Modern Home Designs: January 2011

Photography by Paul Hermes

Beautiful photography by Paul Hermes, talented professional photographer from Melbourne, Australia.

Photography by Tommaso Bonaventura

Tommaso Bonaventura was born in Rome in 1969. He’s a professional photographer since 1992; his reportages have been published on the most important international magazines. His work about the great Christian pilgrimages in Europe (“Pilgrims”, Gribaudo editions, 2005) won the first prize at World Press Photo 2005, category Arts and Entertainment. Since 2007 he often travels through China, documenting the transformations and contradiction of this new drive behind the world wide economy. In 2010 he wins the first prize at Sony World Photography Awards, portraits category. He joined contrasto in 1996.

Fashion Photography by Andreas Kock

Photography, conceptual visuals, fashion and, not least, women soon took overhand. As a photographer, Andreas Kock instantly developed his own trademark idiom, based on qualities such as high energy, rich color and intense interaction with his models, with the rare capacity of creating images with ”stopping power” and sometimes an element of provocation. Andreas stages both his individual images and his fashion stories very carefully, meticulous in every detail, always based on a strong conceptual idea, often inspired by art, cinematography, sex and by women in themselves. Chinese film, and director Wong Kar-Wai in particular, are among his most important references. Of photographer colleagues, Andreas is an admirer of classic master Richard Avedon and of Philip-Lorca diCorcia, the great trendsetter of the late nineties. As his style of direction is highly personal, Andreas prefers to work with the same models over longer periods of time. Recently, Andreas Kock has worked extensively with high profile editorials for magazines such as Russian Vogue, Arena, Bon, Plaza, Glamour, Tush and NK Stil, and commercially for brands the likes of Åhlens, JC, Don Donna, H&M, Kia Motors, MQ and Saab.

NYIGF 2011: A Few of My Favorite Things

While there was no new vendor at the NYIGF that knocked me off my feet, there were a lot of great new products and a lot fun colors. The new backgammon table from oomph, above, is already a hot ticket item. It doesn't come with a top but interior designer Elizabeth Bauer suggested covering it with a glass or clear plexi top so it can serve double duty as a dining table. Don't forget that while all the vendors are wholesale, they will also sell to designers. Just make sure to ask if there is a minimum. You can usually find a list of retails stockists on their websites if you can't purchase directly.