AJT: There’s such a sense of fun, optimism, and energy in your work – do you think we need more of this in the industry?
HG: Absolutely! I think we can always use more fun and optimism in the industry. It’s essential to balance the serious aspects of fashion with joy and creativity.

AJT: Big question, what ignited your love of bananas?
HG: I think bananas are a metaphor and symbol that represents my work in its simplest form – the magical realism mascot, if you like. Just look at them as objects; they’re quite bizarre and unusual, yet they appear consistently in mundane day-to-day life, serving as a reminder that the sublime is never too far away.

AJT: I also love the Facebook comments argument about the broccoli casserole thief, aka lizard bitch!
HG: This came from the book’s text editor, James Ross. We were debating the concept of whether anything can truly be deemed original anymore, so it feels right for him to weigh in on this.
James Ross: We all take ownership of what we put into the world, be it an image we’ve created, words we’ve written, or a recipe we’ve produced. And damn right we should be precious about that. Imitation may be deemed the sincerest form of flattery, but try telling that to Helen; she’s fuming. And I reckon she has the right to be. Hands off her casserole, Caroline.

AJT: Do you have a favourite image or series, or one that stands out for the amount of work that went into it?
HG: It’s hard to say as I approach my work as very strong single images, everything has to be a banger, so there is a lot of single images that have been combined to say something new. This I think is the epitome of this book. More recently I am enjoying the simplicity of a clever series of images repeating itself, the power of the idea rather than the image itself.

AJT: If you could photograph anyone who would it be?
HG: If I could take a portrait of anyone, it would be between Cillian Murphy, Mo Salah, Michaela Coel, and Aubrey Plaza.

AJT: What would you recommend people listen to while looking through your book, and where should they keep it in their house?
HG: I think the book fits nicely into a fruit bowl, or if you want to be more conventional, on a bookshelf, because that spine is popping! I have a playlist I made with Zeel Freel called Metal Mario Barbie. I would recommend playing it on shuffle; you never know what you’re going to get – except pure vibes. I think that’s a great fit! [laughs] I also have to give a shoutout to Ascendant Vierge; they have inspired the energy on many shoots even though I don’t understand a word Mathilde is singing.

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