|
 JAKOB
BRONDUM
FASHION STYLIST
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Jackob
moved to London in 2001
to pursue his career in the fashion industry; studying
at Central Saint Martins. Shortly
after, Jakob impressively built his career working under
fashion designers; Peter Jensen and the late Alexander
McQueen. Jakob has gained experience
and training assisting Dazed & Confused Fashion Editor
Sarah Cobb and Harpers Bazaar Fashion Editor Jenny
Capitain. His work has been featured
in publications; Interview, Nylon Guys, Nylon US, Dazed
& Confused, and Ponytail, to name a few.
Exclusively Fashion Magazine:
Can you tell me what made you want to become a fashion
stylist?
Jakob Brondum:
As a child I loved dressing up and the amount of
photographs of me wearing costumes in the 1980's are on
the verge of scary-having three sisters, there were
always a lot of clothes flying around!
When my eldest sister moved to New York to study at
FIT, she advised me to apply to Central Saint Martins (I
was only 12 years old). Seven years later my
education took me down the route of womenswear, but it
wasn't until I was given the opportunity to do an
internship at Dazed & Confused that I knew I was in my
element. My design degree did suffer, but I was
always traveling or on shoots and I had a fantastic
time.
EFM: What is the most highlight of your
career so far?
JB:
Shortly after I stopped
assisting and went to freelance, I was commissioned
by the brilliant Aya T Kanai to shoot a 40 page
story for American Magazine, Nylon. The
feature was about up-and-coming British artists from
various fields. I enjoy to work with new
talents and I had the pleasure of working on this
shoot with people like Gemma Arterton, Dominic
Cooper, Kate Moss and Alexa Chung to mention a few.
It's really amazing to see how far they have all
come since then. It was very inspiring to work
with so many hard working creatives.
EFM: You
have worked under Alexander McQueen; what have you
learned from the Alexander McQueen team?
JB:
I was so fortunate to be contacted
after my first year of university by the menswear
designer at McQueen, who offered me a position as his
assistant for the season. Working on the first
McQueen menswear collection was an opportunity I
couldn't turn down and it was great to work with the
whole team and see how these epic collections come
together in a little studio.
I stay in contact with many of the team members I met
then and through my time there I also met designer
Louise Amstrup, who I later went on to consult and style
for, for several seasons.
EFM: Where do you see yourself in
the next 5 years?
JB:
I don't like to predict the future
as I think it narrows your mindset. A huge part of
progress is change, and I think if you work hard and
willing to take chances you will be rewarded and achieve
your ambitions.
EFM:
Do you think it is important to assist other established
fashion stylists; why?
JB:
Assisting gives you an insight
into the industry that is crucial - it's a great
learning period. I have assisted editors from
Dazed & Confused, Another Magazine and Harpers Bazaar
and through my time assisting I've met so many amazing
people in the fashion industry. You get to
experience how other stylists creatively approach
projects first-hand. Good assistants are vital for
stylists to work to their best.
EFM:
Can you describe your personal style?
JB:
A close friend - who is an
editor - once jokingly described my style as, "only
wearing clothes that someone has died in". I have
a true love for vintage. Clothing, furniture,
books - you name it. It stems from my grandmother
who ran an antique shop from my grandparent's house.
She taught me a great deal about appreciating the past.
Only dead man's clothes might be one step too far, but I
tend to mix in old and new with humorous twists.
EFM:
Why do you think it is important to have an agent; what
are the benefits of having one. Do you have an
agent?
JB:
Agents are very important,
but the right agent is essential. Agents work on
showcasing your work, introducing you to new clients and
help to push your career forward. However, the
trick is to find that agent who understands your work
and ambition and understands how to balance it.
I have had several offers from agencies where I didn't
feel comfortable placing my work, or where I felt the
agent didn't understand me and what I am about with my
work. As this artist-to-agent relationship is very
important to get right, I have decided to wait until the
right offer comes.
EFM:
What advice can you give to aspiring fashion stylists?
JB:
Work hard, and don't give
up! Listen to advice and take onboard what feels
right, as by the end of the day it is about learning but
also finding and placing yourself in the industry.
Also to stay positive as there are too many sour grapes
in this business-it's a luxury to be able to play around
with incredible clothing every day and call it a job.
Interview by Rochell “E” James
|
