mexico May 2008

Recent news from Forza Talent:

• Forza Talent will create art and fantasy through photography at the Galeria 13 with the upcoming exhibition "La Liaison... Thèâtre du Sentiment" during the famous MACO art fair. April 17th until May 26th.
• For its previous editions, Forza Talent has provided fashion talent, top models and celebrities for the Fashion Fest campaigns.
• Gifted photographer Jacob Sadrak shows his creative talent in the shoot with Paulina Rubio. Forza Talent produced the campaign, deterring woman away from bulimia and anorexia.
• Paulina Flores was recently named Model of the Year and host of the AXN TV channel.
• Pop star Alejandra Guzman is the star of the Metro Ritz campaign.
• Mila, fashion stylist at Forza Talent, worked on a shoot for L'Officiel magazine with Monica Cruz.

Blanca Santa Maria's latest personal project concentrates on Global Warming. It is an eleven-photo series which shows great skill in the handling of female beauty.

The photographer's scenes project feelings of sorrow, power, passion, pain, motherhood, spirit and strength. The project demonstrates Blanca's insights on women, beauty, love and commitment - all wrapped up with a flawless technique developed from over 25 years of fashion photography experience.

The series is a tiny contribution to a subject that should concern us all, seen from a rare and beautiful perspective.

It has been a great 2008 so far for Central, with the arrival of annual campaigns for clients including Bimbo Bakeries USA, (featuring Giovanni dos Santos), Toyota, Benson & Hedges, Palacio de Hierro, Tequila Cazadores, Lala and Peyrelongue, among many others.

Check Central's website for the latest news on shoots for advertising and editorial clients, as well as for more information about January's pro-bono work by photographer Pep Avila for the Laia Foundation in India. The images will soon be uploaded to the site and published in a book, which is due for release later this year.

For more info about Central follow the link to Spotlight Magazine International Photo and Commercial Production nr.2 , published earlier this year.

German Najera is one of the most prestigious fashion producers in Mexico. His work includes photography, styling, photo edition and digital retouching, and he is also an accomplished illustrator.

For four years he was Director of Manglar Moda & Estilo magazine, as well as one of its founder members. He currently works as a freelancer, and amongst his clients are Glow!, De Última (El Universal newspaper), Líbido, Mundo Elite, InFashion Novias, Gente, Good Housekeeping, and Amura.

He has also collaborated with names such as Trident, L'Oréal, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Revlon and Lycra.

Un-questioned leaders in the international film production industry, ADN Films is a multicultural and bilingual production house based in México City. The company also has offices in New York and associates in Los Angeles and Paris.

Combined with a strong presence in Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Santiago, ADN Films is uniquely positioned to produce commercials, still photography, documentaries, television series, feature films, short films, and to provide production services throughout North, Central and South America.

This Showcase features some of ADN's latest projects from its award-winning directors.

Contempo Models, México's most prestigious modelling agency, recently launched the country's first online modelling channel in conjunction with YouTube. Visitors are invited to watch a range of videos that reveal a behind the scenes look at the agency's models.

Mexican models Jens Hofmann and Jonathan Yopis, and last year's sensations Eva Dubecka and Alexandra Reptova from Slovakia, continue to cause a stir both at home and abroad. New faces for 2008 include Dana Dorobantu from Romania, and the German pair Veronika Weiss and Beate Franica.

Mexican model Paulina Flores was awarded 'Model of the Year' for the third consecutive year, while Italian model Gottfried Heiss won the men's crown. Paulina has also been busy hosting international television channel AXN.

Karen Carreño, the Colombian star who has been the face of Guess for many years, is currently the image behind Bed Head, while Argentine model Priscila Crivocapich recently visited México for the new Palacio de Hierro campaign.

Santiago Montero recently joined the agency. He has been the face of huge international campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Cavalli, and Valentino. 

Digital Lighting is the top rental house in Mexico City and has a wide selection of high-tech equipment available for all photographic needs.

The company provides a digital capture service using Phase One and Canon Mk II backs, along with Profoto equipment and all the necessary accessories. Photographers' assistants are on call and ready to provide service advice and know-how in editing, RAW archive processing, and colour correction.

Digital Lighting's impeccable reputation has given the company the opportunity to work with some of the finest photographers on both a national and international level.

Clients have included Elle Magazine, BBDO, Publicist, McCann Erickson, Pepsi, Ford, AeroMexico, Sears, and Palacio de Hierro.

This year, Fashion Week Mexico celebrated it's 10th anniversary.

The event is still going strong and continues to put young Mexican designers such as Ricardo Seco, Jorge Castellanos, Trista, and Julia y Renata firmly in the international limelight.

Fashion Week Mexico was held between the 14th and 18th of April.

Hip without being haughty, India Mahdavi's design offers functional originality from rooms to rooftop, incorporating a range of local materials in elements including custom-made furniture and stone-tiled flooring.

With a slick back-to-basics ethic, the hotel is imbued with Mahdavi's whimsical interpretations of modernity. Visit the relaxed rooftop, rife with opportunities for repose on communal sofas with a Hammam theme.

Check out the basement bar and feel the energy of Condesa DF, a must-stop for style travellers.

Star restaurateur Gabriela Cámara's 'beach food' shack in Colonia Roma is casually decorated to remind diners of a palm-thatched palapa.

However, the menu is much more refined than what would normally be expected. The signature tuna-sashimi tostadas are served with chipotle sauce and braised leeks - a sumptuous favourite! Anyone travelling to Mexico City will find authentic Mexican seafood flavour at Contramar.

Situated in the hip European-style Roma area, the restaurant is centrally located between trendy Polanco and the touristy Centro Histórico.