Menswear Influencers You Should Know In 2014

 

2013 was a formative year for the British menswear industry. London Collections: MEN was bigger and better than ever, further cementing our capital as a global fashion leader; design duo Agi + Sam became the new fashion darlings as Topman launched their collaboration worldwide; and our homegrown menswear market is now worth an estimated £10bn. ‘Rule, Britannia’ is officially cool again.
But what of the year ahead? Other than key trends, do we ever really know what’s in store for sartorially-inclined mankind? Of course not. Industry-defining moments are impossible to predict, yet FashionBeans looks toward the industry-definers themselves in hopes of an answer – the people who carve our national style identity.
From fashion photography to the blogosphere, brand designers to the brand faces, read on to discover our top style leaders of 2014. The future is most certainly bright…

The Photographer – GarconJon

As a photographer that’s contributed to FashionBeans itself – both as our official representative at Burberry AW14 and as part of the Street Style Collective – the clear choice for 2014′s photographer had to be Jonathan Danial Pryce, or GarconJon as he’s most commonly known to the blogosphere.
Launching onto the scene in 2008, his photography of Glasgow made a refreshing change to the London-centric street style that was dominating the industry at the time, and a career snowballed from there.
Now capturing style-conscious men across the UK, from tailoring to sports luxe, Pryce only showcases the very best of modern menswear.
But, what makes for an interesting photo?
“It’s hard to pin down. The only way I can describe it is an energy or uniqueness that captures my attention. The more I shoot style on the street, the more I realise it’s actually less about the clothes for me and more about the person,” said Pryce.

100 Beards

Pryce is also the mastermind behind the critically acclaimed 100 Beards project. Being out on the streets daily, he quickly spotted a developing trend for men’s facial hair. Setting himself the target of capturing a new beard for 100 straight days, Pryce documented the progress online at 100beards.tumblr.com.
After the blog became popular with the likes of MR PORTER’s Jeremy Langmead and Patrick Grant of E. Tautz, Pryce continued with the aim of reaching 200. Gaining momentum after being featured in publications such as i-D Magazine, GQ and Metro, the project quickly developed into a hugely successful hardback edition, with interest from style influencers both here in the UK and abroad.
The second edition of his cult classic 100 Beards book (priced £25) is a must-own coffee table purchase for any style-conscious gent and available to buy now at 100Beards.BigCartel.com:

Following up 100 Beards by branching out into editorial and campaign work – already counting Clarks, Selfridges, MR PORTER and Baartmans and Siegel among his previous clients – Pryce’s ascent only looks set to continue.