Just like Paper Magazine – the media phenomenon to which he serves as chief creative officer – Drew Elliott is something of a legend in the New York scene. Responsible for such genius strokes as Jean Paul-Goude’s Kim Kardashian “Break the Internet” story and that memorable Miley Cyrus-with-Pig cover, to name a few, Elliott and his team have given Paper a whole new currency in the viral age.
The CFDA recently looked to Paper for the upcoming New York Fashion Week: Men’s campaign to add its vision and creative spin to the images. With Theron Long, Paper creative director, Style Director Adele Cany and JUCO Photo on hand, five male models were photographed in clothes from American menswear designers such as Gypsy Sport, John Elliott, and Michael Kors.
CFDA.com caught up with Elliott to talk about the campaign inspiration, his aesthetic, and thoughts on American menswear.
CFDA.com: What was your inspiration for the NYFW: Men’s campaign?
Drew Elliott: “The inspiration was around the bold and colorful, and creating something that can be disruptive and pop. With everything that we do right now at PAPER, we look not just at what would be the most amazing still, but also at what would be the most amazing Instagram photo. We think about pictures that also look fantastic on people’s news feeds.”
CFDA.com: How was the creative process?
D.E.: “It was interesting; a real celebration of the designers showing at NYFW: Men’s and how the clothes can work with the background and within the overall aesthetic. It’s not a typical editorial story. There is a variety from activewear to streetwear, so how do you make it all seem cohesive and represent a full range of what American designers are doing.”
CFDA.com: How did this campaign play into your creative vision?
D.E.: “We always like to celebrate diversity. That’s ‘Number One’ in everything that we do. We also love the bold bright look that JUCO created which works with the sense of diversity, those bold primary colors mixed with wild to sophisticated clothes. Being able to style and tweak these clothes in a way that it becomes personal is what PAPER brand represents. Right here, in New York, we are also celebrating a city that is a fashion capital and honoring those designers who are very much in our creative world.”
CFDA.com: What is your opinion of American menswear?
D.E.: “There’s a great representation of designers who do a wonderful job — like Thom Browne or Public School. We are seeing how menswear is becoming less defined. There is the mixing and blurring of lines, and the combination of men’s and women’s shows is really interesting to me. I loved how, at the CFDA Awards, Thom Browne’s guests included these beautiful girls in suits with heels…and what Rio [Uribe] is doing at Gypsy Sport. I think American fashion is at an exciting time, and fashion in general is in such an exciting moment.”
CFDA.com: What do you hope people will take away from the campaign?
D.E.: “As I was thinking about the campaign and developing our story and working with Theron Long, our creative director, I looked at it from a digital perspective, but also in terms of how we can welcome people to New York, people who travel here for New York Fashion Week, and let the City know it’s NYFW. NYFW is a vibrant part of our industry and it keeps the industry moving. It also makes our city the fashion culture epicenter.”
