like we're,
01:08:41
Conor Fowler
Wow dude that's so nice of you and her.
01:08:43
matt
Yes. Thank you so much, man.
01:08:45
mordechai rubinstein
I didn't know this was like 350. I got the kid off the bus, 330. Everything's good, 20 minutes. I'm running around the house. Where do I have the better Wi-Fi? Where do I have the better Wi-Fi? It's not fun on an iPad when you have to go like this.
01:08:53
Conor Fowler
Dude, this is so cute.
01:09:00
mordechai rubinstein
I don't know what you're seeing. So I'm glad that we were able to be in the same level.
01:09:03
matt
Yeah, man. it's It's been fucking awesome.
01:09:05
mordechai rubinstein
I'm going to talk until you hang up.
01:09:07
Conor Fowler
Exceeded expectations.
01:09:09
mordechai rubinstein
But it's funny because, you know, are you guys Jewish?
01:09:12
Conor Fowler
Not exactly.
01:09:12
matt
I'm not, no.
01:09:14
mordechai rubinstein
Okay. So Baltimore, big Jewish community, bubble blah, blah, blah, whatever.
01:09:16
Conor Fowler
that It's the second biggest, right? Second biggest ah to New York, I believe.
01:09:20
mordechai rubinstein
I didn't know that, but that makes sense. i would think l a would be bigger.
01:09:21
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
01:09:22
mordechai rubinstein
But anyway, my next point was when when Jews discovered other places and they left Brooklyn, like, oh, Miami, everybody with a nickel goes to Miami for the holidays. Atlanta and the Georgia community During pre-COVID, the smart ones, and then during, and I'm wondering if Matt saw this, I must know 50 families that left Brooklyn and moved to suburbs of of Atlanta.
01:09:44
matt
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:09:45
mordechai rubinstein
during
01:09:45
matt
There's a massive Jewish population here.
01:09:47
mordechai rubinstein
So I thought that's, you know, interesting.
01:09:49
matt
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's better than fucking Florida.
01:09:52
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah.
01:09:53
matt
Like, i I don't know if you've been to Florida, but I fucking hate Florida.
01:09:54
Conor Fowler
That's for sure.
01:09:59
matt
So...
01:09:59
mordechai rubinstein
You know, a good buddy of mine was from Atlanta, Brian Hecht, and he opened up a show called Show and Tell to compete with Chicago Collective and the other trade shows.
01:10:07
Conor Fowler
That's funny.
01:10:09
mordechai rubinstein
And I keep thinking he's he's in Chicago, but he's in a suburb of Atlanta. I love that he moved from L.A.
01:10:14
matt
Nice.
01:10:15
mordechai rubinstein
Like my whole shtick is you don't need to be in L.A.
01:10:18
matt
No, no.
01:10:19
mordechai rubinstein
You can be in Baltimore, fucking, you know, ah like especially now.
01:10:21
Conor Fowler
I love that. love that.
01:10:23
mordechai rubinstein
And I need to do this more because I don't talk to people enough and I just stay home too much. But this has been, you know, during COVID, I begged a couple of CEOs I knew or brands, they like, put me on some Zoom bombs.
01:10:34
mordechai rubinstein
And they're like, what? I'm like, when you when you do your corporate Friday stupidity, like, let me join in. i just want to say hi. I have nothing to say. i just want to show my colors, you know.
01:10:42
Conor Fowler
i love that i love that
01:10:43
mordechai rubinstein
and an en a couple of them bit and it was cool. We did it good. You know, i was on the Birkenstock one, you know. as
01:10:48
Conor Fowler
Wow, dude, that's funny as shit.
01:10:50
matt
Hell yeah.
01:10:51
mordechai rubinstein
You know.
01:10:51
Conor Fowler
I'm wearing my Birkensocks right now.
01:10:53
mordechai rubinstein
i mean, it was the North American CEO, not the global, but I don't care. He's my man. Dude, but like Bob Weir, like they were like very, yeah.
01:10:57
Conor Fowler
Splitting hairs at that point.
01:11:01
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:11:03
mordechai rubinstein
But if you lived in that part of Mill Valley or that part of or so of Northern California, ah you probably saw him taking a walk.
01:11:08
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:11:11
Conor Fowler
Comes with the territory.
01:11:11
mordechai rubinstein
off Yeah, exactly. So when you got a green Oxford under the green Norwegian.
01:11:16
Conor Fowler
It is a light blue ah denim Oxford, yes.
01:11:22
mordechai rubinstein
Dan, I'm from Orslau or from?
01:11:23
Conor Fowler
No, this is a brand called Bimini Bay. It's like old, it's vintage. It's got like weird, it has some weird pockets on it. It has like four chest pockets, like a little one.
01:11:34
mordechai rubinstein
Send me some posts. I want to get to know you guys. you
01:11:37
Conor Fowler
Yes, dude, this is my dream come true.
01:11:37
matt
Oh, fuck yeah.
01:11:39
Conor Fowler
That's seriously my dream come true, so
01:11:41
matt
Fuck
01:11:42
mordechai rubinstein
I feel bad that I didn't ask my question, you know, what you're teaching and and and there and how you guys linked and these lens wear or he said clothing.
01:11:47
Conor Fowler
weird
01:11:49
matt
it.
01:11:50
mordechai rubinstein
And I'm like, I want to know more about Matt. But, you know, also I got to pish or I'd keep you on for days. But my whole point with the cozy cuddly was like, you know, I never thought I'd wear this kind of stuff.
01:12:01
mordechai rubinstein
And now living out here, like I'm wearing it.
01:12:02
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:12:03
matt
You got to.
01:12:03
Conor Fowler
It just works.
01:12:04
matt
You got to.
01:12:04
Conor Fowler
It just works.
01:12:05
mordechai rubinstein
Our house is from 1722.
01:12:07
matt
Oh, shit!
01:12:07
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:12:08
matt
Holy fuck!
01:12:10
mordechai rubinstein
And it's very, very, very It's well insulated, but it's cool. You know, so I'm talking to this other guy that I know that's living in an older, an antique home.
01:12:14
Conor Fowler
It's drafty.
01:12:19
mordechai rubinstein
And he's like, Oh, want to discuss, um, uh, night, uh, dressing gowns, bath, uh, bathrobes and, and water bottles.
01:12:20
matt
Ha
01:12:28
mordechai rubinstein
And i was like, that's my wife. What's that? She goes to English. They, they heat, they heat these bottles and sleep with these bottles.
01:12:34
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:12:34
mordechai rubinstein
And I'm like, what the fuck's she talking
Adapting to Cold Climates with Style
01:12:36
mordechai rubinstein
about? And I'm like, can't.
01:12:36
matt
ha ha!
01:12:37
Conor Fowler
It's the hot water bottle, man.
01:12:39
mordechai rubinstein
I love my wife, but I'm still wearing like seven layers to sleep. And I'm like, shouldn't we be cuddling and I could take off later? Like, I don't get it. And it's like when you wake up and you guys will find out one day, maybe, you know, I'm like, I wake up, I take my daughter to school or to the bus stop.
01:12:54
mordechai rubinstein
It's like, I don't need to get cutesy, but I got a hundred outfits I want to try on. Today,
01:12:59
Conor Fowler
That's the whole, that's the fucking struggle of man.
01:13:02
mordechai rubinstein
And she's like, why did you do that, dad? You know, the bus driver says, I know why you wore those pants. The bus driver says, oh, in case you lost, they could take you home.
01:13:09
matt
Yeah,
01:13:10
Conor Fowler
Wow, dude.
01:13:13
mordechai rubinstein
They're the town pants that I'm wearing. It's like the town school.
01:13:15
Conor Fowler
That's amazing.
01:13:17
mordechai rubinstein
Last question. We didn't get to see Matt because he's like the more hiding guy. Fine. I get it.
01:13:21
matt
yeah my my internet sucks, so.
01:13:23
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sure. But what but on the on the on the low, on the on the low, what are you guys wearing waist down? Because you could, oh, you, so, yeah, those sweatpants.
01:13:32
Conor Fowler
I got the bean sweats with the button and the fly.
01:13:34
mordechai rubinstein
So I never knew they made them.
01:13:38
mordechai rubinstein
Bro, I guess I have one question. Well, two.
01:13:41
matt
Yeah.
01:13:42
mordechai rubinstein
What era?
01:13:42
matt
Yeah.
01:13:42
mordechai rubinstein
What era? Because they look thick. They're not new.
01:13:45
Conor Fowler
I believe that they're from the 90s or so.
01:13:48
mordechai rubinstein
Don't tell anybody. I need these. Have you ever seen another pair of police? sign I mean, so, you know, oops.
01:13:51
Conor Fowler
I've looked and unfortunately I haven't been able to find any.
01:13:54
mordechai rubinstein
You're young. There's hope. is it Do those have belt loops?
01:13:57
Conor Fowler
No, sadly. If they did, they'd be so sick.
01:14:01
mordechai rubinstein
Malfourne throwing out the first pitch for, I think, yeah um Ralph's 50th or whatever.
01:14:05
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:14:06
mordechai rubinstein
You know what i'm talking about two years ago? He's wearing sweats. Well, excuse me, gray athletic pants. Probably.
01:14:13
Conor Fowler
right
01:14:14
mordechai rubinstein
With a belt over them. Now, I say to myself, all right, is he trying to look like a baseball player with the belt? Or is he Jewish old man like me and can't keep sweats up? And doesn't give a fuck.
01:14:26
mordechai rubinstein
I want to take it to like, uh-uh, he's trying to look like a baseball player. My point is, I wear suspenders often, clips. I can't.
01:14:33
Conor Fowler
i wore them for I wore them for the first time and I was like, how did I go without this?
01:14:34
mordechai rubinstein
That's it.
01:14:37
matt
Oh, braces and suspenders are the best.
01:14:38
mordechai rubinstein
Sweat. So I'm looking a for sweatsuit belt loops, almost impossible to find. Sure, the old man websites, Beans, Deans, Deans, whatever that, you know, like those like you know the the nursing home catalogs, they make them.
01:14:48
Conor Fowler
the
01:14:51
mordechai rubinstein
They're not that good.
01:14:51
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:14:52
Conor Fowler
Right.
01:14:52
mordechai rubinstein
You know, Supreme did a pair with pockets, almost good.
01:14:55
mordechai rubinstein
But there's that. No one's making them. And then you just killed me with yours because Beams is coming out with some of Levi's that are made with loop wheeler, which look really cool.
01:15:05
Conor Fowler
right
01:15:06
mordechai rubinstein
And I can't believe Levi's is making sweat pant because it's all I ever wanted to do when I worked there, but they wouldn't let anything go on in the final.
01:15:12
matt
this This was free jogger trend, so...
01:15:16
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, well, I made a lot of samples working in the concept department, but my boss was so cool, Carl Chiara, who snuck out of Levi's and went to open up UnionMade.
01:15:16
matt
Yeah.
01:15:25
Conor Fowler
Mm-hmm.
01:15:25
mordechai rubinstein
And he, I would make wide well corduroys in 501, cashmere 501. And he's like, dude, we've got to get them. It's the whole shit with 501 is samphorized, shrink the fit, blah, blah, blah, blah blah bla blah. I'm like, bro, I want Navy blazer corduroy. I want all 501s and all the fabric you're not making.
01:15:46
mordechai rubinstein
Now, 30 years later, 20 years later, I'm like, wait, you're letting Beams do a 501? I don't want to speak too soon because maybe it wasn't the 501. But like, I thought that's proprietary. it has to be denim. And then Connor, I never saw those. So that looked like a nice, thick, heavy sweat. So I want two things. That looked like an open bottom, which is hard to find.
01:16:05
mordechai rubinstein
It's not elasticated, right?
01:16:07
Conor Fowler
e
01:16:08
mordechai rubinstein
Sick.
01:16:09
Conor Fowler
Yeah, they're awesome.
01:16:09
mordechai rubinstein
Don't show those to
01:16:11
Conor Fowler
Unfortunately, they're like a two XL, I think. So they're a little too big for me, but ah they're great.
01:16:17
mordechai rubinstein
What's your weight? 34? I'm a 32 and a half. Perfect. I won want those so badly.
01:16:20
Conor Fowler
yeah Right?
01:16:23
Conor Fowler
Well, I don't know if I can surrender them, but I will look around.
01:16:28
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, I've never, i mean, that's really good. So I don't need to know what else you're wearing. But, you know, you went to the doctor, you ran out.
01:16:33
Conor Fowler
That's it.
01:16:34
mordechai rubinstein
I ran to take her to school this morning because she missed the bus. But it's just a weird thing of like, honey, I'll be right back. Or like, you know, the my favorite, and man, I'm rambling. It's like, I got to take the garbage out.
01:16:47
mordechai rubinstein
Or like, code word for, I got to smoke a joint.
01:16:47
Conor Fowler
Yes.
01:16:50
mordechai rubinstein
I've done all I needed to do for the day, honey, I'll be right back. Those are some of my favorite outfits. Those are some.
01:16:56
matt
Oh, yeah.
01:16:56
Conor Fowler
Yeah. I just posted one online. like Not shirtless, but like open shirted.
01:17:04
mordechai rubinstein
Those are some of the best looks because it's like I'll be right back. No one's caring. But old weed, I felt so good the minute I smoked and I wanted to get selfies. New weed doesn't have me feeling as good as I'd like it to.
01:17:15
mordechai rubinstein
I'm going to make a piss in my pants if I don't stop it.
01:17:17
Conor Fowler
We'll have to talk about weed the next time.
01:17:18
matt
Yeah, yeah. Yes, yes.
01:17:19
Conor Fowler
but We thank you for coming. It is customary that we allow our guests ah opportunities to shout out whatever they feel like. your blog perhaps, your Instagram, I mean.
01:17:32
mordechai rubinstein
I need somebody to fix my dot com because Mr. Mort dot com doesn't work and i'm paying for it. You know, I made some Nantuchus gear, but I don't think people want Nantuchus until the spring. Just just stay good to one another.
01:17:41
Conor Fowler
yeah.
01:17:43
mordechai rubinstein
Stay good. If Norwegians keep you warm, do that.
01:17:44
Conor Fowler
fuck you
01:17:46
mordechai rubinstein
If it's like me, you're so sensitive. Man, I couldn't wear Norwegian in Brooklyn. Now that I'm in Connecticut, I wear Norwegian like it's cashmere. You know what mean? It's like skin, but it's definitely toughen me up. Elder Statesman told me that cashmere was the first smart fabric, I think.
01:18:01
mordechai rubinstein
And I still have a hard time wearing cashmere next to skin.
01:18:01
Conor Fowler
Interesting.
01:18:03
mordechai rubinstein
I still think it's a good one.
01:18:04
matt
feel I feel it. I feel it. I feel it.
01:18:05
mordechai rubinstein
But I never thought of wearing a shawl collar.
01:18:06
matt
Well, never say never.
01:18:07
mordechai rubinstein
Never say never, kids.
Closing Thoughts on Fashion and Positivity
01:18:10
matt
Mordecai, thank you so much, man. Um, no, no.
01:18:12
mordechai rubinstein
Thank you. Oh, they're kicking me out.
01:18:13
Conor Fowler
No, man, you got to pee or you're going be our first guest to pee on air.
01:18:15
matt
Yeah.
01:18:16
Conor Fowler
Okay.
01:18:17
matt
Yeah. Don't be on air. ah I mean, you're welcome to,
01:18:19
mordechai rubinstein
I was going to say, hold on, let me pish. But, it you know. No, no, no. You know, I'll i'll keep you for days.
01:18:26
matt
ha well, we'll have you back on brother.
01:18:29
mordechai rubinstein
Love minis.
01:18:29
matt
Um,
01:18:30
mordechai rubinstein
Love miniatures.
01:18:31
Conor Fowler
Yeah, hell yeah. I saw the mini bean boot.
01:18:34
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah, but you know with these, with when I would ah visited Esquire one day, when l Clark's for the 50th anniversary made actual mini, um I'm not going to get them all, but they made real mini Clark's.
01:18:34
matt
Oh,
01:18:50
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:18:51
matt
ah that's fucking awesome.
01:18:51
Conor Fowler
Those are tight.
01:18:52
mordechai rubinstein
You know, when I got the Sperry, I got the bean boot, but You know, this this one's a little more special than, you know, not all miniatures are created equal.
01:19:02
Conor Fowler
No, certainly not.
01:19:02
matt
It's true.
01:19:03
matt
It's very true.
01:19:04
mordechai rubinstein
I wear my boot boot at night. Oh, man. I tell you, you know, all I want are little, you know, I don't have a doodad, not a la boo boo, but like.
01:19:15
Conor Fowler
This is so wild.
01:19:15
mordechai rubinstein
I'm looking for a little bear to hang off.
01:19:19
mordechai rubinstein
You want to buy me a little, it's probably Jelly Cat or Stife, but I think it's time that I get a doodad off the bag. The problem is I changed the bag.
01:19:27
Conor Fowler
Perhaps, I mean, maybe you'd need to add another doodad.
01:19:30
mordechai rubinstein
you guys have doodads off your bags?
01:19:32
Conor Fowler
Uh, yeah, I have this. My AirPods are hanging off of it.
01:19:37
mordechai rubinstein
Look how cute. Yeah, but you see what you got there.
01:19:39
Conor Fowler
and then I have this purple suede thing.
01:19:41
mordechai rubinstein
AirPods make sense. I got nothing. Nothing. That's the problem, you know? And my daughter said yeah my daughter's not into the LaBubu shtick.
01:19:46
Conor Fowler
Well, you got gotta get a doodad.
01:19:51
mordechai rubinstein
They did a cool one. You know, it's a little Grateful Dead-y, but it's the Shaggy Bear Dog.
01:19:55
Conor Fowler
Right, right. Well,
01:19:57
mordechai rubinstein
All right, I'm showing off now.
01:19:58
matt
ah No, you're good, man You're good.
01:20:00
Conor Fowler
thanks for showing off.
01:20:01
mordechai rubinstein
This was a good one, you know?
01:20:01
matt
Yes.
01:20:04
mordechai rubinstein
You know the company Il Basante Leather?
01:20:06
matt
Yes.
01:20:07
mordechai rubinstein
This is the guy that founded it.
01:20:09
matt
Oh, that's awesome.
01:20:09
mordechai rubinstein
Remember the...
01:20:09
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:20:11
mordechai rubinstein
Remember the pictures of him early internet?
01:20:13
matt
Yeah.
01:20:13
mordechai rubinstein
He really looks like him. So when you went to the trade show and you didn't take pictures to the booth, you know, this was a jump drive of the catalog.
01:20:21
matt
Wow.
01:20:23
mordechai rubinstein
I love shit like that, you know?
01:20:27
Conor Fowler
Hell yeah.
01:20:28
mordechai rubinstein
All right.
01:20:29
matt
All right, man. um
01:20:30
mordechai rubinstein
Thank you, Sue.
01:20:31
matt
Everyone, thank you.
01:20:32
mordechai rubinstein
Thank you so much for not forgetting me.
01:20:32
Conor Fowler
Yeah, absolutely.
01:20:35
mordechai rubinstein
I mean that. i hope this was good.
01:20:36
matt
with Yeah, this is great, man. Right.
01:20:39
mordechai rubinstein
look
01:20:39
Conor Fowler
you You are like me. You are not often forgotten.
01:20:42
mordechai rubinstein
It's hard to like concentrate on the on the, you know, it's like this brand did a jump drive, but I couldn't tell you what brand it is just because it's like stupid wood, you know?
01:20:53
Conor Fowler
Wow.
01:20:53
matt
i
01:20:55
mordechai rubinstein
Another jump drive. I don't know.
01:20:56
Conor Fowler
Going through the tackle go through the tackle box.
01:20:59
mordechai rubinstein
When you bought weed back in the day, you know, when they got the cube.
01:21:03
matt
Oh, yeah, yeah.
01:21:03
Conor Fowler
You got to keep it in your cow-stay containers.
01:21:03
matt
I i remember very well. i remember very well
01:21:06
mordechai rubinstein
But that's Simon Sperms.
01:21:08
Conor Fowler
Wow, dude.
01:21:10
mordechai rubinstein
This guy was making sperms all over Manhattan. I don't know if you guys remember. There's graffiti artist from the Iraq Graffiti Crew, I-R-A-K, named Simon seman Sperms. Now, he went to jail because he was at Deitch Projects when Jeffrey Deitch had an opening.
01:21:24
mordechai rubinstein
And he went in and took a photo. Someone dared him. And he took a photo and walked out with it. I think it was his own photo. And it was very sad. You know, his girlfriend was in Harvard. at the time, whatever, i don't want get on and on, but I'm a big fan of Simon Seaman Sperms.
01:21:37
matt
Hell yes.
01:21:37
Conor Fowler
Yeah, my roommate has Iraq caps because he's like an old graffiti homie.
01:21:44
mordechai rubinstein
Is he an Atlanta guy or what?
01:21:46
Conor Fowler
No, he's a Baltimore guy.
01:21:47
mordechai rubinstein
Really?
01:21:48
Conor Fowler
Yeah.
01:21:49
mordechai rubinstein
Iraq, you know, they're big in the SF and the New York, but
01:21:52
Conor Fowler
Yeah, Justin goes to New York. I mean, Justin goes wherever. But um my roommate...
01:21:57
mordechai rubinstein
who's Justin? Oh,
01:22:00
Conor Fowler
Yeah, but I must be going because I must be eating.
01:22:03
mordechai rubinstein
I'm kidding.
01:22:04
Conor Fowler
yeah Justin is not in the room right now. He's probably at work. ah But I have grad school shit that I have to do.
01:22:07
mordechai rubinstein
I'm kidding. I will
01:22:10
Conor Fowler
My group wants me to fucking call them. It's crazy. I have to do another interview.
01:22:15
mordechai rubinstein
teach. That's my last question.
01:22:17
Conor Fowler
I was teaching reading to little, little kids in the projects, basically. I was doing that for 10 years.
01:22:24
mordechai rubinstein
You're on off right now, like studying to be some other kind. You're not.
01:22:27
Conor Fowler
ah Studying to be a social worker. Yeah.
01:22:29
mordechai rubinstein
Yeah. Respect.
01:22:31
Conor Fowler
Thank you, man. I think it's going to work out for me. so
01:22:34
mordechai rubinstein
right, Matt, DM me. Tell me a little bit more about you. I feel bad. I captivated. Whatever the words.
01:22:37
matt
no i definitely will i definitely will
01:22:38
mordechai rubinstein
interesting i am Thanks for calling on me. Hang up because I'm going talk forever. you know
01:22:42
Conor Fowler
All right. All right.
01:22:43
matt
all right thank you
01:22:44
Conor Fowler
Peace out.