PHOTOGRAPHY — Olivia Hemus

JAMES DOBSON, better known as JIMMY D, is a fashion designer based in Auckland, New Zealand. High in concept, though perhaps darker than most, his labels aesthetic is in line with a Kiwi design tradition of intelligence, sophistication and restraint. His tastefully deconstructed garments reveal an attention to detail and a desire to create an effortless wearability. JEFF BURCH caught up with JAMES in the very little time he has between his day job, and the production behemoth that is his label.

JEFF BURCH — How long have you been designing under the moniker Jimmy D?
JIMMY D — Since the end of 2004, I liked the idea that Jimmy D was a slightly different persona that I could step in and out of, and the idea of designing under James Dobson felt all a little serious and pretentious…

JEFF BURCH — You studied photography formally didn’t you? What made you trade in the medium format camera for a sewing machine and what designers inspired you to start the label?
JIMMY D — It was a gradual transition, I remember when I was in high school I started reading magazines like Pavement and The Face, and seeing fashion photographed in a way I’d never seen before – it wasn’t super slick, or glossy and having up grown up in suburban Upper Hutt, it was an approach to fashion that I could relate to.

I started taking up photography and thought fashion photography was what I wanted to do professionally. After doing a degree in it I quickly realised that the commercial reality of photography wasn’t really for me, and that I was becoming more interested in the clothes that I was photographing rather than taking light readings, and directing a model… I had always been sketching down ideas for clothes, but it wasn’t until I returned to New Zealand after a year in London that I felt that the ideas were strong enough to make a reality.

Initially I was inspired by the fearless originality of designers such as Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten, Boudicca and Maria Chen.

JEFF BURCH — Seasonal concepts are something that most designers employ quite explicitly. What has motivated you to change to one overall concept?
JIMMY D — I’ve always believed in evolution over revolution, in saying that there is always some kind of conceptual springboard that dictates the direction of the range, but I think aesthetically all the ranges hang together. I’m not interested in bouncing from one disparate inspiration to another – I like that a customer connects with the Jimmy D look, and adds to her collection every season.

JEFF BURCH — Your thoughtful, classic and dark aesthetic is something that is synonymous with New Zealand designers and comparable to the Belgian’s. In your opinion what draws Kiwi creatives to these ideas?
JIMMY D — There have been books written on that very topic! Personally any other aesthetic just doesn’t fit. As a generalisation we’re not a culture that embraces or that is impressed by flashiness. For some reason there is a very stripped back and honest approach to design and whether this is informed by our climate, or relative isolation, who knows?!

JEFF BURCH — In the most recent collection the Jimmy D shillouette has changed quite a lot. Tell us more about this…
JIMMY D — I think because I have little formal training in fashion I’m naturally inquisitive and there’s always an air of exploration to my clothes. I’m obsessed with incorporating a lot of fabric into my designs. I love seeing movement in clothes, so I’m often experimenting with ideas of volume, and science-like notions of cloning, mirroring, and scale. In recent collections I’ve been getting trickier with ways of building volume into garments – for Winter we came up with a way of paneling pieces that was inspired by the idea of a deflated beach ball, where all the volume seems to drip to the bottom, but in an incredibly light way.

JEFF BURCH — There have been murmurings in the fashion community of a Jimmy D men’s collection too. Care to perpetuate the myth?
JIMMY D — It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while, I work with a lot of guys on the label from my PR to my creative collaborator, and we all feel a little neglected fashion wise! It’s just a matter of time, but at the moment my label is still pretty much a part-time pursuit for me, and when I do it I want it to be more than a few token tees.

JEFF BURCH — Could you tell us what other New Zealand designers we should be watching for?
JIMMY D — Designers like Cybele, and Mala Brajkovich are part of the new guard of New Zealand fashion, but there are some super-talented up-and-comers like Jaeha, Jann Wong, and Andrew Smith. I also love Deadly Ponies accessories, we have collaborated on a tentacle necklace for Winter which is pretty much permanently around my neck…

JEFF BURCH — So what is in store for the label?
JIMMY D — An ‘it’ bag, a perfume, a home range, and dressing every stick thin celebrity in Hollywood.