* uN NOUvEAU iDEAL by fILEP mOTWARY

Dear iDEALS, for those who are not familiar with Rene and Jannis work I would say: WAKE UP! It is impossible not to have seen their photographs in Vogue, Numero,Marie Claire Elle or what they did for brands such as L'Oreal, Bulgari, Christian Roth, Neiman Marcus..We met last year in Paris, during one of the fashion weeks aND we dined somewhere at Place Du Vosges. The weird thing was that we discovered the share of a common friend, Anna who at the time was working for KILIWATCH at Etienne Marcel. One evening about two months ago, I was walking with Maria Mastori in Kolonaki and we stopped at the square's kiosk to check the new fashion magazines. Next to me was Rene doing the same thing..We started talking and we arranged this interview for YOU!!!
FilepMotwary: HOW DIFFICULT it is for two pairs of eyes to "produce one picture? Which is your favorite part of the procedure?
Rene-Jannis: We do work very much hand in hand. Sometimes it does not matter who actually pushes the shutter- then of course we are two totally different individuals, with different views, but stricken by a shared vision. working together is like peeling a fruit to get the core,- the essence...there isn't really a favourite part- it is all together, the flirt with a new idea, the discussions about it,- the way to execution: the shoot itself,- and the reflective period afterwards to be followed by the postproduction....
fM :Your work is very clean, glamorous and polished like the inside of a Rolls Royce. Allow me to use the same words for both of you. Is it a state of mind that you follow? R&J: Ha ha, refinement is certainly an important aspect of our lives- if that may is visibly reflected in our persons, thank you for the flowers....

fM : Sometimes I know that it is hard for usual people who buy a fashion magazine, to understand what they are looking at, in terms of a "fashion story". Looking at your work, I think it is the opposite but at the same time your heroines always look so distant, immaculate like an iron maiden and icy.Where does your "red thin line" start? R&J:The frame of a high profile fashion magazine gives first of all the great luxury publishing a visual essay, pages after pages of full bleed photographs to transport our views and ideas. That is what its first about grasping an idea, a mood which is up in the air, understand it, feel it, analyze it, to sharpen and interpret it; and through the creative process, mould it to a unique statement, that is what leads us to a story, which obviously consists of many more and greater aspects than just fashion to this point we have the conviction that "fashion", somehow is-as Jannis loves to say - more contemporary than art".There are this questions: what is art today, its relevance, how fast can it react in the interdisciplinary
dialogue OR what is fashion, art or commerce? To our understanding there are no borders anymore. Each discipline has its vocabulary, corroded by sideward movements. In this context we do what we do, which is what it is. Our vision is very close to the human and archaic principles and through this we are telling stories with our pictures which are universally understandable. Our protagonist, the model which we would choose to photograph and project our view through, plays an important role as well. May be this relation between us let them look so confident....
fM: What are your future plans?

R&J: We live so much in the present that thinking of the future makes almost no sense and then it all comes very different anyway...fM: How do you see your amazing quality of work status fitting in a city like Athens? R&J: That is a good question! I believe our work does reflect many aspects of modern Athens but in a way it is also quite detached to contemporary Greek culture. The fact that we live and work in different places,(E.g. Athens, Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Zurich and London) let us lay a different eye on the Greek capital as well. We find it quite inspiring, as life is so rapid; the city consists of an incredible clash of styles.
It gives a certain feel of "works in progress"- and how I see it, this is something that Athens has in common with Berlin. Though, real avant-garde on the other and is something rarely to find in Athens. People rather tend to an attitude of consumerism in every sense, than create out of what they live and believe in. For this, I guess some Athenians may like what we do, but see it rather as sort of an external thing...fM:.What are your zodiac signs? R&J: Jannis is Pisces and myself I am Sagittarius
fM:Do you like "Un nOUVEAU iDEAL"? R&J: what do you mean by that? to what would you want to refer to?To me "Un nouVEau iDEAL" is something ONE constantly works on, shape it, define, propaganda hold up..fM:WHERE can somebody see your work on the net? R&J: Google I guess,- or have a look at http://www.reneandjannis.com/ directly. Our latest project can also be seen at http://www.it-is-what-it-is.com/, together with some theoretical essays.
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