Andy Thomas has been a leading culture and lifestyle writer for over 20 years and a creative copywriter/brand storyteller for the last 10.
He has worked on campaigns for a wide variety of brands using his expertise of how culture connects to brand and audience. This includes an editorial relaunch of Lee Cooper jeans, a heritage campaign for Savile Row tailor English Cut, storytelling for British brand Chapman Bags, cultural reports from Cuba to rebrand Havana Club Rum under their Havana Cultura initiative, interviews and stories for the COS fashion label magazine, brand reports for Mr. Porter's on line magazine, and New Perspectives a vinyl record campaign for clothing brand Sunspel in partnership with acclaimed photographer Dean Chalkley.
Andy has also worked on digital communications for brands including for the Campari Group where he created a range of brand messages, tone of voice themes and strap lines to be used across their platforms as well as content for specific marketing events, and daily Instagram posts to re-energise brand profiles. Working with Terry & Fran digital comms agency and curator Gilles Peterson, he created promotional material for Appleton Estate Rum’s Jamaican Jazz Sessions.
Between 2014 – 2016, Andy was freelance copywriter for Soho House, writing and editing their Time Out style US members’ magazine, writing brand copy for events, and co-ordinating features and listings from marketing managers. He has also become a specialist real estate, architecture and property copywriter working with marketing companies and creative agencies on brand strategy, brochures, straplines, adverts, brand guidelines/messaging, tone of voice, and website rebrands.
Andy began his creative writing career for Straight No Chaser magazine in the late 1990s, reporting from Cuba, New York, and Los Angeles on the cultural scenes and interviewing figures like writer Walter Mosley and musician Louie Vega. As a Contributing Editor for Shook magazine in the late 2000s, he helped establish a vibrant music and culture magazine, developing content and working on creative direction. His writing included a cultural report from South Africa and an interview with New York disco pioneer David Mancuso. Since 2020, Andy has been Co-Editor and Creative Director of Faith fanzine a dance culture magazine published by Defected Records.
Between 2014 and 2018, Andy was Staff Writer at Jocks & Nerds magazine, working with photographers like Dean Chalkley and stylists such as Mark Anthony Bradley to create one of the most respected independent culture and lifestyle titles. Interviews included Jonathan Meades from his home in Marseilles, Louis Vuitton’s Creative Director Kim Jones on his fashion archive, designer Nigel Cabourn about his new clothing line, stylist Judy Blame in advance of a major exhibition at the ICA, Turner Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller, and choreographer Hofesh Shechter. He also worked on creative direction with Editors and photographers to create innovative copy to connect culture to brand and audience.
Working for New York’s Wax Poetics magazine, Andy wrote the first extensive feature on Chicago house music DJ Ron Hardy, the late Los Angeles pianist Horace Tapscott, and an interview with the influential Detroit producers The Belleville Three.
Writing on a wide range of subjects, from music and dance to style, food and travel, Andy has regularly contributed to publications like Highsnobiety, Hole & Corner, Mr Porter, Time Out, Dazed, The Quietus, and Red Bull Music Academy. He has also written storyboards for music documentaries, sleeve notes for independent/major labels, and programme notes for arts institutions in the US and Europe including The Barbican where he also conducted after show Q&As for their cultural programmes.
e mail - andythomasx@hotmail.com
Insta - andythomasx76
