In Conversation with Jamie Ferguson aka JKF Man

Step into the captivating world of Jamie Ferguson, the renowned photographer and style connoisseur. Explore his profound love for coffee, clothes, and captivating adventures around the world.

Jamie's story (Interview or Q&A) is a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration and a fresh perspective on contemporary style.

Quick Fire Questions:

Private White V.C.: How do you take your Caffeine?
Jamie Ferguson: Cortado

PWVC: Name a great album
JF: Interpol's - Turn On The Bright Lights

PWVC: Wool, cotton or linen?
JF: Linen. I'm a sucker for wrinkles.

PWVC: If I'm in Co. Antrim for a whistle-stop tour, where do I go to eat?
JF: Lottie in Belfast

PWVC: What am I having there?
JF: Roast Hispi, some charcuterie and maybe the jerk chicken and a decent amount of wine.

PWVC: What are you doing when you’re not not taking snaps of the finest objects money can buy?
JF: Spending time with my family or trying to get to the beach as much as possible; weather allowing!

Long Form Questions:

PWVC: Which piece was your favourite?

JF: The Striped Summer Bomber! It's one of those weird things. I usually go for really colourful items, but the bomber really surprised me. I loved the fit and the heavy linen material. And strangely enough, I liked the stripe on it. It was a statement piece that got me excited about pairing it with other items.

J.F. wearing The Striped Summer Bomber & The Pique Camp Collar

PWVC: I agree. You have a great way of making bold clothing look accessible and easy to wear. By toning it down, it becomes versatile. By the way, that beret looks fantastic. Where did you get it?

JF: Thanks! It actually belonged to a friend of mine, Tony Silva. He had ordered one for his dad, but it didn't fit properly, so he gave it to me. It's a cool item to play around with, although there are certain environments where I wouldn't wear it.

PWVC: I've tried and failed. It's a tricky thing to figure out! How did you find the quick fire questions?

JF: The quick fire questions were hard! Especially choosing a great album. It’s definitely a difficult choice. I have a wide range of music tastes, and it's hard to pick just one album. But for me, I decided to recommend something I always come back to over the years. "Turn on the Bright Lights" by Interpol is a great album that I love. I used to battle with wanting to pick something cool and obscure but also something you genuinely enjoy. I've stopped worrying about being too mainstream or trendy and focused on what I truly love.

PWVC: It's important to be true to yourself.

Let's talk about coffee. In the quick fire questions, you mentioned a cortado. It's always interesting to hear people's preferences when it comes to coffee. I feel you can tell a lot from someone's coffee order.

JF: Absolutely! Consistency is key, especially when it's hard to find a reliable coffee place. In some countries, like Italy, you can count on a good espresso almost anywhere. Italy's coffee culture is unique, no flat whites there. It's all about short and sharp espresso shots. In the UK, it can be hit or miss. I remember one time, on a ferry to Harris to shoot some Tweed, I ordered an espresso and hoped for the best. All I got was a several spoonfuls of instant in a dash of water. It's a bit of a gamble sometimes.

PWVC: Haha, yeah, I understand. You must travel a lot with work especially around the UK. Where have you been this year, and where are you planning to go?

JF: It's nice that things are picking up again after the pandemic disrupted everything. The budgets of the brands I work with have been affected too. April and May were quite busy for me. Last week, I was in Belgium for the World Endurance Championships, a 6-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps. I'll be in Paris next week, then Cornwall and Devon the following week. In June, I'm heading to Florence.

PWVC: for Pitti Uomo of course,

JF: Yes, twice a year. It's a fantastic opportunity for networking and seeing new collections. I love being a nerd about clothing. The potential for work is also great. If you're organized, you can stack a lot of work in one week. I highly recommend going. It's rare to have all those people from different countries in one place. And from a social networking standpoint, it has grown so much. The people you'd want to talk to are all there, and there are amazing parties and events. I can imagine you collaborating with someone like Matt Hrannek from W.M. Brown, he’s there every year.

PWVC: Yeah, that would be fantastic, I’m a fan. Your book, "Portraits of Modern Men's Style," features some of the faces you’d see at Pitti Uomo.

JF: None of the imagery in the book is actually from Pitti, it’s all new. After pitching the idea to the publisher, I shot the new imagery. In the past, I've co-authored books with Simon Crompton and included images from Pitti. But this book is completely fresh. It was funny because it felt like a passion project. It was very niche, and the title of the book might have misled some people about its content. But featuring only 20 individuals, some of whom were relatively unknown in the menswear community, it truly felt like a labor of love. So it was gratifying that the book was well received. It allowed these guys to showcase a different side of themselves.

PWVC: That's lovely to hear. It must have been a great experience working with them and seeing their generosity in sharing their lives and stories. I'm curious if you have plans for a second book.

JF: Yes, it was fortunate to have the book out there and receive feedback despite the pandemic. It would have been ideal to have more events and opportunities. We had events organised for Paris, Tokyo, and Stockholm but circumstances prevented that. I'm glad I'm satisfied with how the book turned out, though. It's a tricky question, given the effort I put into the first book, it wasn't something I immediately sought to do, especially with the pandemic's timing. While it seemed logical to do a sequel, there were aspects I reflected on. I wish I had more space for the interviews and more imagery in the book.

J.F. wearing The Striped Summer Bomber & The Pique Camp Collar

If I were to do a sequel, it would require a different approach, and I haven't actively pursued it. I'm open to the idea, but for now, I'm content with the first book being a standalone project. I might explore something with a different twist, focusing more on interviews or heavily emphasising images. Having said that, as a photographer, it's inevitable that not every shot you're proud of can make it into the book. However, the process of curating and selecting images is crucial. It takes time and careful consideration.

PWVC: You had the opportunity to meet 20 influential figures in menswear and style. I'm curious if they influenced your photography or clothing style.

JF: It's interesting because the book aimed for diversity, not just in terms of age but also style. I'm personally drawn to various styles and take inspiration from different people. While working on the book, I found myself appreciating certain looks and trying them out myself. Some of the guys in the book, whom I had worked with extensively in the past or would work with in the future, influenced my style. For example, my time at Drakes had a significant impact on how I put together colours and patterns. Collaborating with people like Simon Crompton also has its influence.

However, I believe there's always something you can take from someone and interpret it in your own unique way. It's a process of trial and error to find what works for you. And you know, one thing I've always appreciated about Private White V.C. is being able to visit the factory and see where the products are made. The brand's reputation for outerwear speaks for itself. You guys excel in creating those pieces, and I can personally vouch for that. The pieces I received for this shoot were exceptional, especially the blue stripe bomber jacket I'm wearing. It's a great example of the attention to detail and quality. The proportions, hardware, and cloth weight are perfect, and I can already tell it will age well. I wasn't expecting it to have such a bold stripe but it's unique, making it a great summer jacket that can be styled in different ways. It's definitely one of my favourites.

PWVC: It shouldn't be challenging, but guys can lack inspiration. You always make styling look so effortless. Any tips?

JF: Generally, I recommend starting with easy, simple, and neutral options like navy, olive, or beige. For example, The Ventile DB Trench Coat in sage was the easiest to style since it's a classic and versatile piece in a fairly neutral colour. But I intentionally picked trickier options like The Ventile Mac 3.0 in red and The Striped Summer Bomber to demonstrate how they can be made accessible and wearable.

J.F. wearing The Ventile® DB Trench Coat

J.F. wearing The Ventile® Mac

Jaime Ferguson wearing The Cord Camp Collar Shirt

Long Form Questions:

PWVC: Which piece was your favourite?

JF: The Striped Summer Bomber! It's one of those weird things. I usually go for really colourful items, but the bomber really surprised me. I loved the fit and the heavy linen material. And strangely enough, I liked the stripe on it. It was a statement piece that got me excited about pairing it with other items.

PWVC: I agree. You have a great way of making bold clothing look accessible and easy to wear. By toning it down, it becomes versatile. By the way, that beret looks fantastic. Where did you get it?

JF: Thanks! It actually belonged to a friend of mine, Tony Silva. He had ordered one for his dad, but it didn't fit properly, so he gave it to me. It's a cool item to play around with, although there are certain environments where I wouldn't wear it.

PWVC: I've tried and failed. It's a tricky thing to figure out! How did you find the quick fire questions?

JF: The quick fire questions were hard! Especially choosing a great album. It’s definitely a difficult choice. I have a wide range of music tastes, and it's hard to pick just one album. But for me, I decided to recommend something I always come back to over the years. "Turn on the Bright Lights" by Interpol is a great album that I love. I used to battle with wanting to pick something cool and obscure but also something you genuinely enjoy. I've stopped worrying about being too mainstream or trendy and focused on what I truly love.

PWVC: It's important to be true to yourself.

Let's talk about coffee. In the quick fire questions, you mentioned a cortado. It's always interesting to hear people's preferences when it comes to coffee. I feel you can tell a lot from someone's coffee order.

JF: Absolutely! Consistency is key, especially when it's hard to find a reliable coffee place. In some countries, like Italy, you can count on a good espresso almost anywhere. Italy's coffee culture is unique, no flat whites there. It's all about short and sharp espresso shots. In the UK, it can be hit or miss. I remember one time, on a ferry to Harris to shoot some Tweed, I ordered an espresso and hoped for the best. All I got was a several spoonfuls of instant in a dash of water. It's a bit of a gamble sometimes.

It was about dressing them down while still maintaining their essence. It's about having fun with clothes and finding creative ways to put together different elements. Even if someone doesn't wear a particular outfit, they can still draw inspiration from it, whether it's colour pairing or an unexpected combination. That's what I love to show with my outfits.