Category: interviews

INTERVIEW WITH LEIGH HURST & BRIANNE ALMEIDA [LALALAND]

Posted on June 7, 2023 by - interviews

MAGAZINE

Interview by Alexandre Orlowski

LEIGH HURST & BRIANNE ALMEIDA
[LALALAND ARTISTS]

LALALAND ARTISTS, founded by Leigh Hurst & Brianne Almeida, represents talent worldwide with offices based in London & New York. The agency takes a proactive role in creative artist development, working closely to shape and grow careers, while providing opportunities to collaborate with leading global fashion brands, agencies and creatives.
Lalaland promotes inclusivity in the Creative Industry industry by broadening visual storytelling to include all races, genders, and sizes and for our talent to represent the diversity of the world.

Lalaland is definitely a catchy and lively name for a Talent agency. How did it come about?
B O T H: With three decades in the industry, it felt appropriate.

JAMES PEROLLS

Managing artists is a profession that requires many skills and most importantly vision, empathy and a good dose of humour. What made you want to become agents?

L E I G H: I never started in life wanting to become an agent, but who does as a young teenager? My ambition was to be James Bond and work at MI6, so I guess there could be some truth in the agent aspect, just not the secret part. I started in an ad agency post room, moving through the creative departments, and then on to acommercial production company.

FUMI HOMMA

However, it really all began in 96, with Prada, I produced many of their iconic campaigns, working with Glen Luchford, Norbert Schoerner, Rob Wyatt, Cedric Buchet, Steven Meisel etc, through to the early 2000s it was a special time. Working with Prada over this period is where my love and passion for the industry exploded; as a natural people person, I followed my heart with drive, hard work, integrity and a sense of fun.

AMBER PINKERTON

I followed this period for over a decade producing some of the most significant fashion and editorial
campaigns in the 2000s with some of the most incredible creative talents in the industry, the experience I gained, setting up an agency and becoming an agent was the natural progression.
But I am still waiting for the call from MI6…

NORBERT SCHOERNER

B R I A N N E: That is so weird you are still waiting for that call, Leigh, because I am currently the CIA’s top agent, changing the world one artist at a time. Ha. Truth be told, I decided I wanted to be an agent after my first career job at Art and Commerce, where I was an assistant for stylists, hair
and makeup artists. While there, I strengthened my eye by looking not only at the photography being produced, but also in paying attention to all of the other details that came together to create the entirety of those images from the late 90’s- early 2000’s. Of course, at that time, having just moved to NYC from a very remote town in Northern California, I was easily motivated by the glamour of it all.

NORBERT SCHOERNER

One early experience that made me love my job and our industry (which I am reluctantly sharing) was when I decided to see my first fashion show. I took it upon myself to utilize Edward Enniful’s unused invites and sit front row at three of the most important NY shows at that time, it was February 2002 (the first shows after September 11th).

XAVIER SCOTT MARSHALL

I will never forget the grandeur of those shows and was completely in awe of the artistry in design, sets, hair/makeup… everything. This experience, and the hot headed arguments of agents, created an allure that convinced me to pursue being an agent.

EMILY ROSSER

You have been partners for almost a decade now and have succeeded to manage Lalaland from both sides of the pond with brio. How did your partnership come to be and how do you manage it on a daily basis?

B O T H: Some time back, there was a singularity point between us, over an artist’s option being pulled. Arising from a situation that may have been uncomfortable or difficult, it actually became the moment that started the process of us becoming the partners we are today and the start of our
journey with Lalaland.

SIMON EELES

A true business partner is one of the most significant partnerships in life: it is a rare find that some never achieve. We are lucky.
We continually progress because we have complementary strengths and skills which create balance, and we agree on most things even after a fight! And in the day-to-day, the support and expertise from our team of agents and producers keep us in calm waters.

SIMON EELES

Running the agency together, we passionately believe it is about listening to our artists and team and sharing all our experience, and knowledge, to help them become all they can on their creative and personal life journey.

JEM MITCHELL

Today, you lead a highly respected global multi-faceted representation company. What is the common thread among all artists under the Lalaland umbrella?

B O T H: We love and respect all of our artists. It’s a very personal relationship and requires mutual
trust and respect, which we always look to and strive to evolve over many years.

CARIN BACKOFF

When we sign an artist, we think about how they can evolve creatively and as people. Although they are all very different from each other, the common threads that unite them to each other are the same that
connect them to the agency and us individually; their commitment to growth, creativity, passion, honesty, and kindness. To be a part of Lalaland, our talent and colleagues must share and uphold these values.

HAZEL GASKIN

These unprecedented times have also seen a rapid disruption of the media landscape due to social movements such as Me too and Black Lives Matter, how are these positive changes influencing your mission as an agent?

B O T H: We’re a young agency, and we embrace these cultural moments that ask us all to pay more attention, learn, and be more conscious. We appreciate how quickly this industry can make a change and adapt. However, much more work is needed to create an even better environment for future generations. The positive and long-overdue social movements have only solidified our commitment. Our role is to support change; we strive for our industry to be more inclusive by hiring diverse, creative perspectives that reflect their voice through unique storytelling and casting.

TOM SLOAN

We have always represented and nurtured a wide range of talent, whether it be at the start of their career or an artist that has decades of experience. We find our joy in not only bringing creative and financial goals to fruition but also in pushing clients to support and grow talent that has otherwise been underserved for decades in the fashion industry.

COREY OLSEN

What do you consider essential to be a purveyor of quality in your field?

B O T H: Commitment to learning and growing, experience, honesty, passion, transparency, flexibility, hard work, understanding, drive, problem-solving, a sense of humour, and honour in all you do (with no bullshit).

HANNA TVEITE

Is it possible for you to collaborate with people that are not exactly on your wavelength?

B O T H: It depends on the wavelength…

BAKER & EVANS

What is the most useful piece of advice you’ve been given?

B O T H: We recently listened to a podcast interview with Rick Rubin, and his statement below resonated with us, like a mantra to repeat when everything seems impossible. “We believe our way into things, allowing them to come into being in the world. You have to believe that something that doesn’t exist can exist…. If you start with the idea that it’s impossible,
then it’s impossible.” repeated… “We believe our way into things, allowing them to come into being into the world.“

BELLA NEWMAN

And in closing, how would you describe the Agent’s Club in three words?

B O T H: Creative, Informative, Inclusive

WILL BROOME

Interview with NICOLAS HUET GREUB [37.2]

Posted on June 9, 2021 by - interviews

MAGAZINE

Interview by Alexandre Orlowski

NICOLAS HUET GREUB [37.2]

 

Nicolas Huet Greub, Parisian, aged 30, was raised near Paris by four women (his mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother).
He opened his agency five years ago, supported by photographers Roberto Badin, Arthur Delloye, Shelby Duncan, Ricardo Gomes and Romain Sellier.
Recently renamed 37.2 (at the end of 2020, he decides to merge his agency and his publishing house Rive Gauche), his agency is the first of its kind to accompany its artists in the publishing of their photography books. 

 
 

Bonjour Nicolas, 
You represent a new generation of agents, blending successfully commercial and artistic focus. Where did you learn the ropes?

Before opening my own agency, I learned the trade with Anne-Marie Gardinier, worked at Peter Lippmann’s studio and alongside Nathalie Maudet at the art buying department of Publicis. Great experiences, enriching encounters. Anne-Marie always showed me kindness as did Laurence Tordjman (LT2) and Julia Roger (JR), Emilie Fontaine (IKO), other agents I am very fond of. We have beautiful ties. It is such a pleasure to grow alongside them in this business.
We obviously learn alongside personalities surrounding us (agents and artists) but there are also those we observe from afar with admiration and benevolence because in my opinion, they embody what is done best. I am thinking for example of Karine Quadriga, Olivia Mayolle (Rose), Carole Guenebeaud (Cadence). If there is a place to quote them, it is during an interview with you, Alexandre, who brings us together and gives us agents, as well as our artists, a voice through your platform.

 

DOAN LY, VOGUE ITALIA

 

What qualities are you looking for in an artist and how do you curate your roster? 

In my work as an agent, I really enjoy discovering and launching artists such as Shelby Duncan and Doan Ly, as well as helping to develop the careers of well established artists such as Inès Dieleman and Roberto Badin.
Beyond their work, humanity, kindness and questioning are essential qualities in our profession.
What I love about all my photographers is their very distinct styles and different personalities. Be it on our website or around a dinner table, there is a beautiful alchemy. It works.
I love to see them together. It resembles Thierry Ardisson’s cult show “Tout le monde en parle”.

 

INES DIELEMAN, CHANEL SHOE

 

A few years ago, Catherine Mahé or Elèna Mazzanti (I’m not sure which) told me that photographers usually resemble their agent. I don’t know if mine resemble me, but one thing is for certain, I find bits of myself in each of them. 

 

ROBERTO BADIN, AGRUMES

 

What sets you apart and drives your passion?

Beyond my profession as agent and producer, I longed for a more artistic approach. So I opened a publishing house and gallery in 2019. I had the desire to develop the personal projects of the artists I represent and to reinvest some of the money earned commercially in artistic projects. One feeds the other and vice versa.
As I answer your interview, I am in Porto (Portugal) for the printing of Romain Sellier’s second book and I must tell you I have as much pleasure in editing and highlighting an artistic project that speaks to me than to see how it is affecting the artist’s relationship to oneself and to others on a daily basis. An artist thriving artistically is not subject to frustration and turns out even better in commercial projects. 

 

ARTHUR DELLOYE, FAMILY PICTURE, INTERVIEW GERMANY

 

SHELBY DUNCAN, LEA SEYDOUX

 

Tell me more about the books you’ve published with your artists…

One of my best friends, Benjamin Blanck, had a publishing house and together we worked on two projects:

Playground by photographer Ricardo Gomes. The book took us to many places, including New York, where Bookmark organised a book signing. Madonna had the book in her hands. She loved it and wanted to meet Ricardo. He has been her personal photographer for the past two years, travels with her and even directed the movie about her last tour which will come out in a few months.

 

RICARDO GOMES, PLAYGROUND, BOOK PUBLISHED BY BENJAMIN BLANCK

 

Inside Japan by Roberto Badin. The project that definitely convinced me to open my own publishing house. I knew even before it came out that the book would be a turning point for Roberto. He was exhibited at the Arles photography festival in 2019 and will be at the Asian Arts museum in Nice this summer. Meanwhile, he continues to excel in the luxury and advertising worlds.
Roberto Badin is the very example of a photographer who makes you want to do this job. He is engaged, listens and gives you his trust. When I started the agency, he probably unknowingly taught me something essential: knowing how to surround yourself with the best and leaving them the freedom to excel in their respective fields (from the lighting assistant and the set designer to the retoucher).

 

ROBERTO BADIN, INSIDE JAPAN, BOOK PUBLISHED BY BENJAMIN BLANCK

 

With Editions Rive Gauche, my own publishing house, I went on to publish Romain Sellier’s first book Bandra Sentimental, a sensitive portrait of Bombay, India’s most populous metropolis through some of its young inhabitants.

 

ROMAIN SELLIER, BANDRA SENTIMENTAL, BOOK PUBLISHED BY RIVE GAUCHE EDITIONS

 

Then François Pragnère’s first book Elle, She, Her. with a foreword from artist Phia Menard. He photographed and gave voice to ten young trans women from Paris. We are planning an exhibition and book signing in a gorgeous space, rue de Turenne, for the week of September 6.

 

FRANCOIS PRAGNERE, ELLE, SHE, HER., BOOK PUBLISHED BY RIVE GAUCHE EDITIONS

 

Can you share some of your upcoming projects?          

We are currently working on several exciting new books:
Romain Sellier’s next book Summer sequence with a foreword from actor Nicolas Maury is set to be released before the summer.
House of love by Shelby Duncan, a project two years in the making, documenting the artist’s former life within a community of artists in Hollywood, CA, a place of freedom and soul… and Ines Dieleman’s gorgeous first monograph is in the works.
Also Arthur Delloye’s first book. He doesn’t know it yet but I am going to put him on a plane soon for a great project close to his heart in which I believe a lot.
I have been working with Shelby, Arthur and Romain for 5 years now, Inès Dieleman joined us last year. She is what in French you could describe as a ‘Grande Dame’ and I feel extremely fortunate to collaborate and evolve alongside her. 

 

ROMAIN SELLIER, SUMMER SEQUENCE, BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED BY RIVE GAUCHE EDITIONS

 

You told me you were also working on Beyrouth, a new book by Maxime Meigen who you do not represent, is this a new direction?

Yes, the book is ready to be printed 🙂
If I love the work and the project of a photographer, I push forward. The publisher/ artist relationship is very similar to the agent / artist relationship. I need to “fall in love” with the artist and the work.
And I will try to conclude without sounding too cliché, but in my life I have always wanted to surround myself with beauty. Be it through people, art, travel, homes, sounds, objects and human connections. So if it means adding a little beauty to all this by editing an artist I do not represent… Crushes are quite rare so when it happens, you need to go for it.

 

MAXIME MEIGNEN, BEYROUTH, BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED BY 37.2

 

For Beyrouth, I had launched a call for projects in 2020 and it started from there. I financed Maxime’s trip to go document the city after the explosion and I asked many personalities (editor-in-chief, journalist, surgeon, hotel manager, artists, etc.) to write about their city and mix their texts with Maxime’s pictures.
The layout is finalized and the book will come out in the fall. All profits from the sale will go to a NGO helping to rebuild the city after the explosion.

 

FRED MEYLAN, KATE MOSS

 

And in closing, how would you describe the Agent’s Club in three words?

Chic
Caring
Smart

 

RICARDO GOMES, MADONNA

 
 
 
 
 

ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHER REPS NETWORK

 

 

Interview with ASHLYN DAVIS BURNS & SHANE LAVALETTE [ASSEMBLY]

Posted on June 9, 2021 by - interviews

MAGAZINE

Interview by Alexandre Orlowski

ASHLYN DAVIS BURNS
& SHANE LAVALETTE [ASSEMBLY]

 

Ashlyn Davis Burns, former Executive Director & Curator of Houston Center for Photography and Shane Lavalette, artist and former Director of Light Work recently launched Assembly, a unique gallery, agency and creative studio supporting an innovative roster of visual artists who are engaging in some of the most important social and cultural issues of our time.

 

ALANNA FIELDS

 

Ashlyn and Shane, what led you to start Assembly in the middle of a pandemic?

In the past, we would see each other for coffee or lunch in New York during AIPAD or in Paris during Paris Photo and find ourselves lost in conversation about ways in which the art world needs to evolve, discussing new models for artist support and new ways of thinking about creative collaboration, curatorial work, publishing, and beyond. In a way, Assembly was born out of these kinds of conversations. Our ideas really began to crystalize in early 2020 after our institutions were forced to close our doors to the public due to the pandemic.

 

RODRIGO VALENZUELA

 

This new, virtual moment was certainly a challenge for all of us to navigate as non-profit spaces, but it also opened up new ways of thinking about what it really means to support the creative practice in this moment and how we might create a model that can be nimble and responsive to the world we live in. While Assembly is certainly a product of the virtual shift we all experienced in 2020, it also places a lot of value on fostering collaboration between artists and our larger community of creatives, and we are eager to create in-person opportunities in this spirit in the future.

 

POULOMI BASU

 

Assembly is a new breed of agency blending artistic and commercial focus. What services do you provide? 

As a gallery, agency, and creative studio, we see Assembly as a connecting point between artists and exciting opportunities in both the fine art and commercial world, we love bringing people together to make things happen, whether that results in exhibitions, publications, commissions, or creative programs. We’re interested in supporting artists and their practice holistically and being responsive to each artist’s needs, goals, and ideas. 

 

ALEJANDRO CARTAGENA

 

On the agency side, we’re focusing on creative storytelling projects and opportunities to expand on each artist’s practice in a broader way, whether that’s through an editorial piece that sheds light on a timely issue or through a more expansive collaboration between a brand and an artist’s unique vision. Many artists maintain a commercial practice, so we see it helpful to work with magazines, brands, and companies to support creative commissions for artists.
Whether it’s for editorial, fashion, advertising, or a site-specific installation, Assembly seeks to connect art directors and photo editors with artists that can bring their unique artistic vision to commissioned work.

 

VASANTHA YOGANANTHAN

 

Finally, as a creative studio, we’re really excited to work with publishers on unique photo books, non-profit institutions and museums on exhibitions and public programs, and even public art projects with our artists.

 

DAVID ALEKOUGIE

 

What qualities are you looking for in an artist and how do you curate your roster? 

Assembly’s roster is intentionally global and diverse in approach. The artists we represent are actively experimenting with the medium, pushing the boundaries of what photography can be or how it can operate in order to bring out deeper truths about the culture we live in. All of the artists are deeply embedded in their subject matter, often spending many months if not years researching or exploring different ideas before making work about it. 

 

SARKER PROTICK

 

It starts with a deep belief in the artists as individuals. Perhaps this comes from our non-profit backgrounds and the “artist-centric” thinking that drives us. While we are of course interested in the artwork itself—the ideas, feelings, and power it transmits, we  are motivated by this deeper belief in the artists behind the work. We believe that these individuals have a voice and something to say with it that is meaningful, resonant, even vital.

We tend to be drawn to artists whose practice involves research and critical thinking that explores subjects of history, place, identity, and representation, responding in various ways to our life and times. The artists we want to work with seem to naturally reflect who they are in their work, even if it’s not directly about that. It’s something you feel. Our interests are very broad, both in terms of subject matter and approach to the medium of photography. I love finding artists that provide us with new visual languages, new ways of seeing.

 

CRISTINA VELASQUEZ

 

How do you address the recent changes happening in the the photography industry and in the art market?

Broadly speaking, the field – across the art and commercial sectors – is undergoing a systemic shift in priorities, when it comes to who tells our stories and what stories we value. 

Artists of colour are still vastly underrepresented in major collections and that’s critical not only to our understanding of the field today, but also to future generations’ understanding of our history. We need more concrete support for diverse image-makers, and part of Assembly’s goal is to make that happen while creating opportunities to share their stories with the world. 

 
 

ALINKA ECHEVERRÍA

 

Assembly is focused on sustaining the creative practice, meaning creating support mechanisms that allow an artist to be able to carve out the time and space to do what we value so much from them. For the artists in our roster, this means we’re not just focused on their next show and selling their work as a sort of boutique experience.
We’re facilitating meaningful acquisitions, supporting their grant requests, facilitating marketing efforts, creating collaborative programming with other institutions, and connecting them with meaningful opportunities to bring their vision to fruition.

 

FUMI ISHINO

 

What projects are in the works for Assembly in 2021?  

Many ideas are swirling and we’re filling out the calendar with projects already, but one that we can mention now is the publication Index of Fillers, a limited-edition artist book by Fumi Ishino, an artist based between Los Angeles, CA and Tokyo, Japan. Index of Fillers is Ishino’s second monograph, following his acclaimed publication rowing a tetrapod (MACK, 2017) and is the first artist book published by Assembly, so we are excited to debut it along with our launch. Some exhibitions are also in the works, but for now, we’ll have to leave a bit of mystery!

 

FUMI ISHINO, INDEX OF FILLERS, BOOK PUBLISHED BY ASSEMBLY

And in closing, how would you describe the Agent’s Club in three words?

Industry
Feed
Discovery

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHER REPS NETWORK

 

 

Interview with SANDRINE BIZZARO & RENÉ BOSNE [2b]

Posted on January 30, 2020 by - interviews

MAGAZINE

Interview by Alexandre Orlowski

SANDRINE BIZZARO
& RENÉ BOSNE [2b]

 

Sandrine Bizzaro and René Bosne opened 2b management in 2010 with offices in New York and Paris. This boutique agency represents Anton Corbijn , Ellen Von Unwerth, Eric Guillemain, Luigi and Iango, Miles Aldridge, Stephen Kidd and Tom Munro.

 

ANTON CORBIJN

 

U2 by ANTON CORBIJN

 

Sandrine & René, you’ve been partners in crime for over 20 years. How do you make your relationship work on a daily basis?

The agency was created at a dinner table. We were a group of friends having a good time and we decided to open a photo agency. It was at first a human project with no business plan. René and I are different, we did not divide the tasks, it came naturally. We did find the right balance. René takes care of the finances, I like to connect people, make plans and build stories.

 

ELLEN VON UNWERTH

 

CLAUDIA SCHIFFER by ELLEN VON UNWERTH

 

2b Management, named after both your last names’ initials, has grown a reputation to represent some of the most celebrated image-makers in the world. What is your secret to manage successfully such creative powerhouses?

2b  : Bizzaro + Bosne : To  Be
It was fun to see how playing with words ended up representing not just our names but also our intention
– To Be! We were excited to promote artists we respected first as human beings rather than just as potential money makers. When we opened 2b we were boutique and today we are still the same.
We don’t have the desire to grow into a larger business because we really prefer to work with a small group of artists, still able to fit at that dinner table. In other words we like to keep it small and personal. 
This works best for us. Our photographers like to have a personal relationship with their agent and we like to be close to them as well.  So we represent only a few select photographers who we really care for.

 

ERIC GUILLEMAIN

https://theagents.club/eric-guillemain/
 

LEA SEYDOUX by ERIC GUILLEMAIN

 

Celebrities very often comment on world affairs; Should photographers through their work have a responsibility to do the same? 

Yes they should and they do. It is always important that an artist with influence speak loudly about his/her beliefs.
We used to represent Peter Lindbergh, who supported womens’ rights and causes long before it became fashionable to do so. 
Lindbergh wrote “It should be a duty for every photographer to use his creativity and influence to free women and everyone from the terror of youth and perfection,” in the introduction of his book “ Shadows of the Wall” 

 

LUIGI & IANGO

 

KATE MOSS by LUIGI & IANGO

 

Now that you mention Peter Lindbergh. You worked with him for almost 25 years. Tell us about 2b with Peter, and now after Peter.

We opened 2b management with Peter Lindbergh and a group of photographers who were all somehow connected.
At the time there was an Italian Vogue connection between Peter, Ellen, Miles, and Tom. Eric and Stephen used to be Peter’s assistants. Luigi was an long-time collaborator of Peter’s and Anton Corbjin was Peter’s friend. Love and respect was real between all of them.
All this was not calculated.
The connection happened to be there.
We grew up over 2 decades alongside Peter to become the agents we are today . We were sharing a journey, working together, travelling together, sharing our love for photography. Today the master is gone but we want to perpetuate his spirit and not let it die.
Remembering Peter Lindbergh and moving on means sharing our knowledge and experience with the new photographers joining the table, always with the same spirit.
We like to think that expertise and knowledge of photography is still an asset today! 

 

MILES ALDRIDGE

 

‘DROP OF RED’ by MILES ALDRIDGE

 

Social media has really been a factor in how much brands, and luxury fashion houses, are opening themselves up to the public. How has your business adapted to this new paradigm?

Social Media definitely is changing some rules of our business. The great thing with Instagram is that every artist, every agency, everybody has the opportunity to express themselves in real time, infinitely and easily.  
This democratic tool can also open the door to a lack of quality .What we gain in instant exposure we lose in depth.
At 2b we like to play with social media of course but we do not gamble everything on it.
We like to preserve our authentic relationships, humanity and close community.

 

STEPHEN KIDD

 

JIL SANDER by STEPHEN KIDD

 

In your opinion, do you think it’s a good time to be representing photographers? What is 2b’s strength today? 

The timing is always good as long as the photographers fit with the spirit of our family. 
2b’s strength is to have built a very close team of precious collaborators since the day we launched (Thuy Tran, Anthony Graneri, Margaux Huguet).
2b’s strength is to always represent photographers who are good souls as well as being talented artists.
2b’s strength is that we have always loved generous photography that is respectful of its subject. Photography that transcends fashion and that will become iconic and  timeless. 

 

TOM MUNRO

 

JULIA ROBERTS by TOM MUNRO

 

And in closing, how would you describe the Agent’s Club in three words?

Informative
Engaging
Revealing

 
 

ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHER REPS NETWORK

 

 

JULIAN MEIJER [JULIAN MEIJER AGENCY]

Posted on October 11, 2019 by - interviews

MAGAZINE

Interview by Alexandre Orlowski

JULIAN MEIJER
[JULIAN MEIJER AGENCY]

 

Julian Meijer opened JULIAN MEIJER AGENCY in Paris in 1986, representing photographers in the fields of fashion, beauty and still life.
In 2014,  with creative director Patrick Samot, he launched EAT PHOTOS, a collaborative fair bringing together agents and producers with creative and professional teams in a friendly environment around good food.

 

MARC DE GROOT X VOGUE NL

 

Julian, you must be very pleased to be celebrating thirty-three successful years in the industry. What are some of your proudest achievements? 

I guess longevity! Over the years our industry changed a lot and we adapted well I suppose.
My NY repping experience for 10 years was very important to make us evolve towards a more flexible way of working, taking risks paid off! I’m also proud of counting some clients today whom I worked with decades ago… and having a loyal staff. Having fun and sometimes taking distance from the industry helped me persevere.

 

ELSA GUILLET X STYLIST FRANCE

 

What led you to start a photography representation agency?

In 1985, in New York, I met Hannes Schmid, a Swiss photographer, he and his wife trusted I had  the capacities to rep, so I started once back in Paris. At that time it was easier to meet people and doors opened quickly. Success came right away, I did not even know how to bill VAT…

 

MARIYA PEPELANOVA, NIMIS

 

How would you describe the shared sensibility among the artists you represent?

Actually all of the artists we represent have different sensibilities and different styles. Having a wide panel helped us not being stocked into one market , it opened many directions.

 

KOICHIRO DOI X NUMERO TOKYO

 

Five years ago, you decided to embark on a new venture and launched EAT PHOTOS, a collaborative tradeshow for artists agents. What was the motivation behind it and did you encounter resistance to the idea?

Eat Photos came naturally: first the love of food :), big tables are a good way to meet people… It is not a traditional fair, it is a place where we also have fun, where we try not to have a competition between ourselves trusting that our artists’ talents speak for themselves…

 

POL BARIL X DIOR MAGAZINE

 

With my friend, art director Patrick Samot, we felt the same frustration of always having to send PDF’s, looking at pictures on screens only, not having a proper relationship with our clients. The digital world is great but not enough so we thought about bringing  people together around photography, films and food…

 

MARCEL CHRIST, CORONA3

 

The need to discover special projects, touch paper, see a longer video, sit down to build relationships etc etc… was also shared by our clients, all we had to do was to bring together a group of agents and we started EATPHOTOS !
We decided that all agencies  would pay the same costs and share data: surprisingly most of my pairs felt the same frustration and trusted the concept.
Fellowship is the philosophy, no one on a pedestal.

 

EAT PHOTOS N°8, OCT. 16+17, RSVP

 

In a few days, the eight edition of EAT PHOTOS will open its doors in Paris. Has the concept evolved since its inception and what can clients expect by attending?

We started the first event with 6 Paris based agencies, now we have about 45 requests from all over the world without any commercial canvassing!

 

EAT PHOTOS

 

We select different agencies every time, we keep it small, no rule but to surprise ! Clients will discover new talents with books and prints: we ask each participant to avoid showing too many portfolios or films to allow creatives to spend time and focus on a few…

 

SONIA SIEFF X LA FETICHE

 

You went to Amsterdam last year, any other cities in the works besides Paris?          

Amsterdam was a special event because I’m Dutch, it is my city, that market is growing everyday, we will do a new event there in 2020.
London was in the process but we are waiting to see because of Brexit. NY probably one day!

 

STEPHANE COUTELLE, END OF THE HEAT WAVE

 

Producing such an event is no small feat, which is for you the most rewarding aspect?

We hired a great freelance producer for EatPhotos: Olivia Fabart .Without her we would not be able to organize this alone. Reward is to be all together and share experience.
The main task is to find a warm venue, not too traditional but with a kitchen!

 

ALEX CAYLEY, SASHA

 

Your funniest memory of EAT PHOTOS? 

250 people attending a 140 seated diner during Paris fashion week: a big but fun mess!

 

THOMAS DE MONACO,  Exhibition « The Olfactive Eye »

 

See you in Paris on October 16+17, The Agents Club is thrilled to be attending!  In closing, how would you describe our platform in three words?

We are very pleased to welcome The Agents Club as our guest, a fabulous, helpful, tasteful and modern platform!

 

IGOR MEIJER, SURF

 
 
 

ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHER REPS NETWORK

 

 

JUSTINIAN KFOURY [TOTAL]

Posted on May 7, 2019 by - interviews

Interview by Alexandre Orlowski

JUSTINIAN KFOURY [TOTAL]

 
 

Justinian Kfoury founded Total Management in 2003 as a creative agency representing artists for commercial work.
Now Total has offices in New York, Paris, London, and Berlin and represents Photographers, Stylists, Creative Directors, and Hair and Makeup artists. Total Managements’s concept is to support and develop all areas of the artists' career from large advertising campaigns to production of digital movies as well as the artists' own personal projects.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRUNO STAUB, CREATIVE DIRECTOR: JOERG KOCH, STYLIST: MARC GOEHRING

Justinian, what initially attracted you to the work of a creative agent? 

Fantasy

PHILIPPE JARRIGEON X SNOOP DOG FOR KLARNA

What is your role in the day-to-day operations at Total Management?

Possibility

GOSHA RUBCHINKIY X VOGUE HOMMES

What do you consider essential to being a purveyor of quality in your field? 

Education

MARC HUNDLEY, GRAPHIC ARTIST AND DESIGN GURU

What are some of the lessons learned from projects that have not worked?

Flow

LUKAS WASSMAN X VETEMENTS

Do you tend to have a more big-picture or detail-oriented perspective?

Spirit

LUKAS WASSMANN X GARAGE MAGAZINE

Do the majority of photographers you represent start their careers with the intention to shoot fashion?

No

HILL & AUBREY X T MAGAZINE Mar. 19

What is your tried-and-true strategy for overcoming a creative block?

Money

THOMAS LAGRANGE X VOGUE PARIS

What gives you a sense of optimism?

Drugs

PIERRE-ANGE CARLOTTI X CLARA DESHAYES

Your motto?

Totes

BRETT LLOYD X VOGUE HOMMES SS19

And in closing, how would you describe the Agent’s Club in three words?

Visual  Index  Now

PHILIPPE JARRIGEON

 
 

ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHER REPS NETWORK