Cool Hunting

Admittedly, the title of this book makes a pretty bold claim, but author Steven Vogel has certainly done his homework. From long–established names like Stussy and Burton to the newer kids on the block like Dave's Quality Meat and Pointer, he investigates what makes names from the U.S., U.K. and the Far East tick and how they have managed—or plan—to succeed. It's also a pleasant, but not unexpected, surprise to see Cool Hunting mentioned in the book's list of essential web resources, alongside some of our own favorite sites.

While there are tons of pictures, this isn't just brand–porn. Many of the those behind the labels offer their invaluable insights, and as Jeff Ng of Staple rightly points out, it–s the people that this story is really all about. "It's not the shoe you slept out four nights for. It's that dude that was on line in front of you that you kicked it with and became friends. If you can't come away from this understanding that, you are missing out on the entire thing, kids."

Streetwear: The Insider's Guide was published in the UK this month by Thames & Hudson and is available from Amazon UK for the knock-down price of £13.