Bringing an emotive story to life

TED / Thandiwe Newton

Following the moving TED talk, “Embracing otherness, embracing myself” we created a book for actor Thandiwe Newton to commemorate the power, depth and visionary perspective of her talk. At the heart of this unique project is collaboration between our Founder, Chris Fogg, and celebrated photographer Jonathan Oakes. Chris and Johnny have collaborated on many projects together throughout their careers but the creative freedom this project allowed, gave them the opportunity to truly express their combined vision.

Partnership since 2018
Location LA, USA
Sector The Arts

“Following the outstanding achievement award we received for design and publishing for Kelly Reemtsen’s book, it was great to have the chance to express our creativity again, not just in the design and art direction but moreover the structure of the story telling. Crucial to this project was the integrity and effectiveness of visually representing Thandie’s unique story and compelling perspective. We love this genre of project and have been fortunate enough to be involved in the arts on many occasions. In was wonderful to work in such close collaboration with Johnny who has the rare ability to craft a unique visual ‘voice’ through his technical ability as a photographer.”
Chris Fogg
Founder

“As a photographer it’s important to be constantly evolving and experimenting, creating fresh new material to enthuse potential clients and inspire existing ones. Commissioned work is often limited by commercial restraints and creative boundaries so it’s so important to allocate time and resources to independent project work. When I heard about this project I was excited by the opportunity to collaborate with Chris and his team to combine our skills and create something to tell the story in a unique and elegant way. The finished result is a proud accomplishment and illustrates what can be achieved by a skilled and talented team working with a great idea, unrestricted creativity and boundless enthusiasm. I’m hugely grateful for this opportunity massive thanks to all involved.”
Jonathan Oakes
Photographer

Another collaborator, who was critical to the success of the project was stylist Hannah Grace. With a project like this the manifestation of the vision is critical to its success and Hannah had that rare ability to not just understand the direction of artistic travel but also enhance it. It wasn’t just Hannah’s eyes for selecting the pieces, but also her artistry and craft in creating some of the key pieces. Our ‘star of the show’ was model Nina Sethi. Nina went beyond her role as a model, taking direction and playing the role as an actress. She brought such depth and integrity to her portrayal of the story. Grooming team, Mark Power on Hair and Tally Bookbinder on Makeup created a series of looks from playful and flamboyant to theatrical and glamorous which perfectly captured the collective vision. Retoucher Ann Mulqueeney carefully crafted the images while printer, Team Impression, created the finished result.

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