You must think it absolutely random that I am writing a post on beards. I mean, I am about as smooth as they come (facially that is), and more often than not, I write blogs about beauty, womenswear and an unhealthy dose of Christina Aguilera. However that isn't to say I am completely indifferent to anything remotely masculine (my last post was about men's bottoms. Just sayin -.- ) The fact is, I like my men with a bit of facial foliage- it's sexy. It's that mix of unkempt scruffiness and low-maintenance masculinity that has always caught my fancy. So, when Scottish blogger Jonathan Pryce announced via Twitter that he was working on a concept- a daunting task of producing series of photographs featuring bearded folk, I kept tabs and stayed tuned. The look is very dégagé and its thriving existence within a fashion capital full of glossy, manscaped-Ollie-Locke-clones was simply too fascinating to pass up.
The 100 Beards, 100 Days project was conceived earlier this year. Sponsored by Pall Mall Barbers, the award-winning photographer began his hunt for the most fascinating beards on the 1st of July. The streets of London yielded an eclectic mix of everyday individuals who proudly sported their facial fixtures- from short beards to near-Viking length, polished to slightly grotesque, fashion versus average Joe. Known for the cool, street style photography he features on fashion blog Les Garçons des Glasgow and subsequently, on the men's style blog Another Garçon, the Glaswegian native fused his aesthetic with his bearded subjects resulting to a well-received and positively reviewed project. The theme was contemporary and the tone innovative as it features the beard as a means of self-expression and individuality.
The 100 Beards, 100 Days project was conceived earlier this year. Sponsored by Pall Mall Barbers, the award-winning photographer began his hunt for the most fascinating beards on the 1st of July. The streets of London yielded an eclectic mix of everyday individuals who proudly sported their facial fixtures- from short beards to near-Viking length, polished to slightly grotesque, fashion versus average Joe. Known for the cool, street style photography he features on fashion blog Les Garçons des Glasgow and subsequently, on the men's style blog Another Garçon, the Glaswegian native fused his aesthetic with his bearded subjects resulting to a well-received and positively reviewed project. The theme was contemporary and the tone innovative as it features the beard as a means of self-expression and individuality.
Now his efforts come to fruition. His 100 days was up and with 100 beautiful portraits, Pryce's work was immortalised- hardbound and available for fans to purchase! Bruce Pask of The New York Times hails '100 Beards' as 'a great project, well conceived and beautifully executed', and if that weren't enough, the outpouring of appreciation and support from the fashion industry and media alike has been impressive. To celebrate the release of his new book, I decided to feature Jonathan as this month's guest blogger extraordinaire and he was kind enough to let me bug him with a few questions. Enjoy the interview!
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I guess I have to ask the obvious question to start this off- why beards? What catalysed the 100 Beards project?
There were a number of reasons, but mainly I'd noticed it becoming more and more prevalent. I think this summer was the perfect window of time to capture the trend before it becomes over-saturated. Also, I wanted to do a personal project which showed work reflecting individual style on the most unique level - beards are more conducive to this than any other 'accessory'.
The blog has received such wonderful response, including high praise from The New York Times. Did you expect this scale of appreciation and support?
Not at all. I've had a lot of success with another blog in Scotland called 'Les Garcons de Glasgow' but this was really down to the boom of street style blogs in the late 2000s, and more importantly the fact that Scotland didn't have anything else like it. London is over-run with creative projects so I didn't think mine would stand out and be recognised as much as it was.
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I guess I have to ask the obvious question to start this off- why beards? What catalysed the 100 Beards project?
There were a number of reasons, but mainly I'd noticed it becoming more and more prevalent. I think this summer was the perfect window of time to capture the trend before it becomes over-saturated. Also, I wanted to do a personal project which showed work reflecting individual style on the most unique level - beards are more conducive to this than any other 'accessory'.
The blog has received such wonderful response, including high praise from The New York Times. Did you expect this scale of appreciation and support?
Not at all. I've had a lot of success with another blog in Scotland called 'Les Garcons de Glasgow' but this was really down to the boom of street style blogs in the late 2000s, and more importantly the fact that Scotland didn't have anything else like it. London is over-run with creative projects so I didn't think mine would stand out and be recognised as much as it was.
But it did and all that work has paid off! The photographs are beautiful by the way, but that goes without saying. Who would you say influences your work?
Thank you. The biggest influence on the work is the subjects I photograph - without them, there'd be no project. In terms of photographic style, I think I'd take Bill Cunningham's eye for style, Vivien Maier's instinctual understanding of the street and Steve McCurry's ability to intimately capture a person.
How did you go about choosing the beard of the day? You live in London now and I can only imagine the number of colourful characters you have met during the project.
There were so many fascinating people I bumped into whist walking the streets of London. I think the bearded men found me as much as I found them at times. Often I just let it be the first person I spotted, but other times I let my instinct guide me.
Were there days when the faces you wanted to capture weren't cooperative? I mean, finding a subject every day is one thing- but whether they wanted to be photographed or not is another.
Men are notoriously difficult to photograph as they are shy or embarrassed. The turning point was usually when I told them the name of the project - '100 Beards, 100 Days" always got a laugh. Also men are really proud of their beards as much grooming and time is needed to get them right. There were many men who said no, but after shooting street style for 5 years, I'd hope to have got the gist down.
Mission accomplished then! You have collated a diverse and eclectic mix of people and each beard is so individual and personal that I get a sense of that person's character. Can I be cheeky and ask if you have any favourites out of the lot? Barring the final one of course!
I really tried hard to show individuality in each of the portraits. I've got so many favourites but one's that always stick in my head are:
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| 17. Ali (British Library), 47. Roy (Cecil Court, London), 54. Julien (Stoney Street, London) |
How did you feel when you finally reached the end and got all 100 Beards? Have you gotten over your beard envy after finally growing your own?
It was a mixture of relief and excitement when I finished. Photographing 100 days was all consuming so it left a big gap in my day, although I then focused on the exhibition and book. I certainly have gotten over my beard envy. I got so many lovely compliments from visitors to the gallery at St Martins Lane Hotel that it made me think maybe mine isn't so bad!
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| Number 100: The man himself- Jonathan Pryce |
Now that the published-author/photographer-box has been ticked, can we expect a follow up anytime soon? You travel around regularly, perhaps a 100 Beards en Français?
Oh I'd love to do an international series, although I don't want to get boxed as a beard photographer only! I'm not sure what's next, but it's likely to involve real people, have a fashion slant and be based on the street. I'm so new to London, it'll probably be based here too.
Everyday is an adventure in the big city eh? Finally, coming out of the project, did you pick up any tips and tricks on how to maintain the perfect beard? Assuming that you intend to keep yours, which I hope you will!
There are so many types of beard, it was hard to pin down all the different things. One thing I will say is grooming at home is very hard and the guys with the best beards all said investing in a good barber trim every fortnight is a must. The team at Pall Mall Barbers, my sponsor, were fascinating to speak to because they were so knowledgeable and have been in the game since 1896!
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If you missed his exhibit at St. Martin's Lane, London (held on Nov. 2-6), you can meet the man behind the beard at his book launch which will be held in Jigsaw Menswear in Spitalfieds at the end of this month. You can also order his book '100 Beard, 100 Days' on here and all 250 limited edition hardback copies are numbered and autographed. Definitely a great addition to my growing stack of coffee table books. I got mine yesterday!
If you missed his exhibit at St. Martin's Lane, London (held on Nov. 2-6), you can meet the man behind the beard at his book launch which will be held in Jigsaw Menswear in Spitalfieds at the end of this month. You can also order his book '100 Beard, 100 Days' on here and all 250 limited edition hardback copies are numbered and autographed. Definitely a great addition to my growing stack of coffee table books. I got mine yesterday!
Looking through his portraits...I may even try growing one myself. God help me.
[Images are all by Jonathan Daniel Pryce]
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