Recently I was able to sit down with Ziggy Mack Johnson: a stylist and influencer based in New York City, whose outfits are eye catching to say the least. In my time with Ziggy we discussed some of his thoughts on the latest fashion trends, his background, and how New York City has influenced him.
Baker: What’s up guys this is Baker, and I’m here with Ziggy Mack Johnson influencer, stylist, young creative, model. Am I missing anything?
Ziggy: let’s just say mogul. All in one
Baker: Could you take us to the start of your career? Where did you start with everything that you’re currently doing?
Ziggy: The start of my career as a serious, serious, serious person in the fashion industry I feel like started when I worked with Nylon Magazine. I started interning there when I was 19 and it eventually turned into a salary job. So, I was in that Bitch!
Baker: So, now for the people that don’t really know exactly what an influencer/stylist does, could you explain what it is that you do?
Ziggy: I feel like those are two different things, but overall, I feel like anything you do can be an influence, so it would make you an influencer. Styling I work with people one on one trying to make them into their badder selves. So whenever I style somebody I look at your style, I look at my style and am like how can we mesh this shit together because every stylist has their own type of style and I try to look for the sexiest most fiercest most beautifulist view and I take that bitch out and I rock her.
Baker: Now did this start out as a hobby and then become an occupation or has it always been something that has been work?
Ziggy: I would say more so hobby. It is only an occupation because it pays. But with a hobby you’re having fun and I am having total fun. I’m not feeling like I hate waking up in the morning and doing what I do and have to force myself to make up clothes or style. Like, its easy for me because I love it.
Baker: Do you prefer styling men or women and why?
Ziggy: I personally like styling women because I feel like I’m already a male and I like women clothing and I cant fit women clothing the way a women could so I like to style women because deep down inside I’m like , ok if I was a girl, this how I would look, this how I would rock this and just like seeing that vision, in front of me so I think it’s exciting.
Baker: do you have a favorite project that you’ve done in the past
Ziggy: I think my fav… look I have a lot of favorite projects but I feel like my favorite project recently was styling a couple, Wolff and Neon, and I kind of had them switch roles with each other, so Neon was the masculine one the girl, and Wolff the guy was more so feminine, and they were still showing the love for each other, and I did that because I think that in society we kind of are tricked into thinking that as men we have to be total masculine and as women we have to be total feminine. And you can be a male and be as feminine as you want and not even have to be gay and as women you can be as butch and mess as you want and not be gay either and still find somebody that’s the total opposite of you but also the same
Baker: now do you have any favorite designers/brands anything like that?
Ziggy: My number one favorite designer brand is Christian Dior. Love it. That’s the one brand that I would actually pay money for. Everything else I get for free. I love Y-Projects and I’m a huge thrifter I like thrifting too. But those are the two big brands that I love.
Baker: As someone who is an influencer in fashion you must stay ahead of I guess what is the now in fashion with regards to trends and things like that so do you see any trends in the near future that you think you can spot or anything like that or not necessarily?
Ziggy: With trends it’s always tricky because there is nothing new under the sun, so I feel like everything that’s supposed to be done has be done already its just being x2. Coming up I honestly feel like we are going to start wearing stripes again heavily this coming fall and its all about different shapes and sizes. So, shirts with sleeves going down to your freaking ankles, pants one legged one not. I think that it’s going to be all about the different Symmetrics.
Baker: Now how would you describe your style if you could summarize it?
Ziggy: Trade Cunt. So, trade meaning I can be mass, cunt meaning like I can come out in a motherfucking bra and some baggy ass jeans. Like, I like mixing masculine and feminine together.
Baker: I agree. I feel like that’s something that nowadays is important that there was a very strong sense of black and white in fashion and now it’s becoming more of a gray. You see men doing styles that were thought of feminine before and vice versa. So, I feel like your style is something that transcends that and it’s something that’s in the future that people are leaning towards. So, I agree with that. Now are there any future projects that you have coming up?
Ziggy: I have a clothing line coming up and this collection is going to be called trade but of course Ziggy is going to be the name of the clothing line, but this specific collection is going to be called trade. It should be coming out next month or October I still have to finalize things. I want it to be perfect. I am also working on music so I can’t talk too much about it, but it should be done by the end of this month or early September. And that’s really it.
Baker: What influences you besides just specific brands what in your surroundings settings, lifestyle influence you?
Ziggy: It’s more so settings that influence me not so much people because I try not to look at other people because as human beings we naturally copy off people when we just see things all the time. So, I try not to look at other influencers, other stylists. I never want to portray someone else’s work subconsciously. Growing up in New York City I was influenced by the culture. Being from Brooklyn I feel like I’ve seen a lot from Hasidic Jews to Caribbean people to white people like I’ve experienced a lot. So, with the different cultures I think that I’ve been influenced in a diverse way rather than looking at a specific person I look at the whole picture.
Baker: Have any places that you have traveled to influenced you substantially or mainly just New York City?
Ziggy: Like fashion wise?
Baker: Well I guess yes fashion wise, but I feel like with the way that styling and influencing and everything its not just fashion its an entire lifestyle. So, places that you might have gone or things you might have seen that have influenced the way you go about doing certain things.
Ziggy: I feel like there is no other like New York ever obviously. But the places that I have travelled, New York is number one. Second best I would have to say Berlin its kind of like New York in a sense of the freeness, the boundaries broken in fashion and going there made me just realize ‘OH SHIT’ like this shit is cool over here. People dress how they want to dress and its just carefree. I feel like the best fashion: carefree.
Baker: Are there any big fashion trends in fashion nowadays that you can’t stand or really don’t like?
Ziggy: Flats, I hate flats. I feel like….why?
Baker: Now opposite, trends that you love?
Ziggy: I love hmmm… I love a lot of shit. I’m trying to think of one thing that I absolutely love. I love shades. I feel like shades complete an outfit and I feel like you should have different shades per day and that should be a thing.
Baker: I feel you man. I feel you. Alright so that’s about it. Ziggy Mack Johnson. Matthew Baker. Baker’s Rebellion. Peace!
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