International production company Grand Large, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, has signed Japanese American director/photographer Karina Taira for U.S. representation.
Taira’s work--both photography and film--encompasses fashion/beauty as well as tabletop, with a focus on liquids and chocolate. “I have always admired Karina’s fashion and beauty sensibility and am especially struck by her exceptionally unique aesthetic,” said Steve Horton, founder/executive producer at Grand Large.
Taira, who was raised in San Francisco and now lives in Paris, launched her career as a fashion photographer first in New York and then in Paris after graduating from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. She subsequently made her debut as a film director with a spot for French jeweler Boucheron.
Her most recent work is for Cerave, for Ogilvy in New York. Other U.S. clients have included Olay (Saatchi), Maybelline (Gotham), Boars Head (DiMassimo Goldstein, and Dove (BBDO). Taira has worked for an array of top brands, such as Evian, Microsoft, Givenchy, L’Oreal, Absolut Vodka, Nina Ricci, Evian, Tag Heuer, Courvoisier, Playstation, Dior cosmetics, and Motorola.
According to Horton, Grand Large has always been a home for directors who work with traditional beauty and fashion as well as luxury brands. “Karina puts a special spin on these categories with a brilliant way of capturing beauty, tabletop and even landscapes,” he explained. “You can see the thought and precision that goes into each shot.”
It was this sensibility that attracted Taira to Grand Large. “The company has a seamless mix of the two worlds I am from,” she said, citing photography and film, fashion and beauty, and France and the U.S. “It... Read More