Not For You’s 1 in 100 collection. Image by Val Cabadonga.
Jerome Taylor’s Not For You menswear label was a stand out at last year’s New Zealand Fashion Week New Generation show and the talented Wellington designer has just dropped his ‘1 in 100’ streetwear collection. The range debuted at NZFW and Taylor has collaborated with several other Wellington creatives to produce three different projects, the first of which is this vivid gender-neutral photoshoot which celebrates the androgynous and diverse nature of his label. “We had an overwhelming amount of interest from not only males but also females so we wanted to showcase it from a female’s perspective,” says Taylor. “We added additional key focuses to the shoot such as the wigs and colour to show it in a whole new light.” Among the creatives on the team is award winning hair stylist Andrew Cobeldick and skilled photographer Val Cabadonga who helped bring this new vision for the collection to life.
Taylor’s collection was based on the homeless in New Zealand and the increasing number of them over the past few years. His aim was to raise awareness and also to share knowledge as his own understanding of homelessness that based on misconceptions. “I wanted to get an actual understanding of how and why people become homeless,” he adds. “I used to walk by and assume that it was a choice or that it was something that could be helped however I was far from the truth. After all of my research I have a whole newfound knowledge of why people can become homeless, it isn’t just something that you wake up to in the morning however a vicious trap that can catch people. Homelessness can stem from a loss of job, unpaid fines or just the lack of knowledge of how to manage money. I wanted to share this with NZ through my garments in the finer details such as screen printing, layering and the overall aesthetic.”
We love the use of vibrant colour and athleisure styling of this shoot which feels fresh and modern and we can’t wait to see the next two projects from this clever group of creatives.
The creative team from the shoot with designer Jerome Taylor (crouching centre).
Project credits:
Designer: Jerome Taylor
Photographer: Val Cabadonga
Hair: Andrew Cobeldick
Makeup: Amie Lyver
Models: Hannah Malpas, Ellie Leong & Brixton Cowie
Styling: Eliana Aiomanu & Aeron Balgemino