From our driveway to the runway š Paco made his debut last night for @dior and Jack added a third luxury brand to his runway resume! So cool to have two of our guys on the international stage! Thanks to @ashleybrokaw@mondaysmgmt
Some snaps of Payusu aka Peezy aka Pzā I took in Venice, CA. Iāll never forget discovering this incredible young man in China Town, NYC four years ago. He was about to disappear down the subway and I ran to get him. He told me he was visiting from Atlanta and I said āWhat are you doing in NYC?ā And he said āI came to get discovered.ā š I had no idea he was a gifted musical artist and itās been with such awe that Iāve watched him blow the hell up! I remember when we did this photo shoot, I asked him what he wanted to do with his life and he said āBe paid to be me.ā It was the best answer Iāve ever gotten to that question lol. He shared a lot about his life with me and knowing what I know makes his journey that much more incredible. So proud of you Pz! A total natural at everything he does!
Jane was one of my first finds, and at the time, one of the only models of color on the board at the agency I was working for. She shot with some of the top photographers and did her thing - but ultimately there were very limited opportunities for non white models in those days. Especially ones deemed āethnically ambiguous.ā Wisely, she decided to go back and get her law degree. Things have changed in the fashion industry and today many of the worldās top earning models are not white. Jane and I remain friends to this day. She shared this old news-clip with me, though I have no recollection of being shot for it at all! Fun stuff!
I scouted Agosto Machado at an event for @ilkascobie back in 2019. We @thesecretgallery were casting an insanely difficult job for @cocacola for photographer @gigilaub At the time Augosto had no phone and organizing his casting meant going by his East Village apartment hoping he would be home or leaving him a note. He made the first and second callback. The client had no idea what was going on behind the scenes to get him there but he said he really needed the money, so I just commited to the extra effort as I found myself becoming quite attached to this fellow trickster. Sadly, after getting so close, he didnāt get the job. Clearly their loss. I harbored some guilt though that I had dragged this older man around NYC for nothing. Augosto said he didnāt mind and anyway NYC was his playground. We remained friends and it was with incredible pride, and some amazement - but no surprise, considering his talent - that very late in life he found huge success when @gordonrobichaux and @sam_gordon_ began representing him. Wow! So inspiring to see an artist in his 90ās getting recognized and acquired by some of the most important museums in the world. Augusto I send you love and laughter in the hereafter. I will never forget you! #agostomachado
Sharing a commercial spot I directed for my friend Alicia Liu the founder of @lavenderandtruffles a vegan ice cream inspired by Asian flavors. Thanks to everyone who helped out and especially our talent @mondaysmgmt and my producers at The Coffee Robot!
Director @danielpeddle
Cinematographer @marcus_friedlander_dop
Editor @spuglisi
Casting @thesecretgallery
Colorist @boom_henke
Producers @tylerwardstephenson@juban14
Talent
ALICIA LIU
AIDAN KHARE
LULU THWAITES
JACK RETTIG
XAVIER SANDERS
MARILYN NGUYEN
CHRISTINA NGUYEN
EDIE KAHULAPEREIRA
#coffeerobotla
#production
#commercialdirector
#filmmakers
#flashbackfriday In January 2024 our film Beyond The Aggressives: 25 Years Later was nominated for GLAAD Media Awardsā Outstanding Documentary. Hereās a shot of me and producer @wellingtonlove the night we won. This award represented the culmination of over two decades of friendship and collaboration with this incredible guy. Iām so excited for whatās to come and so grateful to be surrounded by a team who believe in the work, the community it serves, and the long game of telling these stories together.