TIRINO YSPOL
TIRINO YSPOL
Photography & Fashion : Jonas Martinez
27-year-old Tirino Yspol is a familiar face within Amsterdam’s creative industry. Having already worked for brand such as Patta, we caught up with stylist, model and creative director to reflect on his journey in the creative industry so far.
Where does your love for fashion come from?
Although I grew up looking at the way guys in my neighbourhood used to dress, the biggest inspiration and love for fashion came through music. Through listening I’ve been inspired at the young age to express my personality and my style. Then through understanding style, I grew closer and more interested in fashion.
Who would you say was your biggest inspiration in term of style growing up?
In different ways, I am inspired by different people and different cultures. For example, while I would listen to music artists from all sorts of genres and get inspired by the way they would carry and dress themselves, I would still find myself admiring people streetworkers in workwear without them even trying. I guess street culture as a whole was and is my biggest inspiration.
How was the fashion scene back in the days in Amsterdam compare to today?
More secluded and less accessible. A lot of gatekeeping I think. Although there is still a lot of space for more growth, I feel like it’s growing in terms of inclusivity and opportunities in the industry.
“ I think at first it just started with style which eventually got me interested in fashion.”
Was it an easy thing being into fashion growing up?
Not really. I would say it is something that comes with many challenges and risks. It involves taking chances. But it also observing a scene from the outside with no academic route or any certainty of success. There are many times where you do not really get a lot of support because back then, and even today, it is an alternative approach to traditional career paths.
Could you tell us about your journey and how you started working with Patta?
I started doing street photography with friends when I was 14, we would just document what we did on the street, skateboarding and basically hanging out. Patta asked me to model for the first time in 2012 for a collaboration they did with Nike... that was my first ever encounter in the industry. After a few years of more modelling, making the transition to do styling came very natural as I found myself being more interested in expressing myself through styling than doing modelling. So I started doing editorials and after some time, I got my first commercials and videoclip. It took me a while, but after 5 years of making a way in the industry, Patta offered me a job as the in-house stylist. By this point, we had grown as a family so it seemed like a natural proposition.
In term of being from Amsterdam and living here, what would you say is the advantage comparing with living in bigger fashion city like Paris ?
I think it has more of a community than Paris and definitely that has to do with the size of industry and people working in it. In Amsterdam everyone knowns everyone and it is almost feels like there is a see-through ecosystem in it which comes with advantages. Apart from that, the community is growing but is not half of the size of the industry in Paris.
Which project/achievement are you the most proud of ?
I’d say my first magazine print editorial ever. It was a story in Glamcult Magazine with photographer Piet Oosterbeek back in 2017. I think it was seeing my work physically that had a positive impact on me. Although it is not my best work, it represented a shift in my career and maybe my proudest moment.
Could you describe your working process ? How do you pick pieces for model or artist ?
Depends if I’m working for a client or doing a own project. If it’s for a client there are different approaches to get a result that everybody’s happy with. Most of the time, it’s communicating a lot about either a commercial or aesthetic choices or for video clips or press photos. Most of the time it is also about what the artist wants to express. If it’s my own project, I start with creating mood boards of looks, characters or concepts and try to cast the right person for it.
Is there anyone that you always wanted to style ?
Not really. Although I think it would be nice to style some iconic persons with the personality with a more free and outside of the comfort zone mentality like Young Thug or Iggy Pop.
Do you work on any personal project on the side ?
Yes, I’m working on a photography book and making a transition to Design.
What would be your ultimate goal in term of accomplishment in the fashion industry ?
Have a own label, doing production in my home country and making it very good and successful.