In conversation with : Adam Jones
Adam Jones has been developing his unique form of luxury over the past several years. Blending pub culture with distinctive cuts; his unique style has earned him a place within a multitude of highly respected fashion marketplaces including London based APOC store and 50 – m - as well as reaching stores in New York and Tokyo.
He’s a British designer originally from Wrexham – a place located just across the Welsh border from where I grew up myself. From what he tells me it is undeniable that his background in the countryside has played a significant role in the establishment of his design aesthetic, having taken deep rooted inspiration from pub culture, his grandparents, and more specifically the style of the eras of their own upbringing.
Jones approaches his craft from the ground-up, hand-making each of his pieces with the mentality of ‘make do and mend’ that he seems to have inherited from his upbringing. He is a one-man team, sourcing fabrics, designing, and creating – all by himself. A rare feat nowadays when it has become so common to outsource; and something that really shows how in control he is within his design process. Jones places an emphasis on gathering and collecting within his work, and instead of collection his design inspiration from within via the trial and error of draping; Jones prefers to venture out into the world in an attempt to find a source of inspiration. It was due to this method that Jones was able to find the old beermats outside his local pub which led him to create his vests, and in turn the basis for his design aesthetic that he holds now. Although always intrigued by the image of the pub - this idea did truly inspire him well before he found those beer mats.
Adam’s ideal design process is not one of total re-invention within his work, but instead altering and putting old fabrics to a new use. A sort of ‘creative destruction’ if you like. He picks fabrics from where he can, from real world sources and reclaimed fabrics – whatever he is able to get hold of. He likes to work when inspiration comes to him instead of forcing it. If he’s having a slow day he allows it, moves on, and then tries again when he’s feeling more inspired.
Social Media, in particular Instagram, is a key element within Jones’ business. But beyond the purely commercial use of the platform, he enjoys connecting with people who appreciate the image behind his products. He was surprised when people first started tagging his in images of them wearing his designs but gets a great amount of motivation and fulfilment from this.
However, he does mention that he worries about young designers as he believes that a large aspect of social media revolves around the recycling of ideas. People without realising end up getting their inspiration from social media, therefore using the same ideas that are already currently out there. He fears a future of design where ideas are repeatedly recycled, and new ideas are rarely introduced.
In future, Jones plans to dive deeper into his niche by keeping on doing what he currently is, but also perfecting his current style, in addition to experimenting with certain new pieces. He is also thinking of travelling with the purpose of finding more sources of inspiration, and to implement a European influence within his brand. He is considering expanding into home wear and art, but instead of planning certain pieces, he is focusing on spontaneity with his design, which I expect will allow him to take unexpected turns and take the brand into new directions every few years.
Adam told me that perhaps the most important thing of note that changed his future direction was to do something small every day. He told me that to really make impactful change, you must do something every day that leads towards your future. It’s building up small pieces of the puzzle that eventually means you can quit your job and go full time on your own projects. At first, it doesn’t have to be extremely significant or directly influential. Adam emphasised that patience is key, everything takes time, and neither his, nor any brand was built overnight.
Having had built up his brand part-time for years, Adam Jones was finally able to go full-time with his work after his third appearance at London Fashion Week in September 2020.