Before We Begin —
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Introduction —
Moving to New York always felt like a pipe dream — something impossible, yet also attainable. Didn’t matter how much I saved (or tried to), or how many friends I had that could make the transition smoother. I couldn’t give into moving over, but at the very least, I chose to stay for three months. Just to see what it would be like to live there — hopping from sublet to sublet in West Village, Red Hook, and Bushwick.
I cannot express how valuable that experience was — and still is — to me. All the clichés about New Yorkers were mostly false, except for those die-hard Knicks fans who might take a swing at you to celebrate a win (RIP). Have you seen Sidetalk? For the most part, people were surprisingly friendly, eager to help you integrate well into the city’s culture, and become your biggest supporter for whatever you’re working on. At the end of the day, they just want to see you grow and succeed.
During this stint, I kept hearing about certain people with a kind of lore tied to them — movers, shapers, culture contributors: ones with stories that made them sound like something of legend. Greg Jackson, creative director for Greg Laboratory, is one of those people.
Somewhere along Orchard Street — or at least I think it was Orchard Street — our mutual friend Danny (still one of the most handsome men I’ve ever met) pulled out his phone and showed me Greg Lab’s first editorial. What I saw was unlike anything I’d seen before. That’s the thing about Greg and his vision — it’s singular, it’s vibrant, and it’s exactly what menswear needs right now. Drawing on visual cues from The Matrix, Blade Runner, and Minority Report, he’s built an entire universe through his collections and editorials — one that feels both fantastical and eerily realistic.
With the release of his latest collection, I decided to sit down with The Famous Greg Jackson to discuss how Greg Lab first started, his family’s love for sci-fi, and the world he’s built — and continues to tinker with after each release.
Enjoy.
Interview —
First thing I want to ask you — out of curiosity, how did the handle thefamousgregjackson come to be? I remember working as a PA for Aimé Leon Dore, and what's his face (Teddy Santis) said that.
It was funny. Before my Instagram name was gregbjackson7, or something like that because my favourite number was seven, and then that's my name. And then my friend Chris — a different Chris — used to call me Famous Greg Jackson because of a TV show: The Famous Jett Jackson.
Around this time, I was quitting Nike to then move out to New York, and start this whole new career path. I was like, ‘man, I felt like I need a cool monicker name,’ or something like that, and my friend’s Instagram name was Master Williams. That was inspired from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I was like, man, I need something like that. I was like, ‘oh, my friend called me a The Famous Greg Jackson,’ and I was hitting up people; asking if it sounds egotistical, or if it’ like a narcissist. Everyone was thought it was funny — do it. Okay, cool.
That's how the name came to be.
It’s a handle to remember. Since then, I’ve been striving for something like that. I didn't know that you previously worked at Nike. How long were you there for? What was your role?
2012 to 2017, straight out of school.
When I was first got hired, I was a designer for sportswear — working with lower price-point stuff that like kept the lights on. People from ages 16 to 50 year-old men would wear this stuff. It had to be so democratic and so easy. I just don't like colour block t-shirts with big logos on them.
I wanted to work on the cooler stuff, but everyone was like, ‘no, you got to work your way up.’ Eventually I did. Then my last two years, I got to work on on Nike Lab stuff: ACG, Gyakusou, Essentials by John Elliot, Ricardo Tisci. I was involved in all these mini collabs, but I was mainly focussed on ACG and Gyakusou. Those were the main two, and I loved it. The coolest job, my dream job.
Was there a specific collection, or piece, that remains as a highlight from your time at Nike?
There's a Gyakusou jacket, the first one that I worked on with Jun. That's my favourite because that was my first meeting with him.
How it worked was that we would show him all the latest technology coming out of Nike, and we would show him weird things that we liked that were made in the atelier, and I was playing around with different logo executions and stuff, using techniques like mesh panelling. I showed him all these options and he ended up designing a jacket around all those options I showed him. Then, when I left Nike, he actually signed it for me. He signed the inside of the jacket.
So, shout out Uncle Jun. He's the best.
To take a step back, how did you first start in fashion? What lit that match?
You know, like a lot of people, it was during the era of Pharrell, Kanye, and Lupe (also known as Child Rebel Soldier — fun fact).
Those three probably helped put the nerdy, skater Black kids on — it gave us a voice. We were always in this weird middle zone in a way. You know, we either weren’t black enough, or we were too black. Being in that middle zone and having people like Pharrell. He was a big trailblazer for dressing outside of the norm. I latched onto that heavy. That’s when I was like, ‘yo, I want to do that.’
And that's what I found out that you can go to school for fashion and footwear. They sparked all that. If it weren't for them, I'll probably be like, I don't know, painting at a park someplace, or still playing with Pokemon cards.
Have you seen that new Pokemon TCG? Damn. Anyway, you mentioned painting. Is that something that you currently do, or just dabbled with in the past?
I started off drawing my whole life. That was something that kind of led me into this role of fashion apparel and design. It was my love for drawing.
I went to this Visual and Performing Arts High School where you would take drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and then you would choose a subject and just focus on that. Then the art school I went to — besides your major — had these foundational drawing and painting classes. So, I'm Fine Arts-trained, as well as Industrial Design.
Also, I didn't go to school for fashion. It was too expensive. I tried to go to Parsons, tried to go to Pratt, and it was too much money. Went to the next best thing for me, and that was Industrial Design.
“We were always in this weird middle zone in a way. You know, we either weren’t black enough, or we were too black. Being in that middle zone and having people like Pharrell. He was a big trailblazer for dressing outside of the norm.”
The classic industrial design-to-fashion pipeline — love it. Even for myself, I thought about doing that.
You know what's funny? Anyone can get into it if you have the imagination. It's heavy drawing, but I remember the people that weren't good at drawing would excel in actually making a piece. We would have to make models of what we were trying to do, and I remember that the people that were good at drawing and rendering — they weren't as good as the people that were like actually making things.
It really taught you how to design with purpose and how to design for a consumer in mind. That's why I see a difference between fashion design and apparel. For me, I feel like I'm designing with the intent; designing to solve a problem, or it's built for someone.
Fashion design is there to look good. Obviously, there's a functionality to it, but for me, it's mostly there to look good. As for apparel, I feel like it's more-or-less the same thing. It has to look good, but it has to also function, and do its job. The pockets have to work, the pants have to fit.
Your creative style feels a bit influenced by Japanese design and fashion as there is an appreciation for that level of intention. Do you see this in your approach to fashion?
A Bathing Ape kind of brought me into the world of Japanese fashion design, and then that's when I found out about Jun, Rei, Junya, and Yohji and their whole thought process. Most of my books at home is about Japanese fashion design, their creative process, the use of the colour black. Just how refined it is, and the way that they talk about fashion design seems so magical and other-worldly.
Like it's this gift from the universe that we should be so lucky to be able to harness, and I love that. Looking at that and just being in love with the clothing as well — eventually it just translated it into the way I think of my stuff.
What was Greg Lab like when you first started? Whether it’s the clothes, inspiration, etc. How did you get to where you are today?
When I first started, I felt like there was already too much, excuse my language, shit in the world. I couldn’t see where I could really make a difference. So, I began with upcycled pieces, using vintage parachutes from eBay. I was making bucket hats and harnesses, hand-dyeing them in my bathroom — every single one. They were terrible, super colourful, and I made so many mistakes — but that was the earliest stage of Greg Lab, around 2020 to 2021.
Then I just stopped — it didn’t feel like me. I wasn’t wearing those colours, it didn’t feel right. One day, I decided to change direction. I needed to build a uniform for myself — clothes I actually want to wear. Greg Laboratory really started from that idea: creating pieces I felt were missing from my own closet.
“For me, I feel like I'm designing with intent — designing to solve a problem, or it's built for someone.”
When and what was the first collection for Greg Laboratory?
I started in late 2022 — I had so many pieces, just trying to figure things out. Initially working on a climbing pant, but eventually shifted focus to an overshirt. The first Greg Lab piece, the one you have with the big pockets, was inspired by my love for Unc-overshirts. I just wanted something super easy to wear.
I was working on a project with my friend John Loop, and spending time with him really pushed me to revamp the brand. He just said, 'Do it' — hah, Nike — and that gave me the nudge I needed. I realized I needed a pant to go with the overshirt, so I revisited this design that combined elements of a climbing pant and a karate pant — the fit came from karate, and the stance and pockets were inspired by climbing. I was like, ‘cool, this is my first collection.’
My love for sci-fi, anime, and weird laboratory spaces also played a big role. I wanted to bring that imagined world to life. It all started as an art project, really — we did a photoshoot based on that vision, and that’s when it began feeling more like a brand. We were just experimenting at that point — definitely not making money yet.
Then it started picking up. I guess this is a real brand now.
Before I met you, I remember our friend Daniel was talking you up and telling us “oh, you have to check out my friend Greg and his brand.” He pulled up the brand’s Instagram outside of this random, noisy joint, and I was blown away. The photo of Daniel and the second guy looking at a warped spoon — unreal.
Tell me more about your love for sci-fi. The genre plays a pivotal role in your brand, but were you always a sci-fi kid? Are there certain films that you revisit while working on a collection?
It's funny because I need to put more of that fantasy feeling from my first photoshoot into the current stuff. I mean, my parents are big sci-fi/anime nerds — Kung-Fu films for my dad, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Adventure was for my mom. I grew up on all of that.
That’s all I’ve known my whole life, and it’s what I want to bring to life — in my own way. When it comes to film, I’m into stuff like Blade Runner, Minority Report, heavy action-anime like Gundam and Samurai Champloo. I’m big on samurai stuff, so there’s always that dojo-type, laboratory vibe. The Matrix is probably my biggest influence. I was basically combining my three favorite things: martial arts, anime, and sci-fi.
I’m just trying to tell a story — and get better at it. There’s always room to improve. I’m still figuring out what that story is, and what the Greg Laboratory world looks like. Who are these people? What are they working on? Are they secret agents? Are they in the lab solving problems, messing with code?
Formality and technical functionality seem to go hand-in-hand with the brand, especially in your latest two drops. Can you take us through your creative process?
I start off every collection with the intent of problem solving. It needs to have a reason for it to exist. From there, I design into the piece by focusing on shape, form, and function. I try to design in a discovery factor, which represents what makes the garment unique. Finally, once the garment is out in the market, we go back, assess it, and make the design better. Nothing is ever truly perfect.
Your latest editorial gives a retro-futuristic feel. Do you ever look back at the past as inspiration for the future? If so, what do you look for the most (e.g. patterns, fabric)?
Yes, I look to the past first. I always try to modernize what was done before. I tend to look at body shape and utilitarian details.
You have this futurist touch with your work, but how do you feel about the future of fashion in general? Especially within menswear.
It’s very exciting right now, but also overwhelming because there is just so much out there already. I feel like we're in the start of a shift. I think there will be more brands showing more utilitarian-hybrid clothing, with a buy less/buy better mentality.
How much have you grown as a designer since your first collection?
We started off with literally two pieces for the first few months, and now I think we're at six — maybe seven, tops. This our fourth drop of Greg Lab.
It was always about building a uniform, and I feel like I’ve established what that uniform is — its current campaign photoshoot was to really showcase that this is what a Greg Laboratory worker/person wears everyday. I feel good about that, now that I have fully established that. Everything in the editorial is what I wear everyday — I’m in that. Maybe not a tie every single day, but still often.
To get to this point, I just had to think of a purpose for it. It's summer time, guess I’ll need a short version of these pants. I'm in this office space, I’ll need a button-up shirt to go with the jacket. Wait, it's an office space — I need a tie, and the tie needs to have the same signature details like everything else, and so forth.
Just tweaking things every season — finding a better way to do it, better fabric construction. Just making it all-around better each time.
Interesting. Basically, Greg Laboratory is season-less and in a constant state of evolution after each collection.
Yes, a constant state of evolution. Season-less garments that you can wear year-round, give or take. This goes for probably goes for most designers — pieces come out, and you will just maybe wish you had done something a different way. Okay, cool, I'll try it again for the next season. Though, I never find it perfect each season — it sucks, it eats me up so much.
It seems like season-less collections are becoming more desirable, and it’s something that I’ve grown to appreciate. Rather than releasing entirely new pieces each season that may fall out of rotation the following year, you can just tweak past iterations, and release a new version tbat may feel and fit better.
“I design into the piece by focusing on shape, form, and function. I try to design in a discovery factor, which represents what makes the garment unique. Finally, once the garment is released, we go back, assess it, and make the design better. Nothing is ever truly perfect.”
You’ve created the ultimate uniform — releasing garments that can be worn for many occasions, seasons, environments, and conditions. Whether it’s a formal setting, or a climbing session, you have something that fits a need. You’ve worked some major brands on the side. How do you manage to do all this work?
When I moved out to New York, the goal was to become a Freelance Consultant, to be my own boss. The brand kind of came second since I wasn't confident with what I wanted to do just yet. Anyway, I've worked for Adidas, Yeezy Gap, Uniqlo — and then right around the pandemic, honestly, things really picked up. I started getting multiple projects at a time where I'm doing capsule collection for Rivian tied to their new truck they were releasing. They wanted an apparel collection that mimics some of the design details they had within the cars, be as sustainable as possible. I got put on to that. Action Bronson — I connected with him and did his whole collection as well.
One of my main gigs is doing stuff for New Balance’s Made in USA line, and I’ve got another set of New Balances coming soon. As for finding the time — I don't know, I just find it. Even it’s late at night, it’s all stuff I want to do. The Greg Lab stuff doesn't feel like a job.
I would love to just work on that full-time. Can't, not yet.
That’s New York for you. Everyone has three-to-four gigs going on, and they’re successful in every one. They’re hustling, and it’s something I took away from my time there. You’re crushing it, trust me.
Thanks, man.
It’s nice having multiple streams of income, but it's not always healthy. The Vancouver life though — slowing it down sounds good sometimes.
I mean, it’s still too slow out here. We’ve got great stuff happening through shops like Neighbour and Wallace Mercantile, but all in all, we are definitely a step behind with the times.
Fashion culture in New York seems to be a hot topic right now, with NYFW seeing less and less positive reception and even less attendance. As a New Yorker, what are you seeing in the streets and culture these days? Is this just a lull, or are we looking at a long-term issue?
I currently see a lot of smaller up-and-coming brands sprouting up, which I find very inspiring, and a lot of camaraderie.
Do you think there will be a time where you will want to move operations outside of the US? Vaquera, for example, moved to Paris as they felt it was safer and healthier to grow as a brand. Is that in the cards for Greg Lab?
Very good question. There are just some things I can't make here — like a waterproof shell, or a sweater. Eventually, I would have to move overseas. Besides the cost, they just have better machinery, and better capacity to make units.
What's been the most challenging obstacle you've faced since launching the brand? How did you overcome it?
I think the most challenging obstacle, and one I’m still overcoming, is learning the ins-and-outs of running a brand. The design part I’ve figured out, but everything else around that. For example — raising capital, marketing, production, sourcing, and content creation. I’ve been getting better at this after each collection. Once I overcome them, I’ll let you know.
It feels like we've reached a kind of crossroads within fashion, as luxury brands are seeing less interest and dipping in sales, while smaller brands are generating more interest. Have you noticed any changes in attention and opportunity over the last few years?
It’s hard for me to say personally — if this has had any affect on the brand. Maybe last year, after Jay Z wore a piece from my collection instead of choosing any number of luxury items. That could be a representation of gaining attention, but there are some interesting opportunities that have surfaced recently.
Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for your support as I work to grow this newsletter into something bigger — a full publication with interviews, collection coverage, and maybe working with larger publications.
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- Chris
Love this interview, and obsessed with Greg Laboratory