Culture Now: Alasdair McLellan in conversation with Jo-Ann Furniss

Alasdair McLellan and Jo-Ann Furniss have worked alongside one another on magazines for many years. Their main collaboration has been developed through multiple commissioned shoots for Arena Homme+, one of menswear’s most progressive magazines.

Alasdair McLellan is a fashion photographer at the forefront of the industry. Born in Doncaster, McLellan studied photography at Nottingham before later relocating to London. Here, his work gained considerable attention, and as a result, he was commissioned to do shoots for both Arena Homme+ and i-D magazine, including his own entire issue of i-D. With a style deeply imbued in its regional roots, McLellan’s work is renowned for its distinctive British sensibility. McLellan’s most iconic series of portraits, Lads, has recently featured in a show called Never Gonna Give You Up at the Berlin-based 032c workshop. McLellan’s work has appeared in multiple editions of Vogue, Self Service and The New York Times. He has worked on advertising campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Emporio Armani and Calvin Klein.

Jo-Ann Furniss is an editor, creative director and writer based in London. She has worked on multiple publications including i-D, The Face and AnOther magazine and has been a frequent contributor to many more such as Style.com, Another Man and Love. Furniss’ most long-standing role has been at Arena Homme+, where she was editor in chief between 2004 and 2011. Working with various brands including Mugler, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, Furniss has established herself as a prominent figure in fashion media. Her writing has appeared in numerous books and she is the co-author/editor of ‘Making It Up As We Go Along’, the book charting Dazed and Confused magazines 20-year history. Most recently, Furniss has contributed to the accompanying book to the ‘Louis Vuitton / Marc Jacobs’ exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.