Meet the Tastemakers of the Moment: Amalie Gassmann, Alexander Roth, Joel Palmer & Eric Jess

What led you to pursue modeling, and how did you get into photography and filmmaking?

What led me to pursue modeling was probably my curiosity for the fashion industry and my love for collaboration. At a very young age, I was given the opportunity to learn very quickly how to navigate a professional environment and be around inspiring creatives. Growing up, I was constantly writing, and I feel like my transition into filmmaking happened naturally because of that. Through visual storytelling, I am able to explore my love for composition, and through this came photography as well! These passions all inform each other!

What influences your work as a photographer/filmmaker?

What influences my work can be a scene in a book I’m reading, films that inspire me with a feeling that I want to translate, being around nature and the stillness it brings, people watching, and locations.

What trends are you loving at the moment?

The trends I’m loving at the moment are kitten heels and ballerinas, knee-high black tights, low-rise pants or skirts, statement earrings, and rings.

Describe your go-to spring/summer look.

My go-to spring/summer look is a midi skirt, tank top, ballerinas, and silver accessories, comfortable yet chic!

It’s nice to speak with you again! Do you feel you’ve evolved as a creative since last we spoke?

Great speaking to you too; been a while. A lot can happen in 2 years’ time, and in this case, it did. I’d argue I look at my creative process differently every day as there are so many stimulants around me that are forever re-working themselves—new travels, new people, new experiences, wins, losses, etc. For better or worse, I’d say that I’ve evolved, yes. Both from within myself and other-worldly factors I can’t control but have learned to work with and not against.

What inspires your unique approach to creating and storytelling?

Creating a fantasy whether it’s apparent to the viewer or not. I’ve been so fixated on this idea of glamor from the 80s and 90s recently, how provocative one could be through the lens. Just how movies and books transport us, I believe photography and video in any aspect can do the same. I always start by envisioning exactly how I want the final product to look, and I work backward from there, filling in the pieces like a puzzle. How will I work best with this person? What location, lighting, props, etc.?

Describe your go-to spring/summer look.

Even on the hottest summer days, I am still wearing boots. So a good pair of combat or heeled boots, a tank top (I recently bought into this Bottega Veneta one from LVR because of how perfect the fit was, and I know it’ll last me a while), oversized shorts or jeans, a statement belt, and some odd jewelry. Maybe a sexy pair of glasses to round it out.

How was fashion month? What trends are you predicting for FW23?

Exhausting, but I’ve realized I thrive on chaos. Some trends we’ve seen: leather isn’t going anywhere; if anything, we’re turning everything into leather and to LOOK like leather, interesting leather patterns, and everything in between. Another trend I love is focusing on that one statement piece when getting dressed. Understated luxury, with the exit of over styling.”—look at JW Anderson, Gucci, and Prada.

You’re a multidisciplinary creative and work as both a model and photographer – do you prefer to be in front of or behind the lens?

I actually prefer to be behind the camera, but I do love a moment of performance and modeling, as that is my initial background and what got me into directing and photography! It’s fun playing the protagonist in a story but also fun creating the worlds I envision.

What inspires your approach to creating and storytelling?

Storytelling through my work is how I process life currently, after so much traveling and experiencing new cities and new sub-cultures, and we as a society battle new politics and endure our struggles in our communities, I am then inspired to create. Movement and fashion have a lot to play within that.

Describe your go-to spring/summer look.

Oversized tracksuit and vest and simple jewelry, sometimes adding a mini skirt over the trouser and oversized blazer, as I love playing with gender in clothing, or ripped up jeans and vest, oversized bomber, and of course a pair of brutal punk boots.

How was fashion month? What trends are you predicting for FW23?

I feel everything is going into a slight neo-futurism in fashion; I feel we will see a lot of multicultural references overlapping this season. I feel AW23 will hold a lot of sub-cultural styles, hopefully made with sustainable materials and re-designed into new future cuts. I believe we will always have our classic AW tailoring but blended to find balance in current streetwear trends.

Eric, it’s been a while since we last chatted! Do you feel your style has evolved since the last time we spoke?

It has been a minute, and yeah, my style has definitely evolved. I’ve been traveling a ton since we last spoke, so my style has for sure been influenced by each city I’ve been spending time in.

I’m really bad at packing, so I pack a lot of black since it’s easy to mix with pieces I pick up along the way.

These days, I also find myself dressing a little more casual for the day and really bringing it out at night.

Walk us through your day-to-day as a creative consultant. What do you love about it the most?

The only consistent thing about my life is that no matter what city I’m in, I find a cafe that I like, and as soon as I get up, I take a walk there every day, and if time allows, I sit and drink my coffee there before starting my day.

After, sometimes I am on calls all day, in-person meetings, sometimes I’m on set producing, sometimes in front of the camera, attending a fashion show, and sometimes I don’t do anything at all, and I sit in bed and listen to music all day. I hate routine, and routine hates me.

On most days, I end my day at a long dinner with a glass of wine with friends. A successful life to me is having dinner with people that inspire you (and that you can get in a little trouble with) every night.

Describe your go-to spring/summer look.

Probably a super tight leather moto jacket zipped up with some baggy jeans and chunky boots for the day and for night, tailored trousers, a tank top with some detail, and a cropped blazer with a pair of tabis.

How was fashion month? What trends are you predicting for FW23?

Fashion month? You mean fashion year. I feel like from mens to womens in all the cities, I haven’t been off the fashion week circuit in what seems like forever, which keeps me endlessly inspired.

I feel like we are going to see a lot more long scarves, very oversized bags are back, men in skirts, and overall, everything being unisex.