Today i-D founder Terry Jones receives an MBE for his services to fashion and popular culture. We here at i-D are all very proud and want to raise a toast to the man who not only brought you the world’s favorite fashion magazine, but changed the way culture and fashion co-exist. Want to know how? Well here are 10 things you didn’t know about the legend that is Terry Jones and how he shaped the modern fashion industry.
1. He was a legend even before he started i-D.
i-D founder Terry Jones was creating chaos in the fashion industry long before the first hand-stapled, photocopies of i-D were printed. Terry worked as art director for Vanity Fair in the early 70s, before spending 1972-77 as creative director for British Vogue. While there, he constantly broke the boundaries of art direction, creating covers featuring Rowntree’s Jelly, a pixelated version of Bianca Jagger, and even covers without models. His work at the magazine helped defined the rebellious glam aesthetic of the decade. Beatrix Miller, British Vogue’s then-editor, recalls letting him “get away with breaking all sorts of rules — covers, notoriously.”
READ: Terry Jones Discusses his favorite Vogue covers
2. And then he created legends.
Terry himself said, “i-D is more than just a magazine, it’s an academy for talent.” And goodness the talent’s been good. Throughout the years, Terry’s academy has been a nurturing ground for iconic photographers such as Nick Knight, Juergen Teller, Craig McDean, Ellen von Unwerth, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Alasdair McLellan. In more recent years, Terry’s ethos and attitude paved the way for the next generation of photography icons such as Harley Weir, Jamie Hawksworth, and Tyrone LeBon.
3. i-D is also where your favorite stars had their first magazine covers.
Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss both gave i-D a smile and a wink back in 1993, being among the first of the legendary models’ magazine covers. However, it didn’t stop at fashion models — Madonna, Sade, and Björk all had their first magazine covers with i-D, and on the other side of the lens Mario Testino shot his first cover with i-D back in 1984.
4. Terry Jones also invented the emoji.
If you’ve made it this far without realizing that the i-D logo is a winky smiley face, well — we’re impressed. Yet it was back in 1980 that Terry turned the letters into a wink and smile. “I loved designing logos, and my favorites are the i-D winking face and the i-D star. i-D should be recognized as the first “emoticon,” at least three years before some claims made in 1983,” Terry Jones explained in 2015, when we were celebrating our 35th birthday. See, we’ve always been ahead of the curve ;-).
READ: Terry Jones and Judy Blame i-N Conversation
5. Alongside inventing the emoji, he also came up with a thing called “street style.”
Ok, so people were dressing for themselves on the street long before i-D. But back in 1980, when i-D began, you still had “sittings editors” at magazines, no stylists. “Stylist’s own” was a phrase no one had ever used and “customized by the stylist” could have meant anything. The fashion documented in the early issues of i-D, capturing various London tribes, was the vision of those who actually wore it on the street. i-D has always been a celebration of personal style within a fashion context. That was something that had never been done before. Pretty revolutionary, right?
6. While doing all this, it’s important to remember Terry championed all things good.
Terry was a pioneer in championing equality, diversity, and all-round kindness within the fashion industry. i-D always kept a free charity page during Terry’s time at the magazine and the covers were among the first to feature black models on high-street shelves.
7. He brought a positive attitude to an industry not known for its kindness.
Terry’s mantra to i-D staff has always been, “we are fans, not critics,” and this was the attitude reflected in the magazine. The fashion industry is often regarded as cutthroat and overly subjective, but Terry strived to creatively find a way to give a platform to the things he loved rather than critique.
READ: Terry Jones, the original i-CON
8. Alongside all that, Terry Jones was also the first person to employ the new British Vogue editor Edward Enninful as a fashion editor at the age of 18!
Edward began his career in fashion in the 80s, modeling in the pages of i-D at the tender age of 16 after being spotted on the tube by legendary stylist Simon Foxton. Moving on to assist on shoots at 17, Edward became the youngest-ever editor at a major fashion magazine when he was named i-D’s Fashion Editor at 18 and Fashion Director at 19 years old, a role he held for 20 years.
9. It’s also important to mention he gave young people opportunities (otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this piece).
Terry always strove to give young creatives a chance — from burgeoning photographers to the very staff in this office — and it’s thanks to Terry personally that many of us sit here today. Our current Editor-in-Chief Holly Shackleton started her career interning at i-D alongside members of our sales, editorial, video, and music team who all started out on the intern desk. It was Terry’s constant belief and trust in youth that made i-D the cutting-edge fashion bible it is today.
10. But most importantly, he gave us the gift that is i-D.
And for that we are all forever grateful. Thank you Terry, congratulations on your MBE, lots of love. The i-D Family x
Credits
Text Declan Higgins