GENEs

Welcome back to GENEs. These interviews reveal the stories behind peoples coveted items and we unravel the connections and history that have brought them to where they are today. To check out the previous interviews covering a range of clothing with intimate and gorgeous stories, see the link here . Let’s pull the thread. In this episode of GENEs, I sit down with Brenden Wren, also known as B-Wren...

In this episode of GENEs, I sit down with Vancouver filmmaker Corey Adams, AKA Machotaildrop . His career stretches from cult skateboarding films to music videos, commercials, and his recent series Edge of Sleep . We talk about his winding path into—and out of—the film world, his love for stop-motion, and the objects that inspire him, including a jacket with a story of its own. Corey’s a natural s...

In the 20th episode of GENEs, I sit down with Malik (also known as evidence doll ) a multi-disciplinary artist whose work spans music videos, clothing design, tattooing, and world-building. We talk about their cathartic music video BBB , the importance of safe creative spaces, the fluidity of identity and personas, and the playful relationship between clothing, memory, and self-expression. From DI...

What does it take to spot a garment that will quietly change your relationship to clothing? In this episode, I sat down with Saager Dilawri of Neighbour to talk about how he navigates fashion weeks in Paris and Tokyo, what makes certain pieces stop him in his tracks, and why some clothes are worth wearing for years. We recorded before the shop opened, surrounded by racks of carefully chosen garmen...

In this episode of GENEs, I sit down with Skylar Stock, the longtime owner of Mintage, one of East Vancouver’s most iconic vintage shops. After over a decade of observing his work from afar, we finally chat in the back of his Commercial Drive location about his early days at True Value Vintage, his time picking for Rocket in London, and the unlikely path that led him back to Vancouver to open Mint...

In this special 17th episode of GENEs , I sit down with one of my closest friends, Andrew, whose influence helped shape this project from the start. Unlike past interviews with strangers I’ve met on the street, this one is deeply personal, tracing our shared history and Andrew’s own journey through sport, style, and fatherhood. We begin with a vintage FRC coaches jacket, passed down from his fathe...

In this episode of GENEs , I sit down with Two Smudge—also known as Matthew Provost—a Blackfoot artist, designer, and cultural storyteller. We talk about growing up between Lethbridge and the reserves, his journey into fashion, and the importance of protocol, community, and collaboration in his multidisciplinary practice. From hats passed down through generations to ledger art on century-old maps,...

For this GENEs interview, I sat down with Matt Roberge of Vintage Sponsor. I’ve been visiting Matt for months, always leaving with something; a piece of vintage gold or a story I wasn’t expecting. This conversation ended up going way beyond clothing. We talked about family lineage, obsession, and what it means to inherit “the sickness”; that instinct to dig, collect, and preserve. Centered on a fa...

In this episode of GENEs , part of an ongoing series where I talk to people about a favorite item of clothing to learn more about their personal history and creative approach, I sit down with Aly—designer and founder of NENA HANSEN. Known for transforming men’s dress shirts into unique, upcycled pieces for women, Aly’s work sits at the intersection of sustainability, style, and discipline. We talk...

The original intent of this piece was to announce that my GENEs interview series is now available in audio format. I have been able to conduct 14 of these interviews so far, but for many of the earlier episodes, I was simply recording interviews on my phone mic—either outside on the street or in cafés—so the audio was unusable for editing. Thankfully, for the more recent ones, I had the foresight...