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Friends of Begg x Co - Jonathan Pryce

Friends of Begg x Co - Jonathan Daniel Pryce

 

 

We catch up with Jonathan Daniel Pryce, award-winning photographer and author of the popular style blog GarçonJon.com. Renowned for portraiture in particular, Pryce also curated the highly acclaimed project 100 Beards, 100 Days. Originally from Scotland, Jonathan is London based and works internationally. He launched his 'Photographic Memory' Podcast in 2021, which explores the joy of storytelling through photography.

This year you launched your new podcast ‘Photographic Memory’, congratulations! Can you tell us a little about this project?

 

After the first lockdown in the UK, I really noticed how much conversing with new people was lacking when not working. A beautiful byproduct of being a photographer is meeting new faces & exchanging ideas so that left a huge gap in my life. I thought a podcast might be a good way to scratch that itch and it finally came to fruition at the end of 2020. There are many photography podcasts that already exist but nearly all of them focus on technical details or business development. For me the true joy of photography is about story telling and so I decided to start ‘Photographic Memory’. Each episode a guest selects one photograph and together we explore the memory behind it & it’s meaning. Each episode is quite different as the scope in conversation is so broad. For example, I talked with Nadav Kander about a photographer who inspired him so this focused on what it means to be an artist, comedian Joe Lycett chatted about some images he took during lockdown and Dr Bertice Berry about a portrait of an escaped slave from the 19th century. Across the 10 episodes so far, there have been a lot of laughs, some tears and an incredible amount of learning.

 

Who or what inspired you to take up photography?

 

I’ve been interested in imagery for as long as I can remember. I have distinct memories as a child that revolve around photography - like staring at the artwork of my parents record collection wondering how the photos were created or seeing my sister’s posters of Blur and Oasis shot with a fish-eye lens and in grainy film. I played with photography as a teenager but drawing and painting was really my first love. It wasn’t until I started university, when I also discovered Flickr, that I took is seriously.

 

Jeenu Mahadevan by Jonathan Daniel Pryce

When did you decide to focus on street style?

 

I got a 35mm SLR camera from a second hand shop at 17 and I’d take portraits of friends in Glasgow as well as nightclub photography when out dancing. Within a year or so, this evolved into street photography and I upgraded to an entry level digital SLR. I started a blog around this time called ‘Les Garçons de Glasgow’ and it was then that I started to shoot street style. I loved the immediacy and also the challenge of working on an ever changing environment. Since then I’ve gone on to shoot all the major fashion weeks 4 times a year for Vogue. I’m mainly a portrait photographer and I focus on menswear particularly so I also love studio work & travel. I’m lucky that I’m now known for a broad range of genre.

If you could photograph street style anywhere in the world, where would it be?

 

The city I’m longing to visit at the moment is New York. I studied there as part of my degree & I have so many friends in the city I’ve not been able to see in over 18 months. I never thought twice about the number of times I’d visit in a year but now that there are restrictions it’s really making me itch to get out there. New York has a special energy - it’s all about forward momentum which can be felt in the way people interact, their attitude to life and also the design of the city. There’s something about the way the light creates long shadows between the skyscrapers that I really miss.

 

How do you think men’s style will adapt in future with a more sustainable, conscious focus and after a year of COVID restrictions?

 

For the past decade, there’s been much discussion about the epic growth in menswear. For many years it was outperforming womenswear for the first time and this felt exciting and fresh. There’s been a refraction of style across the board which means it’s no longer a singular narrative. Technical fabrics, heritage brands and gender neutral dressing are all running on their own parallel path so it’ll be interesting to see how this emerges over the next year. I do feel like there will be a desire to dress up again after such a long period of comfort. I know I was happy to get a suit on this summer when I had the opportunity.

Sir Paul Smith by Jonathan Daniel Pryce

Creativity and identity play such important roles in society today, what is your styling advice for our Begg x Co community?

 

We’re living in this post-post-modern world where trends and rules seems to no longer dominate the narrative in clothing. I really believe it’s about identifying your aesthetic, the tribes you feel closest to and displaying that in the clothing. This can take years though, it’s no easy task. Personally, it took me about 10 years to find my ‘style’ and there’s no shame in experimentation. I would suggest buying fewer high quality, individual pieces from brands that are trusted. This way they last longer, and as you buy them, it’s likely this will form a narrative of it’s own. Slow consumption is the way forward.

 

At Begg x Co, our accessories, interiors and knitwear pieces are woven using the finest noble fibres, here at our mill in Scotland. Do you have a favourite piece from our collection?

 

As a fellow Scotsman, I’ve always been impressed with the Begg x Co product. Right now, I love the Wispy Viewfield Superfine Cashmere Scarf paired with a Begg x Co Classic Grey Crew Neck Cashmere sweater.

Paul Weller by Jonathan Daniel Pryce

Follow Jonathon on Instagram: @garconjon and discover more of his work at garconjon.com

 

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