Fifteen years ago, the plan was to create a fashion column for VICE, the Canadian skater-rag-turned-ASME-nominated-massive-media-company co-founder Suroosh Alvi told The Observer, “because then we could get fashion advertising for the magazine.” But then they realized they “didn’t know anything about fashion.”
In this twisted spirit, the long-running, wildly popular DOs and DON’Ts column—photos of unfortunate, real street fashion captioned harshly by VICE’s editors—was born. It has become “the little franchise that could” for the magazine and website, Mr. Alvi said.
And at the launch party for a new compilation anthology, DOs & DON’Ts Book 2, on Tuesday night, we brought our camera to the packed Powerhouse Arena in DUMBO and documented those celebrating the bawdy column that spawned many imitations (including our slideshow, below the cut).
About the likelihood that DOs and DON’Ts has hurt more than a few feelings during its run, the column’s editor, Thomas Morton, was unapologetic. “I don’t really have any morals, so nothing really stops me,” he said. “If they’re wearing bad pants, then that’s reason enough. But it’s a case by case basis and basically depends on if I’m hungover and what type of hangover it is.”
Throughout the course of the three-hour event, a hundred or more hipsters, wannabe hipsters, and a few out-of-place Manhattanites (that’s what you get when you put Cat Marnell in charge of manning the door) wandered in. The new book was on sale for $20, but according to the lone geek manning the cash register, no one had purchased a copy. “They’re here for the party and free drinks,” he said.
All photos by Spencer Rothman.
