Personal experience: how to score on the numbers in your passport and wear fashionable sneakers and hoodies at 57

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Snickerhead Uncle Vova - about collaborations with brands, a huge collection of sneakers and haters on Instagram.

This article is part of the "" project. In it we talk about relationships with ourselves and others. If the topic is close to you, share your story or opinion in the comments. Will wait!

Age stereotypes affect us much more than it seems. They press and prevent us from realizing ourselves, forcing us to adapt to the opinion of society and forcing us to move further and further from our own desires. It's time to say stop to that.

Every time you are told that you are too young or too old for something, think about who came up with it? What, besides stereotypes, prevents you from thinking through ideas for business already at 16 or wearing clothes of young designers at 57, like our today's hero Vladimir Bikmaev?

He collects sneakers and loves oversizing. Instagram subscribers affectionately call him Uncle Vova, and when they meet they ask where he bought another cool T-shirt. We talked with the metropolitan fashionista and found out why he is not shy about wearing things from youth brands, why he needs 60 pairs of sneakers and how he reacts to haters.

I woke up in a hotel, I looked out the window, and a black mass was walking in the snow

In 1979, when I was 16 years old, I realized that I enjoy stylish things and love collecting unusual looks. People chased button-like body shirts, and I chased Levi's jeans and Puma sneakers. There were a lot of fakes in Russia, so my friends and I tried to carry things from abroad with all kinds of manipulations. Clothing greatly affects how you are perceived in society: if you look different from everyone else, then you attract attention. I loved it.

At one time I worked at a factory, and I was sent on a business trip near Murmansk. In the morning I woke up in a hotel on the top floor, looking out the window, and there was just a black mass in the snow. The town of sailors in which everyone is the same. The sight is the guard. At that moment I realized that I did not want to look like that. Better to stand out.

I have always liked oversized - wide T-shirts and loose trousers that do not hinder movement. This trend began to gain popularity when I was still young, and it is so nice to see that the guys still wear these things and consider them relevant. Streetstyle has conquered the whole world for a reason: a bunch of colors, a free cut, convenient pockets and a million combinations. These are stylish clothes that I feel comfortable in. I hope this trend stays with us as long as possible.

The main thing is to wear what you want

In terms of style and interests, I am very different from most of my peers, and this does not hover me at all. My generation at some point just stopped buying new things: people wear what looked stylish 30 years ago. Now these clothes are completely irrelevant, but they do not care. We lived to be 50 years old and gave up on everything, including ourselves and our hobbies. He threw on an outdated jumper, rubbed his boots to a shine and went.

When I receive a portion of likes for a new photo, my soul flies. I think people feel that I am genuinely passionate about the style, which is why they react so positively. Sometimes young guys in their twenties look with admiration as they pass by and say: "Uncle Vova, he's dressed cool today!" I am very pleased to hear that. When I meet my subscribers, we talk about Tishki (T-shirts. - Ed.), Our hobbies, successful images. The guys are very interesting.

Of course, some do not accept my style - without it, nowhere. Sometimes negative comments appear under the posts with the phrases "What have you put on yourself", "You are crazy", "Put on your son's things." There are individuals who believe that at my age it is no longer possible to wear such clothes. Or maybe they're just jealous that they can't afford to look the same.

Be that as it may, I am calm about such attacks. I like to smash patterns in other people's heads, it's fun. I always respond to negativity with humor, and the aggressors immediately become kind, normal people. There are, of course, completely inadequate ones, but they were born that way - there is nothing you can do about it.

Sometimes you have to buy sneakers at an exorbitant price

I have a large wardrobe. Only sneakers are more than 60 pairs, and I wear each one from time to time. I have been collecting different models for more than three years.

Sometimes cool sneakers come out that I like, but I don't have time to get them at the official price, for example, for 8,000 rubles. In such cases, you have to take models from outbid at exorbitant prices - already for 25,000 rubles. Either that or not at all.

From time to time they write to me: "Uncle Vov, give me sneakers." At such moments I am surprised and answer that there is no such possibility yet. We sometimes give away sneakers when I collaborate with brands, but to get them, you need to prove yourself: take part in a competition or attend an event. Well, how else?

We recently hosted an event with Puma. The brand invited me to be the face of the amateur basketball tournament. About 30 people came, they fought and received great prizes. Some of them came specially to take a picture with me. Everything went very well, at home.

I am pleased that people really like my style. Once I posted a photo in loose pants, and subscribers began to ask: "Where to buy these?" Then I thought about my brand. I consulted with knowledgeable people for a long time, chose a seamstress, thought about models. As a result, he released trousers and hoodies, which were snapped up instantly - literally in two days. There are so many orders that the production does not have time to work.

I am just happy that the audience accepted my mini-collection positively. This is really important to me. So we will continue.