Speculating our ever-increasingly circular economy isn’t all that fascinates me. When it comes to closet sales, I’m intrigued by how something so innocuous can easily turn into yet another social game. Of course, that’s the nature of any business. Every other weekend now, there’s a vintage designer sale happening somewhere with a roster of carefully considered names, where the sellers are a higher selling point than the designers themselves. Maybe it alludes to the superstitions we subconsciously hold about secondhand clothes holding the energy of their owners. You’re not just going home with someone’s $10 Paloma Wool cardigan, but some of their whole vibe. Or, maybe it’s something else we’re confronted with by the end of the day… that your taste is in fact, someone else’s taste.
In the same way that “magazines are all just parties now” (to quote another tweet from writer Kyle Chayka, who, relatably, wrote a book about algorithms turning taste into consumerism) — closet sales, too, are just parties now. The one that I’d organized at Montez Press Radio two weekends ago could have been considered just that, with nearly 20 vendors who came to be a part of it, all people whose taste I admire: writers, artists, publishers, art directors, designers, stylists, models, European vintage sellers, ultra-luxury resellers (I had, since that weekend, learned about Madison Ave, and a whole different type of social game in the realm of resale culture, apparently…)
“We’re limited by the formats of the existing social media platforms, and we tend to use them simply because they’re there, not because we want to,” says Bainbridge. “I built this platform because I wanted to use something that felt personal, intuitive, and inviting.” It’s no secret that Instagram and Twitter are notorious for their censorship. And it’s no secret that both tend to be a cesspool of toxicity. Hate gets you clout, not love. But PI.FYI is changing all of that. "I wish more cultural platforms were like Perfectly Imperfect. They go right to the heart of the matter. Fellow artists sharing personal favorites, heroines, heroes and sources of inspiration is always very meaningful to me," says Michael Imperioli. “Perfectly Imperfect is a trustworthy aggregate of all things 'cool'. Tyler has amazing taste in people. Everyone he’s had in it has a sense of self and specificity and are doing interesting things. Now I sound like an asshole because I’ve been in it. Everyone except for me," says Delaney Rowe.
Reminiscent of Myspace and Tumblr in its prime (before the blue got changed and before all the porn got taken off), PI.FYI is a new social media that invites users to share their own recommendations. From the more traditional Perfectly Imperfect-style recommendations of music, food, shows, to the more esoteric, reflective recommendations. One of my recent recommendations? “Not paying my psychiatry bill.”
office got an early look at PI.FYI before it officially launched, and we asked users for their thoughts. Download here to join in on the fun.
User @gabriellenarcisse says, “I love being correct and I love spreading my personal gospel — and here I can do both without being burdened with the internet’s endless need for laborious 'discourse'... just an app for lovers of things!” @fernandez says "it’s like quora for hipsters and attracts chronically online and/or wannabe famous people in a format resembling old school blogs but really just looks like a cuter Lex and acts like a chat forum on reddit.” “Whatever it is I like that it’s meant to be for fostering a community.” @Jansport2009 is “having a ball.” @CW says PI.FYI is “like a warm hug… a fun little escape but not smoothing my brain… lotta earnestness, very little cringe.” For @jyssiquah, PI.FYI “feels like the original internet… like a habbo hotel chat room but more cool and much much less seedy.”
“A BEAUTIFUL REACTION TO ALGO DRIVEN DRIVEL” says user @maxandthebuckners. “It’s so perfect and brilliant because recommendations are the primary thing I want from the internet. Like i’m always googling for restaurant recs, or the best barefoot shoes or whatever, but have such a low level of trust in the results because of how gamified SEO is and all the sponcon and affiliate bullshit. In contrast, I have an extremly high level of trust in the user base on here intrinsically because I love PI and trust that other folks who follow already share a lot of my interests. I’m much more likely to try something I see on here even if it’s outside of my normal taste.”
“PIFYI TIL I DIE” says @Mitchmarsico. “this is the best site/app foreal!!”... everybody’s pals and i love checking out all the recs. i was never allowed to have a myspace as a kid so i guess this is healing my inner child or something :0”
“BIG FAN” says @Spike. “I like that it’s social media, but it’s rooted in positivity. The entire format is recommending things you like to other people, which encourages everything to be complimentary and supportive. Negativity and hate would stick out like a sore thumb here and it definitely wouldn’t be celebrated like on other platforms."
“REIGNITING MY ETERNAL LOVE FOR ‘THE POST’” says @fiii. “The Post™️ is an ever-shifting medium and right now, right here, is where The Post™️ hits the hardest… I was born to Post and will die by The Post™️”
“IM NOT SCHIZOPHRENIC, IM MODERN,” says @chriisdie. “Conceptually, im not entirely sure whats going on. BUT this is a beautiful gorgeous place for me to talk to a bunch of other people and tell them why my ideas are the most beautiful gorgeous out of all of them. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, as a fan.”
Long story short, we're all having a good time on PI.FYI. and we got to pick the brain of the guy behind it all.
office— What do you hope to see in PI.FYI's future?
Tyler Bainbridge— I don't want it to be Perfectly Imperfect's kid brother, I believe it can be the biggest social site in the world while making the internet a better place — one that's positive, full of personality, fun to explore, and designed to truly bring people together.
If you'd want one historical figure on PI.FYI, who would it be?
David Blaine
Did making PI.FYI feel like The Social Network (2010)?
Maybe if Kelly Reichardt had directed it.
GIve us some notable posts. First post? Most controversial rec?
This [left] is one of the first posts. And I can't think of a good controversial one … but these [right] are a few favorites?
Conversations flowed, guests mingled, and eventually, everyone was on their feet crowded around the DJ booth dancing the night away. If you missed out, relive the magic in photos from the night below.
