This week, we're going grunge. There's just something about JE Model, Bryce Jamison's boyish good looks and grunge-revival get-up that's both contradictory, and yet, complementary. At 16-years-old, Jamison may be young, but he's already busy owning his casually eclectic personal style and making the most of SF's underground scene.
What he's wearing: White Salvador Dali print t-shirt purchased from Community Thrift; Vintage military jacket from Buffalo Exchange (originally for a Emperor Norton Halloween costume); Navy London Fog trench coat with self-made patches and a "Post Punk's Not Dead" patch purchased at the Anarchist Book Fair; IKEA messenger bag with painting done by ex-girlfriend; Quicksilver corduroy pants; Round-toe cowboy boots by Ariat.
7 Style Questions for Bryce:
1. How did you get started in modeling?
A guy named Brixton Key asked my old writing teacher if she had anyone who might want to be on the cover of his grimy book. Turned out he was kind of an amazing guy who had loads of adventures managing in the British rock scene in the 60s and 70s. And it turns out the photographer was Michael Zagaris, who had worked with countless rock stars and the NFL. We ended up shooting in some alley in SoMa -- the beginning of a pretty whack adventure that, in later days, involved medieval armor and American Gothic drag.
2. What would be your dream modeling job?
There isn't one. It's just a job. The people are nice and it helps finance my other projects.
3. Who or what inspires your style?
Blade Runner, the song "Frontier Psychiatrist" from the Rocky Horror Picture Show and old timey stuff.
4. How would you describe your personal style?
Heh. I've got no idea. I don't think about it too much. I'm a bit of an originality junkie, obsessed with editing reality, so I guess it ends up being "fictional post-apocalyptic scavenger hipster" or something. I kind of like how that sounds.
5. What's a young "fictional post-apocalyptic scavenger hipster" like yourself to do in a city like this?
I'm pretty into the Alternate Reality Game scene in SF -- I played SFZER0, Jejune Institute, Undercover Street Games and several global ARGs before becoming a designer myself. I've run games of hide and seek in the main library and one of my games, Ariadne's Thread, was part of the Come Out and Play Festival. I've also worked in more traditional art with an interactive time machine sculpture that was part of a show at Southern Exposure.
6. Where do you go to people watch?
Every neighborhood in SF is home to some stylish people, but the ones that I find the most interesting are the schizophrenic homeless people, as they're consistently original and don't fall into any regional stereotype. I'm talking about Frank Chu, Omar the Guitar Guy, The Glossolaliac of Irving St, 40 Cents Man, The Bush Man, the dude who makes his own plastic shoes, and the various street performers. At least they're the honest ones.
7. What's your biggest style peeve?
Anything matching. I get bored excruciatingly easily.
Lily Ko (lily.7x7 @ gmail.com) studied fashion design and merchandising at Central Saint Martins and the Academy of Art University. In addition to writing for 7x7, Lily is an editor at SF Station, works as a freelance stylist and covers food, fashion and fun on her blog, Curated SF.
