So I was surprised when the stuff that caught my eye on a recent visit was something else entirely. Traditionally, the small second floor at Nepenthes is home to a quietly killer footwear section. Those are still there, thank goodness, but they’re joined by an increasingly large selection from South2 West8, another Nepenthes-owned line. Where Engineered Garments reinterprets Americana, and Needles makes luxury goods out of non-luxury items, South2 West8 takes its inspiration from something decidedly more prosaic: fly fishing.
As in, these clothes are literally designed for fly fishing: shells, pants, and base layers that you would wear if you needed to stay very dry without sacrificing an ounce of drip. The serious fishing garments mostly come in sober black and navy. Which is fine, because there was also a size-medium fleece that fit me like an XXL, and not in a bad way. Last summer, a neon-purple mesh matching set—best worn by Zach Woods in this magazine—stayed on the racks long enough for me consider copping. And on this most recent visit, I came awfully close to leaving with a baggy black parka lined with a furry snow leopard print. For, you know, fishing. READ ARTICLE
