AnOther speaks with Dominic Jones about his inspiration behind his new menswear line...
Dominic Jones' debut menswear show was set within the dimly lit Le Baron, where models sat throwing poker chips and talking amongst themselves in Jones' vision of a “night out with the lads.” Models were all cast by Jones and included many of his luminary friends, such as James Jagger and Toto Vivian, while the look book features musicians including Jack Peñate, Splashh and Dev Hynes, all of whom Jones has a personal connection with spanning months to years. His jewellery embodies memories of wild youth and living room club nights, through which a breed of collaborative artists, designers and musicians emerged.
The collection takes staple pieces within men’s jewellery such as signet and sovereign rings, cufflinks and Saint Christopher necklaces and reinvents them with a personal twist, which is beginning to take a more mature, considered approach as the label develops. Here, AnOther speaks with Jones about his musical tastes and the inspiration behind the menswear line.
For how long have you been planning to introduce a menswear line?
It's been in my mind for a couple of years. When I first started the collections they were unisex but I felt that, rather than trying to fit more masculine pieces into the mainline, it deserved its own time and place. So for the last two seasons of the mainline I pulled the focus to a solely womenswear perspective to preempt my first men’s collection.
How does the menswear line differ to the womenswear?
I wanted to approach it as if I had never done womenswear. I started from the beginning of what men would actually want from jewellery rather than just transferring over what I was already doing. The pieces in the new men’s collection are solid silver and gold as men tend to buy a piece and wear it forever.
"The pieces in the new men’s collection are solid silver and gold as men tend to buy a piece and wear it forever"
Do you have a particular music taste, or has it changed as you have grown older?
No I've always loved all sorts. I grew up with stuff like Stevie Wonder, Cream, Joni Mitchell and The Who; I've gone through metal and hip-hop moments; and when I moved to London I got really involved with the music scene. I went to Adele's first gig and booked one of Florence’s first gigs for a club night I put on. The Foals played in the basement at one of my house parties, which ended with a wall getting knocked through. They used a picture from the night as the artwork for their tour. I also lived with Blaine from the Mystery Jets for a while and my old flatmates went on to form Is Tropical.
There was this crazy moment in London where everyone was friends and rolling around together and it gave birth to so much musical talent. I love that I see that happening again now – in the last year a new generation of bands has come out of nowhere and that same energy feels back!
The casting and venue/presentation seemed like a strong statement of intent – how did you decide upon the boys and the venue?
It kind of came out of the same thought process as the collection – I wanted to create a genuine context in which I envisioned the jewellery being worn. All of the guys I asked to wear the jewellery are my friends. Alex and Charlie, the twins, are always having poker nights and I love poker – it brings out something very masculine. The venue, Le Baron at Scotch of St James, I chose because it’s one of my favourites in London and it just worked so perfectly for creating the atmosphere of a den – as you came down the stairs it felt so authentic, like stepping into a night with the lads, even though it was 12pm on a Sunday.
Text by Mhairi Graham
