Jordan Gogos is always exploring. His craft-based, collaborative, exuberant collections are a highlight within Australian fashion. For the imaginative. We spoke to Jordan about his Resort 2026 collection and how his brand Iordanes Spyridon Gogos is evolving:

What was inspiring you when you were designing this collection? What was the catalyst?

After AFW last year I went to Greece and did a collection at Hautes Grecians in Athens. Connecting with my heritage on a creative level shifted a lot for me… I got to see my family homes that were in ruins. Homes that so many people lived in and were in a state of complete destruction and decay. This feeling that everything will one day be ancient really never left - yeah, sure, we make in the present day but I wanted this collection to have a real acknowledgement of the past. I credit my collaborators when we produce work together although hundreds of pieces of heritage and greek textiles present in this show go without individual acknowledgement. Bringing this work that I’ve sourced into the present day inspires me deeply.

What made the leap from the mood board into the collection?

I don’t do a mood board but I did get a whole bunch of my findings from Greece and Australia and throw it all on the ground and started to group them up into individual families. I started to connect common threads… ‘queer’ textiles, folk textiles, ‘mati’ (evil eye) textiles, Santorini textiles… etc etc. It was like a family tree of worlds and collaging them within the collection catapulted a lot of ideas. Seperate to this the people I creatively work with and collaborate with are a huge part of getting ideas off the ground. I was so lucky to meet some new collaborators this year such as Joseph Botica who made the most mind blowing footwear, Billie Ronis who hand crocheted a page from my 2005 school book of the developments of my signature twenty years later, artist Troye Emery who painted the Trojan horse in my studio during a brief Sydney visit, artist George Raftopoulos who painted a story of the Trojan. The mood board is the people apart of or who gravitate towards the project.

What emotions and thoughts from you are imbued in these pieces?

The pieces reflect what my domestic home life looked like. I didn’t grow up around painting. I grew up around textiles on the walls created by my family and family friends - embroideries and family heirlooms that were a ‘domestic’ practice are now being shared and re-contextualised on a mainstream platform with high visibility. I’m really proud that I’m the first generation in my family to be recognised for art that wasn’t necessarily seen as art barely two generations ago and I feel as though what I present creates a deeper sense of being for me and my family. Knowing my Grandmother watches each show and gets to see pieces that she was making when she was younger in front of hundreds of people fills my heart. It acknowledges her and many diasporic Greek Australians.

How is the DNA of your brand evolving?

I think thats a really difficult question. The brand, well, the concept of it, particularly ISG is constantly changing. Sometimes I don’t even see it as a brand and I see the whole thing as an art work - some days I have a moment where I think shit the brand is… me? And others I think its so much bigger than me… others I want to deregister it and have the whole ‘brand’ dismantled and rebuilt. I named it Iordanes Spyridon Gogos to differentiate my practice from my once existing other ‘brand’ GOGOS.ONLINE which was my furniture practice. I wanted it to feel like an extension of me but I guess after a while you kind of need to accept that the ship is being sailed by one person - me but the people who get on the ship inform where the ship sails. Not trying to feel deep haha but the DNA is always informed by time, context and engagement. It will never be one thing or arrive at a destination. This could be the last show under the umbrella Iordanes Spyridon Gogos or just the beginning…

Recycling, repurposing, renewal. These are all important things in the world of 10. How do these apply to your work?

I’m a glamourised garbage collector and recycling unit really. Visy should cut me a cheque because we really are over the top when it comes to studio circularity. Almost all of the material brought into the studio is bagged up individually so that it can be salvaged into more work. A big part of the collection was actually aestheticising the waste of the material from the piece made before it. Over four different patterns and prints were developed alone from creating a brief to reuse what came before it - the star coat and leaf jacket particularly are a library of these explorations. For the second half of the year I will use the remnants in my own art practice through my compression techniques.

Who would you love to see wearing it? Which look would they be wearing?

Kim Richards from RHOBH - she’d have to wear the 6-pack bomber jacket.

Which piece would you hope to be the ultimate collector’s item?

My collaboration with Brittany Wyper, which also takes us into our fifth collaboration is very special to me. She created a series of pencil drawings drawn from photographs of my grandparents backyard, my mums childhood drawings, journal entries of family, childhood drawings and school books, notes, destroyed CD’s - over 60 different materials of personal elements from both of our lives were screen printed onto found materials and turned into a monolithic coat. The piece is a reflection of our continued friendship and captures the sentiment of our art practices. Joseph Botica made the most incredible knee high boots from the fabric to compliment the coat.

There are brilliant people to collaborate with Australia. Who has been part of your world/journey/team with this collection? Mentors, stylists, hair, makeup etc…

The show has a project that I created with Motel Picture Company on the screen accompanying the runway. It’s really a self portrait of me made with Sophie Georgiou and Stef Mileski. I had a ‘vision’ of me dancing to Calvin Harris’ flashback with iPhone lights - I was with Mary Argyropoulos and Brittany Wyper on a stormy night it felt really apocalyptic. Mary was house minding this crazy big place with heaps of glass and windows and I danced to the song with lighting flying everywhere I felt like a witch. I loved it - it was so stupid but super freeing and going into this collection after so many mega collabs I realised - shit this is my fifth show and I haven’t really been me in raw form. Sophie from Motel really gets me - we speak a lot, she documents a lot of my life and art practice… and we totally went for it. I feel vulnerable showing the work but excited. I kinda feel like anyone who knows me will see it and go yeah… tha'ts Jordan and for those who don’t know me well, it's nice to finally meet you.

What is the soundtrack to this collection?

Well it starts with Gerri Halliwell and ends with It’s My Life by Dr. Alban. Everything in between was songs that made me run throughout the year that I short listed - perfectly mixed together by Jack Rumble.

What’s next?

The Ramsay Art Prize at Art Gallery of South Australia - its so cool to go see my work ‘Time Machine’ (2024) on display soon in a major public institution. I’ve never had anything this significant or at this scale hung on gallery walls!

www.iordanesspyridongogos.com