NYC Dance Project: Photographers Ken Browar and Deborah Ory

Ashley Ellis, Principal Dancer at the Boston Ballet shot by photographers Deborah Ory and Ken Browar at their studio in New York City.

American photographers Deborah Ory and Ken Browar created the NYC Dance Project to shoot contemporary and classical dancers in New York, capturing their dynamism and beauty, Antonio Visconti reports

DEBORAH Ory started her career as a modern dancer while Ken Browar worked as a fashion photographer. Today, working together they are able to use each of their different strengths to create startling portraits of New York's top dancers. The dance project grew from their shared love of the human body in motion. 

“It is a celebration of dancers’ bodies," says Ken Browar. "Dancers must simultaneously be artists and athletes, and we try to highlight both qualities of our subjects in the photographs.” Ory and Browar describe their collaboration as one of  "give and take" between both them and their subjects.  

“We want to showcase and celebrate the dancers as individuals so that our project becomes a diverse portrait of New York's dance community,’’ says Browar. “Even in photographs where the dancers wear costumes, we look for the human being within the character they are playing.”

They prepare each shoot as though it is a dance production, working like choreographers and designing the sets, lighting, mood and movement to reflect the particular qualities of each dancer. “Our favorite moments are the simple ones: the breath the dancer takes after a jump, the quiet introverted moments often only seen backstage, or the second, mid-motion, when the dancer feels free,’’ says Deborah Ory.

Today, Browar and Ory live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with two teenage daughters who are studying to be ballerinas. Browar’s passion for dance began when he lived in Paris and photographed dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet. His fashion photography has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and other European fashion magazines.

Ory began studying dance as a child and  made it her profession until she was injured and began her photography career, shooting the rehearsals she could not participate in. After moving to New York City, she worked as a photo editor at magazines such as House & Garden and Mirabella and began shooting editorial work for international design publications.

Click on photographs for full-screen slideshow

Marcelo Gomes, Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. “Our work is a celebration of dancers’ bodies," says Ken Browar. "Dancers must simultaneously be artists and athletes, and we try to highlight both qualities of our subjects in the photographs.” 

Ashley Ellis, Principal Dancer from the Boston Ballet making a graceful pose in New York. “Our favorite moments are the simple ones: the breath the dancer takes after a jump, the quiet introverted moments often only seen backstage, or the second, mid-motion, when the dancer feels free,’’ says Deborah Ory

The sheer physicality of dance ~ Alexandre Hammoudi, Soloist at American Ballet Theatre. They prepare each shoot as though it is a dance production, working like choreographers and designing the sets, lighting, mood and movement to reflect the particular qualities of each dancer. 

“Even in photographs where the dancers wear costumes, we look for the human being within the character they are playing,” says Ken Browar. Dancer Gabrielle Salvatto, currently shooting the film Flesh & Bone. Photographed in New York at Browar and Ory's studio.

The expressive Daniil Simpkin, Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre.

Stretching ~ Daniil Simpkin of the American Ballet Theatre. 

Anthony Javier Savoy of the Dance Theatre of Harlem shows his elegance and strength.

Perfect alignment ~ Anthony Javier Savoy and Gabrielle Salvatto, dancers from the Dance Theatre of Harlem 

Expressive contemporary dance ~ Anthony Javier Savoy and Gabrielle Salvatto from the Dance Theatre of Harlem

Taking a flying leap ~ Anthony Javier Savoy of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Dancer Gabrielle Salvatto, currently shooting the film Flesh & Bone. Photographed in New York at Browar and Ory's NY studio.

Hee Seo is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Born in Seoul, Seo is the first South Korean principal with the ABT as well as being one of the youngest dancers in the company to hold this title.

All suited up and ready to dance ~ Daniil Simkin of the American Ballet Theatre.

Focus on New Fashion: Le Photographe by Christopher Beales

Models backstage at the Le Photographe collection, designed by Christopher Beales and held at Fashion Scout’s Freemasons Hall in London. It was a surprising mix of sleek couture and ready to wear pieces. Photograph by Mike Rolls

During fashion week in London, Milan & Paris there are also special collections of new and upcoming designers and labels. Our correspondent Limor Helfgott with photographer Mike Rolls visited the Fashion Scout shows in London and met designer Christopher Beales, the creative mind behind the new brand Le Photographe

EXCITING new labels and designers showcase their work at the innovative off-schedule catwalks taking place all over London during fashion week. Celebrating its seventh year, Fashion Scout is the United Kingdom’s largest event for presenting emerging and innovative new talents and helping to build a new generation in the fashion industry. 

Designers such as Peter Pilotto, David Koma, Eudon Choi and Fyodor Golan all showcased their designs at Fashion Scout and are now regular names in the on-schedule shows at Somerset house.

Fashion Scout has become renowned for finding and promoting the most creative design talents and creating an international showcase for designers from all over the globe. It is always exciting to see new and creative talents. Many of the designers’ catwalks showed a kind of extravagant creativity ~ from fuzzy fur coats to unfinished cuffs. But one of the shows stood out for its sophistication and style. 

The Le Photographe collection, designed by Christopher Beales and held at Fashion Scout’s Freemasons Hall, was a surprising mix of sleek couture and ready to wear pieces. The designs were glamorous but accessible, alternating between contemporary and traditional tailoring.

Christopher Beales has a stellar background including working as a senior tailor for womenswear at Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford. In 2012, he also travelled to Mumbai to establish a workshop at a top embroidery and manufacturing house.

We caught up with the designer right after his show in London to hear his thoughts and inspirations behind his Garden of Temptation collection. Christopher Beales says he has been thinking about starting a new brand for a long time. 

“Then there comes a moment when you have a chance to present your work and you go for it,” says the designer. “As this is the first season of working together as a team we wanted to explore our ideas of shapes, embroidery and textiles to create our own signature.”

Beales said he was very happy with the results after seeing the show: “Watching the girls walk out on to the catwalk was very emotional. It’s actually seeing what you’ve been doing for a long time become real. You are never quite sure how it will look until it’s done ~ and when it all comes to life it is a great feeling of achievement.” 

Choosing the models was also a very important part in presenting the collection: “We wanted girls that could demonstrate elegance, confidence and power. It wasn’t only the fact that they were my designs, it was the way it was presented that made it all look fantastic and it felt like something powerful was happening out there”.

Beales’ Garden of Temptation collection was clearly dedicated to emphasising the feminine form and showed looks that combined a sense of strength with a more romantic elegance: floral draped waterfall skirts and flowing shapes, pencil skirts and tailored jackets. The collection was accented by embroidery that gave a feel of classic couture while the use of woven cotton gave a wearable and modern touch. 

The color palette included touches of red, fuchsia and lemon yellow on a base of black and white. The strong floral influence gave a summery feeling all throughout the collection. To complete the look, the models’ hats were a very important accessory. The graphic eye make-up and natural lips added to the strong yet feminine feel.

Overall it was a beautifully-tailored and flamboyantly creative collection for Le Photographe, making Christpher Beales one of the most exciting designers to watch in upcoming seasons.

Click on photographs for full-screen slideshow

Designer Christopher Beales has a stellar background including working as a senior tailor for womenswear at Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford. Photograph by Mike Rolls

The Garden of Temptation collection was glamorous but accessible, alternating between contemporary and traditional tailoring. Photograph by Mike Rolls 

The collection highlighted the feminine form and showed looks that combined a sense of strength with a more romantic elegance: floral draped waterfall skirts and flowing shapes, pencil skirts and tailored jackets. Photograph by Mike Rolls

The strong floral influence gave a summery feeling all throughout the collection. To complete the look, the models’ hats were a very important accessory. Photograph by Mike Rolls

Choosing the models was also a very important part in presenting the collection: “We wanted girls that could demonstrate elegance, confidence and power,'' says designer Christopher Beales. Photograph by Mike Rolls

The collection was accented by embroidery that gave a feel of classic couture while the use of woven cotton gave a wearable and modern touch. Photograph by Mike Rolls

 “As this is the first season of working together as a team we wanted to explore our ideas of shapes, embroidery and textiles to create our own signature," says Christopher Beales. Photograph by Mike Rolls

The color palette included lemon yellow on a base of black and white. Photograph by Mike Rolls

The graphic eye make-up and natural lips added to the strong yet feminine feel. Photograph by Mike Rolls

 In 2012, Christopher Beales travelled to Mumbai to establish a workshop at a top embroidery and manufacturing house. Photograph by Mike Rolls

Overall it was a beautifully-tailored and flamboyantly creative collection for Le Photographe, making Christpher Beales one of the most exciting designers to watch in upcoming seasons. Photograph by Mike Rolls

Hunting Sun: Photographic Essay by Andreas Romagnoli

"You put yourself at the centre of a 5000 year old ring of dolmens, with no other human being around, and you feel the millenniums passing through your veins like flashes in a thunderstorm..."

Andreas Romagnoli roams the sinuous hills, stony coasts and bristling seas of the Scottish Highlands and Orkney Islands, immersing himself amid the brooding moods of the wild and intoxicating Northern landscapes

“Thinking goes on in your head. It is not really deep into the roots of your being; it is not your totality,”  writes Osho in  Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Volume 10

And he is right.

The strong wind, the vibrant colour of the grass, the sense of wide open spaces somehow stops you thinking or maybe just touches different parts of your inner self. 

You are alone, but not completely. Every single image in front of your eyes passes directly through your heart, opening wounds or giving you new hope. 

You are alone in the tempest, four days of consecutive tempests, and you’re hunting sun. The few lights coming from the ocean remind you that somewhere, somehow there should have been a twilight, a sun sinking over the deep waters.

And you wonder how it would have been watching that sun falling down, slowly, gently caressing the sea in a progression of red and black clouds.

The wind never stops blowing here, in the Orkney islands. It has a cathartic effect, smoothing the angles of your soul – regrets become experiences, fears become opportunities.

All of the roads here seem like eternal, ethereal passages to a new level of awareness. The rain stops a bit, and you’re hunting sun. Sometimes the wind is so strong you cannot hear your own scream: it seems that nature wants to be sure you'll fully respect her magnificent beauty. 

You put yourself at the centre of a 5000 year old ring of dolmens, with no other human being around, and you feel the millenniums passing through your veins like flashes in a thunderstorm.

Past and present are absorbed into each other; no thinking, not even a “ thought” emotion, just a sense that unfortunately not even the best storyteller can describe. It must be lived. It must be breathed.

The rain has stopped, but the sun has not revealed itself.

The search goes on….

Click on photographs for full screen slideshow

 

London Fashion Week: Day 4 Highlights Spring/Summer 2015

Erdem Moralioglu managed to create one of the best shows of London Fashion Week with designs that were both intricate and romantic yet contemporary.

THE short film below shows the highlights from the catwalk shows from Day Four at London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015.  There are interviews with Laura Bailey, Paula Reed & Naomi Harris. Look out for our upcoming report of all the best looks and trends from our fashion correspondent Limor Helfgott. 

The film includes the fabulous Erdem show set in a magical forest. The runway was like a path amid a tropical glass house of palms and vines in the old Selfridges Hotel. The dilapidated background was a contrast to the elegance of the lacy and feathery dresses. 

There is a sense of the Edwardian period, the lace dresses in black, yellow and green with simple hair in plaits and flat shoes. London was filled with botanical inspirations this season, and Erdem Moralioglu managed to create one of the best shows with designs that were both intricate and romantic yet contemporary.

London Fashion Week: Day 3 Highlights Spring/Summer 2015

The catwalk at the Topshop Unique spring-summer 2015 show at London Fashion Week SS15. Topshop based its Unique collection on classic British subcultures – mods, rockers, bright young things and Northern Soul revellers.

 THE short film below shows the highlights of Day 3 at London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015 including interviews with British Fashion Council ambassadors Alexa Chung and Poppy Delevingne. Look out for our upcoming report on the best of this season's LFW by our fashion correspondent Limor Helfgott.

London Fashion Week: Day 2 Highlights Spring/Summer 2015

Jasper Conran's Spring/Summer 2015 Collection of loose-fitting dresses with graphic prints shown at London Fashion Week. Photograph by Limor Helfgott

THE short film below shows the highlights of Day 2 at London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015 including interviews with Rita Ora, Anna Wintour & Daisy Lowe. Look out for our upcoming report on the best of this season's LFW by our fashion correspondent Limor Helfgott.