Bolton-born director, former menswear stylist, original co-founder of magazine and creative studio The Rig Out and now meme-making extraordinaire, we ask Glenn Kitson "What's In Your Tote?" We gave Glenn a tote bag to fill up with his favourite items on the Goodhood shop floor whilst talking over his new feature film about "northern scallies on mushrooms", meme-making and his thoughts on the state of retail in 2023.
GOODHOOD: How did you get into the film industry?
GLENN KITSON: I used to do loads of menswear styling, a lot of streetwear styling, and I used to run a magazine called The Rig Out about 12 years ago. We used to sell it to a lot of menswear shops. We started doing a little film for each magazine and a guy that I did it with was a photographer, and he got a job as a director. The place that wanted him got me in as well, I started as a creative in the company, working for Adidas, Nike, those sorts of brands. After a while I thought, ‘I can do this, I can direct’, so that’s how I got into it. Used to do fashion stuff, loads of campaigns, from Ralph Lauren to Nike, and I still love doing stuff like that. But more recently I’ve been more long form, and I want to do some funny stuff. I signed to Iconoclast at the start of the year. Harmony Korine’s on the roster, Gus Van Sant too.
GH: That’s a dream, to be in the same roster as names like those.
GK: Some local legends too, people I came up with, you know? Some people from around here. It’s nice, it feels like we’re building something here in the UK, as well as Los Angeles and Paris.
"I THOUGHT, 'I CAN DO THIS, I CAN DIRECT' SO THAT'S HOW I GOT INTO IT"
GH: As a director, who’s the ultimate writer you’d want to work with?
GK: As a director I’m looking to collaborate with good people; writers, really good DOPs, cinematographers, stuff like that. Matt Greenhalgh is a great writer, very northern. Charles Abbottt too, he’s helping me with a film I’ve got in development with BFI and Film4. It’s a slow burner, but it feels like there’s energy behind it, now that it’s coming together.
GH: Can you tell us what your feature film is, or is it too early doors at the minute?
GK: I can tell you. Believe it or not it’s about northern scallies on mushrooms, into witchcraft. They’re all into Gore-Tex jackets and Arc’Teryx and Berghaus.
GH: So it’s your fashion background and your northern background all in one.
GK: Haha yeah basically. It’s sort of semi-biographical. I am a Pagan though, I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m a druid. Not quite there yet. Maybe I’m a yellow belt at being a druid, know what I mean? This is gonna come out a bit weird now, ain’t it.
GH: Not at all. Tell me your thoughts on Stone Henge.
GK: I love it. The mad thing is I do so much football stuff, everyones got me down as a soccer guy. But mate, I want to talk about elves and King Arthur. That’s what I wanna do! Kelts, mushrooms and all that. Heresy and Story mfg., they’ve got the vibe haven’t they.
"I AM A PAGAN THOUGH, I WOULDN'T GO AS FAR AS SAYING IM A DRUID, NOT QUITE THERE YET"
GH: Speaking of Heresy and Story mfg., have you got your eye on any brands or anything you want to pick up today?
GK: Candles. I’ve been told to get candles. I really like the South2 West8 trousers you’ve got. The Cav Empt stuff too. I saw a chain online that I really liked as well, maybe I’ll get that. I want to look at what Weird Walk you have in too, I love what they do.
GH: So how did the memes come about? You seem do be pretty well known for them now.
GK: I’ve always done them really, even back when I was doing loads of styling work. Always did a lot of big jacket ones, ones about lads into menswear, that sort of thing. Then in lockdown I just went nuts, then it went nuts.
"I DO FEEL CRINGE DOING IT, BUT SOMETIMES I'LL GET A MESSAGE FROM SOMEONE TELLING ME THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A REALLY TOUGH TIME, AND THE MEMES CHEER THEM UP"
GH: Is that how you spent your downtime in lockdown, when everything slowed down a bit?
GK: I did loads of animation stuff, a lot of personal projects, something with Shaun Ryder about Salford, so I did keep myself busy. That’s when I wrote the first draft of my feature film too. So I’m grateful for that, big time. But the memes also just went off around that time, because I think everyone just wanted a laugh. Everyones on their phones, people just want cheering up. I do feel cringe doing it, but sometimes I’ll get a message from someone telling me they’re going through a really tough time, and the memes cheer them up. It’s really sweet and makes me feel like less of an attention seeking bellend.
GH: To finish off, what are your thoughts on the state of retail in 2023?
GK: I worry about the state of retail in the UK. We need our independents. Everything feels like it’s becoming just one homogeneous soup of corporate bollocks. I’ve always relied on the taste and individual edit of stores like Goodhood and Oi Polloi (I was fuming about OPs closure. Still am).
