When we try to explain the Moot brand to new people, it’s sometimes a challenge to get across all that we want it to stand for and to be for our community. It’s actually more than underwear. It is a small revolution. We have created the underwear because we love it and it’s what we wanted to have for ourselves, but we want Moot to represent a bigger feeling and it is that which becomes harder to explain.
In the years that we have been talking about Moot, we have also been thinking about the people around us who are already walking the Moot walk, already living their brave truth. Those people who have managed to swim upstream and against the flow, who hold their own and who are beacons of joy in an otherwise ‘samey’ world.
Anna, who works in the little Moot team, knows one such man quite well. A child that she once taught in her school class, with whom she has kept in touch with over the years. A little boy who struggled to fit into the sporty world, the popular crowd, a boy who knew early on that he had to hide the things that he really liked for fear of being laughed at. Well, just have a look at him now.
For those of you who have not yet seen Zack Pinsent, the tailor, he is a 26 year old from Brighton who owns no modern clothing at all. When Zack was 14 he decided that he would stop wearing the obligatory ‘uniform of modern life' and he would only wear the clothing he loved - historically accurate pieces, he creates himself, mostly from the Regency Period. It was quite something to see Zack go around at school with a cloak, a cane and a monocle. He withstood the ridicule dished out from certain peers and he took the punishments for breaking the code. He learned to take the criticism but he also learned to keep walking on by, being true to himself.
When Zack was noticed by the BBC who made a 3 minute film about him he was suddenly catapulted into the limelight and subsequently has hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world. He has seen his bespoke tailoring business flourish. The little boy who was laughed at in his cloak is now moving between Brighton and New York and creating beautiful clothes for clients, living his dream because he was not afraid to be the man he wanted to be. The success seems a totally appropriate reward for the integrity of this fantastic and inspiring young man.
Anna met up with Zack in September, they went around Brighton Pavilion and had High Tea at The Ivy. They talked about Moot and about the importance of being true to yourself and the impact it has on your happiness and your fortunes - it seems that when you know yourself, things start to align for you. You get a sense of ease, you are where you need to be.
As an aside, it was wonderful to walk into rooms and to experience the gentleman being the one who turned the heads and received the compliments from strangers.
Zack’s encouragement of Moot was fantastic. He switched from being the past pupil to being the teacher. He was delighted to be asked to be the first Rebel We Love, and we seriously do love him.
Unafraid - beautifully, brilliantly, boldly himself.
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