Monday, April 20th, 2009
Friday’s pop quiz was definitely challenging, and we hope the answers are as inspirational to you as they were to us!
The answers are:
A. Irving Penn, 1940
B. Horst P. Horst, 1940
C. Richard Avedon, 1952
D. Erwin Blumenfeld, 1945
E. Louise Dahl Wolfe, 1950
F. Guy Bourdin, 1983
Friday, April 17th, 2009
We LOVE vintage fashion magazine covers, so you can only imagine how thrilled we were to read a featurette posted yesterday on the NY Times blog The Moment about Erwin Blumenfeld’s Dada-inspired montages and Vogue covers! Reading it must have made us a little nostalgic for the “good ol’ days” when iconic, creative cover images were at their height, because we’ve designed yet another quiz with retro magazine covers!
This time we selected a few images by our some of the most iconic imagemakers working in fashion in the past. Each cover is by different artist: can you guess which celebrated photographer made each cover?
A. 1940
B. 1940
C. 1952
D. 1945
E. 1950
F. 1983
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
Before we met Daria Strokous, we had no idea she was such a Renaissance woman. We were already familiar with her stunning looks and stellar debut on the runways of Marni and Prada a year ago, so we were impressed to hear about her interest in photojournalism when she stopped by Wednesday for a go-see. We’ve seen a lot of model-slash-actors and model-slash-designers, but this is a whole new category: model-slash-photojournalist!
With a backstage pass to the hottest shows, we are looking forward to seeing some of her insider images next season. We can’t wait to see what she does both in front of and behind the camera!
Daria|IMG
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
When director Matt Tyrnauer presented “Valentino: The Last Emperor” to the audience at Film Forum yesterday evening, he referred to the film as an “indie documentary with $100 million dollar sets provided by Valentino himself.” Despite the fact that the budget for the film was probably less than the model budget for a Valentino show, the grandiose settings of the film (i.e. Valentino’s mansion outside Paris), coupled with the intimate view into Valentino’s life overshadowed any supposed lack of funding.
The 250 hours of footage was edited down to a telling 96-minute story about Valentino’s reign at the helm of one of the greatest couture houses in the world. We were touched by the intimate glimpse the film gave into the longtime relationship between Valentino and Giancarlo Giametti, which spanned both personal and professional worlds. Here is a short list of what we absolutely ADORED about this film:
1. The vulnerability and quirkiness of the designer
2. The incredible love and care of Giancarlo
3. The intense creativity and dedication of Valentino to making women look and feel beautiful
4. Valentino’s five unbearably precious pugs, especially the airplane and tooth-brushing scenes!
5. The head seamstress’ uncompromising attention to detail, and her team’s love of the hand craft
6. The princess of Bulgaria casually hanging out in a Paris studio as Valentino throws a tantrum
7. The fact that Valentino never liked Giancarlo’s ideas at first, but always loved them in the end
8. The fact that sometimes Valentino got tired of the “Valentino Red”
9. He didn’t think he was too tanned
10. Rome!
Valentino: The Last Emperor
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
As producers we are always looking for the PERFECT location. You know: the one that’s not too big and not too small, not too modern but not too antique, amazing light with the ability to blackout the space, not overly stylized but not completely empty. Although it is not a fit for every editorial, only a few locations are as timeless and versatile as an old New York City tavern.
We were flipping through the latest issue of American Vogue, eagerly anticipating the group portrait of Steven Meisel and his model muses, which we produced, when we saw the Minetta Tavern as a location for a casual model luncheon in the “Flash” section. The red leather-upholstered booths, eclectic pictures lining the walls, and vintage bar make it an ideal shoot location: it is equal parts vintage hangout and of-the-moment restaurant!
Plus, we hear the food is good too!
Minetta Tavern, 113 MacDougal Street
American Vogue, May 2009
Monday, April 13th, 2009
On a busy Monday after a holiday weekend this gentle, whimsical video was just what we needed to take a momentary break from everything going on around us, and relax!
Friday, April 10th, 2009
No matter what holiday you are celebrating this weekend, we hope you have a happy one!!!
David LaChapelle for Vogue Nippon,
Aug 2001
Thursday, April 9th, 2009
We see a lot of beautiful girls walk though our doors for casting and go-sees. Sometimes when we meet a great girl, something really special comes across in her beauty, her energy and her personality. It is that “something” that makes us stop and realize we have a supermodel standing in front of us.
Anne V is one of those special girls. She came to our office a couple of days ago when the weather was gloomy and our mood was less than ecstatic. But once we had Anne standing in front of us, everything just seemed a little…better. For us it was a timeless moment, with a timeless beauty.
Anne V | Women
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
Glen Luchford is one of our favorite photographers. He is renowned for some of the most creative, cinematic lighting and vision in the industry, and he is also a photographer that works incredibly well under ever-changing conditions!
Let’s consider this scenario: at the last second, a shoot that has been in planning for over a month with a location, model and visual concept all confirmed, is suddenly cut down from a two-day shoot to a one-day shoot. Under normal circumstances, this would be a time of crisis. For Glen Luchford, this last minute change was a welcomed challenge to his creativity.
The cast and crew descended upon a chateau an hour outside Paris, where Glen and Carmen Kass quickly got to work. With his keen eye and her striking looks and sharp wit, the shoot could not have gone smoother. The resulting images are as timeless as the art of fashion itself. We’re sure Carmen’s quick-witted and versatile approach had something to do with it, after all she is the president of Estonia’s Chess Club and was also a candidate for a position in the European Parliament!!!
Glen Luchford for Vogue Nippon, May 2009
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
It’s no wonder museums have long been a favorite location for photography and film shoots: the expansive spaces full of exquisite artwork, suggest both visual and symbolic aspects of art. From Thomas Struth’s mesmerizing photographs of museum patrons, to Woody Allen’s failed pickup attempt in “Play It Again, Sam,” museums are ripe with inspiration!
We are lucky enough to live in NYC with some of the best (and most photogenic) museums in the world, in particular the American Museum of Natural History. An all time favorite shoot location, the beautiful old architecture lends a romantic backdrop to any photo shoot. The dinosaurs, giant blue whale replica, and numerous archaeological display cases, on the other hand, offer some intriguing and unique opportunities for a photographer looking for a great shot!
Matthew Hranek, 2006
Taryn Simon, 2005
Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia, 1992
For more location inspiration, visit PRODn!