All clothes by Elizabetta Franchi, jewelry by Ader and shoes and bags by Tsuru by Mariko Oikawa. Photography by Jus Vun, fashion by Miku Ikeda, make up and hair by Miho Mashino, and modeling by Maaya Yoshimura@Donna Models Tokyo. Creative info: Jus Vun, Miku Ikeda and Miho Mashino.
http://contributormagazine.com/fashion-story-last-dance-at-the-okura/
This is my first world-wide fashion advertising campaign. I shot 20 models in Tokyo over one day for United Colors of Benetton Global marketing campaign for their Carnival capsule collection called "Face of the City." Albeit, there were 5 other photographers and their respective teams in the other major fashion capitals so I am not the only photographer on this campaign. However, it is a huge production with around 120 models in total and six production teams in six cities. Just a bit of caveat, I have seen this concept done before and I take no credit nor responsibility for the artistic direction. I was just called on to shoot the portraits. Can't wait to see them on billboards, buses and storefronts.
Huge thanks to all the beautiful models who we shot and our amazing team who worked round the clock to make sure we stuck to our tight schedule:
On-set Co-ordinator: Eren Hayashi
Make-up Artist: Maiko Mizumachi
Hair-stylist: Miho Mashino
Photo & Lighting Assistant: Masahiko Koguchi & Kiyoka Ikemura
Lemonade Productions UK (Amber, Emma and Sarah)
Benetton's latest ad campaign celebrates the racial and cultural diversity of the world's fashion capitals by creating composite images comprising the faces of several ethically diverse models.
The ‘The Face of the city’ campaign, which is promoting United Colors of Benetton’ Carnival Collection, features faces representing London, New York, Tokyo, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Paris and uses digital and analogue photography and production techniques.
The idea was built on research into the racial make-up of each capital city. Findings included that Asians are the second-largest racial group in London, while in Milan the Filipinos and Egyptians are the most common ethnic groups.
For each capital, Benetton photographed a group of women, each of whom represented a different racial group. The portraits were then combined using an algorithm which ensured that the "proportion of each ethnicity was reflected through features such as skin tone, the shape of the eyes and nose, hair type and colour, as well as overall face shape".
The campaign, appeared globally in print, out-of-home, digital media and in-store. It was picked up by the world of fashion, design and culture, including Vanity Fair, Yahoo, Vogue and Fast Company.
WATCH THE VIDEOS:
These models are not real. They are a combination of all the ethnicities that live in today's cities, from Milan to New York, London to Tokyo, Berlin to Paris. For the "Face of the City" campaign, United Colors of Benetton took photos of a group of women who collectively represented the ethnic and cultural make-up of each city.
Here are samples of the cropped, original portraits. Zero photoshop, just make-up and lighting.
Klaudia contacted me through my website before coming to Tokyo and asked if I was interested in a photo-shoot and it just went from there. She's a Polish student, coming here during her school vacation to do some modelling, to gain experience, and to see the world.
We met on the day of the shoot and I was immediately struck by her friendly demeanor and inquisitive nature. She had a youthful exuberance, an eagerness and curiosity that manifested clearly in front of the lens. Between our cigarette and coffee breaks, eating ice-cream and having dinner at an outdoor izakaya, we were able to form a bond.
We explored around the traditional, old alleyways of Yurakucho just before sundown and in the evening, headed off to the Love Hotel district of Utsunomiya. Here you will find many Love Hotels, seedy establishments and the infamous Tokyo Kinema Club, a former cabaret theatre reborn as a club, this hideout is a retro reminder of the smoky days of Showa. The night was arresting, scenes were unfolding through a fishbowl. There was a sense of existential ennui and a feeling like we have lost track of time.
The mood of the night and neon lights can only be captured using color film, yet I could not resist the timelessness of black and white film. I wish I could say there was a more artistic reason, but I shot with what film I had and it simply blended together to form this narrative.
By the last train of the night, it was just like two friends that had hung out. And in the subway tunnels heading in opposite directions, we looked back at one another and waved each other goodbye. We were like characters from a Murakami novel. When or where we will meet next, we both didn't know.
