Hobbs & Shaw, the latest going-to-cross-a-billion instalment in the neverending Fast & Furious series, is many things. Loud. Ludicrous. Lacking in even a basic respect for Newton’s laws of motion. But it’s also an ode to a very particular, very nerdy strain of menswear.

When costume designer Sarah Evelyn needed clothes that conveyed just how ready her main characters were to get shit done, she trussed up foes-turned-bros Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson in Acronym, the near-mythical techwear brand founded in 1994 by Errolson Hugh.

Hobbs & Shaw

Those not yet immersed in Hugh’s tao of techwear may recognise the preternaturally young-looking designer for his bad-ass roundhouse kicks. But he’s even defter with a sewing machine. His clothes look like something you might wear to assassinate a future robot president, the utility trend taken to obsessive levels of detail.

They are also as hard to get hold of as a man who assassinates future robot presidents, by dint of both their price (its trousers can set you back a grand) and the fact that by the time one of its extremely limited-edition drops arrives online, or in one of its handful of retail partners, John Mayer or sci-fi author William Gibson or, yes, Jason Statham will probably have bought it all.

This culty, insiders-only aspect is one of the reasons that Acronym – and techwear more widely – has an intense and vociferous online community. In forums like superfuture, Reddit’s /techwearclothing, or in the comments of Instagram accounts like @ACRHIVE, men (and it’s a look monopolised by men) share pictures of themselves dressed like they’re about to parachute into Helmand Province, and compare notes on how different fabrics stand-up in particular weather.

What Is Techwear?

“I’m sure there are lots of definitions of what techwear is,” says Charlie Haywood, from Brighton-based menswear store (and one of only a few Acronym stockists) Peggs and Son. “But for us it is the blending of modern, man-made materials with advanced construction techniques, to create a new form of functionality. Think GORE-TEX PRO 3L and taped seams, laminated zips and ergonomic panelled construction.”