Industry, Now
ALEX WIEDERIN
ALEX WIEDERIN
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.
At any given point in time, you can place Alex Wiederin, the founder of his design agency Buero New York, as the strategist behind a multiplex of undertakings in publishing and fashion. Apart from the creation of his own company in 2001, Wiederin’s resume (if only starting in the aughts) includes co-founding AnOther Magazine with Jefferson Hack; a 2002 redesign of Dazed & Confused; multiple stints as creative director for influential publications such as Italian Elle, 10 Magazine, Vogue Hommes International, Glamour Italy and BIG Magazine; as well as designing the visual tome “Carine Roitfeld: Irreverent”. In 2012 and 2013 he led creative on the famed Pirelli Calendar. Currently, New York-based Wiederin is the executive design director of Town & Country Magazine. Though his expertise as a respected creative director, graphic designer and type font designer are exampled best through his top-tier client list, Wiederin, the man, prefers his own image to be less conspicuous––his focus on the voice of the brands he manages and art directs.
What has allowed you to stay true to a personal vision as the industry trials ways to adapt to modern challenges?
My family, my friends, and my team. At Buero, our goal is to create individual (and therefore authentic) solutions for our clients, and we approach every project from the ground up. Our method prevents us from following industry trends.
Can commercial work be personal?
Absolutely. Our work is very personal. We see our clients as partners and together, we go on a journey and have an experience. The commercial aspect is an opportunity to communicate to as many people as possible and that can’t be bad at all!
How has the heightened attention to self-image influenced your work and craft?
It seems to have become very fashionable. I, personally, have always been more comfortable in the shadows and prefer to remain there.
Is making beautiful things enough?
The answer is yes and no. Aesthetic is one of many tools we use to translate a client’s vision to an audience. If beauty is what you’re trying to communicate, sometimes aesthetic can be enough.
