THE JOURNAL
Mr Jamie Ferguson belongs to a rare breed of men – he’s an original menswear guy. Remember a decade or two ago, the early 2000s? Ferguson was there, watching Mr Scott Schuman do his thing with The Sartorialist and thinking, “Maybe I could do that”. He had studied law, but didn’t want to be a lawyer, studied drama, but didn’t want to be an actor. Needing a steady income, but not sure where to start, he was offered a favour and took it. “A friend from uni was a wholesale agent in London,” he says. “I interned with them then got a job at Daks on Bond Street.”
From there he moved to Drake’s. “It was a small brand, and there was opportunity for someone who was willing to get stuck into anything.” He worked with wholesale and product development, but also on their social media and brand presence. “I found the older Italian gentlemen in suits on Tumblr amazing,” he says of the burgeoning online menswear scene. Inspiration was suddenly everywhere: dapper Japanese men in wabi-sabi suits, peacocking youth at Pitti Uomo. “And then, serendipitously, MR PORTER launched and you were able to access brands that previously you couldn’t get a hold of.”
“The eruption of menswear stuff online meant that if you were a nerd about it, you could learn about anything and everything”
For Ferguson, it was a truly revelatory time. “The eruption of menswear stuff online and blogs meant that if you were a nerd about it, you could start learning about anything and everything,” he says. Ferguson has been freelancing as a photographer for 12 years now. “When I first picked up a camera, I was shooting for fun,” he says. “Then I took a camera to catwalk shows and trade shows and was shooting BTS for myself and trying to learn.” At Drake’s, he started to shoot the campaigns, slowly building up a portfolio. That’s when other brands got in touch.
During lockdown, he built himself a studio at his home in Northern Ireland so that he could experiment with lighting. Due to a lack of models, he stuck himself in front of the camera and a baby influencer was born. “It was never a conscious choice, I wasn’t actively pursuing it,” he says. But it has led him to some opportunities and he’s embracing yet another expansion of his role within the menswear world.
Which brings us, and him, to London, where we asked him to try on five up-and-coming brands and give us his take on them. Some he had seen before, some were completely new – and one or two were completely out of his comfort zone. But, true to form, he harnessed a lets-have-fun attitude and jumped in. Below, Ferguson takes some clothes for a ride and gives us his professional menswear opinion.
01.
Kardo
This New Delhi-based brand was nothing new to Ferguson, who was veritably thrilled to see pieces on the rack. “The level of finishing with Kardo is incredible,” he gushed. “You really have to see it in person.”
He’s not wrong – though the hand-stitched and patchwork shirts photograph nicely, they’re almost a work of art in real life. “It’s sort of shocking that they’re able to produce these at this price point.”
Ferguson was particularly draw to the colours, patterns, and textures, selecting a wild jacket to wear atop a more subdued (but intricately stitched) shirt. “It’s fun to wear a full look, but anchor it with basics,” he said, pointing to his socks and sneakers. “It really increases the impact of the garments.”
02.
MANAAKI
Ferguson looked right at home in MANAAKI’s colourful knits, adopting a slight strut in the brand’s 1970s-inspired jeans. “I love this modern hippie stuff,” he says.
Ferguson explains that he’s endeavouring to try on new trouser silhouettes and that these jeans, which sport some light embroidery and a generous cut, are definitely not for men trying to ease out of their skinny-jean addictions. He took them in his stride, thrilling in the detailing on both the trousers and the tops.
“I would absolutely wear this in real life,” he says of the soft cotton open-knit cardigan top.
03.
SAIF UD DEEN
Though he admits that he doesn’t typically wear sporty, technical clothing, Ferguson very quickly warmed to SAIF UD DEEN, which was founded to be worn just as comfortably at the mosque as on the football pitch. For example, the beige jacket worn by Ferguson for this shoot had a zip that ran across his shoulder blades – when opened, this reveals a concealed pocket housing a length of fabric that could be zipped to the bottom of the coat – thereby completely transforming it. Similarly, the matching trousers could become shorts in just a few seconds.
“I really appreciate the technical artistry and functionality at work here,” Ferguson says. “The fabric is incredible. It’s so lightweight.”
04.
SECOND / LAYER
“I am really feeling myself in this suit,” Ferguson says. Donning a sky-blue double-breasted wool blazer by SECOND / LAYER, he almost started dancing. Even straight off the rack, the wide-lapelled jacket has a highly tailored feel to it, which you might expect from an item made in Italy. And the trousers are cut with a louche, old-school appeal.
“You should never close yourself off to styles,” he says. “This is not a silhouette I would normally buy, and the colour is very punchy, but it’s so cool.”
The shirt, with its filmy cotton-blend, was praised for its gauzy femininity. “If you’re looking for an entry point into the more feminine style of menswear, this is it,” Ferguson says.
05.
Miles Leon
“I really love Miles Leon, it’s amazing,” Ferguson says, fingering the knits and emphasising the weight. Indeed, the Italian-knit cotton sweater vests have the finish and feel of old-timey hand-knits wrought in contemporary colourways. The entire collection is cleverly constructed from considered materials in understated stylish shapes. “This shirt is a really interesting take on the Cuban-collared shirt,” he says. “It’s boxier and cropped, it feels more modern.”
Paired with loose and boxy trousers from Miles Leon, the whole thing had a bit of a 1950s throwback feel to it – right in Ferguson’s wheelhouse. “There’s so much visual interest here, the collar, the hems, the rough-look knit,” he says. “I just really love it.”
Ferguson was also blown away by the fisherman sandals that we styled him in (these are from The Row), but that’s a whole menswear blog for another time.