Mr. Turk and Instagram Fame

Mr. Turk and Instagram Fame

Jonathan Skow, the man behind Mr. Turk, was wonderful. He was kind, fun, effervescent and confident. He was everything he put into his clothes. Sadly, we lost Jonathan Skow a little over a month ago due to injury from a surfing accident. He will be missed and his love for life will continue on with all of those who wear his clothes.

Mr. Turk was the clothing company started by Jonathan Skow. It was established over a decade ago, and it has enjoyed steady success amidst its trendy male consumer. However, the brand has experienced rapid growth in recent years, especially amidst millennial male consumers. The online side of the business in particularly is booming, this is largely due to their Instagram presence, which has fostered an unexpected and rapidly-expanding fanbase.

Companies are salivating to become the next Instagram sensation, which is what makes Mr. Turk’s recent popularity spike that much more interesting. Trina Turk (his wife and acclaimed fashion designer) and Jonathan Skow managed to establish this coveted presence almost by accident, as they never deliberately sought out to crack the Instagram recipe that had lead to their success. This naturally begs the question: how exactly did Mr. Turk cultivate a strong Instagram presence? There are likely a variety of factors at play here, this post takes a look at their recipe for success.

Who is Mr. Turk?

Jonathan Skow, founder and lead in Mr. Turk clothing company, is the husband of acclaimed designer Trina Turk. Although the Mr. Turk clothing line is sold in over 30 boutique shops and online, the brand initially started as a male capsule collection to his wife’s Trina Turk brand. As consumer interest started gaining momentum, Mr. Turk expanded. However, Mr. Turk is still dwarfed by the much-larger Trina Turk brand.

Part of this is because Mr. Turk formed as an organic byproduct of Jonathan Skow’s artistic endeavors as a photographer and stylist, whose work has been featured in publications such as Vanity Fair, Esquire, and Harper’s Baazar, as well as various ad campaigns for companies such as Target and Sony. He explained in an interview with the New York Post that he initially began designing outfits for use in his various photoshoots. Over time, these outfits were featured in Trina Turk boutique shops, where they evolved into a full-fledged clothing line over the years.
As an artist, Jonathan Skow is defined by his ability to combine the timeless with the contemporary, as well as an affinity for colorful and playful sophistication. These elements are on full display within the Mr. Turk clothing collection, where shoppers can peruse options such as shirts, short, slacks, and yes, the infamous rompers that made a splash in 2017.
As Jonathan Skow explains, the Mr. Turk clothing brand is all about standing out. With an emphasis on play above all else, the items of clothing combine fashion classic such as suits and slacks with colorful, light prints and quirky designs. In Jonathan Skow’s own words, the Mr. Turk man is a social person “who wants to stand out” and make an impression.

Instagram: A Natural Habitat for Mr. Turk

Ideally enough, the very traits that define the Mr. Turk clothing line come across very well on Instagram. Its patterned, bright, photogenic, and colorful – all of the elements that cut through the clutter of Instagram. This is certainly reflected by their success, with Mr. Turk currently enjoying well over 86k followers (Trina Turk trails closely behind at over 78k followers).

As a social media platform whose emphasis lies solely on photography, it has become a haven for those looking to showcase their work, creativity, and just themselves in general. Everyone, from professional photographers like Skow to bored teenagers sporting modest cameras, has jumped on the opportunity to have a public platform where they can show off. Jonathan Skow and Trina Turk quickly became obsessed with the service long before they hoped to expand business via the platform, and Trina Turk shared during an interview that she took her phone with her everywhere, lapping up the chance to snap and share memorable picture whenever and wherever.

This is how the Mr. Turk brand quickly gained a second wind. As everyday users (including prominent influencers) began uploading their Mr. Turk-designed and inspired outfits, they rapidly fostered the attention that the clothing brand is designed to garner. The sophisticated, stylish apparel struck a chord with Millennials, and the turning point fully realized itself when the brand gained a special foothold amidst the gay community, who further drove up its recognition and popularity. It wasn’t long before Mr. Turk became a fashion icon in all manner of social media channels, which further bolstered online sales and cemented Mr. Turk as a prominent online fashion influencer.

Ultimately, Trina Turk and Jonathan Skow were also surprised by the Mr. Turk fever that swept up thousands of Instagram users. This is in part because their penetration of the platform was so organic, and as Jonathan Skow describes, they never sought to grow their consumer base via Instagram. Instead, he states that he was just thrilled to see others showcasing his work and basking in the attention given to them by other users. Which, when you think about it, is the exact type of thing you would expect to hear from the original Mr. Turk himself.