Building Brand Community with Sprezza
Why menswear is about so much more than products
Clayton Chambers is the sartorial mind behind Instagram account and menswear media outlet, Sprezza. Sprezza stands out among many menswear accounts because of its unique curation, focus on experiences versus products, and highly referential insights. Chambers often features menswear legends like Alex Delaney, Lawrence Schlossman of Throwing Fits, and Chris Black that paint a picture of modern menswear. Chambers leans into the lifestyle behind the clothes, frequently analyzing archival images and advertisements that bring products to life. Through his Substack, Instagram & TikTok, and in-person events, Chambers is building a community around the new generation of menswear that is just as enthusiastic about travel, food & wine, and cars as they are about clothing.
AS: What started your interest in menswear and how has it evolved?
CC: I've loved clothes for as long as I can remember. Two core memories from growing up contributed to that. First, my mom used to dress us for church every Sunday. The weekly look was a navy blazer, an Oxford shirt, khakis, a tie, and penny loafers. Looking back, I loved (not at the time!) the idea of a uniform. Second, I remember my dad (who was a Southern Baptist preacher) would only go shopping once a year, on New Year's Day. We'd drive 45 minutes to the nearest Dillards or JC Penney, and he'd stock up a few suits that were 80% off.
I've always been fascinated with clothing's place in the culture, and how it's moved culture forward. Sprezza was just a natural extension of things I already loved. I launched a newsletter on Substack a few years ago when I was between day jobs; it was a creative outlet for me to curate and share things I liked learning about. The rest is history.
AS: You run one of my favorite menswear accounts on Instagram and have had amazing growth in the past few years, how would you describe Sprezza's mission?Â
CC: Thank you! My mission is to create a space where I can help people discover what style means for them through education, curation, and discovery. To understand your style, you need someone to help connect the historical and cultural dots, and I want to be that person.
AS: Some of my favorite Sprezza posts are the timeless archival outfit posts from the 1990s, how can brands today create that same sense of timelessness and still be exciting?
CC: I think a lot of brands fall into the trap of using "archives" as their reference point without providing history or context as to how it connects back to their brand. We all love the 90s vibes, but it's important to have a connecting point between the inspiration and your brand, otherwise it feels empty (Sporty & Rich got called out for this with their recreation of the John Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette paparazzi).
AS: What does community mean to you in the context of menswear and how has Sprezza explored that concept?
CC: Community is everything that Sprezza is built on. I wouldn't have a newsletter without the great people who read and share it. It's the sole reason why I create. I've been lucky to link up with so many awesome people from around the world, have an online forum/group chat where we can talk about clothing and style, and host happy hours and meetups in person. Every time I meet people who read the newsletter, it gives me more energy to keep creating.
AS: Creating a community is highly based on dialogue and conversation, mostly through Discord, Reddit, and Instagram. These conversations were more oriented towards highly anticipated releases and drops. With collaborations and drop culture slowing down compared to previous years, what's now driving these conversations?
I think there's less of an emphasis on pure "drops culture" and more of an emphasis on people sharing recommendations of good things (music, travel, books, clothes, podcasts, magazines, etc). Gatekeeping as an idea is out and openly sharing good ideas and content is in!Â
Long may it continue!
AS: Lastly, what brands have cultivated a strong community and why do you think they were successful?
CC: I think that a brand with a community is different than a brand with an audience who will pay. Paynter – a London-based brand that makes chore coats in limited batches – has a genuine community. ALD has an audience of loyal, paying customers. But both offer something different.
Paynter works because it's run by two people who document the process of creating their product from start to finish. When you invite people into the story, you give them a chance to participate in the journey.
ALD is an aspiration-first brand. They make you feel great when you wear their stuff, but it's not about bringing you into a community as much as it's about making you feel "cool."
Different approaches, but both work in terms of growing a business!Â
