Before The Magazine Covers

Exploring how the birth of HOM's innovative archetype framework radically improved my artistic journey.

I was fascinated by the mythic ideas of Jung.

As the lockdown rules became more restrictive six years ago. I found myself directing in film school, performing at acting studios and on stage. Filmmaking made me think increasingly in terms of character and symbolic identity. Two books by Carl Jung Man and His Symbols and his Red Book went deep into details of dream interpretation, artistic fantasy & mental health.

I developed the framework from what I read before expanding my fashion credentials.

By this point, in 2022 I had been modelling since childhood and just graduated from film school, the Covid--19 restrictions were lifted and I began applying these ideas behind the camera. When I wrote the script for Paul's Trilogy... partially auto--biographical, but more of it was geared towards revealing some subconscious desires of Deep Artists and Girl Bosses.

Like I always say to new collaborators at House of Mirrors.

Bringing multiple artistic mediums together doesn't just tell a story... it reveals culture.

Here's what happened next.

The Gravitas of Multi-Hyphenate Artistry

I started meeting more models who were interested developing the kind of artistic gravitas usually reserved for leading ladies of cinema. Some acted in my films, others just posed for my camera then found themselves published in fashion magazine editorials. What's more, at this time I had privately written out the Archetype Framework... and because of that... casting became much more streamlined. The first editorial I ever sent to a magazine was published.

That same year I figured out which archetypes various magazine editors were drawn to.

Years of studying Jungian psychology, had given me the tools to understand archetypes in a practical sense. What I understood needed no explanation to editors who publish models.

Including the editors for Vanity Fair. Before the end of that year... I had 3 magazine covers, from 3 different publications. However, as my practical understanding of this HOM framework grew I noticed that my standards as a creative director were changing in permanent ways.

I started receiving more DMs from people connected to fashion publications.

Editors, magazine owners from different corners of the globe, published models and fashion designers based in Toronto with dreams of stardom. They'd tell me how much they loved my art and make interesting offers to collaborate. On the other hand, as I put more models in magazines, my standards were changing in ways that I would not have previously predicted.

Instead of working with every fashionista who wanted to make it big.

I realized that unless a collaborator shared my devotion to making art... it would be better for them to work with a colleague, or creative that I had trained and developed rather than me.

I was becoming more selective out of necessity:

• I stopped re--scheduling photoshoots because most magazines have deadlines.

• I made sure archetype readings preceded my test shoots and magazine editorial collabs.

• I did not tolerate diva behavior or let such folks talk me into offering discounted services.

Adapting Jungian psychology into a contemporary, culturally specific set of twelve archetypes made my services immediately useful for artists dealing with magazine editors, Instagram and industry gatekeepers. What I didn't expect... and didn't predict... was that I would become one of these gatekeepers so quickly. While you can see how my framework was tested on multi---medium storytelling first plus how this tracks with emphasis I've made in some previous journal posts about clothes orbiting the person, and on highly coordinated editorial roll--outs featuring original music and magnetic characters from cinema. I was becoming an institution.

But not everyone who wants a slice of this institutional power can handle the attention which comes as a result of it. Sure plenty people will express love for your work and in the same vein there will be folks who can't help but hate it for subjective reasons. After all, not every magazine editorial made by House of Mirrors has featured the same archetypes in print.

The Scales of Success

In the fall and winter season of 2024, I was looking for ways to increase the scale of my services, while also determining which collaborators were devoted enough for long--term creative partnerships. Some models would get published after our first photoshoot, where the test--shoot I organized would catapult a new face onto the cover of a magazine. More and more performers based in Toronto were finding global audiences with this HOM framework.

A heart--warming message from the owner of a fashion magazine based in London, England.

Some of these models found themselves moving on from Toronto, and working in Italy after I got them published in various magazines. It filled me with joy to see success scale upwards and gravitas draw out industry opportunities that weren't confined to one side of the world.

It all started with 20th century psychology and grew into a modern Archetype Framework that has been instrumental in tipping the scales of success in my favor. While also ensuring higher levels of financial security---performers I had developed in Toronto went on to find consistent artistic work internationally, walk for Milan Fashion Week, get published in Vogue magazine, secure agency representation and build lucrative creative--businesses of their own.

This is the system HOM still uses.

By 2025, I had published more than 50 models in dozens of fashion magazines.

At the time of writing this journal post, I already have 10 magazine covers to my name.

As you might've already guessed... before this year ends, I'll have more editorials published.

It's the same system I continue to refine with every new collaborator.