» HADOUKEN « fashion and MMA have more in common than you think
In its nascency, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was brutal. No rounds, no time limit and very little rules, the objective was quite simple: round up a bunch of professional fighters (in some instances, "professional") across multiple disciplines -- karate, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing, whatever -- and just let them destroy each other. In tournament bracket style, the event took place in a single night.
Jesus Christ.
I'll never forget the first time I watched a UFC event. It was 1995, and I was 11 years old. In the final, judo master Oleg Taktarov took on Tank Abbott, a 270 pound monster who was simply billed as a "pit fighter" (see? "professional"...). It was the classic match up of elegant skill versus pure, unbridled power. Seventeen grueling minutes later, Taktarov was taken out on a stretcher. Walking off on his own power, Tank Abbott went home with a couple-thousand-dollar consolation prize as runner up in the competition.
What?
Yes, Taktarov, despite sustaining tremendous damage throughout the fight, found a way to eek out a victory. It came in the form of a rear naked choke hold, a submission against which Mr. Tank most certainly never prepared (him being a pit fighter and all).
In the 21st century, the UFC has evolved quite a bit. That sort of thing happens when corporate sponsors get involved. But beyond the procedural changes (5-minute rounds, judges' scorecards, uniform dress codes, standard gloves and improved drug testing) it's really the substance that's undergone the most significant transformation. This transformation almost entirely revolves around the definition of the word "mixed." Whereby the UFC used to mix together a motley crew of fighters from different backgrounds in a petri dish, sit back and wait to see what happens, today it's the fighters themselves who are doing the mixing. Simply put, if you are trying to compete in any MMA competition without having mastered several, if not all, martial art forms, you're toast.
Dust. Cooked. Smoked. Finito. Finshed. Donezo. Whatever you want to call it.
Now, is it really that odd to think that the same can be said for fashion today? In the 2000s, we've had our fair share of procedural changes -- fast fashion, see now buy now, showrooming, e- and m-commerce, sustainability initiatives etc. But like MMA and the UFC, it's the substantive changes that really matter. In short, mixed martial arts is the perfect analog for contemporary fashion design and marketing: it's no longer sufficient to be great at any one thing. Not tailoring, not streetwear. While we're at it, throw prep, workwear, luxe minimalism and any other category of design into the petri dish. It doesn't matter. A master of anyone of these forms who remains ignorant to the other forms stands absolutely no chance in today's dynamic landscape.
Consumers want to know that the brands they champion "get it." That they are at the very least conversant in the subtleties that inform Millennial and Gen Z aesthetics and consumer preferences. As we near the end of the 2010s, a decade that will be remembered as one of remixing and hi-lo culture, it becomes more apparent every day that those who are stuck in a single form are the ones who are most at risk of seeing their own demise.
Don't be like Tank Abbott. Learn some jiu-jitsu.