Thomas Werner Projects - 21 Summers Podcast

With a focus on fashion, Marie Audier and The Selects Gallery, New York, fill a unique niche in the world of fine art photography. Her background in commercial fashion and deep understanding of editorial and fine art work makes her the perfect person to address the fashion image. Here she is interviewed by the authors of Twenty One Summers, Thomas Werner and Derrick Connell

Walking into A Gallery for Fine Photography is like walking into a museum. The range and quality of photographs on the walls and in the files is both alluring and overwhelming. It was one of the first photo galleries in the United States, and that has given Josh the opportunity to work with all of the legends in the field. He has a perspective on art and business that few can match.

Due to recording on location the audio for this podcast is only on one channel.

Today I would like to welcome Rosie Kamdem to the podcast. Rosie is friend and a bit of a hero of mine. A mother of 5 she is an award winning women and education rights activist in Cameroon working in the countries major cities and most remote villages, and at times across the African Continent.

She spends her time visiting tribes and villages that can only be reached by hiking into the bush as she teaches women how to make soap and other goods necessary to provide a more safe and sanitary lifestyle while producing income for these small women run businesses. In most villages women have never run a business before. In many of these areas women to not know a word for their private parts, or for menstruation.

Rosie also focuses on the empowerment of women on the nationally, locally, and tribal level where women most often do not have a voice. Helping women and young girls understand that they have options in life that include education, owning a business, having the right to have their voices heard, and that child marriages are not necessary are primary focuses of her work.

Today I would like to welcome Asmita Aggarwal to the podcast. Asmita is the former editor in chief of the fashion magazine L’Officiel India. Prior to that she was a writer for the Hindustan Times, the India Today group, and the Asian age as a national Features Editor.  A leading women's rights advocate Asmita now writes for the Fashion Design Council of India. We will be joining the conversation in progress.

As guests on the podcast live around the country and the world. You may hear an occasional click, and at times ambient sound in the interviewees space. My apologies in advance for any of these sounds and may appear in the podcast.

Mia MacFarlane and Julien Crougneau, also known as French Cowboy, are a creative force du jour, and an absolute pleasure to collaborate with. In addition to creating imagery for fashion clients across Europe and a career as exhibiting artists they are the Co-Editors-in-Chief at IRK Magazine a Paris based fashion and culture print and web site publication distributed internationally at trend stores and museums, and have recently opened IRK Gallerie in Arles, France, site of the Recontres D’Arles one of the world’s leading photography festivals. They have recently founded the publishing company Les Loupes des Steppes Publishing in Arles, France, and launched their first book Le Sud.

Maria Moyano is a Creative Director, Experience Designer, and the Executive Producer for the Museum of Ice Cream in New York, Singapore, and previously Miami. Maria specializes in producing the kind of high engagement interactive experiences that businesses and audiences crave. The creation and execution of the exhibits at the museum on a short pressure filled timeline admirable and speaks to the focus, dedication and professionalism necessary to achieve success at this level. Her ability to problem solve and evolve is both informative and inspirational.

Jenna and her collaborator Jon’s career have evolved along with the changing business of image making and story telling. They have always approached their work with grace, a sense of humor, and deep respect for their client, their craft and the final outcome. In a nutshell Buck the Cubicle specializes in authentic storytelling for Purpose Driven Brands with a focus on green industries and sustainability. They also happen to love anyone who follows their own heart and vision, as you will see at https://buckthecubicle.com/

Today my guest is Kodo Nishimura. When I first met Kodo he was an art student interested in becoming a make up artist. His goal was to do make up for the Miss Universe Pageant. Since then Kodo has become a Buddhist Monk living an openly gay life, a successful make up artist, and a humble activist and active supporter of LGBTQ rights. Equally important, he is a bit of an expert in making his dreams come true. Kodo, welcome to the podcast.

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Please join me in welcoming David Kennerly to the Podcast. At the age of 25 David won the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Feature Photography for his work in Vietnam. He has photographed 10 presidents, and all 3 impeachment trials. He was with Hillary Clinton when she received news about FBI Director Comey and with Donald Trump the evening he won the election. He photographed the summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikail Gorbachov, the legendary Ali -Frazier Prize Fight, and the Miracle Mets. The range of iconic events that he has covered is hard to fathom. To quote his friend James Earl Jones, “David is like Forest Gump, except he was really there.

Photo by David Kennerly

First Lady Michelle Obama greets former President George W. Bush with a hug at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC on September 24, 2016. Photo by David Hume Kennerly while on assignment for Bank of America.