Meet Logan Cannon

We had the good fortune of connecting with Logan Cannon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Logan, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
I disagree with the advice I was given to always develop a business plan before starting a business. In theory this makes sense, but in practice, it doesn’t always work. The business plan outlines that can be found online and in school curriculums are so in depth that someone could easily spend years writing a plan without ever taking the initial steps to start a business. In my business, I’ve found that I am better off making plans and solving problems when I reach them rather than spending time on something that doesn’t exist yet. The advice I would give instead would be to take action, try your idea, learn from your mistakes, and gain experience.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am of the camp that less is more. While I’m not creating fine art, creativity and artistic vision play a central role in my approach to design. From a functional perspective, I want my clothing to be as versatile as possible. In order to do this, I need to use fabrics that have unique properties and incorporate useful features into garment design. From an aesthetic perspective, I simply reduce and refine until I’m left with only what is necessary.

Currently, fashion is in a state of maximalism for the majority. We’re in this y2k revisitation period that ironically doesn’t align with popular social standards of environmental consciousness (with the exception of second hand clothing). So right now the aesthetic ball is not in my court, so to speak. But trends are always on a pendulum, and eventually the masses will move back to a classic aesthetic. Until then, there are plenty of people who already share my style preferences, and they are who I’m creating for.

I’ve always been attracted to minimalism. I like clean lines, organization, and empty space. I think that when someone has an interest in something, continuously exposes themselves to it, and attempts to learn from it, they will gain skill over time. I studied graphic design in college, but the vast majority of what I now know came from my exposure after. The short story of how I got to where I am professionally is by continuously exposing myself to new mediums of design at the expense of developing a traditional career. I fought this idea for a long time. I tried to work for big companies so I could make a decent income, but I’m too rebellious; too unwilling to fall in line. This certainly contributed to all the jumping around I did, but it has proven to be more valuable than I could have imagined. The truth is that we can’t all fit into the structural mold that our economy first society has indoctrinated us into. We have to challenge the status quo in order to find ourselves. For me, this required emotional resilience and near stubborn persistence.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Every time a friend visits me, I ask them to leave their phone at home and explore the city with me. The pushback is hysterical if not shocking. We live by schedules and are afraid of what lies out of bounds.

The world is so connected now. Everything is logged, blogged, flagged, and storied. I could ask Chat GPT to create an itinerary that would blow anything of mine out of the water. But what is the fun in that? The experience of organically discovering something is so much more rewarding than doing research and planning. All you have to do is walk outside with your ears and eyes open, and everything comes to you. And if that’s overwhelming, find something to do when you’re ready to do it (shout out to my friend’s app: inyc).

New York is a city of discovery. I want to discover on the fly and I want my friends to experience the same excitement that comes with it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many resources that I’ve utilized to gain inspiration, information, support, and encouragement. The quality of friendships that I have and the support they’ve given me, even if they’re just lending an ear, is invaluable. I also have to acknowledge my parents. I’ve never felt pressure from them to pursue a specific career or trade, or to have any measure of success relative to my age. They’ve always supported my artistic side and I think that has allowed me to have an emotional freedom when it comes to creative pursuits.

Website: https://athleticarticles.com

Instagram: @athleticarticles

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-cannon-988391236/

Image Credits
Marvin Castro Studio; Goodness and Truth Studio