Reflection & Connectivity | Behind the Scenes with Michael C Fox
Our new Silver Series collection explores silvers’ psychological imprint on the human, as well as its link to the moon. The more I wrote about this, the more I smiled that Michael C Fox and I met over a chance encounter at a service station, on route to Glastonbury last year.
Silvers’ physical properties are said to reflect the moons metaphysical principles of reflection and connectivity. Michael and I were first introduced to one another through the wonderful menswear style Director, Gareth Scourfield (@stylegazer1) a few years before our chance encounter! When I say meet, I mean we provided some jewellery for Michael to wear over the events and awards season, so perhaps more of a metaphysical meeting, but it was the seed sowing of a relationship.
The menswear industry (in my opinion) is a unique space. It is an industry of collaboration. Where the fashion industry can sometimes be tagged with a mist of intimidation, or a competitive edge, my experience of the menswear industry is as far from this as it can be. There is a delightful air of transparency and a willingness to build each other up and share connections that has drawn me in more and more the longer that I am in this space. The evolution of my relationship with Michael is exactly this. Gareth fed back that Michael had been complimentary of our silver jewellery and so we gifted him my favourite Silver Bancroft bracelet which was gratefully received. It is here where opportunity, timing, and forces of the moon perhaps fall into place.
Michael C Fox is an actor by all accounts, having acted since a child and cut his teeth in the British classic of 90’s television, the Bill, as well as on the stage at the National, with Enemy of the People. Parallel to this he grew up with a curiosity for music, mucking about with instruments including the guitar and piano, as another channel for his creativity. This passion for music is what brought us together in person at the petrol station off the M3!
I am a firm believer that luck is a combination of opportunity and timing. On route to Glastonbury, we had by chance stopped at the same time and same place, and upon recognising Michael I thought I should say ‘hi’ and introduce myself. There are too many occasions where we never get to meet the people we work together with, and so I figured it was worth a quick chat! And that’s it really. A human relationship had begun, a connection had been made, so when thinking about our silver series and silvers’ psychological imprint on the human it seemed like a no brainer to reach out to Michael and see if he was up for a few pics!
Both of us were busy in August just past, juggling work and parenthood, though we managed to coordinate a Sunday morning between rehearsal schedules (Fear of 13 at the Donmar) and the AMT Youth Programme’s weekend workshop series. We had a finite amount of time together to capture the collection.
I was keen to shoot Michael in a very casual setting. His demeanour is kind, content and laid-back with a true sense of graft (a characteristic I believe is the most important to driving success), reflective of a person who has managed to turn their passions into professions. With a humble confidence and his refreshingly personable demeanour, you can see how this mix of work and play from the ground up has formed the grit that is necessary for the creative world. Best known for his time in the global phenomena that is Downton Abbey, he has a wealth of work across theatre, TV and film, but what I enjoyed most about our shoot together was to learn more about the human behind these characters… to learn about the extra-curricular work and how we associate with hobbies being pursued into careers.
Aligned in our beliefs that creativity is not singular, but rather a multidisciplinary journey, we arranged to meet up in early September, for a Sunday morning of fashion, photography and music, to shoot the jewellery. Home to Michael’s football team, the Castle E17’s landlord and teammate invited us to settle in at the piano whilst he was setting up for the start of Sunday roast season.
Although considered ‘work’ the morning was delightful! Good coffee, good chat, the gentle sounds of cups clinking paired with the acoustic guitar and the beautiful sounds of the piano, and I hope the pictures capture this. All the sounds you hear are in the moment. No editing, just as it was, with no intention to be super refined, but rather to capture a moment and to enjoy the casual nature of the morning. Michael writes, plays and sings in a way that is self-taught and gracefully effortless, something that I imagine comes with enjoyment and a lack of pressure. Listening to music like this is good for the soul… and this brings me back to silver… Silver, of all the metals, is believed to be a mirror to the soul. It is said to be a metal that illuminates the way forward. It amplifies energy, prosperity, patience and determination, and where its brightness holds a sense of optimism, its tone holds a purity and a sense of calm. Aligned in every sense to our morning at the Castle E17! Thank you to both Michael and Adam. Truly grateful for your time and energy, especially on a Sunday morning!
