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!
