When You’re a Boy

Simon Foxton and Alasdair McLellan

A few weeks ago I visited an exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery on Great Titchfield Street called ‘When You’re a Boy’. It focused on men’s fashion photography and Simon Foxton’s influence in this particular field. The exhibition was unique in itself as it concentrated on the styling of the photograph rather than the photography itself.

Simon Foxton is an extremely well-regarded stylist. After graduating from Central St Martin’s in 1983, he then created his own fashion label named ‘Bazooka’. His first big break was working for i-D Magazine in 1984. This led him to contribute to many more fashion magazines such as The Face, GQ, Style, Arena and W.

A lot of Foxton’s work focuses on ethnicity, tailoring and masculinity. The exhibition itself looked at his work with photographer’s such as Nick Knight, Jason Evans and Alasdair McLellan.

Foxton’s working partnership with Evans lasted eighteen years in which they worked for magazines including i-D and Standoff. Architectural shapes and strong colours inspired Evans’ inventiveness and playful poses.

Nick Knight was introduced to Foxton in 1984. From then onwards they decided to create a series of projects in order to reinvent icons of the British culture. Foxton concentrated on a great deal of colour and focused on the gay subculture in the series of photographs displayed at the gallery.

Alasdair McLellan and Foxton began a working partnership in 2001 in response to the conservative climate of men’s fashion photography in the late 90s. In this partnership, Foxton’s work was surprisingly restrained as he placed far more emphasis on the body and personality rather than bold and shocking colours.

Other photographers which Foxton has collaborated with include: John Balsom, Donald Christie, David Hughes, David Sims and Giles Price. The exhibition was highly commendable as it included different stages of Foxton’s collaborations with various photographers, as well as many of his scrapbooks from when he first began work as a stylist.

Simon Foxton and Jason Evans

Simon Foxton and Nick Knight

Blazing Blazers

So what on earth seems so substantial about the common blazer? Of course, as you will probably know, they have recently become very popular. However, the question is why?

What exactly  is the appeal  of this ordinary article of clothing? Why has it become the height of fashion in recent months? And how can it possibly surrender to such a variety of different looks?

Chic, casual and cool, the blazer appears to live a life of its own. As I enquired  earlier, why is the blazer so damn desirable? One might question whether it is possible to wear the blazer without appearing too formal or dressy. Evidently this is a ludicrous statement in itself and completely false.

The simplicity and definition of the average blazer is luxury in itself. The soft tailoring of particular blazers adds to the variety of looks that can be accomplished successfully. The slight pinch at the waist adds to the look; subtly crafting sophistication yet simplicity. As well as femininity and elegance.

Take, for instance, a plain black blazer paired with leggings and a detailed shirt and there you have it; an elegant yet casual outfit, minimalist in itself.

The allure of the blazer has come to light in recent months.  The long winter months have finally come to a close and therefore heavy winter coats are out of the question.

The subtle detail within certain blazers is extremely satisfactory. The choice of buttons and the length of the material from the collar to the hips adds a great deal of clarity to the entire look, whilst maintaining a refined yet casual look.

Sniff Sniff

 Choosing perfume is possibly the most time consuming and stressful task, so here are five fantastic perfumes perfect for daywear.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Daisy-Marc Jacobs

50ml - £47

 

2. Rose-Paul Smith

50ml – £33

 

3. Ma Dame-Jean Paul Gaultier

50ml – £47

 

4. Insolence-Guerlain

30ml – £26

 

5. Funny!-Moschino

50ml – £24

 

 

 

  And five great evening smells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Armani Code-Armani

50ml – £27

 

2. Amor Amor-Cacharel

 50ml – £15

 

3. Hypnose-Lancome

30ml – £31

 

4. Pure Poision-Christian Dior

50ml – £53

 

5. Red Jeans-Versace

75ml – £10

 

 

 

 Bon Appétit!