Hasta La Ideas

Post-World-War-II, American society was all about looking forward. There were new technologies, new materials, new fabrics, new manufacturing techniques. The past was something you wanted to forget, and the future was a place you couldn’t wait to get to.

Nowadays we have a much greater amount of new things emerging at a much higher rate, and yet we tend to look backwards a lot more. There’s a craving for vintage and retro, perhaps because we have more documented history now, widely and instantly available to us via the internet. When I catch myself looking backwards it’s because there’s a distinct feeling that something has gone off the rails, that there was something inherently better about the way certain things were done in the past, whether it’s producing more durable goods or providing a smaller amount of choices that simplified decision-making.

Vintage and retro cravings are not just about owning old things: It’s more about experiences, which is why we remake old movies and try to remake old cars. And, lately, old environments, as seen in this video produced by Bruton Stroube Studios that looks at the recently-reinvigorated Barbershop:

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