I’m not going to plaster pictures of myself all over this blog but I had to share this photo that was taken in Cassie Mercantile‘s garden for Jocks & Nerds magazine by Marcus Ross. Ross was previously a fashion editor for i-D before sidestepping into photography and setting up Jocks & Nerds magazine. He sent out an email searching for Ralph Lauren fans to be photographed and of course I put myself forward. (Jocks & Nerds is aimed at men but he thought in this context it would be good to feature a woman.)

As Ross explains: “the ‘banner’ of Jocks & Nerds is STYLE.HISTORY.CULTURE, so everything in the mag is a reflection of fashion in that context. With this in mind, the photography tends to err towards realism with a particular influence from documentary and portrait photography. Rather than processing fashion through the mill of styling, models and glossy imagery, I want to focus on real people who I believe are the true arbiters of style and taste which is why often I shoot portraits of real people. I like to enhance their character by getting them to choose the locations and get them to answer some very basic Q&As which are both informative and fun. I’m keen to present brands in the mag based on their history and influence rather than purely holding up the latest product in the shops so features tend to be a little bit more of an ode to a brand, its philosophy and its aesthetic.”