For Spring Summer 2020, French Maison Givenchy revisits its signature “couple” theme with its most iconic pairing yet.
Charlotte Rampling and Marc Jacobs face the brand’s campaign with a story shot by photographer Craig McDean under the direction of the house’s Artistic Director Clare Waight Keller. The duo is shot “celebrating the individualistic beauty and the liberated, self assured attitude so emblematic of Givenchy,” as so reads the press release.
Both are decked in full looks and accessories from the Givenchy SS20 collection styled to honour each icon’s personal style. Charlotte is pictured sporting more masculine pieces while Jacobs flaunts a more feminine style. In the short video, the two are captured in their elements in a fascinating scene as they exercise their acting skills with a series of improv. Givenchy SS20 , is currently in stores.
Iconic is an often overused word, but when someone manages to not only profoundly shape their art form, but also stay relevant 20 something years into their career, the term is more than justified. Opening today at the ICA, Juergen Teller: W00 is an expansive study of the Erlangen-born photographer’s work.
From his black and white images of Kurt Cobain during Nirvana’s tour in 1991 to the provocative nudes of Vivienne Westwood, every honest and intimate portrait by the German photographer, alongside his longstanding collaborations with brands such as Helmut Lang and Marc Jacobs, not only commemorates his longevity as both a commercial and art photographer but also shows that aside from his trademark overexposed photography technique, what really makes a Juergen Teller image is his connection to the individual.
During a preview of the exhibition yesterday, Teller spoke openly about his work process and decades’ worth of pressing the shutter button:
“With every picture you have to be really open and honest about it and tell people what you want to do. I have no idea what I am looking for in an image, it really varies. I have to have complete concentration on the subject, I never have music playing or people standing behind me talking, it drives me crazy. I need the full attention, of their attention to me as I have attention to them, and that’s why it’s powerful and direct in every picture. My way of working hasn’t really changed that much since the beginning, but I have become a lot more careful, project-based and tend to work in series. I am more confident and secure within myself. I want to explore and see things, I’m curious about life. You only live once, you can’t just be miserable and complain all the time, you have to take risks to do something exciting and that’s what I try to do. You have to fucking go out there and do it.”
Juergen Teller: Woo exhibits at ICA until March 17.
Ever since John Galliano’s departure from Dior in March last year, the fashion industry has been playing its own game of ‘designer ping – pong’ bouncing names back and forth in speculation as to who will take the creative reigns of the Parisian couture house. Jacobs – Tisci – Ackermann – Jacobs – Simons – Kane – Ackermann – Simons… It went on.
However after a year-long debate the rumours were finally put to rest yesterday as LVMH CEO, Bernard Arnault, announced that Raf Simons will take over as Artistic Director. Having left his previous post as Creative Director at Jil Sander earlier this year, Simons will commence work at his new design home with immediate effect, preparing for what will be his first Dior collection, which will be showcased at Couture Fashion Week in Paris this July.
“Necessity is the mother of all invention” So goes the saying, and so it was that in 1858, trunk packer Louis Vuitton innovated a stackable luggage trunk to ease transportation of the prodigious wardrobes of travelling madamset mademoiselles. In doing so, the wheels were set in motion for a brand now estimated to be worth over $19 billion.
Those wheels are turning faster than ever over a century later, under the skilled tutorship of Marc Jacobs. The brand and its designer, whose signature sense of irreverence and fun has seen models arrive on the catwalk via a full-size carousel and most recently, a moving locomotive engine – complete with steam – are now the subject of a new exhibition: Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs.
Two floors of the Louvre’s Musee des Arts Decoratifs, have been dedicated to exhibiting the French luggage icon and its Artistic Director since 2007. “Marc always starts with the bag”, says curator Pamela Golbin of Jacobs’ approach to each collection, and all 53 bags he has designed for LV are among the exhibits – which include those original
trunks – displayed in a larger-than-life “chocolate box”.
His exceptional brand vision is behind such successful collaborations as those with artists Stephen Sprouse in 2001 and Takashi Murakami in 2003 – the resulting bags creating waiting lists that took the idea of an ‘it’ bag to a whole new level.
If you find yourself in Paris between now and September and have more than a passing interest in art or fashion, don’t miss it.
Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs is at Musee des Arts Decoratifs until 16 september 2012. The official book of the exhibition by curator, Pamela Golbin, is published by Rizzoli in April.
Juergen Teller’s inimitable and raw style of photography has been helping redefine the genre for over three decades. From crafting a signature look for Marc Jacobs advertisements to his infamous images of Kristen McMenamy, the German photographer’s work is that of a true original.
Now there is an opportunity to get to know his work from a more autobiographical and personal side. An accumulation of his weekly columns for newspaper Die Zeit, consisting of a personally selected image and accompanying explanatory text, Pictures And Words is not only an introduction to the Teller aesthetic, but also an insight into the thought behind it.
For those who are running a bit late on their gift-giving rituals this year, an almost 200-page hardcover book of Juergen Teller’s photographs and musings is a pretty good place to start.
Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
