BEN BENOLIEL

JOURNAL

An honest photographer’s view of my work and process. The Journal also gives me an opportunity to share extended edits and unseen frames which haven’t made the final cut.

NIGEL CABOURN : VINTAGE - Nigel's Biography

VINTAGE : NIGEL CABOURN

t’s always great seeing your images in print; it rarely happens, and on this occasion, it was extra special. VINTAGE: NIGEL CABOURN is a biography of Nigel’s life commissioned by the Japanese side of the brand and put together and edited by the brilliant Eisuke Yamashita. Nigel and I go back almost 15 years, and to be asked and commissioned to be a part of this publication has to be one of the highlights of my career so far. This is in print, it’s a hardback, and it exists forever! I cherish and often discuss the lasting relationships I have with my clients, and it’s so very special to me that, in this case, with Nigel, the history we share and our story together has been put down on paper. I was brought to tears when Nigel presented me with the book and saw the first few images were mine and that there was actually a photograph of Nige and myself taken by Mr Yamashita that features.

The book was to be divided into sections that captured Nigel’s interests and lifestyle: his home, Newcastle, London, Japan, and his vintage archive. Mr Yamashita, who is a photographer himself, had travelled around Japan with Nigel and captured his travels. He also visited the design studio in Jesmond to interview and shoot him there. That left a day in London, an afternoon at Nige’s house, and the vintage archive to shoot. What an opportunity! 

A DAY IN LONDON

I met Nigel and his good friend Doug Gunn at a tennis club at the corner of Hyde Park, Nige wanted me to shoot as he challenged Doug to his trademark arm wrestle and so the day began. We were there to visit a very poignant exhibition for Nigel at The Royal Geographical Society on Sir Edmund Hilary who is a hero of Nigel’s and has been a huge inspiration for his work. We worked our way around the exhibition, me stopping Nigel to pose every few minutes, he really is at his best in these inspirational environments, and his energy is infectious. Next to Doug’s so we jumped in an Uber…

Doug’s was no ordinary place, Doug Gunn founded The Vintage Showroom in 2007 and has established itself as one of the most comprehensive and well-respected vintage collections on the planet. Having worked with Nigel for so many years, I had heard a lot about the fabled collection but this was actually my first time visiting. The collection is extensive and so interesting with pieces from all over the globe and houses some of the rarest vintage pieces on the planet. Nigel obviously came alive! Trying on, buying and thumbing through everything around him we spent hours there, questioning Doug on heritage and providence and generally geeking out on the pieces. Luckily the place had great light and the colours and textures made for a great location. I particularly love the shot of Doug and Nigel above which I took from the mezzanine. Thanks to Doug for his hospitality and knowledge and for giving us the afternoon to shoot within the space. 

AT HOME WITH NIGEL

Nigel’s home is as you’d imagine, eclectic, classic and filled with wonderful trinkets and memories from his travels and favourite places. I spent the afternoon with him and Cookie the family dog in the beautiful Jesmond autumn light. It was the first time I’d been to Nigel’s house and it was lovely to see him in his home environment, healthy food and exercise are almost as important to him as his clothing so the fruit bowl was full and there were colourful kettlebells fitted about the place. As you would imagine, his wardrobe is second to none and must be the coolest 75-year-olds going! Martine Rose football jerseys hang next to amazing vintage Levis jackets, and silk souvenir jackets alongside pieces from past collections. A really nice afternoon seeing another side of the great man himself. 

THE VINTAGE ARCHIVE

Nigel’s biggest passion by far and away is his vintage archive, the 4000 pieces collected over the past 40 years that he uses for inspiration and energy! The entire design studio is filled with amazing archive pieces which I am always telling Nigel should be in a Cabourn Collection for the public to see and admire. Obviously, the collection needed to be featured in the book, and Nigel picked out around 500 of his favourite pieces to be shot flat and details so that a small and most cherished part of the collection could be shown. I am still on a bit of a mission to properly document the full thing but we will see, it’s a large undertaking for sure!

The book has been a huge success and it’s not really until you see the below coverage of the launches in Tokyo that you really start to grasp what an impact Nigel has had globally. To see all of the hype and excitement for the book and Nige’s story across the world and the fact that they are looking through my images is a real thrill, I couldn’t be prouder and thank Nigel, Janet, Sam, Satoshi and Mr Namashika for having me involved in this amazing project. 

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