Catching Up With Street Style Legends Tommy Ton and Phil Oh After 15 Years

Why do you consider, from a business enterprise perspective, you have equally been equipped to be effective at this for so lengthy?

Oh: We’re so damn likable! [Laughs.]

But a lot of photographers get started out with avenue fashion and test to pivot to other styles of photography: backstage, ad jobs, studio work, et cetera. Have you at any time assumed of street style as a gateway to yet another gig?

Ton: Phil, you can respond to.

Oh: I necessarily mean, persons would request us, “So you have no aspirations to want to be a true photographer?” We are genuine photographers.

Ton: You know, when people say, “You guys are the pioneers of road design and style, blah, blah, blah.” I just believe street design and style is a style of images that has, around the previous two many years, coincided with the invention and enormous fascination with social media. That was a massive disruptor in the field that created manner feel far more obtainable. So are we going to chunk the hand that feeds us? No. We are so fortunate to be capable to be hired, to do a occupation the place we just operate alone and work promptly. Click on, simply click, click on.

I imply, that is what we are recognized for and what we appreciate accomplishing. Do we do other stuff? Probably I do from time to time. I don’t know about Phil, but I am happier than ever to be below now. It’s a distinct time. We just came out of the pandemic and I really feel like what is occurring now, especially in New York, is very remarkable. It is a quite fascinating time to seize style on the road. It’s a new technology and a legitimate switching of the guard.

Oh: It is a disappearing of the guard instead than switching the guard.

Ton: Yeah, which is correct. People today are more than it. They are leaving fashion. But it is interesting to me to see so several younger designers’ displays where all these children are attending—they are essentially a portion of the group. In Paris there are so many persons outside the house a show—I mean, any a person of them could be the future Virgil.

Maggie Maurer in Paris in 2020

Photographed by Phil Oh