Paul Weller Is New Face of John Varvatos (Exclusive)

John Varvatos’ latest ad campaign stars a beloved British rocker and his heir apparent. Paul Weller, known for his days with English punk band The Jam, then later with The Style Council and as a solo artist, poses with 26-year-old newcomer Miles Kane, outside a pawn shop on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Acclaimed rock photographer Danny Clinch shot the campaign, his 17th for the designer, each of which is meant to evoke the brand’s affinity for rock ‘n’ roll style-makers. Past collaborators include Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, Perry Farrell, Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, Velvet Revolver, Iggy Pop, Chris Cornell, Joe Perry, Ryan Adams, Slash, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

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Says Stephen Niedzweicki, creative director of design house Yard and longtime Varvatos collaborator, “The images were inspired by some of the early post-Mod portraits of Paul, as well as classic portraits from the British music scene of that time. By bringing together a veteran musician with another who’s just getting started, we were able to look both forward and back and introduce a whole new dynamic.”

Varvatos, who was a mentor and judge on NBC’s Fashion Star this year, described the images as a “kind of passing of the musical torch. … You can see the influence that Paul, a fashion and musical icon, has had on Miles. These two Mod men dressed to the nines provide such a spectacular contrast to their surroundings. ”

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As a bonus, the new shoot also includes a video element, inspired in part by the music-driven films of 1960s England, like the Beatles’ 1964 A Hard Day’s Night. The soundtrack is Weller’s song “That Dangerous Age” from his latest album Sonik Kicks.

Says the 53-year-old “Modfather”: “Of course I’m proud of what I’ve done, but I’m interested in what’s next. I want to be relevant now, in 2012. I’ve done my bit for the past. I’ve only ever been about what’s next, really, and I’ll be that way until I keel over.”

See an image from Varvatos’ Green Day campaign below:0