Industry, Now
TOMMY TON
TOMMY TON
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.
The digital power shift has shaped the evolution of the visual storytellers that put clothing in context. No longer is content limited to the guarded backstage set-ups, studio backdrops and dim-lit parties of yesterday. When photographer Tommy Ton first started shooting subjects, it was perfect timing to capitalize on the new media blitz, his encyclopedic love of the luxury fashion and a growing desire to democratize these once closed-off spaces. In the beginning there was his blogging blueprint JAK & JIL, launched in 2005 it stood as a culmination of his best street-style conquests and highlighted his reverence for documenting subjects that made the fashion they were wearing come alive. Its stellar curation led to commissions with digital fashion platforms like Style.com and who could have dreamt it would be the perfect format for a then budding social media site focused on visual snapshots of your life? As more doors have opened to him he has challenged himself to advance his portfolio to include editorials from top magazines, billboard campaigns, and creative direction for Deveaux New York.
What has allowed you to stay true to a personal vision as the industry trials ways to adapt to modern challenges?
Being independent has allowed me to stay true to myself. Having the freedom to decide what projects I want to work on or with who, that’s how I’ve been able to adapt. There are obviously moments that come along in your career where you question if certain choices align with your own personal brand and in order to move forward, it’s important to follow your gut instinct no matter what.
Have the reasons you started doing what you do changed along the way?
It has absolutely but once in a while, you have to remind yourself what that initial spark was and then it reignites again. It’s hard to feel inspired when the landscape of the industry lacks an authenticity and it doesn’t have the same creative outpour. It definitely feels like more of a business now and it’s all about a formulaic way of thinking: how many likes and followers will it get? will it increase sales? will this break the internet?
What was the turning point in your career?
It was when I got the job at Style.com in 2009. That gave me a huge platform and a large audience to introduce my work to. I had always gone to Style.com like everyone else in the industry and to be a part of that team was more than I could have ever imagined. It opened so many doors for me.
