Photography by Terry Richardson

POST SCRIPTUM: THIS WAS THE FIRST PROJECT I DID AFTER MOVING TO NEW YORK. IT WAS A TOTAL FLUKE. THE MID LEVEL AD SITTING NEXT TO ME HAD THE PROJECT AND WAS STRUGGLING A BIT TO GET THE DESIGN APPROVED. HE ASKED ME ON THE SLY WORK ON IT ONE AFTERNOON, SO  I TOOK 2 HOURS AND HANDED IT OVER. THOSE SKETCHES GOT APPROVED BY THE BOSS AND THE REST IS HISTORY. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I WAS EN ROUTE TO WORK ON A MONDAY AND THE POSTER I HAD DESIGNED ON FRIDAY WAS LINING THE STREETS. IT FELT VERY SURREAL AND GLAMOROUS, AND A BIT LIKE I HAD JUST SEEN THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN. THE CYCLE OF CULTURE BECAME LESS MYSTERIOUS TO BE THAT DAY, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.

POST-POST SCRIPTUM: I MOVED TO NEW YORK WITH NO SAVINGS. MY SALARY WAS LESS THAN 30K. A TYPICAL WORK DAY WAS 12–14 HOURS. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS BROKE. BEING SURROUNDED BY FASHON PEOPLE ALL DAY MADE ME FEEL LIKE A PEASANT. I WANTED TO feel GLAMOROUS, AND MY ART SCHOOL WARDROBE WAS NOT CUTTING IT. ONE DAY I RECEIVED DESIGN FEEDBACK, HAND-WRITTEN BY JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ON PRINTOUTS OF THE DESIGN I HAD PREPARED FOR A MEETING (THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ATTEND OF COURSE). WHEN THE PROJECT WAS FINISHED I SOLD THEM ON EBAY FOR $800.