Yes, here is the full interview that I did for DAZED DIGITAL, & I think this does Laure credit, as her questions were pretty good...& you know me, I love to give a long answer...enjoy, i think it is better.
DAZED DIGITAL INTERVIEW IN FULL - Q's : Laure Brosson & A's : by me.
Did your upbringing in any way influence your decision to become involved in fashion?
That would have to be a yes. My Parents were in ‘the business’, wait they still are in the business. They never stop. But in answer to your question, yes. My mother, Jubilee was probably the biggest influence. She was a face about town in the late 60’s early 70’s & hung out with all the players. She was good friends with Ossie Clarke, Barbara Hulanicki (Biba)...& mad Tommy Roberts (Mr Freedom) to name a few, she knew everyone. So I was always surrounded by these creative people & being carried around Gt Titchfield Street, which is where we lived...smack bang in the middle of the Garment Industry. We then moved to Pakistan in 1973, where she & my dad Marty opened a factory.
A nice Muslim Indian/EastAfrican Woman & A nice Jewish Boy from Brooklyn & 2 kids...who says that peace process does not work. My 1st design experience came when I was about 7. I was really into Cowboys & Indians...& I loved the way that the gunslinger always wore one glove on his shooting hand. Well I remember tracing my hand over a bit of jersey & giving it to one of the sample machinists to cut the 2 sides & sew it for me. I had my own glove. My 1st Pattern Cutting & Design experience.
But to go back to the question, I always wanted to be a Photographer, but while at St Martins, I worked for my parents 3 days a week. I did everything from sweeping to window display, & in the end I felt I had a knack for the fashion business...dropped out of school & went into the business full time.
How did you progress in so many areas in the industry?
Luck & the Desire for the Know How. I wanted to have an answer to all the questions. If some one said your pattern is wrong, I wanted to be in a position to explain myself. I wanted a knowledge of the whole business, so I could see a problem & solve it. I believe you can never know everything & you should learn something new everyday not matter how trivial, & that is what drove me to try and learn as much about the Fashion Business & still learn more on every level.
Through that drive, I made the choices of what I did & who I worked for to gain new knowledge & experience. 23 years later I still feel the same & feel that there is always more to know & experience...still have that Desire...still feel 19 ha ha hah...
From your company Factor of 3, a production base, to What When and Now, a consultancy company, how did you work the transition?
Before Fof3 I was working for lots of different companies & was doing production & design. I have designed Garments for Top Shop, Miss S, & when at Gimme 5 I was designing & producing Very Ape, the UK Bathing Ape label back then. As well as editing & producing GoodenoughUK. Was even lucky enough to be involved in the design & creative process for Lagerfeld Sport (sadly that label never came to be, but what fun doing it) so being aware of more than just production just seemed natural. Also when I was 18 I went to Premiere Vision & saw the Audio Visual presentations they did of trend & colour. Once I saw that...that is what I wanted to do...so it only took me 21 years to get there.
But while we were doing production for our clients at Fof3 we were always giving some sort of consulting on the side, whether it was colour, fabrics or design...we always put our ten pence in so to speak. So it was something that was in the pipeline, but you could not do both...& in the end, even though I know production like that back of my hand...enough is enough.
Renowned as the Blogfather – how long have you been writing for?
Writing 3 years, but been an opinionated bastard for years ha ha hah. I started writing my blog about 3 years ago on Fatsarazzi, & then it just snowballed...I was invited to join blog after blog after blog. It was quite silly at first, but now I am really enjoying what I write & who I write for. Infact I want to do more & more...I have so much chat it is ridiculous...I could write for GB at the olympics.
It seems like you are constantly shifting perceptions. Where do you look for inspiration?
Wow...shifting perceptions huh ? Well I guess so, in this job you always are looking for the new even in the Old. There is inspiration everywhere if you just look beyond the everyday, the norm. I try to look beyond what is there.
It is hard to answer this question as I do not think there is a defined answer to it. If I could explain it would just be formula. It is something that just happens, you get inspired. I know that is vague, but I can’t answer it any better.
Established in Street photography – how did it developed into a pivotal part of your career? Are there any upcoming projects in the pipeline?
Career...damn wish I could make a career out of it...need a good agent...any takers !!!? I would have to say sheer perseverance & belief in what is your talent. I am always out cameras in hand documenting all that captures my eye & interests me. A projects...my Moleskin Note book is full of projects that I want to do, that I dod do when finance & time allow. One that I am really into is inspired by a photo taken by Tazio Secchiaroli of Sophia Loren ( he took loads of pictures of her ) with a Semi Fisheye Lens. It is a full body picture, & has all the back drop & the lights etc in shot. I like the idea of a shoot where the shoot is the shoot...does that make sense. Well I had the opportunity to try this out recently...a test run...& it showed promise. I want to do it again, but how I would do it...maybe in my garden...something off beat.
But I have quiet a few projects...a Helmut Newton shoot that I would like to emulate may way...a shoot from Nova Magazine in the 70’s where all the models eyes are blacked out & it looks like a criminal report...too many...I will get through them.
Much of your work has centered on portraiture, always using an eclectic mix of eccentricities and off-beat characters - how do you go about recruiting your subjects?
Luckily for me I know a lot interesting people & have shot a lot of them already, but the new...I just go up & ask...many say yes, but there are a few who say no. Sometimes I just give my card & say check my work & send me a mail I will meet you blah blah blah. & then there is the ego booster, when you ask they say, ‘yeah I know you, sure would love you to take my picture’
Any interesting scenarios/stories spring to mind?
Too many...oh there was this one time in Las Vegas, when I asked this Latino Girl if I could take her picture. She said no problem, gave me a big smile and leaned up against the wall & gave me a look. As I am taking the picture she says, ‘ Boy you smell great.’ What can I say...I love my cologne’s & that day it was Creed ‘Bois du Portugal’, Sinatra’s fave too...what did I do...I turned into a dickhead teenager & got all embarrassed & bashful. I will never forget that...all my confidence went south for the summer.
London seems to be a great backdrop for your work? Are there any other places?
London, because I am here a lot & I still believe that London is the most inspiring place on the planet. But I love cityscapes & if I had to chose some other places it would have to be NYC & TOKYO, I love taking pictures of all the life there. But I am really into India & Asia right now...I would like to go and Document Life in Bombay, New Delhi, Bangkok, Saigon & other places...revisit places I have seen, but with fresh eyes & while they are becoming more ‘Westernised’ & where the gap between Now & Tradition is ever so apparent. I want to see & take picture of that more & more.
You recently shot pictures of your son depicted as the Joker – how did this originate?
He had a fancy dress party to go to & we all sat round the table & discussed what he should be. We had a Punk on the table at one point & then he said what about the Joker, but the new Joker or what about Son of Joker. Me being a Batman fan for way too long, well I was not going to complain. We both then set about making his out fit. Taped up old school blazers and jeans & sprayed them purple & green. I then just spent time checking out Heath Ledger’s make up. Che, my son finished it up by popping his joker NE hat on his head...I though he looked too cool & needed to snap the pictures...they look good, & he has a handsome fella.
Did you find The Dark Night dark?
Oh yes...I though it was one of the best comic adaptations ever, in fact Christopher Nolan should be the only director to do comic adaptations. Heath Ledger was breathtaking as the Joker...fantastic & Mr Bale is by far the best Bat that has ever graced the screen. This is the Batman I love from the comics & the closest to Frank Miller’s comics.
So many times a movies does not live up to the hype...& this film is not one of those. Amazing....lets see what happens with ‘The Watchmen’, in my opinion one the best comics of all time.
Be Well
fats: Aug 11, 2008 - 05:12 PM
