Our Approach

On this Fashion Insider film we were doubly blessed: to be working with David and his artistic talents, and against the backdrop of London’s famously elegant Claridge’s Hotel.

We had access to not only a beautiful suite, but also the magnificent Fumoir Bar, where David typically meets with his portrait subjects, to talk and sketch over champagne. The Fumoir Bar, all beaux-arts glamour with deep aubergine décor and ruby-red velvet seating, is like a jewellery box. The soft illumination from the Lalique crystal panels was gently supplemented with our own lighting by DoP and director Tomas Frigstad. By the end of this first sequence we knew that through Tomas’s judicious use of crystals, foreground and reflections we already had some fantastic shots in the can.

The suite - light and airy - was the perfect foil to the richness of the bar. We captured oblique shots of David’s iconic penstrokes and recorded our voiceover. In the Black & White Gallery, where his portraits for the hotel hang side by side as if in conversation, we captured gimbal shots of David walking past his previous sitters with elegant reflections and telling details.

The Results

The final video, edited by Tomas, sits comfortably in the Fashion Insiders portfolio alongside portraits of curators, designers and creative directors, but stands out as one of kind.

It’s a rich and filmic portrait of a fashion illustrator who is bringing the skills associated with a bygone-era to life on the page with a refreshing, contemporary twist - like a modern take on a classic cocktail.

We’ll drink to that. Cheers!