Yohji Yamamoto - Y3 Parties

Last week I shot the parties at Yohji Yamamoto and Y3. They are across the street from each other and two parts of the same brand. They took over the street and connected the spaces with these great inflatable HMI lights.

To ID the people that were invited to the party, they gave each person a custom dye cut pin. One of the party spaces was the new Yohji Yamamoto store. I had trouble finding it at first, then I remembered that the old Boss Models space has been vacant. I went in that direction to check it out and sure enough they had taken it over. I think instead of giving an address we should all just say what the most famous (or infamous) incarnation of the building was. We do this in NYC organically. I did a party at the Tunnel last year and nobody called it anything other then the Tunnel, even though it is kinda different now then it was 14 years ago. Today someone had in the signature of their email "The Woolworth Building". Woolworth's has been closed for how many years now? I think it is going on 20.

Anyway, the new version of the space is really nice. They split the building up and all the brickwork has gotten a good scrub. For the party however they covered the outside with translucent plastic panels and lit them from within. It kinda looked like a giant glowing Iroquois long house. This totally obscured the building, but created a lot more space for the party and all the Japanese people could smoke, cause technically it was outside. In all fairness a bunch of the New Yorkers were smoking too.

It is funny cause when it comes to private events, people ask me to do "photo-journalistic and editorial" work. When I first sat down with Conde Nast my biggest editorial client currently, they looked at my book and said "these candids are too much, don't do that for us, we want head to toes." Since then they have become more accepting of me shooting more candid stuff. I still shoot straight on to give them options and there are tons of times when I know that they need a head to toe, so I don't event think about doing a candid.

The funny thing is that if you get a great candid that shows tons of emotion, you can't run it. It is too personal, too intimate. I have shot some great things and looked at them later and thought "I hope they don't run this." It feels like a violation of the subject to publish something with that much emotional content, even if they are happy. It is not the appropriate outlet. That is a large party of what I love about private events. I don't have to hold back. I can get that great shot that gives the viewer a visceral effect.

This is alot of chatting for a photography blog. Here is a picture of the creative director of Y3. His name stared with an L. I lost the ability to remember someones name at a party like this.

So here you go, a candid that is not too invasive. This is a great image for press. He looks happy and nice, a great relaxed version of himself.

Years ago Sam (my room mate/bestfriend/godbaby mama) I am going with that last one from now on. Sam (my godbaby mama) used to write for Nickelodeon. They packaged their Saturday night line up in a thing called Snick House. They shot in a house that had once belonged to Larry Flint, and Elizabeth Taylor before that. The anchor of the show was none other then Nick Cannon. About 2 years ago I was shooting for Moet et Chandon. They were doing a lounge at the tents. It was one of those super exclusive parties were there are 6 people: a star, someone from the entourage, a model-waiter, a client rep, PR and a photographer. I was the photographer, Nick was the star. We were there for an hour and a half. I chatted with him and he totally remembered Sam.

I saw him again tonight. He was running out the door. It is funny cause Sam is kinda proud of him cause she worked with him when he was so young and new to the industry. Any time there is something that relates to him on TV she is all "good for him, he deserves it."
So my first time shooting on the press line, I didn't have an agency, my friend who was PR got me on the line, I met this next person. I was totally new and there was a frenzy, or at least what seemed like a frenzy at the time, for a ton of less then A-listers. It was at the Soho Grand and there were no stanchions or step and repeat (the background with all the logos). It was not too organized.

I recognized someone in the crowd as a model that had shot for DKNY. I took some shots, other people followed my lead. That's when I knew that I would be able to do this job. I noticed that the guy was wearing a great leather jacket. It was made of very buttery leather. I asked him where he got it. It turns out that he had a line of clothing and this was one of the things he made. They had limited distribution. We chatted about the price (too much for me at the time) and he gave me his info to email about sample sales. We emailed back and forth a couple of times. The clothing line was Rag and Bone. The guy was Nathan Bogle.


He was at the party tonight. I am sure he does not remember me. He was kinda cagey about getting his photo taken. I though "This is kinda odd. Sure Rag and Bone is getting a lot of great attention, but who doesn't want the press?"

I found out when I got home that he is dating Natalie Portman. That would make me edgy around a camera too.

Great Choice Natalie. Not only is he cute and has a British accent, he can get you great clothes, before they hit stores, at cost. That's a relationship home run in my book.