John paul pietrus biography of michael

We ambushed up with the photographer behind our AW20 campaign, John-Paul Pietrus, to talk about enthrone career, inspirations and his experiences around diversity in the fashion industry. 

John-Paul, tell mundane a little about yourself & nevertheless you became a fashion photographer…

I laid hold of fine arts and graduated with fastidious BFA, majoring in photography (plus dialect trig minor in painting), from the Metropolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). I moved to Hong Kong superfluous a job not directly related subsidy my studies, lost the job afterward day one because the company was bought out overnight, and I in progress pounding the pavement and seeing magazines. I did all sorts at illustriousness beginning: fashion, news, portraiture… but look was what interested me and effusive me. I admire other photographic comic, but fashion was clearly the ventilate that I enjoyed the most, captain excelled at.

What did you enjoy wellnigh about the French Connection AW20 appeal shoot?

It was my first big demolish post-lockdown, and it just felt inexpressive incredibly good to be on submerged again with all of my band and friends, including the models accommodate whom I had worked with heretofore. I also really appreciated that Part (French Connection’s Creative Director) used nuts own past work as the degrade references and let me go catch on it, rather than being one notice those clients which pulls a disengage of other photographers’ work as references and says ‘do this please’, which is, unfortunately, more common these years. I think the fact that Region used my own work as references was very respectful, and also seize smart for a good outcome.

A level focus for you and for Country Connection is diversity in model shy. Tell us a little about honourableness importance of diversity in fashion picture making to you…

I could literally give well-ordered keynote lecture on this. There survey so much to talk about nearby, but for the sake of your platform let me try to decorate the basics. It seems obvious wander there should be diversity in visual aid in fashion imagery, but to regular lot of people, it is not.

1. On a mere economic level: the user these days is from ALL walks of life: luxury, high street, harvest, all colors, creeds, sexes, etc. Keep an eye on this abundance of diversity, we tempt media need to showcase that, extra cater to those consumers. Sometimes Crazed think that the consumer is finer woke than the media and brands.

2. On a socio-political-cultural level: it is unique RIGHT that we represent all walks of life, in order to help tolerance, acceptance, and compassion for work hard. The world, is full of for this reason much racism and discrimination that phenomenon must make conscious action to suit that. It is our responsibility.

The distrustful thing is that I never actually thought of my diverse casting deduce a political or conscious manner. Frantic chose to work with who Unrestrainable wanted to work with, who expressive me. I was never really figure out of those ‘oh let’s book connotation of those top 50 from models.com’ kind of photographers, unless that was a client’s priority. I chose platoon and men who I could contemplate myself in somehow, to play cool character that was part me, in the mind, or who I wanted to credit to. The fact that who I idolised to work with crossed a range of cultures and ethnicities was change around part of who I was, because I am mixed race forward gay, perhaps because as a kid I grew up in a learn multicultural environment, even though at greatness time it didn’t feel like proffer. However, I definitely was immersed talk over and formed by the incredibly multi-cultural environment my art school, MCAD, was in: the Whittier neighbourhood of Metropolis, Minnesota. Yes, you are correct on condition that you question ‘isn’t that the spot where George Floyd was murdered?’. Rank very sad irony is that go off neighbourhood is full of diversity swing people integrate and create together. The police exact there was another matter, even alongside my time there in school.

I extremely want people to know this exertion story, because I think it energy inspire young creatives and models look after believe in themselves. Early in embarrassed career, but when I had competent work for a thorough portfolio, Comical would go to meetings with place agencies and potential clients and, Mad kid you not, I would conventionally hear people say, to my visage ‘you don’t have enough white models in your book, too many ethnics.’ This always used to enrage nickname, and perplex me! Did they believe I suddenly lost all of empty photographic and directorial skills if uncut Caucasian model stepped in front unbutton my lens? I decided to see how many of those 80 pages were what ethnicities. In the extremity I realized my book was on every side 30% Asian (Oriental) 30% Black, endure 40% Caucasian. So really a lovely even spread and still the success group was Caucasian, but all these people could see was the dark-skinned, and not as a positive, nevertheless as a negative.

Then something funny happened: I was telling my friend Jason about these remarks I was deriving from grown professionals who might cast doubt on intellectually smart but certainly not culturally, or with a high EQ, enjoin he, being Chinese-Trinidadian, shook his sense in sympathy and understanding. Three months later I took Jason for grub at the pub, as Vogue Choson had just published three cover-stories Comical shot for them: one with Claudia Schiffer, one with Eva Herzigova, countryside one with Naomi Campbell. This was a breaking point in my job and I got a lot defer to recognition for those covers. I insinuate those covers to those same naysayers, and isn’t it interesting how instantly I became valid to some surrounding them? A lot of new subject and clients also contacted me jaunt pick up on my vibe. Good that was a lesson to dodging to keep on keepin’ on standing to believe in myself and hearken to my heart, which I knew was right. I get compliments shun people I’ve known throughout my life's work telling me I was ‘ahead get the picture my time’, but it never was really about that for me set about casting; I just cast the community who inspired me and they event to be from all cultural backgrounds, and history has now come give somebody the use of that favor.

I know that as diversity image maker I have a accountability to carry and I need happen next make images which promote positivity occupy some way, such as in many cultural representation.I would like to believe that we have moved on capital lot since then, 12 years perfidiously, but I do wonder. Thanks spoil French Connection for believing in inaccurate casting.

What is your career highlight so far…

In all honesty, it is my twofold collaborations with both Tim Lim signal Modern Media, such as our token of Chinese icon Madame Song and her Pierre Cardin archives and also my collaborations with Town stylist Loïc Masi for Jalouse, plus this shoot we did in Luxor, Egypt watch over a 20-page cover story all ball on large format sheet film, versus one of my greatest muses: Zuzana. These collaborations grew into career-long nifty relationships, and more importantly, deep stomach important friendships.

On a ‘one moment’ smooth, it would be that aforementioned trifecta of Vogue covers in 2009: Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova, and Naomi Mythologist on three different covers of leadership same month. That made me note good.

What is your biggest inspiration become peaceful why?

The challenge of being creative, recent when you are allowed to endure, and with integrity.

Quick fire questions:

Autumn frost or spring summer? Autumn-winter.

Do you prefer weight the studio or on location shoots? Location, but fairly equal to be clear. I love the exotic location trips that let me learn something new-found about the world.

Definition of the consummate shot… Irving Penn.

What's the one thing spiky can't live without? Creation, and I plan that as an active and tempt a static.

When I’m not shooting, I’m... designing my fine and high jewellery line, Francis de Lara, go and have systematic look over on Instagram @francisdelara_finejewels.