THE TURNER SERIES Meet Jax Raynor
Introducing Jax Raynor
Jax Raynor is an entrepreneur, model and Founder of digital publication ‘this is nice’, based in the northern beaches of Sydney. With extensive fashion knowledge gained from her time living and working across the globe from New York to London and Hong Kong, Jax has developed a refined approach to infusing her love for fashion, beauty, art and culture seamlessly through her creative endeavours. Having founded ‘this is nice’ over two years ago, Jax is at the helm of the editorial platform that offers a fresh take on her own taste and desires in the local and international fashion scene. Whether Jax is producing, styling or consulting for like minded brands, her passion for preloved vintage does not go unnoticed within her capsule wardrobe. Shot at Studio Maybe, find Jax in her most beloved preloved pieces and read on to discover how she continues to push the boundaries for ‘this is nice’ and how she intertwines her love for fashion with being sustainable and spending consciously.
What is it like being a female entrepreneur in the Australian fashion industry?
I’ve worked in fashion in New York, London and Hong Kong before coming to Sydney and although everywhere I’ve worked has been amazing Sydney is by far the most welcoming and encouraging creatively. Everyone seems genuinely interested in each other's work and projects and although many of us are technically competing for the same jobs there is a sense of respect that I hadn’t previously experienced. It feels as though everyone genuinely wants each other to succeed.
Where do you find yourself seeking creative inspiration for ‘this is nice’?
A lot of my ideas come when I’m alone, cooking, going for a walk or even in the shower. I’ll start thinking about one thing and then 5 minutes and 100 other thoughts later I’ve decided on our next shoot concept. I also look for creative inspiration in the everyday, how a couple interacts or the feeling a song gives me, the way a dress moves or the shapes in nature. Like most, I do love a bit of pinterest but I try to limit how much I am exposing myself to other people's work that are in the same space of ‘this is nice’. It’s great to see what other people are creating but it does end up subconsciously influencing your own work.
Describe a typical day in your life as the Founder and Creative Director of ‘this is nice’?
It depends on the day but my favourite days are on set working on an editorial. I usually arrive at the location/studio about an hour before my assistant and the rest of the team to make sure I have everything organised and feel good about the overall concept. As the team arrives I check in with everyone to see what their thoughts are on the shoot, beauty ideas we have, lighting, styling, etc. As we shoot I love going through the images and selecting our favourites and seeing the editorial take shape. It’s something I probably say every time we are shooting but I think it’s so cool that we are creating these images because we have an internal creative desire and that each person there is bringing something unique to set.
What have you learnt about yourself whilst undertaking this creative journey over the last few years? And how do you strive to continue to push the boundaries of your business?
I have learned a lot, both good and maybe even bad. I’m very hard on myself and always have been, I wish there were more hours in the day so that I could build ‘this is nice’ into what I dream of it being now but I know that will happen over time. Giving up any level of control is very difficult for me but I know that in the future when I do hire a team it will allow me the freedom to focus on the overall growth of the brand.
Share your favourite tips for shopping preloved and tell us about your most treasured vintage pieces in your closet.
There are a few great preloved designer stores in Sydney that I pop into every few months but I buy most of my preloved and vintage pieces through instagram or even facebook. I was recently going to purchase the Yrjo dress from Christopher Esber and did a quick search to find someone else in Sydney selling it for a quarter of the price online in my exact size and it was
brand new. Everyone loves a great deal but it also makes me happy that I’m giving the garment a chance to be worn and not sit in the back of someone’s closet. I am also very very fortunate to have a mother that was a great shopper in the 90’s and absolutely loved shoes. I always ‘shop’ her closet when I am back home in America and smuggle a few pairs of vintage designer shoes back to Sydney. All of the Gucci from when Tom Ford was there are my personal favourites.
How do you intertwine your love for fashion with being sustainable and spending consciously?
It’s not always easy to balance being sustainable while keeping your wardrobe feeling fresh while working in fashion. Most days I am viewing new collections or have showroom visits so I am constantly seeing new and beautiful things that are always tempting to add to my personal wardrobe. However, this does allow me to really take my time to think about what I like and where I would wear it as the collections I’m viewing are often months away from being released. We are also very fortunate to have so many amazing brands in both Australia and New Zealand that produce beautiful and conscious designs, Maggie Marilyn is a personal favourite of mine. So when you are thinking of buying a new piece you have some incredible options that aren’t having a harsh impact on the environment. My wardrobe also consists of very little colour, it’s around 90% black or very dark colours- I just find that I wear those pieces the most. So when I am purchasing a piece I do keep colour and
prints in mind but almost always go for the darker option. I also tend to buy pieces that I can wear for nearly any occasion, a blazer is a great example of this. I wear my favourite blazer to meetings, running errands, in the evening and even over a sweatshirt on the plane.
When you’re purchasing a preloved bag, what are the considerations for choosing this piece? And are there specific brands that you’re collecting?
I’d say I’m more of a shoe person than a bag person but the few bags that I have purchased are all black and all very classic brands and shapes. I have a Fendi Baguette that is black satin with a leather strap my grandmother gave to my mom and my mom gave to me. A piece like that will never go out of style and as we’ve seen in recent years will definitely hold if not go up in value
over time. The big dream is a Kelly bag.....I won’t hold my breath though.
What are your plans for ‘this is nice’ over the next six months?
Over the next six month I am really focusing on our brand partnerships as well as the creative direction and consulting I do for brands outside of ‘this is nice’. We do have plans to print in 2023....stay tuned.
Shot at Studio Maybe.
