Meet Jasmine Poulton

JasminePoulton__02Yesterday we played out one of my personal fantasies of glamour and fashion high atop the city skyline in a Mandarin Oriental suite with our British Wilhelmina model Jasmine Poulton. We were talking about dreams, the way so  many come to New York to find them or fulfill them. I asked Jasmine about her own life, what brought her to our city, a place where it seems everyone is from somewhere, and how she ended up on this beautiful fall day in front of my lens…

JasminePoulton__03

New York is a city of dreams…my New York dream is….

Leaving every other weekend.

When I model I….

 Act.

The reason I moved to New York is…

To be free.

I am most inspired by…

 Nature, music, love, a mind’s endless ideas.

JasminePoulton__04

Fashion is…

More than what’s current.

Women are…

One of nature’s greatest beauties & powers.

Continue reading “Meet Jasmine Poulton”

Mandarin Oriental Dreams

Mandarin_Oriental_02 (1)

High atop Manhattan’s skyline, overlooking Central Park and the Hudson River sits the proud Mandarin Oriental, glittering in the golden setting sun of an early autumn day. I love New York this time of year, I love the fantasy of glamour, a world where fashion, culture, business and design all collide into spectacular moments. When I was young and I dreamed of New York it was always like this – overlooking that powerful skyline that still mesmerizes me, in diamonds and designer gowns. Here, model and artist Jasmine Poulton brings my dreams to life in the Mandarin Oriental’s Oriental Suite in Donna Karan‘s very special 30th anniversary fall 2014 collection (remember when I took you backstage) and Chopard diamonds from the high jewelry collection

 Mandarin_Oriental_03 Mandarin_Oriental_04 Mandarin_Oriental_05 Mandarin_Oriental_06 Mandarin_Oriental_07 Continue reading “Mandarin Oriental Dreams”

Behind the Scenes

Chopard_behindthescenes_02

This past spring we finished a project two years in the making, a Cinemagraph series with the luxury jeweler Chopard. We shot at Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island about 45mins outside Manhattan on a late spring day with an amazing team of people: Kelly Framel styling, Ashlee Glazer for makeup, Justin Woods for hair, and Anthony D’Argenzio with props. Here is a glimpse behind the scenes with some snapshots of the day our assistant captured as we put together my favorite series of Cinemagraphs yet, a concept of six characters’ lives all playing out in that calm moment before the storm…

Chopard_behindthescenes_03

From the in-depth interview about the making of House of Secrets Cinemagraphs:

Cinemagraphs: what do they mean to you personally?

Jamie: Cinemagraphs to me are living photographs, a moment in time that can actually breathe, allowing your senses to experience and delight in the small instances that make up our lives.

Kevin: A Cinemagraph is a challenge to create something that is visually striking with the added depth of time. It’s seeing life in a way you can’t see through other mediums.

Chopard_behindthescenes_04 Chopard_behindthescenes_05 Chopard_behindthescenes_06

From our Chopard Collaboration interview:

The House of Secrets is such a singular endeavor that one can hardly keep from wondering how it was born, what came in its inceptors’ heads and sparked this delightful fantasy.

Jamie remembers: “Kevin had this moment of inspiration where he thought: what if we made a mini-movie based on these six characters, all coming together at an estate for an event, but it’s the moment before the party, the seconds before all their worlds become entangled into a ‘House of Secrets.’ House of Secrets to me is a vignette of this singular moment in time, shared between these six characters whose lives are complex, intertwined and destined for each other. It is about the complexities of our lives and relationships. It is also about how defined we are visually by what we choose to wear: this alone tells the story of where we are at this particular time in the character’s lives, what their emotions are.”

“I was immediately influenced by Chopard’s involvement with and love of the film industry,” Kevin relates. “I remember sitting in their suite in Cannes, looking around at stills from movies framed on the wall, and thinking how perfect it would be to tell a very cinematic story. To get to that point I developed a story, characters and even an opening scene for the unfinished movie that is Chopard Secrets. Each character carries their own secrets, and some of these are shared secrets. The love between two characters might be completely hidden from another, and that secret will have a tremendous impact on their lives. The scenes in House of Secrets show only that moment when individuals are carrying their own secrets, before their storylines intersect and drama unfolds.”

Continue reading “Behind the Scenes”

Mademoiselle Suzette

suzette-615

Mademoiselle Suzette sighs away the long afternoon, daydreaming in bed about what it must be like to fall in love. She wishes she could join the party that evening, to have encounters with gallant men, to dance the night into dawn – but alas, she is too young for the attention she longs for, especially in the shadow of her beautiful older sister PenelopeMy age may be in the way, she thinks, but my dreams have no such limits…twirling her treasured ring around her finger, she closes her eyes, fashioning fantasies of what her life may bring, the places she’ll see, and the loves she’ll meet along the way…

Despite her youth and innocence, Mademoiselle Suzette may indeed have some #ChopardSecrets of her own…even if they are only in her dreams.

 

ChopardSecrets-MademoiselleSuzette_003  ChopardSecrets-MademoiselleSuzette_005

Mademoiselle Suzette in her daybed wears Chopard’s Chopardissimo ring in white gold //  Marchesa top & skirt // In the garden of her dreams below, she wears Chopard’s Chopardissimo ring in rose gold // HONOR top & skirt

ChopardSecrets-MademoiselleSuzette_001

Mademoiselle Suzette played by Sage // Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

 

Lord Byron Woodring

byron615

Being Lord of the Manor comes with a world of responsibilities…one of which is knowing which secrets to tell and which to keep hidden. He has navigated his business deals by holding his cards close to his chest and keeping his power as strong as the stone columns of the manse. Lord Byron Woodring is a reserved gentleman who appreciates peace and quiet and expects only the highest quality from everything in life, from his choice of wife to his L.U.C. timepiece down to the label of scotch in his drink. No time for play, he strategizes the evening ahead where guests become pieces in his chess game. What does he have in store for tonight’s dealings?

Wise, succinct, and most of all, discreet, there are not many #ChopardSecrets Lord Byron has not heard…but what of his own? We may never know…

ChopardSecrets-LordByronWoodring_016

ChopardSecrets-LordByronWoodring_017 ChopardSecrets-LordByronWoodring_018

Lord Byron wears Chopard’s L.U.C. Timepiece // Caruso Tux & Shirt // Florsheim Shoes

ChopardSecrets-LordByronWoodring_019

Lord Byron Woodring played by Sandor Johnson // Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

Lady Argyle

argyle-615

Lady Argyle, the matriarch of the House, possesses the kind of confident elegance only one of experience may possess…it gives her the ability to glide instead of walk, and glow as vibrantly as the royally violet jewels that cast a spell on those who glance her way. She waits on the terrace for her Lord Byron, sipping champagne, lost in the memories of so many summers ago. She knows the emotions the young ones will be looking for tonight, but at this moment she’s happy living in her memories, or at least, being the gracious host she is, that might be just what she wants us to believe.

No matter what #ChopardSecrets may be whispered across these halls, rest assured…Lady Argyle knows them all…

ChopardSecrets-LadyArgyle_011 ChopardSecrets-LadyArgyle_003

 In the Manor & on the Terrace, Lady Argyle wears Chopard’s Imperiale Ring, Pendant and Watch // Zac Posen Gown

ChopardSecrets-LadyArgyle_009 ChopardSecrets-LadyArgyle_010

Lady Argyle played by Elodie // Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

Eros Twombly

eros615

Eros Twombly, a young rising star in the world of jazz, found his success through his exceptional talent but he’ll never truly belong to the stage he plays on every night. His music is moody and lovesick, lost in between the world in which he was born and the one he created. He knows on this night his golden melodies will float around the air Miss Penelope inhabits, his dream girl, in his sight but always just out of reach… but what happens in the gardens under the cloak of night are lyrical secrets kept only between them. He is uncertain of where her heart truly belongs, but he plays on, hoping one day to win her love.

What #ChopardSecrets are held in the trumpet’s bluesy notes? Listen carefully, and you may find out…


ChopardSecrets-ErosTwombly_003

Eros wears Chopard’s Classic Collection Timepiece & Cufflinks // Steven Alan Suit & Tie // Caruso French Cuff Shirt // Florsheim Shoes

ChopardSecrets-ErosTwombly_005 ChopardSecrets-ErosTwombly_006

Eros Twombly played by Timothy G. // Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

 

Miss Penelope

penelope615

Young love is a complicated thing, especially for the darling Miss Penelope. Though everyone knows she is promised to Dirk Janson – a match to align two of the most affluent families on the East Coast, a dream couple to spend their lives on the glossy pages of society magazines – she dreams of another: a quiet man with mystery, with a different upbringing than her own. She hears his song in the garden as he warms up for that evening’s dazzling lawn party and asks herself – should she go to him, the one who makes her heart happy or can she keep these feelings a secret for all of time? After all – Dirk Janson is the most eligible bachelor of them all.

Miss Penelope knows the power of beauty…and of mysteries. To whom does her happy heart truly belong? Well…that’s one of the best kept #ChopardSecrets of all…

ChopardSecrets-MissPenelope_004

At her vanity Miss Penelope wears Chopard’s Happy Diamond Collection // Vintage feather dress

ChopardSecrets-MissPenelope_005

In the garden Miss Penelope wears Chopard’s Happy Diamond Collection // Lela Rose Gown // Louboutin flats

ChopardSecrets-MissPenelope_006

ChopardSecrets-MissPenelope_010ChopardSecrets-MissPenelope_008

Miss Penelope played by Dahlia // Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

Dirk Janson

Dirk-615px

A charming risk taker, Dirk Janson is well-known for being fast on AND off the racetrack. He’s rarely found very far from his beloved cars…or from the presence of a beautiful woman. Seen sporting leather driving gloves and the sleek Mille Miglia GT XL, Dirk kicks up clouds of dust in a classic convertible on his way to the manse, smirking to himself as he recalls who will be attending tonight…the jewel of the Gold Coast, Miss Penelope. Though a total playboy, he knows he is destined to marry her but perhaps on this night… she has other plans…

Underneath the charisma and beguiling smile, Dirk Janson has a few well-kept #ChopardSecrets of his own…but what else is speed for, if not outrunning your demons?

ChopardSecrets-DirkJansen_009

Dirk wears Chopard’s Mille Miglia GT XL Watch / Chopard EyewearCaruso silk and cashmere turtleneckCarl Gross sport coat / Florsheim shoes / Perrin driving gloves / Alberto pants

ChopardSecrets-DirkJansen_010

Dirk Janson played by Sean K. // Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

House of Secrets

HouseofSecrets001-1

When Chopard asked us to make a series of Cinemagraphs for their site, we took inspiration directly from the world in which Chopard lives: sparkling, wealthy, glamorous, and very cinematic (as you know, they host the Cannes film festival each year). So we decided to write a scene, this moment in time where six characters are all about to collide together, the moment before everything happens when all you have are butterflies and anticipation, dreams and a House full of Secrets

Over the next 5 days I will introduce you to our six characters: Eros TwomblyDirk Janson, Miss Penelope, Lord Byron WoodringLady Argyle, and Mademoiselle Suzette in this mansion on Long Island where their fates lay in wait in my favorite collection of Cinemagraphs yet.

Won’t you join us for the festivities…and see what #ChopardSecrets you may unveil?

 House_of_Secrets615_final

Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~ George Eliot

There is a beauty in autumn entirely its own: the crispness of the air, the slow return of rosy cheeks, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the shimmer of change in the air. How do you go about capturing such a complex and stunning season?

When you are Chopard, you turn to your high jewelers. These amazingly talented craftsmen and women shaped an entire fall scene into an intricate, beautiful necklace – leaves shifting color, acorns growing nearly to the point of dropping, a gentle spider deftly building a web between two leaves. With colored diamonds set like cobblestones on the branch and tsavorite leaves glittering, the piece gives off a gentle shimmering glow, just like autumn mornings.

Here is an intimate look at the making of an autumn inspired piece for Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection from their artisan factory in Geneva to the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival.

Continue reading “Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection”

Chopard Watchmaking

As I walked through the rooms of Chopard’s watchmaking house in Switzerland I was struck by the interesting balance between man and time. Here were the artisans, these specialized skilled craftsmen working with precious metals in parts so tiny my naked eye could not see it. They are making time, they are making something that counts it beat by beat, but they are doing it by hand and they are doing it over months. Many of these skilled hands dance around the piece: building it from part to part, polishing each layer until it gleams, checking and double-checking for any flaws, carefully putting each tiny component together under a magnifying glass. As the watch comes together, the viewer can only stand in awe at this delicate harmony of machine and man. In a world where technology continues to take over more and more of our lives, it’s hard to believe that humans still play such a large part in this, the art of time.

But this – this is how Chopard makes a watch.

Watching the stunning L.U.C. watches (named for the founder, Louis-Ulysse Chopard) come to life gave me so much appreciation for Chopard’s devotion to quality. It was inspiring to watch mere men & women put these intricate and complex pieces together, more than beautiful watches but award-winning, certified time pieces to be cherished forever.

Come with me as we watch Chopard make an art of time…

  

  

Continue reading “Chopard Watchmaking”

The Regal Beauty

For a beautiful moment, a young muse was transformed, developing a sense of mysterious calm. 

This clothing captured my imagination when I first saw the Spanish brand at NYFW. It was elegant and romantic while being ever so avant-garde. Delpozo’s history is as rich in story telling and fantasy as the clothing is today. The house has designed award-winning costumes for ballet and opera, tableware, and jewelry. The original designer Jesús del Pozo’s appreciation for all things beautiful was apparent in every venture he pursued.

You can see why I became so inspired to bring to life this character, this beauty and visually tell a story of a young princess tied to duty with every storm in life ahead of her but with the innocence that can only come from youth, a character I saw within the silhouettes of these pieces, through the eyes of our stunning model and the regal Chopard jewels.

Now creative director Josep Font is reinvigorating this well-known Spanish brand under the name DELPOZO and relaunching with more of a focus on high-end women’s clothing. I’m looking forward to photographing the new collection in just a few weeks when a fleet of models will glide down the runway in a whole new fantasy.  While Font draws inspiration from many varied places, he is absolutely centered on connecting with women. As he said in an interview with ELLE:

Women, like art, have no age.



Continue reading “The Regal Beauty”