I was thrilled that emerging fashion designer Claudio Cina asked me to photograph his Spring 22 collection. Claudio and I had collaborated before on an editorial. Our energy and creative vision produced spectacular work. I was excited to bring our vision to his new line. This is the first season that Claudio introduced a complete menswear collection. He also debuted accessories including handbags, jewelry and sick hand painted boots!
Claudio wanted the shoot to have a tropical feel. We were considering a restaurant location but the hours and timing didn’t work. My New York photo studio seemed to be the best option. We mood boarded, sourced props, backdrops, floors, plants. After many phone calls and a meeting Claudio opted to keep it simple and just use a blue backdrop which evokes the Caribbean Sea and tropical skies. I felt it was a good choice. We want to feature his designs and not detract from them.
Cina is a force. The collection includes a cohesive representation of swimwear, beachwear, jackets, couture dresses, tops, bottoms and accessories. His silhouettes, fabric selection, embroidery, hand painting, graphic designs, color palette is beyond. For me the highlight is his hand beaded dresses, color blocked leather biker jacket and those killer boots!
Claudio is very particular about his models. He already had male model Raphael Diogo with The Society Management casted. The female model he wanted to use was not available due to her traveling to Milano for their fashion week. I recommended a half dozen top NYC model agencies. After a bunch of go-sees it was decided to go with Jenaye Noah, also with Society.
The shoot was effortless. The models were perfect for the collection. We started off shooting with Raphael and menswear. He totally understood the vibe of the shoot and brought the clothing to life. The same held true with Jenaye. Besides being gorgeous she is a pleasure to work with and showcased the designs perfectly. I really enjoyed shooting the two models together. Although they just met that day it seemed like they knew each other forever!
I love it when the client has a difficult job selecting final images, as was the case with this shoot. He spent a lot of time narrowing down photos for his final layout. I also love when the client requests minimal retouching. These photos are pretty much out of camera. There was no toning. Some corrections were made with stray hair, unruly fabric, lightening some shadows, but for the most part what you see is what we shot.
We are thrilled that CFDA Runway 360 decided to showcase Claudio’s collection. You can see the images from our shoot by clicking on this link:
CFDA Runway 360 – Claudio Cina Spring 22
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Some photos from the shoot!
Eric Hason Photography, New York 