A week in work outfits with NYC-based creative, Jess Brohier

What a photographer wears.

It’s never easy trying to come up with a new series of outfit combinations for the working week. Instead of having a set uniform, an ever-changing schedule means every morning requires a new set of questions. Am I running around, or just sitting at my desk? Do I need to dress specifically for a project? And what are you meant to do when your favourite pants are in the wash?

Given that it can be a daily struggle, we’re asking our favourite local creatives for outfit inspiration. Jess Brohier has what plenty of aspiring photographers would consider a dream job.

For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.

Having officially made the move from Melbourne to New York City, she’s the creative director for production company, Alt-House, as well as a photographer, which sees her working a range of local and international brands and publications, like Fashion Journal.

The perks of her job mean Jess gets to set her own schedule, like choosing not to work Mondays (unless she absolutely has to) and getting to collaborate on a shoot for her friend’s brand. The flip side, though, is needing to always be switched on.

“Working full-time as a creative, it’s kind of like you’re always working… but you’re obsessed with it, and the lines are very blurry between business and social life. You never know what chance meeting, source of inspiration, conversation or event attendance is going to lead to your next job or career leap,” she says.

Jess just so happens to have an equally enviable wardrobe, combining the best of Melbourne and New York fashion. Read on to see how she gets dressed for a typical week.

Tuesday

It’s fake spring (still cold) in NYC at the moment, so I wore a few layers and was heading to a meeting in Chelsea with my friends Selina Yang and Sionan, at Selina’s fifth-floor apartment. I’m currently producing and shooting a campaign for her new eyewear brand, Menina, and this was the day of our pre-production meeting.

I love these boots – they’re vintage all-black cowboys, I found them in Bushwick at Beacon’s Closet the day before I left for Australia last year. Today I wanted comfy and warm, so I layered a vintage rabbit fur over a Comme des Garçons jacket that I bought at the back of Skydiver in Naarm a year or so ago.

My favourite cut of jeans is this barrel style one from Alpha60. People always ask me about them because the shape is such a perfect, baggy style. The bag I picked up in Mexico City in February. It was a leather sample from this super cool store with Error 404 vibes called Ayanegui. I’m also wearing my go-to Prada sunglasses and a hat soon to be released by Kyha Studios that I’ve been living in, which I shot as still-life when I was back home in summer.

Wednesday

Today I was on my way to the East Village in Manhattan, to a cute coffee shop meeting with an Australian set designer whose work I’d been admiring, Danielle Selig. Dani has been living in NYC for 10 years, so I wanted to hear her take on the industry. Plus, when you live abroad, it’s super cute meeting new creative Aussie friends.

I was feeling kind of chill on this day, so I wore these Junn J nylon pants that I got from Swop, my OG black Adidas Superstars, and a jacket from my friend’s brand, NYC independent label Mercy X Mankind. I’d shot the campaign for this collection last year and had my eye on it for a while.

A lot of my wardrobe consists of items from independent local designers and mostly second-hand designer, a lot of which I’ve found in NYC. I love this P.A.M hat too and the tote. It says ‘Liquid Assets’ and I thought it was funny because in our generation, it’s so painfully true.

Thursday

My days at the moment consist of planning creative projects, so today I worked from home. While I’m in between client work, I’m spending time reworking the direction of my fashion folio, which I like to do every few years. It feels like a new chapter, and this process takes a lot of concepting and production time. Because I know that having skilled crew in every role (like hair, make-up, set, movement direction and BTS) creates the best visual outcome, I tend to be meticulous with planned tests and editorial structure. I’m aiming for two to three fully produced shoots a month at the moment.

In the evening, a friend I’d met recently invited me to a performance art piece in Brooklyn. This was the first warm night we’d had since last year, so I felt like wearing ‘neutrals for spring’. I wore a light tank from Rollas, my Alpha60 jeans, this shirt from Sir, a bag from Cos that I picked up in Paris a few years ago, and these shoes by Mutma that I found in Lisa Says Gah in LA.

Friday

Speaking of the business of being a full-time creative, I packed two shoots into one day at my studio. The first was a test shoot with a model (who ironically, bailed at 5am on the day of with a ‘fever’) and the second was a small content session for myself. Not having your personality on social media these days feels like a huge faux pas if you’re trying to succeed as a creative, so I’ve decided (finally) I may need to take this more seriously. So stay tuned (lol).

This day, I met with my 2IC in NYC, whose background is in PR, to work on the future direction for content and marketing across my personal account and my agency, Alt-House, which has taken a little break from operations, while I’m still in the transition phase from Australia to New York.

I’ve been dying to wear these Sanctuaire pants outside but it’s been too cold. I received them as a gift from my dear friend (little sister) and brand founder, Jaida. They’re literally hand-made out of shirts! Incredible! Go follow her immediately! This vintage leather belt and top by Good American are cute basic staples I wear all the time. I’m also in love with these block heel boots by Miista, which I got at a NYC sample sale last year.

Saturday

On my technical ‘day off’, I went to visit Open Studios in Dumbo with my best friend and artist Marisa Mu, who is also from Naarm and moved to NYC just a few months after me. Researching and being exposed to all kinds of artistic practices has become a new obsession of mine lately. I love taking inspiration from painting, sculpture, mixed media and performance art. As an artist, seeing what someone else is achieving and the level at which they work can be a great source of motivation to understand what’s possible.

I opted for comfort yet again as I’d had a late night and it was cold. I wore this Alpha60 jacket, which is a black box boucle and the perfect medium weight, paired it with a thrifted Korean skirt, these fire Nike Air Max Muses that I love, I wore this with my favourite Yankee dad cap and my Pussy Pour Homme scarf.

Keep up with Jess here.