In Conversation with Brandon Bolland: Building Your Own Platform As A Multidisciplinary Creative
Where It All Began… An Interview With Brandon Bolland
We sat down with London-based fashion stylist, creative director, and multidisciplinary storyteller Brandon Bolland to discuss building independent platforms, navigating the fashion industry on your own terms, and why listening is a stylist's greatest tool.
Brandon originally came into fashion through studying fashion branding, but styling and creative direction naturally became a bigger part of their work. He became deeply interested in using clothing, imagery, and narrative to communicate something about a person or an idea, using fashion and styling as their primary medium.
Alongside styling, Brandon has always been drawn to fashion media, having studied journalism early on to explore commentary on fashion and fellow creatives: "I am also learning I love the sound of my own voice!"
That trajectory led to MASC., which started as his final major project at university and has now developed into an independent fashion platform, and more recently, The Fashion Feature Podcast.
For Brandon, these are all different avenues for doing essentially the same thing: telling stories through fashion and creating spaces for the people and ideas they find interesting.
About MASC.
MASC. started from a very personal place. During university, Brandon observed a distinct lack of spaces where menswear, gender, and identity were being discussed in a relevant, accessible way. They wanted to create something that questioned established boundaries without making fashion feel inaccessible.
Since relaunching, Brandon sees MASC. as an evolving reflection of where he is creatively. While still rooted in fashion, it remains intentionally undefined, allowing it to exist as an editorial platform, a place for conversations, event coverage, interviews, photography, or collaborations.
"The common thread is really individuality and self-expression. I want MASC. to feel like a space where fashion can be discussed alongside culture, identity, relationships, creativity, and the people behind it."
For Brandon, the most significant development was the realization that they didn't need to wait for someone else to give them a platform. Instead, he built his own, and is using it to champion the people and ideas they believe in.
Different Forms Of Creative Communications & How They Influence One Another
To Brandon, these distinct creative avenues of styling, creative direction, editorial and podcasting, are far more connected than they might initially appear. He views styling as communicating through clothing and imagery, editorial as conveying ideas through words, and podcasting as an opportunity to share personality and perspective directly.
Each discipline actively informs their approach to the others. When styling, Brandon focuses on the individual's story and personality rather than just assembling a ‘good outfit.’ In editorial work, he balances visual thinking with written narrative, while the podcast has deepened their fascination with conversation and the people behind the fashion industry.
"I think working across different formats has made me a much more rounded creative. It also means I’m constantly collecting ideas from one part of my practice and bringing them into another. I am finding my love for research again and consuming the fashion industry."
Recent Exciting Projects
A recent project that particularly resonated with Brandon was styling artist Chloe Star.
The excitement lay beyond simply making someone look good; it was about understanding who someone is and discovering an authentic visual language. Brandon views talent styling as a creative collaboration, where the goal is not only to curate looks that suit a specific story and publication, but to stay true to the talent: prioritizing their comfort, what makes them happy, and how they naturally dress.
"I always try to start with the person rather than the clothes. I’ll look at how they naturally dress, what they’re drawn to, how they move, and what they want to communicate. From there, I can push things further through proportion, styling, references, and unexpected details."
For Brandon, the most successful styling occurs when the final image still captures the authenticity of the individual, while revealing a side of themselves they may not have previously seen.
He also highlights their ongoing collaboration with musician Bradley Jago, who recently opened for Sam Smith—a huge milestone in both of their careers.
What Makes A Great Stylist Today
“I think a great stylist needs to be able to listen. It sounds simple, but when you’re working with another person, you’re not there to impose your own vision on them."
Brandon notes that the best work emerges when every collaborator contributes and allows the vision to evolve naturally, describing the moment everything clicks into place as ‘such an adrenaline rush.’
They also emphasize that modern styling requires adaptability. Navigating different personalities, budgets, teams, and creative environments makes problem-solving a core part of the job. Over the past year, Brandon has learned that finding a distinct niche and understanding where you fit personally is far more important than attempting to take on every opportunity that arises.
Ultimately, he measures a stylist’s success by emotional impact: "It’s not just about whether the clothes look good; it’s about whether the image tells you something."
Advice For Emerging Multidisciplinary Creatives
When offering advice to emerging multidisciplinary creatives, Brandon suggests avoiding the pressure to define yourself too early.
"I spent a lot of time wondering whether I was supposed to call myself a stylist, creative director, editor, or something else, when actually the combination of those things is what makes my practice mine."
He also emphasizes the importance of creating your own opportunities rather than waiting for permission. Using MASC. as an example, which began as a university project and was later revived, Brandon highlights how taking initiative can lead to an unexpected, positive reception. For them, starting a project simply requires "an idea, a reason for doing it, and the willingness to keep developing it."
For recent graduates, Brandon urges them not to dismiss the work they have already produced. University projects don't have to end at graduation; if an idea still resonates, creators should look at why they made it and how it can be adapted for the present. When a project is truly yours, it has the freedom to grow and shift alongside your personal development, just as MASC. has transformed into what it is today.
Finally, professional relationships are invaluable. In Brandon’s experience, reputation, communication skills, and how you treat collaborators are just as vital as your portfolio.
London Fashion Week SS27 through MASC.’s lens
For London Fashion Week, Brandon was determined that MASC. wouldn't become just another platform reposting runway looks and listing what happened at each show: “Fashion Week is so much bigger than the runway."
They wanted MASC.’s coverage to capture the people, conversations, atmosphere, and ideas happening around the shows. Brandon set out to explore what collections actually communicate:
What does this collection actually say?
Who are the designers?
Who are the people building these brands?
And what does London feel like during Fashion Week?
"For me, MASC. should document fashion as a living community rather than just a series of shows. I used this LFW season to see the scope that MASC. could access, and now that I know what we can achieve with an amazing small team of creatives, I already have things in the works for the next LFW season… so stay tuned."
The Fashion Feature Podcast
"The Fashion Feature Podcast is something I’m really excited about because it allows me to explore the industry in a completely different way."
The concept stemmed from a desire to capture the candid, organic conversations that naturally happen between friends working within the fashion field. Alongside co-host Ragnheidur Blondal, the podcast covers fashion news, designers, pop culture, and what’s actually happening within the industry, but in a way that feels accessible rather than overly academic.
Recent episodes have explored educational and conversational topics, including episodes on designer Glenn Martens, the history of Schiaparelli, alongside upcoming discussions on unintentional fashion films and weekly industry updates.
"I’m particularly excited to keep exploring the people behind fashion and how their careers have developed, as well as having conversations around the bigger questions facing the industry. I think there’s something really valuable about hearing people speak in their own voices, rather than only seeing the finished campaign, collection, or image."
What’s Next For The Future
“I think the future of my practice is about continuing to build a world around what I do rather than seeing each project as a separate thing. I want to build my voice within the industry, the creative director in me, building a world around my point of view.”
From styling and editorial direction to MASC., the podcast, live events, and potentially his own design pieces or creative house, Brandon sees every one as part of a cohesive vision: building something that has a recognisable point of view and feels like his own.
“You also have to be willing to let things evolve. MASC. today isn’t the same MASC. I created at university, and that’s a good thing. Your ideas should grow as you do.
I think the biggest thing is just to start. You don’t need to have the entire career mapped out before you make the next thing.”
Brandon Bolland
Fashion Stylist and Creative Director
Founder of MASC. By Brandon Bolland
Co-Host of The Fashion Feature Podcast
@brandonbolland_ @mascmag_ @thefashionfeaturepodcast
Co-Host of The Fashion Feature Podcast: Ragnheidur Blondal - Fashion Buyer @ragheidurhblondal
