SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND: "EVERYONE IN THE FASHION WORLD KNOWS RANKIN"

RANKIN: "SYNONYMOUS WITH DYNAMIC AND INTIMATE PORTRAITURE". IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD HIS NAME, I PRESUME YOU'VE BEEN IN HIDING FOR THE BEST PART OF 2 DECADES. IF YOU HAVE, HERE'S MORE STUFF YOU MAYBE DIDN'T KNOW.

COMING FROM A WORKING-CLASS, NON-CULTURED BACKGROUND, HE HAD LITTLE CREATIVE INPUT FROM HIS FAMILY, AND WAS ENCOURAGED INTO A CAREER IN ACCOUNTING. NEVERTHELESS, HE FOLLOWED HIS AMBITION AND DEVELOPED HIS PASSION AT THE LONDON COLLEGE OF PRINTING. MEETING FELLOW CREATIVES IAN TAYLOR AND JEFFERSON HACK, HE FLOURISHED ALONGSIDE THEIR TALENTS, CREATING PUBLICATIONS AND UNIVERSITY MAGAZINES, AND ULTIMATELY FOUNDING CULT MAGAZINE DAZED & CONFUSED.  EMBRACING THE 'RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME' MOMENT, WITH AN ATTITUDE FULL OF AMBITION, RANKIN EMERGED AS ONE OF WORLD'S MOST IN-DEMAND PHOTOGRAPHERS. WITH AN OBVIOUS TALENT AND A MISCHIEVOUS EYE, HIS WORK IS USED ACROSS EDITORIALS, ADVERTISING AND PORTRAITURE. STICKING NOT ONLY TO POPULAR CULTURE, HIS ARCHIVE INCLUDES PORTRAITS OF POLITICIANS, AND HE HAS TRAVELLED WORLDWIDE DOCUMENTING EMOTIVE HISTORY FOR CHARITY. FROM KYLIE LYING NAKED, TO A SMILING, REGAL QUEEN, HIS WORK HAS VARIETY TO SAY THE LEAST.

HE SAYS THE BEST PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE CHANCE TO WORK AND ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE. HE WORKS ON MANY COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS, MOST RECENTLY HAVING CURATED AN EXHIBIT, DOCUMENTING THE BEAUTY AND SKILL OF ITALIAN FASHION, AS WELL AS TRAVELLING TO KENYA TO WORK WITH OXFAM. 


FUTURE OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH FASHION, RANKIN STATES HE'S ALWAYS FELT UNCOMFORTABLE, INFERIOR IN FACT, COMPARED TO THE OTHERS WHO CLEARLY LIVE AND BREATHE IT. NEVERTHELESS, HE MANAGES TO CAPTURE THE BEAUTY OF IT EFFORTLESSLY, WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD NONE THE WISER TO HIS ANXIETY. HAVE I FELT THIS WAY BEFORE? YES, OFTEN. AS A YOUNG PERSON IN THE INDUSTRY (AND NOW, A YOUNG PERSON FROM A DIFFERENT CULTURE) I'VE HAD MANY A CLUELESS MOMENT, A MOMENT OF FEELING OUT OF PLACE, A MOMENT OF PURE EMBARRASSMENT. I EVEN SPENT A SHORT WHILE QUESTIONING MY CAREER CHOICE. RIDING THROUGH, I RATIONALISED, LEARNING INSTEAD TO ABSORB MY SURROUNDINGS, LEARN FROM WHAT OTHERS TELL ME, AND REMEMBER THAT I'M STILL YOUNG. VERY YOUNG. (AND ANYWAY, I WORK IN SOHO FOR GOODNESS SAKE, IF I WON'T LEARN 'FASHION' THERE, I WON'T LEARN FASHION ANYWHERE. PATIENCE, VIRTUE AND ALL THAT.)

SEIZING THE MOMENT
RANKIN STATES AMBITION AND HUNGER TO SUCCEED IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS, AS WELL AS STAYING RELEVANT AND EMBRACING CHANGE.

HIS COLLABORATION WITH SWATCH HAS BEEN DEVELOPING FOR A WHILE NOW. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, HE HAS SHOT THE SWATCH CAMPAIGNS, BEEN NAMED AS A SWATCH MTV PLAYGROUND EDITOR, AND RECENTLY DESIGNED A RANGE OF WATCHES FOR THE SWATCH & ART COLLECTION. REFLECTING THE POWER OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHY, THE WATCHES HAVE EITHER BLACK OR WHITE STRAPS, WITH HIS IRIS-PICTURES (EXHIBITED IN EAST LONDON LAST YEAR) IN DIFFERENT COLOURS ON THE FACE, CREATING STRIKING DESIGNS THOUGH THEIR SIMPLICITY AND MYSTERY. 5 DESIGNS, AND 3 EXTRA LIMITED EDITIONS, THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW AT SWATCH ONLINE.

CONTINUING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RANKIN AND ADMIRING HIS WORK IS EXCITING. I THOUGHT I'D SHARE A LINK TO BLOG, AS AN INTERESTING READ AND AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY.