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Australian fashion has a new wunderkind and enfant terrible wrapped in one high-octane and masterfully maximalist bow. His name is Jordon Gogos, the not-so-new kid on the block making giant waves under his eccentrically eclectic label Iordanes Spyridon Gogos.
The brand is everything fashion should be about; unabashed creativity, forging community and blurring the boundaries between wearable art and high fashion. Funnily enough, the brand has never sold a piece of ready-to-wear to this day, with Gogos’ design approach rooted in one-of-one bespoke pieces that are hand crafted, hand drawn, hand painted, hand touched.
In every element imaginable to create a garment, Gogos, or one of his team of bourgeoning artisans, sits behind a sewing machine, spinning scraps of fabric into sculptural sensations or painting, printing or patching pieces together to sartorially create his lurid world of convention-defying mischief.
The celebration of Gogos and his collaborators’ cumulative efforts doesn’t come at the end of the year in the form of a debaucherous Christmas party, but rather in May on the annual Australian Fashion Week calendar. Indeed, Gogos is famed for the hedonistic and theatrical runway shows that sees even the most solemn fashion editors or serious style savants crack a smile watching a concoction of eccentric artists parade down his runway.
It’s a show everyone always looks forward to, and this year the ante has been upped a considerable amount, marking several milestone moments for a brand on its way to total domination.
During the 2023 season of Australian Fashion Week, Gogos will finally debut his hotly-anticipated ready-to-wear creations; a melange of mixed references that draws inspiration from Gogos’ technicolour visual landscape and deliver something all together unique for his brand.
Not only that, but he has teamed up with famed Australian fashion steward, Akira Isogawa, to co-create a series of designs that sees the melding of two distinct visual language into one super-powered collection presentation. For ground-breaking designer Isogawa, this partnership marks his return to Australian fashion week after an extended hiatus; truly an unmissable sight to behold. Two masters of their craft. Two avant-garde innovators. One mighty show.
Below, read on for how Gogos balances it all, the rich heritage he’s forging for his brand in the present, and how his surprise collaboration with Glenfiddich Whisky will be woven into more than one element of his latest collection.
GRAZIA: Collaboration and community is at the heart of your practice. Why is partnering with Akira Isogawa important to you?
The collaboration with Akira built over time and didn’t start with the concept of wanting to do a whole show together. Because of his rich history I wanted to meet him, understand his skill, and simply connect. Being at the beginning of your career, you need to be able to expand on your skills and knowledge and there is only so far you can go without someone that is a true master in their field. Akira’s body of work is a source of inspiration for me, and the importance grew the more I saw his archive and the techniques involved. After connecting, it just organically flourished into something that (hopefully) you’ll appreciate during our runway show.
GRAZIA: Can you describe the synergy between Akira’s brand DNA and the Iordanes Spyridon Gogos ethos?
JORDON GOGOS: It’s interesting because his work has lived and breathed in a different time capsule to mine. Mine was birthed out of covid and his began over thirty years ago, and you cannot ignore the positioning of a brand within the time it is operating. Understanding the context of where he has worked to the context we are working now are hard to compare.
The brands speak to each other but are totally different! I would say the biggest commonality is that they are both material and technical focused – we make every fabric and Akira imprints and imbeds his materiality throughout the whole thing.
GRAZIA: How different is the design process when creating ready-to-wear versus your fantastical runway pieces?
GOGOS: One of your only creative limitations is when you are stepping into a price bracket. Realistically, the sky is the limit when it comes to labour costs with runway pieces, however, there is a fine line with ready-to-wear pieces. Ready-to-wear must accommodate a wider range of people, so within the design process I have to create something more malleable, whereas one piece on the runway, you do not have to think about other people, it’s the model and their moment wearing the garments.
GRAZIA: What does having your brand showcase at AAFW mean to you as a designer?
GOGOS: I bring a lot of my labour into the show because I feel that I have a responsibility to not discredit the platform that it is. I also don’t take for granted being given a scheduled spot… Like, I never thought I’d ever even be on schedule, it’s ridiculous!
Runway spaces are very complex because the fashion ignites political and social discussion. It is so important for me to invite these hard conversations because if runways didn’t exist, there can’t be productive dialogue.
For me, to provide a body of work that can contribute to this, is a privilege.
GRAZIA: How is this year’s iteration of fashion week different from previous years?
GOGOS: To start, we have downscaled from 60 collaborators to around 5 which is a BIG change. Then excitingly, we have our ready-to-wear collection which is being embedded in performance pieces and partnerships.
Being able to see staple DNA pieces commercialised, and those silhouettes be put into show pieces is so unique. I am interested to see how a show will increase attraction through sales and how the audience will engage with my brand off the runway for the first time.
GRAZIA: Your runways are always a celebration. Aside from Glenfiddich, what are the three elements that make a party memorable?
GOGOS:The first element to a party is being thoughtful in what you are using because there is nothing fun about creating a tonne of waste.
The second element is great sound… I’ve worked with Bryan Spencer, Dan and The Deep Sound for three years now so we definitely have that down pact.
Lastly, I think the people invited to the party need to be diverse – contributing with their backgrounds and personality to the front of the party. People that aren’t expected to be in the space are always the ones who make that dynamic more fun!
GRAZIA: How did you develop the unique textile for Glenfiddich’s couture collection? For eager eyes, where can we spot this in your upcoming AFW show?
GOGOS: When we started developing fabrics, we came across this closing down warehouse filled with old school uniform fabrics. Naturally, we salvaged all of them; within that, there were three shades of green and gold threads used for embroidery.
When Ross (Creative Collaboration Lead for Glenfiddich) was here, we grabbed a few pieces and put them all together as a sample, playing around with the materials. As soon as we lifted up the piece, we immediately saw a synergy between the fabric and the whisky! Not only with the colourway but also the layers, perfectly representing the history and process of whisky making.
No one really understands the time and complexity gone into both whisky and our compression techniques, making the pieces sing true to both brands.
GRAZIA: Why is working with a global brand like Glenfiddich significant to you? Additionally, why was it important to you to continue your working relationship with Akira for this project?
GOGOS: For me a global brand and the idea of ‘international’ feels boundless. There are no limitations, and you are thinking with a much bigger scope, reach and impact, so your results from the get go are much more meaningful. It’s also very comforting when you work with a brand that understands the importance of storytelling.
A brand doesn’t become such a such a household name across the world without familiarity and history, and like my brand, you can’t achieve that sort of heritage without story.
Intertwining Akira into this partnership made sense because he too is boundless. I wouldn’t position Akira next to something that is small-minded, he is known for pushing boundaries and has retransformed himself repeatedly, really representing how “Where’s Next” is endless.
GRAZIA: What do you think is the biggest AAFW faux pas you wish your younger self knew?
GOGOS: I regret not reaching out to people, offering help and genuinely engaging with brands. I believe this is how you can make those inside industry connections and take further steps in your career. For example, I always wanted to partake in fashion week, and I think the first time I ever attended was at my own show…I had to do the whole show just to get a ticket!
I really underestimated the act of outreach and support for a brand. I also wish I knew to get experience by reaching out to those you don’t necessarily align with or are not in your particular field to build insight and creative understanding. For me now, I like welcoming people with a different mindset to me and I wish my younger self knew the importance of that.
GRAZIA: What rituals have you implemented into your routine in the lead-up to AAFW?
GOGOS:Wakeup, eat, work, sleep, repeat! My family and friends know they shouldn’t expect me to be human during this time – no time to catch up or celebrate birthdays, all of it has to be postponed to after Fashion Week.
It is one thing to physically make work, but having the head space to correctly define what you are creating is more important. Making something is nothing without thought and input, and for me that is done by reducing noise.
GRAZIA: What’s on your pre-AFW playlist?
GOGOS: My show music that you will have to wait and listen to!
GRAZIA: What’s more important: the location of the show or the timeslot of the show?
GOGOS: Neither. Being a good person matters more!
GRAZIA: How does your Australian customer embody your brand’s DNA in a way international customers don’t?
GOGOS: Unsure yet as I don’t sell. However, I am interested to see as I don’t think there is any difference between Australian and international consumers.
GRAZIA: What do you think your brand brings to the Australian fashion landscape?
GOGOS: I think when people see my work, it reminds them of why they started in the industry, the sense of freedom, zero limitations… Otherwise, I think that’s for everyone else to decide.
GRAZIA: Without giving too much away, what are the three words you’d use to describe the vibe of your show?
GOGOS: Teddy, Trojan, Akira
Read more in-depth interviews with designers showcasing at AAFW 23, including ALÉMAIS, BEC + BRIDGE and Caroline Reznik in GRAZIA’s pre-fashion week series: ‘In Focus’.
