Meet ‘imaginary stylist’ Clifford Jago, fashion’s very own Banksy
This is A HOT MINUTE WITH, a quick-fire interview series championing all the rising talent catapulting into fashion, art and music’s fickle stratosphere. From pinch-me moments to bad dates and even worse chat-up lines, think of it as an overindulgent conversation – like the ones you have in sticky club toilets at 4.A.M. Except these guests don’t regret the overshare…
NAME CLIFFORD JAGO
AGE N/A
LOCATION N/A
LIFE MANTRA Buy a one-way ticket on the freestyle express which Jago likes to call the funk train.
In a time where going viral is more noteworthy than possessing moral values, ceaseless selfies and shameless self-promotion have become our very own cryptocurrency to internet superstardom. The more visible we are, the more viable – apparently. So when Clifford Jago, the self-proclaimed ‘imaginary stylist’, slipped onto the scene in 2018 with a penchant for anonymity, naturally the fashion industry were hellbent on knowing their names. “We think that it’s allowed us a freedom to evolve Jago into anything we want,” jibes the secretive Jago collective, A.K.A fashion’s very own Banksy. “The industry itself likes a clear, pinpointed style to sell and package, but we find that too restricting for our creativity. It’s an attitude that promotes unlimited possibilities.”
Describing themselves as “an anti-capitalist project” responding to the way “the fashion industry works through the mantra of an eccentric misunderstood stylist”, the collective costume trash into eye-catching fashion nonsense – we’re talking McDonald’s chip packets as shoulder pads and traffic cones for hats. All the while poking fun at fashion images’ outlandish traditions by producing work even more peculiar and remixing the industry’s fixed creative roles. “We encompass and play with the roles of photographer, artist, stylist, designer and creative director. An admiration and intrigue is held for all the roles rather than a disregard. We like to explore the possibilities each role can give and fuse different parts of them to elevate imagery above the norm. A big part of it is just having a go at something you would normally be told not to do,” toys the collective cheekily. “We think it’s this ‘do-it-yourself’ mindset that we will start to see more of.” If the pandemic’s proven anything, it’s that Clifford Jago’s prophecy for the future of fashion is already coming true.
Ella Bardsley: Tell us about the origins of Clifford Jago. What first inspired you to take on the role of an imaginary stylist?
Clifford Jago: Jago started as an unmanageable stylist creating looks from the street with whatever Jago found. This evolved into book making in different countries. Jago created 3 books in 3 European countries. This then led to the Jago team making guest appearances fully ‘Jago’d’ for brands like Burberry and Vans at events and exhibitions.The project soon matured as we realised the power of Jago could tell people’s stories and champion everyone we work with in a much more honest way than the industry ever could itself.
EB: How hard has it been to remain anonymous? And have you ever been tempted to reveal your identity?
CJ: There are little Easter eggs scattered everywhere and naturally as the work progresses more people become familiar with the backstory. Jago is a larger-than-life personality which has the freedom to evolve beyond one or two people. It’s a mindset that people respond to. The important thing is that the work has its own identity and people see it as: “that’s Clifford Jago!”
EB: Best piece of advice for young creatives trying to make their way in the industry?
CJ: Don’t give up on your own vision even if you’re told it’s not possible, people will understand it once it works but struggle to see your vision before its ready-made. Believe in yourself.
EB: What constitutes ‘success’ for you as a stylist?
CJ: It’s got to be between styling KIM K or selling my entire wardrobe on Depop.
EB: Travel is such an important aspect of your outlandish creations and books. How has Covid affected or even altered the aesthetic of the Clifford Jago collective?
CJ: We have woken up to a new world where travelling and human interaction has been flipped on its head, which also means Jago has too. Before Covid became a reality, we were lucky enough to create ‘Jagos’ in Delhi, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Mexico and Europe. The last book we made was shot in Ukraine. The book format will have to take a backseat for now as we all figure out what’s the best way to move forward creatively.
In the first lockdown we released the Jago challenge where Jago invited industry friends and admirers to construct their own ‘Jago’ at home. Jago couldn’t leave the house but he could still catch the mouse. It seems as Jago is an all-in-one package, it’s easier to create work in limitations than the more conventional ways of working.
EB: How does your work critique the fashion industry?
CJ: The work offers a new way of seeing and thinking. No roles are set in stone and they can all merge together to achieve the desired result or fall apart to become something original. Models can be photographed without make-up and hair. Photoshoots can be pulled together without a commissioning letter and clothes from PR’s. A fashion image can be made without any fashion. The main focus is unlimited creativity. This way of working allows new ways of seeing, it just took a lot of convincing and rule breaking to get to this point, but fashion is starting to accept Jago.
EB: Who or what are the main inspirations behind your work?
CJ: It’s no secret Jago has binge played copious amounts of video games, a lot of ideas grow from revisiting old games from the original Playstation, Nintendo and SEGA consoles. Internet memes and random top 10 articles can also help to inspire ideas. We like to look at things very literally and pair it with the Jago aesthetic. Recently Jago has been inspired by the tree protectors protesting HS2 at Euston Square Gardens. They dug a tunnel for 2 months undercover with the last protestor staying underground for 31 days.
EB: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve come across in the fashion industry so far? How would you like it to change moving forward?
CJ: We play with the DNA of fashion, twisting it in our own vision to create something original in what we see as a hyper-referenced industry. We would struggle to pull a test shoot together if we didn’t reference pre-existing imagery. The model bookers wouldn’t allow it. We always have images in our subconscious given to us before we even make pictures. Jago is about forgetting what exists and trying to make something new. We think the industry rewards the copycat, so now more than ever it’s time to challenge the notion that “it’s impossible to make something new.”
EB: What's the worst lie you've ever told?
CJ: I’m a stylist.
EB: How do you balance hilarity with social commentary and critique in your work? What is the role of humour in a fashion image for you?
CJ: It’s a very fine balance, Jago finds it hard to explain. It’s a taste thing but if you get it slightly wrong the whole image is a throwaway. You don’t have to be an insider to understand the work, I think humour makes everything accessible and gives the viewer a helping hand before they dance with the conceptual underpinning or overall message the image has to reveal.
EB: How would you characterise your role in the images you create?
CJ: It’s about trying out every role possible with no industry limits, a photographer who tries their eye at styling may see things differently than a stylist and vice versa! Imagine everyone on set switching roles after a few bottles of red but working together to create one fun-filled spectacle with no limitations.
EB: Tell us about your latest project with ED CURTIS. How did this collaboration come about and what inspired it?
CJ: Jago and Ed share a love for ‘out there’ DIY fashion creations. We wanted to meet in the middle and try and create something new with all of Ed’s existing archive. We share a love for the show Bananas in Pyjamas and wanted to see what was possible in a small studio between us before we shoot the main campaign on Tesla’s space station.
EB: Your recent reworking of Helmut Newton’s black and white images in Sumo gave already famous images a new meaning. What is it about these photographs that inspire you? And what does Helmut Newton x Clifford Jago represent?
CJ: Having studied the progression of fashion photography, it’s impossible to miss out on Helmut Newton and his larger-than-life models. It’s funny…a demonstration almost, you can dress a supermodel in nothing but waste or rubbish, and they will look amazing. I think this is the most exciting thing about fashion photography. Once you have everything fashion demands in front of you, it’s impossible to make a bad photograph.
‘I hate good taste. It’s the worst thing that can happen to a creative person’ - Helmut Newton. He said it, not me.
EB: What would be your dream collaboration?
CJ: I would love to be the costume designer on the new Final Fantasy game and have the opportunity to design the next England football kit.
EB: What’s next for Clifford Jago?
CJ: Before all the madness happened, we were on our way to planning Jago the Movie, our biggest challenge yet!
EB: Finally, what’s the first thing you’ll do post lockdown?
CJ: Pick up Isaac Newton’s keyboard from an Ebay seller on the way to the theme park after having hugged my Mum in the morning.
