Outlier's Abe Burmeister Isn't Afraid to Switch Gears

his week on HYPEBEAST Radio, we caught up with Abe Burmeister. Before founding the Brooklyn-based tech-wear company Outlier, Burmeister oversaw a blogging network called Abstract Dynamics, which focused on “design, networks and culture,” and played host to diverse voices like music critic Sasha Frere-Jones, Iranian philsopher and theory-fiction pioneer Reza Negarestani, and the late, influential cultural critic Mark “k-punk” Fisher. “This was way back, like pre-origin story,” reminisces Burmeister fondly, sitting between the brand’s extensive collection of fabric swatches and its complete product archive. Realizing that he could stand to liquidate most of his possessions and still live and work comfortably, Burmeister threw most of his possessions out and lived for four years as a digital nomad, of sorts. All he needed was a connection to Ricochet, an innovative wireless Internet service that predates WiFi, and he was good to go. “I could work in any of the 13 cities that had Ricochet networks set up,” says Burmeister, before the other boot landed with a harsh thud: “Ricochet closed down, like, two weeks after I threw everything out.” Abe remembers going to Washington Square Park and using a wireless network in the park’s seediest corner. Along the way, Burmeister started to think about the clothing that he did hold onto — hence, Outlier. The company’s creation myth is simple enough: frustrated by how his pant-leg would snag on his bike-chain while cycling to work, Burmeis