A Feel For Fashion: Callum McCafferty

When was the last time you marvelled over something in fashion?
When interviewing Lucien Pagès for the next issue of our print magazine. We always had a great relationship, but this was the first time we really had a one-on-one conversation, and he had me marvelled. If there was any person doing what they were born to do, it’s him. I couldn’t help but feel like I was looking in the mirror while he was giving me his answer about how he’d feel “if everything stopped for him tomorrow.” He said, “I’d just be grateful that there were things people could read or watch about what I’d done.”

Where do you look for new ideas or voices in fashion?
For voices in fashion I look backwards. I think it’s too easy to come across as hyper-informed online; now, it feels like reading nothing. Years ago, the opinions were intentional and had real depth; now, people are too drawn to the negative voices without any credibility. For new ideas I look within, and try to stay off the internet as much as I can when brainstorming. It’s too easy for a shoot to look like anything on Pinterest if you’re too deep in the explore page. 

In this attention economy, what or who has won over your attention right now?
Hermès always. They were authentic in their communication before it was trendy to be, and I’m so happy the world (or at least the fashion world) is looking beyond the Birkins and can appreciate the way they’re actually aligned with artists – especially in such a creatively delicate time.

AI will continue to impact how we live and work. What excites you and what concerns you?
What excites me is that I feel we’ve finally hit a point in time where people won’t just lay down and accept something they know they don’t agree with just because it’s shoved down their throats enough. What concerns me is that we will have more people having opinions that aren’t truly theirs,  which could destroy the ability to think independently. 

Do you have an industry story or experience that you have never talked about?
I don’t think the industry knows this from when they were covering it: The reason Joel Blanc was the artist live-painting at the Chanel show was because I found his Rolland Garros art, showed it to the Outlander magazine audience and made him go viral. Chanel recognised us as the source and asked us to have the exclusive to show him at the Chanel show and make that moment viral too.

Do trends still matter?
Trends have existed for as long as humans have, but do they matter? Honestly yes, because one’s fashion journey is personal: someone who begins the journey by following a trend can often find themselves after a few years – so trends matter as a starting point. But it really comes down to how you want to be perceived by those closest to you IRL. The minute you post your trendy outfit online, you can expect a lot of engagement, but a lot of anger from the fashion purists who will use your image to discredit the industry into a think piece.

Who are your fashion heroes?
The PRs – they’re not paid enough to handle the egos of the attendees; to diffuse a negative online review that doesn’t come with any substance but with a lot of engagement; and because they’re (mostly) some of the most kind-hearted people I’ve met in the industry despite it all. 

What are you most curious to know about how designers work, how a collection comes together?
I wish designers would post their mood boards more often. Sometimes they have such niche references that even learning about that reference and knowing that they have such deep knowledge can make me personally respect the designers work even more.

What stands out as the most potentially disruptive influence on fashion in the near future?
Honestly, Lyas, in the best way. This industry will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. I admire how he stands up for himself and what he’s created, and you don’t often see people do that. When they’re ‘in,’ they usually succumb to the unspoken rules of the industry, but he doesn’t and he thrives regardless, I hope he never stops.

In what ways are you seeing progress in fashion mirroring progress in the wider world?
Aging. Older models are everywhere: in campaigns, as influencers, on the runway – and people inside and outside of the industry LOVE IT. In the real world for the longest time, getting old was seen as something to fear, something that meant life was coming to a close. But this new narrative towards being older can mean fresh starts, looking cool as f*ck, and being experienced is now seen as something to strive for.

If you could change one aspect of how we experience fashion today, what would it be?
I think by making fashion week longer. Cramming six shows into one day makes collections last about an hour online. But if there were maybe two shows per day, the collections could breathe; the storytelling behind the collection could be explained; and people wouldn’t just post the same content – like who was sitting front row, letting it go viral, and then forgetting about it. 

What has been a highlight of your career so far?
In my 12-year career, the highlight for me would be that I now have a home full of the things I could only post about when I started Outlander magazine: a Dior Masai Choker, a Barbie made by Martin Margiela, a Polaroid of Alexander McQueen, the “Pedus Bed” by Frank Oelke, and so on. It sounds materialistic, but to me, to own the things I spent years talking about is the highest form of authenticity.

Is there any fashion show – no matter how far back – that you would have loved to attend?
It’s hard to give an answer that isn’t cliché – any McQueen show, anything Lagerfeld did – but I think I’d loved to have been at the Issey Miyake show in Fall 2004 when he put long puffer jackets that doubled up as sleeping bags down the runway. It looked so fun to have seen in person. 

What three words or ideas might guide your professional growth through the coming year?
Six words: Get your respect before you’re dead.

What is one positive objective or goal that you would like to see the industry work towards?
The fashion industry needs to realise it exists in a very small bubble, and that if you’re a brand working with media that only has fashion insider followers, then you’re shouting into the void and not pushing the needle. Find media that has an engaged audience outside of the industry too – the ones who purchase, the ones who can fall in love deeper when given more context. That’s what’s missing.

If you could make any fashion wish come true, what would it be?
I wish that people would read long fashion articles again. Outlander Magazine is very, very digestible on social media, but in our print issues, we do a lot of long-form articles written by our community that are just brilliant. I wish people would use their time to read them all. 

This interview has been lightly edited.