I have always had a strong apathy against ruffles, peplums, skirts and dresses. That feminine, giggling feeling they reminded me of was not an option. I spent days strolling through several men’s departments, always going for the XXL and the dropped crotch. A few years and several sizes later, I still feel connected to the suited women, the lady with an oversized pair of black glasses, the one who leaves her gender simply in the middle. Jess Blanch is one of them. She joined the fashion-army as editor in chief of the Australian RUSSH Magazine and doesn’t abjure her uniform. Remember that jawdropping Isabel Marant waistcoat? Spotted once and for all over the shoulders of Blanch. Trendspotter I tell you.
How would you describe your personal style?
"Classic, I suppose. I think a white silk blouse can be everything, but every so often I wear something ridiculous. I don’t really have the patience for accessorizing. And I only have one rule: not to wear black on Sundays, but don’t ask me why."
"My story is that same cliché you read so often. I grew up in a small country town and was the youngest in my family. It was a fairly isolated upbringing in terms of pop culture. I spent a lot of time riding my horse. I didn’t watch a lot of TV as we only had two channels, so I immersed myself in books and my parents’ records. I’d listened to a whole lot of Sinatra by the time I got to Nirvana. My mum loves fashion and totally indulged me with magazines and I just fell for that fantasy world within the pages. I was back at my parents’ home over the weekend, and I still have some Harper’s Bazaars from the mid-nineties in the drawers by my bed. The one where Lindbergh shot Kate Moss wearing the denim overalls. I’ve been looking at them for years without really noticing. It was like stumbling on gold."
What inspires you?
"F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “The world exists in your eyes only. You can make it as big or as small as you want.” I like this – it reminds me that it’s up to me. Literature, art, music. My Dad has always said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” The fact that Billy Ocean made it his song is just a bonus. Most of all I think it’s a great conversation. It’s amazing how good you feel afterwards. That’s when I find my mind is most open and when I have my best ideas. I can be a little vague, always living inside my own head, not always listening while others are speaking to me; so maybe it’s even more special when I’m actually there in the moment with someone."
Text: Bloginity - click here to read the entire interview with Jess Blanch
Also in the serie STYLE FILE:
Yasmin Sewell
Taylor Tomasi Hill
Lucy Williams
Barbara Mortelo
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