I’ve been working with Rags since our first press shoot back in 2015.

I later photographed him for the iconic ‘Human’ cover image, which was then painted by my husband Ben Ashton, in the first of many creative collaborations with Rags and his team that go beyond just photographs.

This page will evolve as I collate all the wonderful work we’ve created together over the years, including the incredible campaign and live performances around his second number one album, ‘Life By Misadventure’.

Life By Misadventure

in honour of the call to action, “tear it down/til it’s gone!” we created this one-take reveal to announce the new album. it’s one of my favourite little moments.

several hours to set up and one chance to get it right.

art department Jade Creighton

filmed by Laurence Warder & team

The cover images, both front and back, were taken in one shot each, when he was at his most relaxed and at-home, during a weekend of creative projects around the new album, all taking place at his home studio. I printed the images out on my home printer and tore them each in half. Texture and tactility were very important throughout the campaign.

Rags hand-wrote every inch of this room, it was exhausting. Here he is being filmed by Laurence Warder.

For the details that formed part of the artwork and visual themes, I worked with Rory to bring a visual language to life - one that expressed the rawness, the presence, and the honesty that is so inherent in his music, as well as staying true to his aesthetic roots and influences. This album is as confessional as they come, and we wanted the visual aspect to reflect the loneliness and isolation, but also the warmth which run throughout the lyrics.

A small room inside a barn on his property was converted into a self-contained creative unit, which served as both the central location throughout the entire campaign. as well as a potent metaphor for self-imposed isolation.

First Rory hand-wrote lyrics from the album all over the room, using grafitti paint pens, which are very messy. The room was covered in footprints and smudges and doodles of faces and other elements which could only have come from Rory.

Once the room was covered from floor-to-ceiling with what amounts to Rory’s raw and honest diary entry lyrics, we built a home on top of it.

This warm and textured domestic environment serves as the setting for the photographs in the album artwork, as well as a whole archive of video assets which went on to form parts of visualisers across all platforms.

initial mock-up of the room concept

the album textures carried through the outdoor stage design, seen here with phenomenal lighting design by Tom Sheppard.

photos by harriet bols

I took Rags and family to the seaside to film this evocative and escapist visualiser for ‘Anywhere Away From Here (ft. P!nk)’

Filmed & produced by Laurence Warder of Fourth Floor

on this same trip, I photographed Rory along the Hastings seaside. It was also here where we happened upon the hidden theatre where Rory went on to film the video for his collaboration with Nothing But Thieves on their reworking of ‘Alone’.

for the visual for Rags’ single ‘Fall In Love Again’, I worked with my husband Ben Ashton, who has been collaborating with Rory since the artwork for the debut album ‘Human’.

Ben created an intimate portrait, which he painted and erased and painted again, to tell a story of alienation and solitude, which we filmed in time lapse.

Edited by Sara Faulkner, shot at Dalston Pier.

I’m quite proud of these TV performance visual concepts. The goal is always to keep Rory’s streetwear aesthetic, and keep it fun, while having a storytelling element.