Self Service + LA
 | Author: Jauretsi | Posted: June 17th, 2008 | Filed under: Editorials, Starworks Commissioned | | Comments Off |
SELF SERVICE MAGAZINE VENTURES TO LA FOR STARS AND STYLES PICS
By Sharon Ainsberg
(Nicole Ritchie for Self Service shoot at Chateau Marmont)
I felt so privileged to be in LA to help cover the Ezra Petronio shoot for the upcoming Fall/Winter 2008 issue of SELF SERVICE. Ezra is the notable, lovable and dynamic force behind the Paris-based creative agency, Work in Progress and Self Service Magazine. He is responsible for directing some of the most memorable campaigns in the business (Miu Miu, YSL, Chloe, to name a few). I had the pleasure of watching him work with the vast array of LA-based talent selected for the portfolio, about 22 or more participants– brilliantly booked by Starworks’ own Greg Krelenstein.
(Rory, Starworks’ Sharon, Elizabeth Sulcer, Christian, Nicole, and Zelda Williams)
Ezra has become famous for his ongoing Polaroid portraits series, which harkens back to a time when this medium of photography was popularized by the masses— I remember not being able to wait for those pictures to develop…waiving them around (which I understand does nothing but I’d do it anyway) and capturing a moment.
In Self Service Magazine, Ezra celebrates the spirit of the Polaroid by photographing subjects around the world who are part of our cultural fabric…from fashion to art to music to film to any entrepreneur or inventor…his subjects are all creative people with interesting stories who do interesting things. Ezra told me he collects vintage Polaroid cameras from all over the world. He also finds vintage detachable flash bulbs that seem to cast the most gorgeous hue on his subjects. It was really a pleasure to watch him work…and I loved how he insisted along the way “I’m really not a photographer.” He could have had anyone fooled.
(Ezra shooting Rose McGowan)
We were joined at the Chateau Marmont Hotel over a two day period by everyone from China Chow to Bijou Phillips to Nicole Ritchie (whose pics rendered us all speechless, they are so beautiful); Fashion designers such as Jeremy Scott and Stefano Pilati (sporting a vintage Club Med tee shirt and his signature smile); Filmmaker Spike Jonze took a few great shots with his tousled shaggy hair thrust into his face, which sort of made me melt with love and admiration; Rose McGowan was looking drop-dead gorgeous with her fiery red hair, and the ever-stunning Leelee Sobieski is STILL a lot taller than me, no, sorry, let me rephrase: TOWERS over me, no matter how high my heels may be on any given day; On another note, I was blown over by the angel-like face and grace of young actress Zelda Williams (Robin Williams’ daughter) who may as well have the words STAR QUALITY embedded across her forehead.
(China Chow with Nicole Perna and Joel Madden)
The shoot was beautifully styled by Elizabeth Sulcer (also the Fashion Director of Blackbook Magazine) who pulled looks from designers from Chanel to Azzaro to Burberry. She was assisted by the psychotically funny Nicole Vitagliano, and Christian Brylle, who also acted as photo assistant to Ezra on a bunch of setups. The days were filled with a lot of laughter, despite the tight schedule and long hours…Ezra was always smiling and not one person left without commenting on how much fun they had. Spirits were great and I think we all had a high moment meeting Mr. Chow himself, whose little round glasses I will never forget. I considered asking him for reservations for that very night, but then had a vision of the word “INAPPROPRIATE” all lit up in neon, and opted not to.
(Leelee Sobieski, Ezra, Bijou Phillips, and Matt Davis)
I am eternally impressed with Ezra and his whole Self Service team…Rory Satran worked so tirelessly to pull it all together and did so seamlessly. It’s always a special experience to be able to work with those who have a passion for what they do, and who continue to stretch their boundaries of expression by always creating, reinventing or reinterpreting art in one way or another. And when that is being done by a Brooklyn-boy-turned-Parisian-creative director, well, you’ve really gotta love that.
(Left to Right: Friend, Hairstylist Luigi Moreno, YSL’s Stefano Pilati, and Ezra)
Self Service Fall/Winter 2008 will be available this coming Fall.
