Nick Knight on being a skinhead, why he’s hopeful about AI and how well-designed spaces make life better
In our new podcast, Homing In, our co-founder Matt Gibberd invites guests to discuss their childhood home, where they live now and their thoughts on future living. (If you missed episode one, with Ruth Rogers, be sure to listen here.) Our guest on this episode is the legendary photographer Nick Knight, who has spent more than four decades shooting some of the biggest names in contemporary culture, from David Bowie to Bjork, with a client list including Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto. He’s also the founder of SHOWstudio, the influential fashion-film platform that preceded YouTube as a pioneer of moving image when it launched in 2000. Here, Matt reflects on their conversation – and reveals why it’s one he’ll never forget.
“For this episode, I visited Nick’s London studio to find out more about his incredibly colourful life through the lens of the homes he’s lived in. He told me about growing up in a grandiose apartment in Paris, the impact of his dyslexia and how falling in love with photography unlocked a relentless work ethic.
“Nick’s unlikely entry point into image-making was joining a group of skinheads as a teenager, mainly because he liked the look of the girls. He talks about the life-changing experience of building a house in his twenties, with a certain young architect named David Chipperfield. We discuss the future of AI, how being a photographer gives him unique access to anyone in the world and the day he turned Lady Gaga into a man. As Nick says: ‘There’s nothing more important than the spaces you live in for shaping you, how you feel about things, making you feel positive about life and love.’ He’s full of wisdom and wit, and this is certainly a conversation I will always remember.”
Stay tuned for more episodes of Homing In, featuring industry-shaping names spanning fashion, architecture, design and TV. We’re releasing them every fortnight, so be sure to subscribe so you never miss a new one. As always, enjoy listening.
Further reading:
Read more about Nick Knight’s home, designed by David Chipperfield
Pictured: (below) Nick’s daughter as a young girl at their family home
