As CARBON 2014 approaches, we’ll be sharing our interviews with the speakers appearing at the creative culture festival. March 29 and 30 will see a whole host of mavericks and trailblazers converge on Melbourne to share insights from the worlds of art, photography, design, style, music and more. The next cab off the rank in our interview series is unstoppable force in menswear Mark McNairy.

CARBON festival 2014 is on March 29 and 30 at RMIT’s Storey Hall in Melbourne. You can get tickets from the ACCLAIM online store. 

Known for his tenacious aesthetic vision and no-nonsense approach, Mark McNairy has become a formidable name in the menswear industry. Whether it’s via his Mark McNairy New Amsterdam line, his role as designer at Woolrich Woolen Mills, or his collaborative contributions to the likes of Billionaire Boys Club, adidas Originals, or A Bathing Ape – McNairy’s penchant for mixing high-street tradition with streetwear aesthetics has ensured that he’s a significant force in the contemporary menswear scene. After successfully reintroducing capes as a sartorial statement at NYFW, it seems like there’s no limit to what McNairy is capable of.

What inspired you to enter this profession?

Is this really a profession? For real? Damn, that is cool!

What has been your career highlight so far?

I ain’t been there yet.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?

Please yourself, and you will, in turn, please others.

What do you envision for the future of the fashion industry?

That I shall fuckin’ rule it.

How does it feel to be back at Woolrich Woolen Mills?

Pretty sweet. And victorious.

How do you maintain your vision when collaborating with other
people?

By only collaborating with brands and people that fall within my aesthetic boundaries.