Barnzley 17/100

This is Barnzley. I approached him while I was waiting for my pizza order to come up at Due Sardi's pizza parlor on Shoreditch High Street. The early evening light was fantastic and I wanted to make the most of it. Fortunately for me, Barnzley was happy to participate in my 100 Strangers project and we were able to catch the quickly dimming twilight before evening fully settled in. Barnzley runs his own clothing label and shop in Shoreditch with his friend and business partner Joe Corré. The store is called A Child of the Jago and it features mens' clothes that are made of top quality fabrics and stitching. The fashions are meant to be long lasting, not disposable flash in the pan trends. I have been in the store a few times before and remembered thinking the clothes had an heirloom-like quality to them... like when you find a cool dress shirt or jacket in your grandfather's closet that still wears well all these years later.

Barnzley and his two kids were getting ready to stop over at music legend Adam Ant's practice session ahead of Ant's gig at Scala next week. Barnzley helps Adam handle some of his business affairs and was in the middle of ironing out a few last minute venue wrinkles that had cropped up. All in all, it had been a tough week for Barnzley, as Malcolm McLaren, his business partner's father, had been put to rest after succumbing to a battle with mesothelioma. (For those unfamiliar with the illustrious Mr. McLaren or somehow missed the headlines over the past week or two, click on his name for more info). In his earlier years, Barnzley had worked for Malcolm McLaren running errands and doing odd jobs. It was pretty clear to me that he was feeling the loss that London and the music and fashion worlds had felt in losing such an icon.

Thanks for the chat Barnzley, was great to make your acquaintance. Hope you were able to get things sorted for Adam... I'm betting it will be a hell of a show!

This picture is #17 in my 100 Strangers Project, to see more of this project, please click here: Slightly Esoterik's 100 Strangers

To find out more about the 100 Strangers project and see pictures taken by other photographers click here: http://www.100strangers.com/