At the foot of Mount Gower, the highest point on Lord Howe Island
“While the last few months have been frustrating for many reasons, they have given us the opportunity to do things differently. To do them better, even if it is a difficult path”. It is not without reason Jarrod Scott : life takes things away from you but offers you others.
Due to the pandemic, we were unable to accompany him on a road trip last August – along his favorite route, the Australian Great Ocean Road, in Victoria. , but, journalism stuff, he allowed me to enjoy a personal video call with him (from my parents' living room!).
He was happy to be able to talk for a while about nature and ecology (spoiler: it is what interests you the most) and, who signs these lines, happy to travel –virtually, of course– to the wild island of Lord Howe with the boy who has fallen in love with us in the most top fashion shows and campaigns.
We could say that Jarrod has done it all: parades with Jacquemus, Etro, Bottega Venetta, Louis Vuitton, Valentino , campaigns for Tom Ford, Givenchy, Gaultier and Chanel. Photo sessions with Mert & Marcus, Steven Klein, Bruce Weber.
Views of Neds Beach from Malabar Hill
He has lived it all in the world of fashion, and that, when we ask him if he has always been interested in him, he is 'clear': “Yes. (Pause) Well, probably not,” he admits with a laugh.
“I didn't even know what style was until I was past adolescence, it was very basic in that sense. He always wore the same clothes. Actually I'm still like this, I don't need many things. I love my work, I enjoy it and I am able to value crafts or tailoring. But I don't need any of that in my closet. Of course I have some designer pieces, but not many."
He confesses to us with some shyness that he is also not very inclined to party nights. “I have lived it, but he ended up boring me. There is so much to discover and explore!” He points out, however: “Being a model is great, thanks to that I have been around the world several times. But it is also exhausting: you sleep little and always see the same places” , tells us this Australian boy who dreams of acting and always travels light.
Walking under Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana), a species endemic to Lord Howe
“Since I lived in New York – now he is back in Melbourne, where he says he has a better quality of life and more of a sense of home. I only travel with a backpack, I no longer carry a suitcase. I don't need much, the firms usually leave me the clothes. Yes, I usually carry a pen, because I am always asking for one at airports and nobody has it, it is frustrating”.
Jarrod uses this expression a lot, although no one would say by looking at him that someone like that could get frustrated over nothing. “I like to draw although, if I do, I don't train, and vice versa. It is difficult to find a balance, ”he reflects.
His job has also taken him to his favorite places on the globe, sunny places like the Canary Islands. "Unfortunately, you're back on the plane before you know it," he laments.
Arriving at Lagoon Beach
He also took you to Lord Howe Island, located off the coast of New South Wales, a destination that had been on his wish list for a long time.
“I like nothing more than exploring wild places, especially in Australia. Not much is said about this island, unless you have been, of course, or are very fond of diving. I was very attracted to learning from such a clean and 'minimalist' environment, so interesting in terms of sustainability", explains the model, who started diving about four years ago.
“I had never before related to the ocean beyond going to the beach. I began to be interested in coral, to the point of having my own fish tanks at home to observe it and learn how to take care of it”.
Snorkeling at Neds Beach
Scott always wanted his commitment to the environment to be turned into action, but he couldn't find what suited him best. Until he discovered his passion for corals and began collaborating with the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
From his Instagram profile (@jarrodscott), the Australian encourages his followers to introduce small changes that can save the planet. “Social networks have a lot of power. Small gestures count. Of course, nobody is perfect, the important thing is to keep the debate alive”.
There is certainly a lot to (worry) about in terms of ecology. “A lot!” he laughs, and he confesses somewhat frustrated (again) with the position of his government regarding renewable energies. "They hide behind employment and allow large foreign companies that do not pay taxes here to take everything and destroy our landscapes."
Malabar Hill, in the north of the island
Those on Lord Howe Island are the remnant of a volcano that dates back seven million years and is mostly covered by virgin vegetation, full of unprecedented species in the rest of the planet that continue to be discovered every day.
It is also** a pollution-free place, self-managed and that only admits 400 tourists at a time.** “Something interesting in terms of tourism – Jarrod comments –, an aspect in which, sometimes, it is not easy either strike a balance".
Scott has toured the island with Damian Bennett, the photographer who signs this report, with an anecdote of hitting some underwater rocks included. "I was trying to photograph some sea creatures," he justifies himself with a smile touching his forehead. “I had a photo shoot in New York the following week and I couldn't bring myself to say it or cancel it. Luckily no points had to be put...”.
Jarrod holds a crayfish
Both stayed at the south end of Lord Howe, in Capella Lodge, the only luxury hotel on the island, with only nine rooms, overlooking the beach, the lagoon and the mountains.
Its excellent service and privacy compensate (if it is possible to speak in this Eden of compensating anything) the austerity of the facilities. In this remote paradise there is no running or talking on the cell phone.
“It's like being in Jurassic Park. Everything is so old... The plants are amazing, the birds... they can't be found anywhere else in the world. It has the southernmost coral reef in the world, formed by different and beautiful species. Is incredible, This place should be talked about more and protected even better”, emphasizes Jarrod , who spent time talking to conservationists on the island concerned about rising ocean temperatures and their dire consequences.
In the deep waters of Neds Beach, where you are soon surrounded by coral reefs and countless exotic fish
Jarrod has documented there, as he often does, his experiences in the ocean, in which he catches his own food. “I only eat fish, shellfish and sometimes chicken from organic farms if I can't get anything in the water. I also have a vegetable garden and I collect my own mushrooms. I only eat seasonal and local foods, that's what tastes like real luxury to me."
From this dream place, “the life of the corals and fish on Neds Beach, the endemic black clown fish, the clean sand of Blinky Beach, the sunrise from the pontoon at Lagoon Beach, views of Mount Gower from the Jacuzzi at Capella Lodge and crabbing at Kings Beach.”
The cliffs of Malabar Hill are home to the largest bird nesting area in the world
And he is left wanting, for now, to have seen Ball's pyramid, that he was unable to visit because of the weather. “With 562 meters high, 1,000 meters long and 300 wide It is the largest volcanic pile in the world. , he comments on this uninhabited islet, 20 km southeast of Lord Howe. "Its view is spectacular, like a giant shark tooth in the middle of the Pacific."
The commitment of this place, with cleaning points for visitors' feet and shoes, so that no foreign seed affects the ecosystem – they also have strict regulations for 'invasive' animals – has deeply impressed Jarrod.
“Last year I met with the Ferrari team to discuss their sustainability agenda and it was super interesting. I am not a scientist but I like to share my point of view and invite reflection”.
Diving in Salmon
Can a firm like ferrari , of which he is friends, change the world? "Definitely. In a way it's like Armani , whose path towards recycled fabrics is laudable. They are lifelong signatures, symbols of luxury that show that things can be done sustainably.
Fendi and Stella McCartney for example, they try to do the right thing. The change has to start somewhere.” He bets on Australian firms such as Venroy and Outland Denim, which give importance to their production process and the traceability of their fabrics.
Diving with crayfish at Salmon Beach
And he doesn't shy away from one last quick quiz: Does he read magazines? "Not as much as I should, but I buy a lot when I travel." Music? “Eeeeh, I must have like 10 songs on the mobile. I'm more into listening to what they put on the radio”.
A perfect day? “Getting up, diving, catching a lobster, running along the coast at sunset and making dinner. I love to cook. Since I was six years old, if I was hungry I would cook for myself.”
What is coming to us? “Everything will be more focused on people for a while. It will be different, of course. I will be open to adapt quickly.” As he himself says, the important thing is to keep the debate alive.
*This report was published in the number 142 of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (autumn). Subscribe to the printed edition by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website. This issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available at the Condé Nast store or in ** its digital version to enjoy it on your preferred device. **