Industry, Now
JORGE GARCIA
JORGE GARCIA
Portrait by Ben Hassett for Models.com
#IndustryNow The cycles of social media impel us to embrace then move on from trends and discourses faster than ever before. The life span of a single work––an editorial, a campaign, a show, a stint––is shorter for it. Fashion’s only unconditional term is the future: operating a year ahead, after all. So, in an industry where change and relevancy are the full stops at the end of every sentence, Models.com wanted to highlight individuals who add permanence to the community–some at their start and some at their top. Photographer Ben Hassett gets up close and personal for Models.com with the creative forces often behind the scenes. They are the Industry, Now.
In an era where traditional magazines are operating under tighter budgets, Jorge Garcia is one of the major media players that has profited from being in the background, on a need to know basis. After getting his start working on the sales team for books like V Magazine and Visionaire, the publisher was brought on to help launch Carine Roitfeld’s opus, CR Fashion Book and later CR Men’s, bringing in the much-needed ad dollars during a time when many failed to see the profitability of another fashion tome being added to the print fray. An avid art collector, he’s also brought his publishing expertise to the Gagosian Quarterly, helping to establish an editorial perspective at one of the most famous galleries in the world.
What has allowed you to stay true to a personal vision as the industry trials ways to adapt to modern challenges?
I always questioned and challenged myself. NY is that kind of a city and this industry has changed so much from when I started. The shift from not knowing what I was doing to getting it right to making it work happened through learning on the job, adapting, and moving forward…doubt when properly used is an amazing tool.
How has the heightened attention to self-image influenced your work and craft?
Self-awareness has made me more sensitive to what’s around and what people that are around me focus on…you need to have your finger on many pulses and reign it back into your advantage.
Is fashion and beauty better than it once was?
Nostalgia is great but one can’t live in the past…reference, repurpose, reuse but move on and strive to give everything a fresh take. No matter what, you can’t copy and paste from the past; you can appropriate but add your personal take.
Your amazing
“I always questioned and challenged myself. ” Me too! “Nostalgia is great but one can’t live in the past…” – we build in past our future fashion trends…