ACRNM x TILAK

I found out about Tilak back in 2014 when my ex and his buddies were the first distributors in Korea. I was part of the photoshoot for it and received the Evolution jacket as compensation. I think it was my first windbreaker/GORE-TEX jacket I ever owned.

Fast forward three years, I’m in NYC trying to find a job unrelated to teaching because I had just finished a freelance marketing gig at Patagonia and thought maybe I wanted to continue working in the techwear industry. I somehow got to know a person who knew a guy at Arcteryx looking for a marketing manager. He linked us up and I did a phone interview that entailed the question, “What brands do you know?” It was valid question. I started going down the list of brands I knew and was feeling confident. Until I said “Tilak.” The guy was confused and asked what Tilak was. I started going into detail about it at which point I realized I had bombed the interview. I knew more than this guy who was going to hire me. It was clear in the shift in his tone that he was “offended” and I wasn’t going to get a call back. And sure enough, I never heard back from him, which worked out because I got back into teaching.

Anyways, this jacket is perfection from the “x” stitched shoulder panels to the signature Tilak red dot beneath the bill of the hood (subtle details hit so good). I love that Tilak will get more love and attention through this collaboration with ACRNM. I hate that I have a perfectly functioning original Evolution jacket because I desperately want this one. It’s funny how techwear started with the idea that you only have to ever own one jacket to last you a lifetime, but now it has become it’s own subculture and you just own multiple pieces of clothing that will most likely outlive you!