What's Contemporary Now‪?‬ What's Contemporary

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Hanan Besovic, the content creator and fashion commentator behind @ideservecouture, shares his unconventional journey and outsider perspective into the fashion world. Moving from Croatia to the US, Besovic garnered a significant following on his platform during the COVID lockdown, using it to channel and convey his perspective on fashion—which he comes by through sheer obsessive passion. His honest and timely critiques often challenge traditional norms in the industry.
Besovic details the evolving role of influencers, advocating for discernment in evaluating their contributions to fashion discourse. Expressing admiration for Gen Z’s assertiveness and knowledge, he navigates the industry with a focus on community-building and networking, while maintaining an authenticity that he sees as all too often lacking on social media. His overwhelming fashion insight gives him a unique perspective laced with nuance, allowing him to see what’s contemporary now as both the influence and image of businesswoman Kim Kardashian, as well as pervasive mediocrity that comes from the industry’s exclusivity and commercialism.
Episode Highlights:

Serendipitous start: Introduced to fashion in 2010 after seeing a McQueen show, Besovic transitioned from hospitality to fashion after a move from Croatia to the US and following a layoff from hotel work during the pandemic.

Following a passion: Though he treated fashion as a hobby, joking that he failed algebra because of his obsession with Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, he found a role in the scene during the COVID lockdown.

Superfan: Citing Plato’s Atlantis and the Horn of Plenty, Leigh Bowery lips, and Dior silhouettes, Besovic recounts how McQueen’s show was “a perfect introduction to fashion because I got a history of fashion in 13 minutes.”

Ending up on a panel for Show Studio, through which he had first been introduced to the fashion world, was a full-circle moment for Besovic.

@ideservecouture: Having been called a content creator, a fashion critic, and an influencer, Besovic sees himself as a commentator, remarking on how the fashion world has changed to include more critiques like those pushing for body diversity. 

On influencer culture: Besovic sees the importance of having a discerning view on social media, where unresearched or misinformed influencer opinions on fashion proliferate alongside those of influencers who have dug deeper into the contemporary moment and its historical roots.

Gen Z: Likening the feeling of maintaining an outsider perspective among the insiders to those that look down on Gen Z, Besovic notes that he admires the younger generation’s activeness and knowledge of their value.

Organic growth: Quoting a drag queen, Besovic says that “goals are preplanned disappointments” and prefers relying on organic personal—and social media—growth.

Navigating the industry: Besovic’s advice to young designers is to work more toward networking and building community, as he does on his platform.

“Nice, genuine, and down to earth”: Besovic’s contemporaries don’t have the same egos as most in the industry, and Besovic himself is happy to forgo sources of status, like physically attending the shows. 

“I like to know the reality of the things.”: When asked whether the world needs the 24/7 dream or fantasy of fashion on social media, Besovic insists that the world needs to know instead that everything’s not as perfect as it looks.

When clothes speak for themselves: Besovic says storytelling is crucial to a collection, except when garments are too good to need a narrative.

Dream job: Besovic thinks he would be a good consultant for brands like Givenchy, which don’t understand their worth or history. 

Polarities: For Besovic, the Kardashians are what’s contemporary now (still), because “no one can dispute how smart of a businesswoman she [Kim] is.” On the other hand, additionally, what is contemporary now is “mediocrity, it’s

French photographer Robin Galiegue has carved a distinctive niche in the world of contemporary photography, captivating audiences with a refreshing vision of beauty, style, and attitude. Galiegue's early experimentation with makeup, styling, and photography laid the foundation for a career marked by raw energy and a timeless aesthetic. Seamlessly blending fashion, portraiture, and reportage, his notable projects include a recently published book and work with directional publications like Vogue Italia, Self Service, and Harper’s Bazaar France, and collaborations with brands such as Saint Laurent, Isabel Marant, Tom Ford, and Hermès. In a world where he sees people molding into different personas online, Galiegue believes what is contemporary now is being oneself, in work and in life.
Episode Highlights:

Early ambitions: Born and raised in Lille, France, to artistic-minded parents, Robin Galiegue always had ambitions to move to a bigger city and first felt drawn to images and fashion at 14 in directing a photo shoot with his sister. 

The big move: Dropping out of school at 16, Galiegue attended photography school in Paris, deciding over the course of five days. 

Without reference: Coming to school with zero cultural exposure to photography, Galiegue gained technical expertise and was driven to work, though he knew little English and was not assisting. 

Nerves: Even as a big name in the industry today, Galiegue is nervous about approaching collaborations, such as with legendary model Linda Evangelista.

Hard to sit still: Being in Paris—or in large, bustling cities—incites Galiegue’s desire to work rather than relax; he sees them as villages that offer bursts of energy.

“Shooting has to be fun”: Known in the industry as a kind presence, Galiegue has an intuitive understanding of when to be firm and when to prioritize kindness. 

Merging visions: Galiegue enjoys working with brands, stylists, and collaborators with strong voices to make something exciting and new. 

Finding inspiration and peace: Traveling, meeting new people, having friends not in the fashion industry, and discovering new cultures keep Galiegue engaged in his creative work after hours. 

What’s contemporary now: Galiegue sees so many people playing roles on social media, so what’s contemporary or necessary now is being yourself. 

Fear of AI: Galiegue is not interested in AI and is more scared of its potential to replace collaborators and artists.

Gill Linton is the cofounder and curatorial persona behind Byronesque, a digital boutique department store that uniquely merges editorial content with a focus on contemporary vintage fashion. As editor-in-chief, Linton is a thought leader in the realm of editorial-based e-commerce and has long been a go-to brand strategist well-versed in the subculture of vintage fashion. Hailing from London, Linton divides her time between Paris and New York, collaborating with designers, consultants, editors, stylists, and other in-the-know individuals to reissue vintage finds and preserve creative brand histories. For her, it is essential to encourage people to be more thoughtful and slower when buying clothes—institute a cultural shift in shopping behavior.
Episode Highlights:

“The odd one out:” Born in London into a Scottish family, Linton got her start at M+C Saatchi, where she was able to pursue her passion for advertising, branding, and creating content.

Serendipitous start: From her first job, she moved to BBC Radio 1, which was a state-run representation of youth culture. She was able to move into the fashion industry through a move to New York to work with the agency of entrepreneur Russell Simmons. 

Brand evolution: Linton began in the fashion industry at a time when concepts like “brand heritage” weren’t considered in traditional marketing. 

Bridging gaps: She cofounded Byronesque, set apart from traditional resale sites, to focus on “contemporary vintage” with a global network of vintage sellers and private collectors.

Resale is the new fast fashion: increased volume and perpetuated ideas of buying and selling in the resale sector have led Linton, through Byronesque, to “encourage people to be a little bit more considered, slower, and to keep things for a long time.”

Fighting flip culture: Byronesque believes the clothes it sells and stories it tells have more meaning than the mainstream gives them.

Careful curation: Making Byronesque “a specialist environment” for vintage and “future vintage” of luxury brands, Linton has been authenticating, partnering with archive teams, and organizing concessions for luxury brands in an attempt to provide more agency and control over resale markets and brand image. 

Reissuing vintage: Byronesque has reissued vintage finds from Helmut Lang, Vex Generation, Claude Montana, THREEASFOUR, and other brands that have been producing iconic items in decades past.

Collector’s items in fashion: Her concern with keeping clothing as investment pieces drives a blockchain-based authentication process, and brings up the power of narrative and the importance of story.

What’s contemporary now: Real talent, Linton says, and she hopes to see a resurgence of talent among a generation and in an evolved industry where that’s not always necessary.

Writer, editor, and creative director Thom Bettridge navigates the realms of storytelling, experience curation, and audience expansion with seasoned expertise. From editorial leader at 032c, Highsnobiety, and Interview to Head of Creative and Content at SSENSE, Bettridge has come a long way since his beginnings as a student of philosophy in New York City. His series of compelling statements showcase an impressive grasp of worldbuilding, adding context to the evolving landscape where editorial content and e-commerce converge. In an industry where magazines and retailers traditionally kept their domains separate, Bettridge’s approach to keeping consumers engaged signals a potential future trend for others. His insights reflect a shift toward a more integrated and dynamic relationship between content creation and commercial endeavors. Bettridge has seen—and been behind—much of the changes to the fashion industry as it enters an inundated era obsessed with viral moments. His connectedness to contemporary culture is only rivaled by his closing remarks: that true contemporariness might be found in uncharted, offline territories. 
Episode Highlights:

After becoming interested in art criticism via philosophy studies, Bettridge started an art space in Medellín, growing attracted to the fast-paced evolution of Colombian culture and society. 

On interning and moving up through the ranks in New York: “That was my idea of hell. So I wanted to go somewhere where I could make more of an impact even if it was an uncertain terrain.” 

Noting that “the only two things that were still alive and kicking when I finished school were fashion and, like, tabloids,” Bettridge explains how he came to fashion through his love of magazines and editing them. 

The solitary nature of writing didn’t suit his personality, and Bettridge found he enjoyed editing more, with creative direction being an extension of that kind of collaboration.

“360 control over how a story looks and appears”: Creative direction was never a target for Bettridge, who considers it more of a byproduct of writing and editing—what he was already doing—and born of necessity along the way.

His first foray into magazine editing was at 032c, where he gained firsthand experience observing creative direction before moving on to Interview. 

Considering philosophy as a way of creating and applying systems, Bettridge sees an analogy in being a storyteller adept at making connections. 

Coming to SSENSE as the company was nearing its 20th anniversary, Bettridge leaned on the experiences of the people who had been at the company for a long time.

Bettridge has a strong understanding of brand DNA, pushing the company further into its “anti-nostalgic, anti-heritage” heritage. 

“Mind-share”: Bettridge’s creative process aligns naturally with SSENSE’s ability to tap into a young, digitally native generation, which communicates via social media.

Using a metaphor of a hotel with a great coffee shop, Bettridge expresses the relationship between editorial content and e-commerce, where content regularizes exposure to a company and signals what it’s about. 

To cater to a younger generation, Bettridge notes that youth culture demands that brands be good storytellers that tap into the current social and political moments. 

Old-school print magazines tell stories through image placement (much like Instagram), but in a way, that decisively marks a certain zeitgeist, which Bettridge says somewhat outlasts the neverending inundation of social media.

Bettridge remarks on learning that intuitively marked anchors within a magazine or brand’s vision create cohesion and that visual storytellers are the individuals most capable of creating brands with palpable foundations or clear identities. 

What’s contemporary now? The potential for offline culture, a culture that “isn’t solipsistic or self-isolated.”

Renowned photographer of the Antwerp Six, Willy Vanderperre is a Belgian-born image-maker best known for his campaigns for Prada, Dior, and Jil Sander, as well as publications like i-D, Another, or W. Longstanding creative collaborations with fashion icons like Raf Simons, Olivier Rizzo, and Peter Philips have informed his creative output over the decades and renewed his lasting interest in what youth cultures have to continually offer the older generations. 
Vanderperre has made himself an industry staple over the past twenty-plus years through his illustrious photography, which includes his project Naked Heartland and a book series that cleverly connects analog publishing to the new forms of media consumption. But his experience doesn’t make him feel old. In fact, he continues to tap in—in his life and in the contemporary conversation—into the energy that youthful voices bring to fashion in a creative and lifelong practice that mirrors how he approaches long-term industry collaborations and pervades his images: with a sense of renewal, expression, and movement. 
Episode Highlights:

“A rather difficult place to be”: Growing up gay in Belgium to a hardworking family (and a father who was a butcher), Vanderperre felt the “smallness of the country” and says he was saved by art school and the sensitive people he came into contact with there. 

Aspirational: Because of his upbringing, Vanderperre quickly found a drive to escape his origins. 

An introverted country: Vanderperre sees Belgium’s history and small geography as drivers of the country’s production of artists and designers. 

Looking differently at a garment: Vanderperre’s photographic work stands out among fashion images because of his preoccupation with and sensibility for capturing movement. 

Normalcy: While a big-city feeling feeds a feeling of glamor, Vanderperre celebrates a sense of rootedness in his origins and having peers outside of the fashion realm, a situation of social solitude that he likens to COVID quarantining. 

Contemporary publishing: Translating ephemeral social media into the “analog product” of a book, Vanderperre put his book together quickly, almost instantly, much like an Instagram post. 

“The right thing to do”: His book on Instagram was driven by his love of youth culture—its accessibility, efficiency, and unpretentiousness.

Vanderperre’s obsessions with youth, isolation, and the redemptive power of pop culture can be summed up by how impressed he is by outspoken young people disconnected and connected by expressive forms like music and movies in the internet age. 

Never growing up: Vanderperre is one of the first modern generations to see themselves as having a different aging and cultural trajectory from their parents, and more able to choose whether they wanted to become “adults.” 

Contemporary politics: Youth have positively shaped the world, particularly in the past five years, but Vanderperre has partnered with the Trevor Project to support LGBTQ+ rights.

Long-term relationships: Close collaborations with Raf Simons, Olivier Rizzo, and Peter Philips have been challenging, presenting opportunities for growth. 

Fluidity: While the industry has changed in the past 20 or 30 years, it doesn’t feel all that different to Vanderperre; he approaches it with new energy and different emotions and enjoys the influx of new voices.

What’s contemporary now: “This conversation.”