N: Hey guys! It's great to have you for this interview, I've been following your Instagram journey from the early days and it's been really fun to see your growth. Can you give our readers a brief intro on who's behind Constant Practice? I am also really curious about how you two met and decided to work together on this project...what are your respective roles within Constant Practice and what strengths do you each bring to the table?

C: We appreciate the support! Constant Practice was founded by Zeke roughly 7-8 years ago. I joined the company two years ago and since then we have really ramped up our marketing strategy and product categories.

Zeke still acts as the main buyer and creative director of the company;

I act as his assistant from a creative side and manage e-comm and production.

N: I believe the growth of your page reflects an important cultural shift in the aspiration economy. If we look back at the early 2010s, that was sort of the peak of the correlation between financial power and "cool", exemplified by phenomena like the #richkids of Instagram. A decade later we are witnessing the start of a new cycle, with GenZ obsessing over deciphering "quiet luxury" and archival fashion. In other words, knowledge has become much sexier. The ability to discover and understand rare items has become much more of a flex than pure spending power. Any thoughts on this ?

C: This is a constantly changing landscape and it moves quickly. To be honest, we are so caught up in our own work that we often can’t keep up with the zeitgeist. There are so many different fashion niches and archetypes now, and so we see lots of different expressions of “cool”, which I think is great. I think knowledge is definitely a driving factor, but I think personal interest is our favorite thing to see.

Just because something is rare or historical doesn't make it interesting. Constant Practice exists now mostly as a deep exploration of personal interest.

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N: I also think this cultural shift towards a more "informed" approach to fashion has amplified the general public's appreciation for menswear. Many of the designers you guys feature have become masters of "subtle" elements like pattern construction, fit, and fabric, which requires a deeper level of knowledge to truly appreciate. Have you noticed any significant changes in how men, especially in comparison to your own experiences growing up, have become more vocal or engaged in the world of fashion?

C: I think there are more opportunities for men to engage in fashion due to the internet. There have always been men interested in fashion, but many did not have the access to the garments themselves or the information surrounding them. The internet has also created a global network of people who interact with each other and inform one another.

‍N: You guys host a permanent collection that's invite-only, introducing designers and fashion enthusiasts to fashion's "best-kept secrets." Can you tell us more about this collection and share a few of these secrets with us?

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C: The permanent collection is our opinion on fashion, more or less. It consists of garments we have collected from our list of designers, that we cannot part with for various reasons. Many of the items are things we are personally drawn to wear.

All of them are 1 of 1s that we have never seen before and probably will never see again.

Each one of them includes the “subtle” elements mentioned earlier such as pattern, fit, fabric, and design that make them truly special.

N: Let's move into your research process. Over the years, I've had a few conversations with fashion collectors and archivists, and many of them have mentioned experiencing a state of intense concentration and excitement, often described as being in a "flow" when hunting for hidden gems. Clicking page after page, fully immersed in the moment.

Can you relate to this feeling? Could you share your thoughts on the mental state you enter during your research process? Additionally, if you're up for a bit of introspection, what do you believe motivates you emotionally or psychologically when it comes to the practice of collecting? We don't need to go too deep, of course! 😄

C: The flow state is definitely real! It also requires consistency and discipline to keep up with the search. We joke sometimes because the frustration of missing a great item is almost more motivating than actually obtaining it!

But honestly, I think we chase the joy and satisfaction of finding something unique, or something that makes us think about clothing in a new way. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s all worth it.

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N: Beyond fashion, do you both have any other hobbies or passions that might surprise our readers?

C: No… haha. We are both very busy with work, family, trying to stay active… we enjoy some simple pleasures like lunch at our local spot (shoutout Joe’s Diner), but for the most part we are just huge clothing nerds.

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N: Fast forward three years into the future, what do you envision for Constant Practice? Can you fill in the blank for us: "3 years from now, Constant Practice is _____"?‍