Jason Hewitt – Next Generation

Last week, I attended Mercedes Benz Fashion Week for the whole glorious week!

It is my most favourite week of the year.

Industry professionals line up eagerly each and every year to view the current landscape of Australian fashion and the ever increasing talent of the emerging designer market.

As always, I am there to champion, encourage, and cover editorially, the high stakes game of Australian fashion. The designers, established and emerging, and their often forgotten, phenomenal creative teams.

It was a great privilege to see these very talented individuals forging ahead in the Australian fashion scene and I can only hope that it continues with great vigour.

“Project NextGen is an initiative that is intended to provide a platform to discover and support emerging Australian fashion designers. By connecting these gifted individuals with an experienced panel of industry insiders, the program mentors Australian talent to help them hone a broad range of skills and elevate their profile through industry connections and ongoing business support”. 

The winners this year were Anna Quan, Holystone (Renee Sealey), Jason Hewitt, Kaliver (Roni Cross), Monster Alphabets (Sarah Ryoko Watanbe), and Third Form (Merryn Kelly).  Judged by the following panel, Edwina McCann (Editor-In-Chief Vogue Australia, Kellie Hush (Editor-In-Chief Harper’s Bazaar Australia), Justin O’Shea (Buying Director mytheresa.com), Emily Weight (Director Fashion IMG Australia), Eva Galambos (Director & Buyer Parlour X), Chris Buchanan (GM Ellery), Donna Player (Merchandise Director David Jones), and Kelly Francis (Fashion Director MADE), we now find ourselves watching the final product. Project NextGen 2016.

Jason Hewitt showed his Resort 17 Collection.

 

Get out of H&M and Topshop and Forever New, and all that crap. It’s bad for the environment and it’s bad for you. Ultimately it won’t satisfy. Start buying quality, and curate a wardrobe of things you cherish.

That. Is. Style.

Jason Hewitt

 

LM

What is the philosophy behind your label?

JH

It’s two fold.

Firstly, Every aspect of your business should be as sustainable and ethical as possible and should not define one as a designer.

Secondly, I enjoy creating pieces that I am proud of and which resonate with people.

LM

What is the inspiration behind your label?

JH

Depends really, it’s so varied. I’m inspired by life, but that sounds a bit new-age-hippy for me. I like contemporary art, culture, reading. I was looking at an interview with JW Anderson recently where he said he wants Loewe to come from a place of culture – I think I agree with that. I’m so fascinated by different cultures, and how they’re presented and old traditions are updated. I think that’s what drives a lot of the things I’m interested in.

LM

What do you think of today’s street fashion?

JH

There’s not really much to think. People should wear what they feel good in. It’s not really my place to have an opinion on it (I dress like an absolute slob most of the time) but I do sometimes take inspiration from the way people put things together.

The street fashion thing feels a bit like an Oroborous these days. Trends are taken from the street and then fed back, like a closed loop. I don’t know if that’s going to generate anything new in terms of design so I do wonder if street fashion isn’t just becoming rather watered down … Normcore, a trend so boring it didn’t need to be named.

LM

Lol!  (Normcore is a unisex fashion trend characterized by unpretentious, average-looking clothing).
LM

What advice would you give to aspiring fashion designers?

JH

Learn how to make clothes, properly, before you start designing them. Take your inspiration from anywhere, but avoid looking at other designers unless it’s for a historical point of reference or a preferred silhouette. Look at other designers work from a construction point of view not design. Go to museums, read books, get off your phone, close your computer and take it all in. The internet is a great resource but it’s not the same as the real thing.

LM

What is your advice to young women and the way they dress?

JH

Don’t buy into trends, they’re nonsense cooked up by idiots to sell you shit.

Buy something because you like it. Not because some flunky says it’s cool.

Get out of H&M and Topshop and Forever New, and all that crap. It’s bad for the environment and it’s bad for you. Ultimately it won’t satisfy. Start buying quality, and curate a wardrobe of things you cherish. That. Is style.

LM

What influence do you think social media has had on our current fashion industry?

JH

Maybe too much influence? I definitely see the benefits of social media as a platform. The jury is out there.

I think there also needs to be a point where as a designer you ask yourself am I doing this because it’ll look good on social media or because I think it’s a worthwhile idea?

I also find the concept of buying followers and likes kind of mystifying. I’ve had increasing numbers of emails from companies wanting to “partner” with my Instagram and for a fee, increase the number of likes on my photos.

I find this a strange concept, and should we really be encouraging this mentality where it’s acceptable to only like something because everyone else does? I only have 500 followers and I’m proud of that.

Whether it’s 10 followers or 10,000 it’s about the things you publish and how they relate to what you’re doing.

The pressure some people feel to be liked on these platforms is bad for the industry, and I believe we are allocating time, disproportionately, to how we’re perceived online.

LM

Yes! Yes! and Yes! Mystifying indeed … and contrived in a way that is not only unauthentic but damaging to the industry as a whole.

LM

What is your favourite social media platform?

JH

If you’re going to make me pick I’ll say Instagram. I like the visual aspect. Also I tend to be very political and sometime get quite angry about the state of things (every time I look at the news) so I steer clear of Twitter …

LM

Why do you think this country has so few men’s designers?

JH

I think because traditionally menswear is quite boring. It follows a fairly rigid structure of what you can produce so if you do something wild you’re lumped into this “kooky menswear designer” category. And the Australian male is generally more conservative than their European counterparts.

Womenswear you can definitely experiment more with silhouette and materials.

That said I think this is changing. More menswear designers are challenging those boundaries and pushing ideas. Not to mention the growing gender ambiguity in fashion – that I think will allow for a far greater scope for design.

LM

Agreed!

LM

What do you think of the phenomenon of fast fashion and how has it affected you as a local designer?

JH

I absolutely loathe it. I don’t think I can express that strongly enough.

I hate what they’ve done to the industry and the way they have trained consumers to think in this messed up almost Pavlovian way – trend – celebrity – cheap version – cheap – something else – blah blah blah.

I don’t care how “conscious” your collections are or how many accords you sign to protect workers’ rights in Bangladesh or whichever country they’ve leeched onto next. The business model they operate under is by its’ very nature destroying the planet. You can’t sell hundreds of millions of units of clothing a year and be sustainable.

I think I’ve actually started to lose the ability to talk rationally about this particular topic. I’m so sick of all the excuses and the denials that I just get really angry now whenever someone brings it up!

LM

If I may say, I think your opinion is completely rational. Revolutionary in fact. It’s refreshing, not to mention, essential, to hear someone speak about this very serious topic with passion and honesty.

LM

When your designs are photographed how do you like to see them represented and on whom?

JH

To be honest I don’t really mind who! As long as someone feels good in something I’ve made then good for them (and for me), but I’m not going to go around being a diva and telling stylists who can and can’t wear my stuff or how to portray it.

If the photographs or film are ones that I’ve organised for the label that’s a different story. I work out a whole theme and concept and cast someone who I think embodies that specific body of work.

LM

Do you rely on fashion bloggers to spread the word about your label and how serious an effect do you think they have had on our industry?

JH

I rely on all forms of media to spread the good word.  I’m not quite up to the point where I’ll just purchase a whole page in Vogue, so people publishing thoughts or opinions (especially if those opinions are positive) or even just sharing images really helps. I do think bloggers are important now, they provide a different viewpoint to the more established media outlets and I think have the ability to voice stronger opinions because they tend to be free of the constraints imposed by editorial teams and advertisers. They’re at their best when they publish interesting and well written/researched articles. But there is an awful lot of fluff. Critical analysis can be interesting too…

LM

Amen!

LM

Do you think our obsession with youth and only directing fashion to the very young has created a restricted playground for designers at large?

JH

Not really, I think any designer who thinks that only young slim girls are buying their products is delusional. Sure we show the clothes on young slim girls but when I design those aren’t the girls I have in mind.

LM

How do you feel about showing your collections and making connections overseas?

JH

Overseas isn’t something I’ve tackled yet! But it’s on the cards.

LM

Do you feel that the industry as a whole helps you to succeed or do you feel alone in your quest?

JH

It’s a bit of both. Sometimes you feel like you’re totally adrift and then other times the given opportunities like NextGen do leave you feeling supported.

LM

Why do you think so many designers have gone broke in the last 10 years?

JH

Because running a label is insanely expensive.

Also I partially blame fast fashion, and the insanely uneven distribution of wealth, something that is becoming worse every year. There’s no middle class anymore, and they’re the ones who provide the real momentum to any business.

LM

How do you feel about the levels of support for the fashion industry in Australia?

JH

They could be better, but then they could definitely be worse.

I’d love to see some support for local manufacturing. That would solve a lot of problems for us.

LM

Amen!

LM

What designers do you love in Australia? Overseas?

JH

Australia, I love a bit of Jenny Kee, and I have a lot of respect for what the girls at DI$COUNT have achieved – I studied with them so it’s really amazing seeing people you know kick goals. Kym Ellery has done amazingly, I don’t necessarily follow their product that closely but you have to admire how well she’s done.

Overseas. I think Miuccia Prada is still fashion’s great mind. And there’s Rei Kawakubo. And Christopher Kane is quite interesting. The list goes on an it changes. There are periods where I love certain designers work and then it gets a bit “meh” for a while.

LM

Do you think that as a population we dress well?

JH

Like any country there are those who try and those who don’t. It depends on one’s taste I guess. I’d say as an entire population maybe we are a bit safe at times, and I know that there are definite stereotypes for Sydney and Melbourne dress codes. They are also hilariously accurate. You can’t really assess the entire populations sartorial sensibilities in one go, there’s too much to take in.

That said, people need to put the Lululemon yoga gear away! You’re not fooling anyone, we all know you haven’t been to the gym.

LM

Lol! I thought “active wear” was supposed to have taken a dive?

LM

Who do you think dresses the best, men or women?

JH

Neither. But I think it’s easier for women to take risks without being judged for it by their immediate peers.

LM

What would you change about what’s trending right now?

JH

I’d get rid of the word trending.  In all seriousness I don’t care what’s trending. So nothing?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

LM

What do you think about the prevalence of tattoos? Piercings?

JH

I’m all for it. It’s your body so who would I be to tell people what to do with it.

LM

Are we becoming more modest or less modest in our self-expression?

JH

I think less afraid of expressing ourselves. In the same breath however, we’re becoming oddly conservative in terms of political correctness.

LM

How do you cope with the commercial aspects of your design trade?

JH

I like the commercial aspects. There’s something quite soothing about sitting down and doing admin stuff. Probably because I tend to do it in bed…

LM

How important is the role of a stylist to a fashion designer?

JH

I think there are some amazing and very symbiotic relationships between designers and stylists. Lotta Volkova and Demna Gvasalia for example. I think it works best when they’re friends who have a mutual aesthetic and a healthy respect for each other’s point of view.

I think however, in most cases the stylist and designer are separate breeds who don’t necessarily need to work with each other, but rather have a give and take relationship where one produces work and they other shows them new ways of displaying it.

LM

How important is the runway exposure when offering a new collection?

JH

Seeing the garments on the body in motion is definitely useful. It helps convey the energy and movement in a collection. It’s hard though. Runways cost a mint. I’m super interested in film though as a medium so I think that’ll be the next project.

LM

What do you feel the fashion industry needs to offer which it is not?

JH

Quality over quantity.

LM

How do you differentiate your label from other designers who create similar lines?

JH

By trying to come up with new ideas in isolation, and not looking at other designers too much. I find that can be counter productive, particularly if you see something similar to an idea you’ve been working on. Then, there is a tendency to think “damn they beat me to it”. That can start to poison the design process.

Get to know Jason Hewitt.

Not Just A Label – Jason Hewitt

 

 

Accreditations | Working With |

Photography | Stefan Gosatti | Getty Images

Assistant | Model | Bailey Jones | Bailey Jones Instagram

Assistant | Knitwear Designer | Sunny

Photographer |  Joe Corcoran

Designer | Jason Hewitt Instagram

Until next time,

Jade xx