As it’s fabled, the ancient city of Troy fell to the Greeks through cunning, ending a 10-year siege. This deception came in the form of the Trojan Horse, a supposed peace offering to Athena, the goddess of wisdom.
Unwittingly, the city welcomed the wooden monument within its walls and in the dead of night, Greek soldiers emerged from the horse to open the gates, marking the end of Troy. Thousands of years later, through the rise and fall of many empires (and many designers), Jordan Gogos has claimed the Trojan Horse as his own.
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The Creative Director of Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, Sydney’s darling has done what his mythic ancestors could not: triumphed in just five years. This week marks his fifth consecutive year showing at Australian Fashion Week (AFW) – a victory in itself, considering a few years ago, he could barely sew (“I didn’t even know what a seam allowance was.”).
The designer has come a long way since then, refining his capabilities and his label’s aesthetic. Jordan’s reputation is now that of the maximus maximalist – his design style is a multicoloured explosion of bold patterns, textures, and materials. Yet, in the frenzy, recurring motifs appear; patchwork, fringe, layering, and naturally, the Trojan Horse.
While it may be the label’s symbol, it speaks to Jordan’s presence in the industry, not just as the artist who found skills and success in fashion, but one who understands the power of a good story. Behind the spectacle lies a shrewd marketing mind, “If no one’s seeing it, no one’s gonna buy it,” and he acknowledges, “you can’t create this magic without partnering with people.”
These partnerships have been storied in the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ (“keep going”) and, of course, Fashion Journal. Each time, a new chapter in the Gogos myth was written, complete with its own pantheon. Year after year, a fresh collaboration rolled onto the runway. But this time, Gogos goes solo: the designer at his most personal.
Leading up to his presentation at AFW on Thursday, Jordan reflected on his odyssey thus far; the presentations, experiences, and collaborations that’ve shaped his practice, and are now propelling him into the next five years and beyond.
2021: AFW debut
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From his 2021 debut show at AFW (a collaboration with 25 different artists) it was clear Jordan wasn’t concerned with following convention. “I never went through the [Next Generation Runway], I didn’t study fashion,” he says. “I was a furniture designer that was known for sculpture design in metal aluminium. And then I was given a spot. It was a really unique thing, and it hasn’t really happened since.”
His studio at the time was his apartment, and the rumour mill swirled: “Oh, what? Jordan’s doing a show? He’s not even a fashion designer.” But he was undeterred. “The timing of everything was quite wild and how fortunate I was to have that breakthrough,” he laughs, “and also just gusto, because back then I was just full of bullshit.”
2022: Jordan Gogos X Jenny Kee
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In 2022, Jordan teamed up with fashion designer Jenny Kee, signalling a turning point in his career and in the scale of his shows. “It broke records in many ways,” he recalls. “They said there were 250 [news] articles in the month of May alone. It was worth over a million dollars in press.” But acclaim can be a double-edged sword: “It became so big so quickly… It became bigger than me.”
Compared to the freedom and intimacy of his first show (“we were in my apartment. We’re all just talking shit, having fun, figuring it out”), this one marked the beginning of a different kind of pressure. “It was a lot,” he admits. “And after that, I got really depressed.”
2023: Jordan Gogos X Akira Isogawa
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By 2023, Jordan had recovered momentum, alongside fellow designer Akira Isogawa. “It’s like Charles Jeffrey collaborating with Yoji Yamamoto,” he reflects. Jordan had approached Akira, seeing potential in the unusual pairing. “At that stage, I was like a professional asker.” He also secured sponsorship from Afterpay. “I had money in December, which is unheard of. I never had money that early for a show.”
With finance bolstered, the collaborators thrived. “We met, we got along really well, I showed him my [designs], he was really responsive to it.” And the city seemed responsive as well, “We were on billboards through the whole of Sydney. We were on trams.”
2024: Chapter Four: The Woven Trojan Horse
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“I had no money for three months – genuinely. And that’s why the show was really creative,” Jordan reflects on his 2024 showing. Scraping by on a few private art sales, he finally secured some funds, just two months out. “I got a bit of money… so I could do a few more things and have enough to pay models.”
Returning to the rawness and energy of his debut, Jordan recounts, “I had thread, I had denim, and honestly I really went back to 2021.” The set design included a collection of rugs designed in collaboration with Designer Rugs, “I had two bespoke hanging rugs that were four by four meters. It was a really crazy thing.”
2025: Iordanes Spyridon Gogos
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This year, Gogos goes solo, “I’ve not worked with any namesake Australian designer,” he says. “It’s me. Me, me, me!” For the first time, the collection (and the performance piece accompanying it) was entirely his own vision. “At this show, because I did the performance piece on the screen, it was the first time where it was just me. I didn’t have to make something in collaboration or create a vibe.”
After half a decade of navigating partnerships, opportunities, and industry expectations, he reflects: “It’s taken me five years to really be myself on this platform. I had to do whatever I had to do to make this work.” Now, the brand mirrors him more than ever, “It’s a whole different side of me.”
Keep up with Iordanes Spyridon Gogos here.
This article “It’s me. Me, me, me!” Jordan Gogos goes solo at AFW appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-05-16 07:16:00
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