Norman Cavazzana Creative Agency

"Norman Cavazzana is no ordinary man". 

It's actually two Swedish men.

As they describe themselves, they are; 

"two extraordinary creatives that stand behind the name, both knowing that two brilliant minds come up with more brilliant ideas than one. 

The Italian / Swedish duo started off as a photographer and creative director, two roles that more often than not merge. Nowadays NC is a fully serviced creative agency, adding fashion / commercial film and their highly anticipated jewellery collection NC W.A.R to their repertoire of tricks."

Biography

Marco Cavazzana, seemingly having no formal education in film or photography, started gaining recognition in the industry in 200 after claiming the Adobe interactive Designer of the Month award. In 2002 he was named by an anonymous UK publication as one of the top 13 best up and coming graphic designers, and grabbed a nomination at the Scandinavian MTV awards for Best Animated Film. In 2007, he founded NC Creative Agency with Morgan Norman, was a Top Model guest judge, and received a nomination for Best Short Film at the L.A Film Festival in 2009. 2010 Saw a very busy year for him and Morgan as they received the Silver Award at the Finnish Advertising Awards, participated in the Hahnemuhle Fine Art Photography Exhibition here in Australia, and started up the N.C W.A.R Jewellery Collection. 

Morgan Norman received his training at the Gamleby School of Photography from 2002-03, and from '03-'04 he worked as a photo assistant for international fashion photographer Carl Bengtsson. 2004 also gave him the opportunity to freelance for various international magazines, advertising agencies and record labels. Then, in 2007 and 2008, he was able to participate in 3 major exhibitions; the Commedia Dell'arte NC exhibition and LIBIDO, and was featured in a permanent exhibition of NATIONALMUSUEM, Sweden's premier museum of art and design. In this year, he also became Co-owner and founder of Creative Agency: Norman Cavazzana. He also shared the position of a Top Model Guest Judge, and in the same year he helped the agency establish a New York office. in 2009 he was featured in VICTOR by Hasselblad as international top new comer, and 2010saw him featured in the 8th Festival International de la Photgraphie de Mode in Cannes. 

I was initially attracted to their work after seeing the film that was shot and edited by them for one of my favourite labels (also of Swedish origin) OBSCUR, but I was drawn into their diversely dark repertory after seeing their "Black Widow" video and some of the shoots they have done for various makeup artists and magazines around Europe. Here's a bit of a taste; 

OBSCUR

Directed / Filmed by Norman Cavazzana
Film Editor: Mats Udd & Norman Cavazzana
Stylist: Oskar Perlskog
Hair & Make-up Artist: Hanna-Cecilia Åslund / Link Details
Photography Assistants: Vincent Sjögren
Model: Maximilian Wallér Zandén // Roel - Nischmanagement

"Black Widow"

Directed / Filmed by Norman Cavazzana
Film Editor: Mats Udd & Norman Cavazzana
Stylist: Jessica Mittelton
Head Make-up Artist: Hanna-Cecilia Åslund / Link Details
Secondary Make-up Artist: Josefin Gligic / Preston Hair
Hair by Josefin Gligic / Preston Hair
Photography Assistants: Vincent Sjögren & Joel Christoffersson
Model: Denise K / Elite Model Management
Music: The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build A Home 

NEW YORK FASHION

Directed / Filmed by Norman Cavazzana

Film Editor: Emilia Mosquito / Altered Film
Hair by Jamal Hodges / Creative Management NY
Stylist: Bradley Smith
Make-up Artist: Junko Kioka / Creative Management NY
Photography Assistant: Andreas Smitz
Models: (Renni K / Wilhelmina Models) (Maria M / Q Model Management)
Music: Sufjan Stevens - Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland

Photography / Post Production by Norman Cavazzana
Hair by Björn Axén (Johan Hellström & Peter Hagelstam)
Stylist: Norman Cavazzana
Make-up Artist: Hanna-Cecilia Åslund / Link Details
Model: Josefin Z / Elite Stockholm

Photography / Post Production by Norman Cavazzana
Hair by Björn Axén (Johan Hellström & Peter Hagelstam)
Stylist: Norman Cavazzana
Make-up Artist: Maria Boström
Photography Assistant: Eric Davidsson
Models: (Lisa W / Stockholmsgruppen) (Carolina S / Elite Model Management)

Photography / Post Production by Norman Cavazzana
Hair by Hanna-Cecilia Åslund / Link Details
Stylist: Emma Thorstrand / Link Details
Make-up Artist: Hanna-Cecilia Åslund / Link Details
Photography Assistant: Paulina Petersson
Model: Mickaela Tombrock / Mikas

I find that their work has consistency only in that every shoot is produced without the overdone lacklustre banality so often present in aesthetically darker works. Their images are more subtly atmospheric pieces, mainly because they rely on so much more than simply the subject to communicate the arcane undercurrents of the work, utilising a vast range of techniques that give their work not just a visual, but a thematic complexity as well. These works shine not only as a celebration of say, the makeup artist's or designer's work. They stand alone as attestation to the rise of digital and graphic techniques as a rightfully esteemed medium of expression collecting a well-deserved deference and admiration from the greater art community.

TENIR AU COURANT.

www.normancavazzana.com

© Morgan Norman & Marco Cavazzana, Creative Agency: Norman Cavazzana.

Laitinen AW11/12

Oof. Really hard to find info on these guys, the only thing I can really find is this short interview from Dazed Digital: 

Tuomas and Anna Laitinen - the prolific Finnish brother and sister who have been creating a consistent, vibrant and appealing visual language since their success at the Festival d'Hyeres in 2006 - have again asserted their growing command for superbly tailored menswear. Presented in the cave-like brick basement of an unassuming swingers club in Le Marais, the Laitinen siblings showed another variation on their abstract prints and delicate knits - this time within the parameters of military uniforms.

Dazed Digital: Tell me about this collection - it seems like a steady progression from your last.

Tuomas Laitinen: This is sort of like a war-child collection, so there are a lot of military references from the Russian and Swiss armies mixed with a kind of punk feeling, and late 70s/early 80s New Wave.  

DD: Do you find that before each collection you and Anna search for and rediscover the Laitinen man or is it something that you have already refined? It seems as though you are seeking to improve upon the same core idea each season.

Tuomas Laitinen: Of course we are still refining - we're in the process; we're still young designers. But it always comes from what I would want for myself 

DD: Are there certain things you seek to surround yourself with in order to create a good atmosphere to work in?

Tuomas Laitinen: I find that I just need to surround myself with the right people so that I have more time to work on collections. The right press, good relationships with agencies - that's all I need from my atmosphere.

LAD MUSICIAN AW10/11

Lad Musician’s latest collection, designed by Yuichi Kuroda, was a gothic horror romp taking in vampires, ghouls and ghosts.

It is impossible to view the collections of the Tokyo based label without seeing some definite influences from very modern high fashion menswear lines; the sharply cut tailoring and thin silhouettes of the pieces instantly evoke the kind of striking minimalist aesthetic of Van Assche's work for Dior Homme, and the presence of very traditional, gothic pieces such as capes, undertaker coats and high collared shirts conjures parallels with much of Ann Demeulemeester's work. Even the models themselves, pale and dripping in boyish youth looked like they had  just stepped off the Dior runway. 

However, I think the label manages to capture and hold the more toned down "streetwear" tenor that a lot of the Japanese fashion industry is renowned for (after all, who doesnt think of all the thousands of Harajuku lurkers in FRUiTS and TUNE magazines at the first chirp of the word "Street fashion"?). LAD MUSICIAN is able to achieve this through mainly their use of colour and the other more casual pieces and shapes that the tailoring is combined with. These include various hues of brown and beige, oversized hoodies and draped elongated cardigans and sweaters, jersey skinny-leg pants and asymmetrically cut T-shirts. The staging itself, far from having the refined and clean appearance of those in couture shows, was scarily theatrical and the smoke filled runway, eerie soundscape, ghostly styling with blood tears and lipstick was perfect for the collection theme.

The brand, which was originally established in 1995, recently opened a store in Shinjuku and a flagship in Nagoya designed by acclaimed Japanese architects "General Design". It has gained an almost cult following in Japan amongst the Tokyo boys for the emaciated tailored/punk/glam kind of aesthetic which had made a huge comeback in the past few years, along with the birth/emergence of labels such as DRESSEDUNDRESSED and Christopher Nemeth (who died of lung cancer just last year unfortunately).

Lad Musician, in addition to its numerous Japanese stores and stockists can be found in Opening Ceremony in LA and NYC and menswear emporium Tangs in Singapore.

ALEX DUNSTAN SHOT BY SHANNON SINCLAIR IN BURBERRY S/S 2011 FOR VISUAL TALES MAGAZINE

© Photography Shannon Sinclair / Styling John Tan / Grooming Andy Starkweather / Fashion Burberry Prorsum S/S 2011

VISUAL TALES MAGAZINE Website

Source: Coute Que Coute