Mogollon featured in NOT-MAGAZINE

Mogollon appears in the newest issue of NOT Magazine, a new lifestyle and fashion magazine based out of Japan.  The feature in “NOT PORTFOLIO” includes an interview with the designers.

You can see more work from Mogollon on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Women in Funeral Services for More Magazine by TrujilloPaumier

Photographed by TrujilloPaumier, this collection of photos is from More Magazine’s October issue.  The article explores women who have recently made the career switch to funeral services.  Historically a male dominated industry, women now surpass men in mortuary school attendance.   The different facets of funeral directing are what women have gravitated towards – embalming, directing memorial services, mortuary cosmetology, and more.

Michael Shannon shot by Danny Clinch

Danny Clinch worked with the talented Jennifer Ryan Jones to create this story on the actor Michael Shannon for the Playboy Magazine September issue.

You can see more work by Danny Clinch on the Levine/Leavitt site.

KarlssonWilker take a European roadtrip to launch the Mini Coupe

When Mini contacted New York City based karlssonwilker for campaign ideas surrounding the launch of the new Mini Coupe, we’re pretty sure they did not expect to produce a road trip through Europe.  And that’s precisely what karlssonwilker founders, Jan Wilker and Hjalti Karlsson convinced Mini to do. The pair, along with KW creative director Nicole Jacek, drove two Mini Coupés across southern Europe with a film crew and photographer making stops to meet with area creatives and document their adventure. They came up with the plan once they heard the ‘Another day, another adventure’ theme Mini was looking to develop ideas around.

A few people they met along the way:

Romanian underground heavy metal band Monarchy:

Michelin-starred chef in Bulgaria, Joro Ivanev:

A Romanian graffiti artist Sinboy:

And they survived a few run-ins with the law:

The trip was documented online  and as part of a special 24 page inset designed by karlssonwilker in the release of Matter, a new magazine launching in October.  We are quite pleased that Creative Review covered the story yesterday!

You can see more work by karlssonwilker on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Louis Vuitton shot by Laziz Hamani

Photographer Laziz Hamani shot these images showcasing the new line of leather bags Louis Vuitton is producing.  It is a series of 5 handbags, 3 re-edited from classic best sellers and 2 new designs, labeled as “haute-mariquinerie” similarly to “haute-joaillerie” (jewels) and “haute-couture” (textile) and “haute-horlogerie” (watches) for other brands.

You can see more work by Laziz Hamani on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Alex Trochut’s Neo Deco on Stylist Magazine

Coinciding with London fashion week, Stylist magazine launched its annual fashion issue with three striking split-run covers – all featuring Alex Trochut’s Neo Deco font.

In an interview with Computer Arts Magazine, art editor Clare Ferguson answers a few questions about the font choices for this special issue.

Computer Arts: Why did you choose Neo Deco as the main headline font for the fashion issue?

Clare Ferguson: We wanted a guest font that reinforced the tone of the issue and worked with the pictures. We needed something that felt different and contemporary but with a strong presence. We wanted to keep it fun and I like the detail in the font as that is something that is key in the design of Stylist.

CA: What do you think this particular font choice adds to the overall look and feel of the issue?

CF: I think it adds an extra element of detail and strength which works well with the images on the cover and the shoots inside. It makes the issue feel cool and exciting, it commands attention and made the issue feel really special and stand out.

CA: Working on a high circulation weekly mag, how much freedom do you have when it comes to choosing guest fonts?

CF: At Stylist we have as much freedom as we like as long as the font fits in with the design and concept of what we are trying to achieve. We are always trying to push the design parameters of what we have done before, while still keeping the overall look and feel within the stylist brand.

You can see more work by Alex Trochut on the Levine/Leavitt site.

New from James Day: Vanity Fair September issue

Photographer James Day shot this collection of watches for the Vanity Fair UK September issue.  The book pages which the watches were set into were cut by a very talented British artist called Robert Battams.

You can see more work by James Day on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Sean Freeman selected for ADC Young Guns

Art Directors Club has announced the 50 best and brightest creatives under the age of 30 for the annual Young Guns showcase.  Amongst the pool of excellent talent is our type specialist Sean Freeman.

The interview below is from the ADC site:

A love for words and beautiful images led Sean to explore a harmony of both. After graduating with a First Class Honors in Graphic Design & Advertising, Sean started working as a designer in a few agencies in London while pursuing his own work in the evenings, weekend, holidays and tea-breaks. After receiving his first commission (a tiny headline in a major magazine), one commission quickly turned into two, two to three, until the balance tipped, enabling him to spread his wings and set up his own studio: There Is.

Sean lives in East London under the watchful eye of his 13 year old (slightly fat) French-Canadian cat. He creates award-winning typographic treatments and illustrations for a varied range of clients globally.

What do you fight against constantly in your work?
Photoshop… sometimes I win… sometimes I don’t.

What is the driving force behind the time and effort you spend excelling at your craft?
An obsession with details.

What keeps you going when you work late into the evening?
Sweet wine & groovy tunes.

If you broke your arm, who would you most want to sign your cast?
Barack Obama, and ideally he’d sing a little something while he did it.

From the Jury:
The most exquisite and inventive typography I have seen, presented flawlessly. – Ian Wharton, YG8

You can see more work by Sean Freeman on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Nicaragua’s New Day shot by TrujilloPaumier

For the September issue of Conde Nast Traveler, Joaquin Trujillo and Brian Paumier traveled to Nicaragua to capture the pleasures and paradoxes of the economically troubled, albeit beautiful, country.

We grabbed a few words from Joaquin about his love for Nicaragua:

“Nicaragua… this was the second time I had been there and I love LOVE it.   Last time, we went to Corn Island on the Caribbean Sea.  This time we got to travel to Ometepe Island, which is made up of 2 volcanoes, and where we hiked and swam in a lake known for having fresh water sharks.  Fantastic views there.  Being in Granada at the Isletas, you could see Conception and one of the volcanoes at Ometepe.  Being at Conception, you could see Mombacho, the volcano close to Granada.  It was amazing.  Nothing could stop us from enjoying this great friendly country, all the way from Granada to San Juan del Sur.”

Read the entire article on the Conder Nast Traveler site.

See more work by TrujilloPaumier on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Rolling Stone cover by Danny Clinch

The latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine features The Sheepdogs on the cover, shot by Danny Clinch in Brooklyn, NY.

After months of competition and over 1.5 million votes cast online, The Sheepdogs have become the first unsigned band ever to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. The Canadian boogie rock revivalists, who have been touring relentlessly throughout North America for six years, beat out 15 other bands for the grand prize, which includes a contract with Atlantic Records along with their faces on the cover of the August 18th issue of the magazine.

You can see more work by Danny Clinch on the Levine/Leavitt site.

S Magazine shoot by Peter Funch

Photographer Peter Funch worked with stylist Luke Langsdale to create these racy images for the Volume 12 issue of S Magazine.

We caught up with Peter for a few words about the shoot:

“I came up with the idea about girls in the these old scenes where nudity really is not seen  I have always loved old photos from the unknown photographers, so I went to the New York Historic Library to look at old books with photos from NYC from the 20′s and 30′s.  I used these photos as the background and then shot the girls in my studio posing as if they were there with the people back then.  I then super imposed it in post production.  Luke Langsdale the stylist had found vintage clothing that fit into that time period.

“It was great to do something very cheerful, a bit naughty and cabaret inspired for a change.  Also working with something that had a whole other look than I’m used to working with.  The response to the shoot has been that it looks very believable and did not look like anything I’ve shot.  I have good responses from the models saying that it was great to see the final images after running around naked in the studio.”

You can see more work by Peter Funch on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Nichi Vendola shot by James Day for Italian GQ July Cover

Italian politician Nichi Vendola graces the cover of the July issue of Italian GQ, photographed by James Day.

He has been called the Italian Barack Obama — an improbably elected official who has mobilized his country’s youth in an Internet-driven movement of hope and change.  Others liken him to another governor of a poor, conservative state, Bill Clinton. No matter who you compare him to, Nichi Vendola is hardly typical of either Washington or Rome.

Openly gay, a former communist whose father deserted fascism after reading John Steinbeck, and a poet with his own YouTube channel, the popular governor of the boot heel region of Apulia has vowed to end the era of “Berlusconismo” and become the next prime minister of Italy.

You can see more work by James Day on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Mogollon joins Levine/Leavitt

We are very proud to announce that Brooklyn based duo Francisco Lopez and Monica Brand known as Mogollon have joined Levine/Leavitt.  Welcome to la familia!

Mogollon is a word that in Spanish means fertility or abundance (typically used to mean ”‘very‘‘, such as ”I like you mogollon”).

For the first time their work was in a solo show last month at Diesel Art Gallery in Shibuya, Japan.  The interview below is taken from Diesel Art Gallery site, and is a wonderful introduction to Mogollon and the work they do.

–How did you become interested in graphic design?
When we started we didn’t know we were going to do graphic design. The main idea of creating a studio was all about film, art direction and set design for film and performance. At the same time, we have always loved the concept of the poster and the music packaging so it was a matter of trying, doing it and falling in love with it instantly. Then we became obsessed with typography, and the idea of creating a studio that plays between both art and design became a reality.

– How did you set up “Mogollon”?
It was all very organic. I was commissioned to create a video for the PS1 MOMA Young Architects Program and I asked Monica for help. At the end it all looked great and we were very happy with the results so we decided to join forces to create an art studio that will do a lot of different things. It was really an experiment.

–Please tell us your main roles (responsibilities).
Monica and I have the same roles in the studio, we’re both the creative directors and designers of our projects.

–You’ve done a lot of identities for bands, labels and set design, film works and companies. Is there any difference in your approach when you work on that sort of all-around design and when you handle just the visual aspect?
To be completely honest, it’s always very different. Sometimes taking care only of the visual aspect can be very fun or stressful. It all depends on the client, how they react and if they know what they want.

–You collaborated with big name artists, such as Fischerspooner, Kelis, Madonna. How was the collaborative production with them?
With most of the big artist, there’s only little collaborative production, because you have to deal with the label directly. Most of the time, we have a meeting or conference with the label and the artist together where they share their ideas and concepts. After that there is a lot of back and forth until we have a final strong artwork.

–Who chooses the stylists and photographers?
For the big artists, the photographers are chosen by the label or by themselves. For “Something is about to happen” which is our own project, we chose the whole team.

–How does collaboration with other creators affects your own creations?
It doesn’t affect our own creations, it’s just a different process but always very interesting and with great results. We love to collaborate with other artists.

–What is your favorite of your own works up till now?
“Something is about to Happen” video, wallpaper and mirrors on the show.

–Where do you get your inspiration? What inspires you?
We get inspiration from books, travels and movies. Right now, for example, our biggest inspiration is Ancient Egypt and Japanese Art. Cinema is a big inspiration for us too, like the movies of Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Pier Paolo Pasolini and Fellini, for example

– What is appealing about typography for Mogollon?
It’s such an old and respected art form and still there are infinite amount of ways that it can be explored. The options are infinite and that’s what makes it really fun.

–What is your work process when creating original fonts?
It all depends, sometimes we like to draw the letters, sometimes we want to create types from basic geometrical shapes, sometimes we transform other types by adding new elements, and sometimes we synthesize other shapes until they become characters. It’s really like a game for us.

– What font do you favorite use most often besides your original fonts?
It’s always changing. We don’t have a formula.

–How do you feel about NY and graphic design culture at the moment?
New York has people from all over the world. It’s very difficult for us to define a specific NY design culture other than the street urban culture that it’s always very interesting and present everywhere, like posters and graffiti art.

–Do you have any favorite artists or illustrators ?
Eiko Ishioka, Jean Paul Goude, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lucrecia Martell, Banks Violette, Serge Lutens, Neo Rauch, Keichi Tanami, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Louis Malle, Francois Truffaut, Henry Georges Clouzot, Guy Bourdin, Caravaggio, Gustaf Klimt, Gary Hume, etc.

–Through the exhibition “Something is about to happen”, is there anything you’ve newly discovered?
Yes, Japan. And we love it!

–Did you have any difficulty during the creative production about new artworks for “something is about to happen”?
It was great to show for the first time the new mirror pieces. They’re big and very expensive to make but it’s totally worth it. We’re thinking to have a show only with our reflective work, a show about light and reflection.

–Being in Japan for the first time, what was your first impression of the country? Were there any places here you were particularly interested in?
We felt in love with Japan long time ago, since we were teenagers, through the anime, movies and art. Being in Japan completely exceeded our expectations. We loved every aspect of this country and we feel a strong visual connection with it from the most traditional ancient paintings through the super modern imagery. But our best impression of Japan was definitely the people. We felt kindness like in no other place.

–Any new projects for the future?
We’re working on creating more tridimensional pieces, like the mirrors, but also experimenting with furniture. We’ve also been working on a movie script for over 2 years, so that’s something on our future for sure.

You can see more work by Mogollon on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Alex Trochut: More is More

Just 30 years old, Alex Trochut is one of the most internationally renowned Spanish designers. Typographer and illustrator, Trochut shows us in this book his most intimate, most personal and, at the same time, professional side. Trochut talks about his professional influences such as Dalí and Miró and of course about his work, but also about his creative processes. In this book we find an entire series of sketches and the transformations his ideas undergo from the moment they are conceived until they reach the paper.

Alex Trochut’s illustrations, designs and typography take the modern notion of minimalism and flip it on its side. Trochut’s work philosophy is “More is more”. It is rich with elegant, brilliantly detailed executions that simultaneously convey indulgence and careful, restrained control. Trochut is driven by a desire to constantly evolve, which can be seen in his eidetic body of work. The Alex Trochut’s monogram is printed on the cover with phosphorescent ink. Published by Index Books and available for sale on their site.

You can see more work by Alex Trochut on the Levine/Leavitt site.

Bon Iver shot by Danny Clinch for Rolling Stone

Danny Clinch traveled to Fall Creek, Wisconsin to shoot Justin Vernon, the man behind indie rock heroes Bon Iver.  See the full article in the June 23 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine.

You can see more of Danny Clinch’s work on the Levine/Leavitt site.