Jeramiah Irwin, @jerairwin
The Jersey City–based designer attended Afropunk for the first time last year, and the festival’s accepting ethos made him come back again this year. “I love festivals in general, but this one to me is so different. Everyone is so friendly. There’s no judgment,” he says. “It’s really true what they say—the no sexism, no homophobia here.” And given the opportunity to fully express himself, Jeremiah chose a denim corset and ripped jeans that were inspired by the pop-country music he’s been listening to. Says Irwin, “I was going to wear a cowboy hat, but I’m saving that for later.”
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RIKKE JUNG LARSEN
Stylist & Creative Consultant
Larsen, originally born in Korea, was adopted and raised in Denmark. Her career in fashion began as an ambitious 20-year-old interning at the Danish fashion magazine ALT for Damerne,. Since then, Rikke’s experience has spanned across both PR and marketing before returning hometo the print industry and working as a Style Director for brands like Euroman. Currently, Rikke is a Freelance Stylist and Creative Consultant.
Contributor: Adam Katz Sinding
Published October 2024
Pursuing an editorial path in fashion must have been quite exciting. What sparked that journey for you?
A real cliché: I have loved fashion and being creative for as long as I can remember. My mom told me that as a child I gave my dolls braids that my girlfriends [then] asked their mothers to do on their own hair. I have read fashion magazines from an age where I looked more at the images than reading the words. I dreamed of becoming an editor at a fashion magazine, but to be fair, I didn’t even know what it meant to be at a magazine until I got an internship at ALT for Damerne (the largest Danish weekly women’s magazine) The internship was also my start in fashion.
Did you pursue a degree in journalism or fashion during your higher education?
No, I’m of the belief that you can’t study to become a good stylist. I have had a lot of assistants with a fashion or communication education who became assistants because they couldn’t get a job.
Some things certainly can’t be taught and must be learned in action. Were there any individuals at that internship that you would say shaped your career through action?
The Fashion Director at ALT for Damerne , Louise Amstrup, taught me endless things but she also worked and lived following the phrase “One day the bottle boy can be your boss, therefore be nice to everyone no matter their title.” I have always had that in mind, and luckily, she is still in my life.
Q&A
I love that. It’s very true. I think judging a book by its cover, although quite “normal” is a very dangerous way to live.
I couldn’t agree more. I also enjoy having friends who do not do the same thing as me. For me that would be boring. My best friends are mostly also my oldest friends, and we are quite different when it comes to education.
What opportunities or challenges do you encounter in your field?
I think the biggest challenge for the fashion industry is the climate and the economy. As one of the most polluting industries, we must change many things. It requires the brands to take responsibility, but it requires the customers to be willing to pay for it too. Of course, it would be better if clothes weren’t bad for the environment, or if the economy was stronger, but now, as we have these kinds of problems, I think it will be interesting to see how the industry will solve them. For my point of view, it pushes the brands to be more original, to stand out, and to be purchase-worthy, which is valuable. For many years, anyone could start a brand without a specific identity or purpose. They just wanted to live off trends, but that is not the way, in my opinion.
Yes, I think that selling trends is the biggest weakness of the industry, if we expect to be successful in any sort of sustainability approach. As a stylist, can your job still exist in a world where fashion moves more slowly, and trends are not as important?
Unfortunately, making clothes will never be sustainable, but I think that brands can be much more responsible by buying deadstock, having fewer or smaller collections, being aware of materials and production, and not overproducing. Besides that, I think that brands can sell timeless pieces and still be successful.
The Danish brand Skall Studio is doing great. They manage to sell out of a lot of styles despite their prices, and I think it is because their brand is strong, and I hope people want to support timeless, environmentally-friendly pieces of clothes. As a stylist, I think it will just require more creativity. For me it has always been clear that it is easy to make a good outfit if you can buy whatever you want. It becomes harder if you need to reuse items, or have a smaller selection. I think it will push us to slow down and think more.
What projects are you currently working on?
Now, I’m on maternity leave. I gave birth to my son in February and since then, my focus has been on him. In Denmark, we are so lucky to have paid maternity leave, but because I’m self-employed I need to think a bit ahead. Therefore, I’m starting to work with some clients beginning this September. Even though I want to be with my son all the time, I can’t wait to start to work a bit again.
Q&A
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SPOLIGHT SERIES: nick wooster
Style editor and fashion consultant Nick Wooster reflects on his 35-year journey through fashion and his extensive collection of cashmere sweaters.
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