FITTED | Mackenzie Duncan
In the latest edition of FITTED, we invited Vancouver Island native Mackenzie Duncan to Over the Rainbow for a look at the newest denim & fashion items for Fall/Winter 2016. A talented photographer who is constantly traveling the country in search of new inspiration, Mackenzie loves simple, functional fashion that he can wear on the road in any setting. Aside from outfitting him in his latest travel wear, we had a chance to ask Mackenzie about his roots in photography, his choice of social media, his latest projects as well his one-on-one shopping experience at our store.
What inspired you to become a photographer? Does travelling to different places play a part in your passion?
I’ve always enjoyed observing the world, watching light, picking out reflections and where they come from. I’ve also worn glasses for most of my life so I had a deeply routed curiosity in images and why my ‘camera’ didn’t work like other peoples. I basically couldn’t see a foot or two past my nose without things being blurry. This created a lot of otherworldly imagery for me to be inspired by and it still finds it’s way into my work with how I choose to use depth of field and foreground objects.
Traveling for work is far less fun than one would think, it’s still great and I do drawn inspiration from different locations but more often than not when you are there for work, you work. The whole time. I remember a trip to the Bahamas years ago, I was there for three days and the only ‘fun’ time I got to have was 15 minutes of snorkeling one day at lunch.
That being said, I don’t want to sound ungrateful at all. Travel is so important to me, the people you meet, the architecture, the food, the nature and just being pulled out of your routine, out of your comfort zone. That can be such a powerful experience in life.
What is your favourite social media platform and why?
Instagram. It’s basically the only one I engage with on a semi-regular basis. Why? I’m super visual and I enjoy the simple visual story telling that goes on there. It’s also amazing how many cool people I have connected with offline through meeting them through our common interests we display on Instagram.
You have been involved in many past projects, including an NGO and a furniture company. Is photography still your main focus? Do you have any other projects on the horizon?
I’m a creative through and through. It takes a lot to hold my attention so I can’t say photography is my ‘main’ focus. Career wise it’s my main focus sure but I often find myself pursuing other person types of photos, and building things. I write a lot, I make a lot of music. I find that if I focus too intensely on one thing I burn out on it. That’s happened in the past with photography and I learned a lot of hard lessons. I’m much more careful with that these days.
As for upcoming projects, there are always lots on the horizon. I’m working on building a platform where people can get items with my imagery on them, phone cases, prints, etc. I’ve never been good at that, I tend to create images and then sort of forget about them. I’ve come to realize they can be very inspiring to people so it’s best to find a way to get them out there, to share them with the world.
How would you describe your personal style?
Simple, classic and functional.
What is the one “must-have” piece in your wardrobe?
A solid pair of dark denim.
What did you think of your one-on-one fitting at Over the Rainbow? How do you feel about the products & services we offer?
It’s was a great time. Good coffee, kind people. Honestly, I felt a bit spoiled. It’s pretty humbling to have people take so much time out of their busy day and focus it on you. I’ve also been wearing the jeans every day since I got them…. so that’s a good sign.
Stay tuned for more FITTED interviews featuring one-one-one styling & profiles with some of your favourite Toronto personalities. Make sure to follow Mackenzie Duncan at @TheMackenzieLife
