Koto Bolofo Livres

Koto Bolofo is the first photographer granted unlimited access to the secret workshops of Hermès, renowned for its leather goods, scarves, and exquisite objects. His work, resulting from seven years of dedication, is encapsulated in La Maison, an elaborate collection of eleven volumes. Bolofo meticulously documents the craftsmanship behind Hermès products, including saddles, silk scarves, the iconic Kelly Bag, ready-to-wear items, shoes, and perfume. He even unveils the private Hermès museum, a hidden gem within the headquarters on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The inception of the La Maison project is woven into Hermès history; it began in 2002 when Bolofo met chairman Jean-Louis Dumas. Their conversation revealed a familial connection, as Dumas shared that his ancestor was a missionary protected by Bolofo's tribe, the Sothos. This bond led Dumas to grant Bolofo carte blanche to capture the essence of Hermès. Born in South Africa in 1959 and raised in Great Britain, Bolofo has contributed to prestigious magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ, and has created campaigns for brands including Hermès and Louis Vuitton. He currently resides in the Vendée, France, and has published several books with Steidl.

At the tender age of 14, Venus Williams was already a professional athlete and taking the world of tennis by storm. Fiercely determined and wielding an impressive physical prowess, she spent the next decade rising to the top-ranked position and winning numerous championships, including the U. S. Open, Wimbledon, doubles at the Australian Open and French Open, and two Olympic gold medals. In June 2007, Venus won her fourth Wimbledon Championship. The photographer Koto Bolofo has been granted unrivalled access to the athlete during both her public tournaments and during many private moments to create this unique and intimate portrait of both Venus and world of competitive tennis.

The horse has a long and rich history as a subject in the visual arts. In sculpture and painting, in the decorative arts, and most recently in photography, the horse has been celebrated for its cultural and social importance. Horse Power is a compelling photographic portrait of the horse today. From 12 to 17 September 2009, Bolofo documented life on the grounds of esteemed racehorse trainer Christiane Head-Maarek at Chantilly, France’s famous racehorse town. Rising early each morning to make the most of the rare access he had gained, Bolofo photographed charming every-day occurrences – a blacksmith forging a horse shoe; filing a horse’s hoof; grooming, walking and riding the animals – as well as making candid portraits of ambitious teenage jockeys-to-be. Bolofo explores every aspect of “horse power” – the physical strength of these million-dollar animals, their cultural and sporting status, and not least their noble beauty. Koto Bolofo was born in South Africa in 1959 and raised in Great Britain. Bolofo has photographed and made short films for magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ. He has created advertising campaigns for companies including Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Dom Pérignon. Bolofo lives in the Vendée, France, and his books with Steidl include Venus, I Spy with My Little Eye, Something beginning with S, Vroom! Vroom!, La Maison and Grande Complications.

Unconventional and delightful, Say Cheeseepitomizes Koto Bolofo's approach to fashion photography These photos were originally published in 2000 in Vogue Italia, then under the helm of the legendary Franca Sozzani, whom Koto Bolofo (born 1959) first met in 1984 and worked with for more than 25 years. Bolofo fondly remembers the exceptional creative freedom she gave him and other photographers at the magazine--Sozzani provided the clothes, they did the rest. And so it was with Say Cheese: Bolofo was given a wardrobe of female swimwear, and with the help of his regular stylist Nicoletta Santoro, he shunned professional models, instead enlisting a vibrant squad of real synchronized swimmers, California's Riverside Aquettes. The resulting images show a variety of female bodies at ease and play--floating and twirling in sparkling, sun-filled water, clad in retro looks, from Great Gatsbyflair to flowered 1950s bathing caps, and each wearing Bolofo's favorite accessory: a genuine smile.

Rolls-Royce is a world-renowned iconic brand and symbol of all that is British. The author goes behind the scenes and examines in detail the making of the car that is the first choice of film stars and heads of state. Given carte blanche by Rolls-Royce, he photo documents the painstaking craftsmanship that goes into the creation of these vehicles.

Having left South Africa at the age of four as a political refugee with his parents, photographer Koto Bolofo returned to his home country with his wife in 1992, two years after Nelson Mandela had been released from prison. Bolofo got free access to the notorious and by now deserted prison of Robben Island, where Mandela had been held for the majority of the twenty-seven years of his confinement in a cell of barely 6 square metres in Section B. The photographer and his wife eagerly began documenting the site’s abandoned interiors and surroundings, dreading the prison’s potential closure. Meanwhile, it was converted into a well-frequented museum in 1997 and included on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1999. The black and white photographs of this volume conspicuously favour close-up depictions of details as opposed to general views: leftover items, barbed wire fences, spacious dormitories viewed through a spyhole, the key in the lock to Mandela’s cell which is so tiny it cannot be taken as a whole—all this is conveying the gloomy sense of claustrophobia and suppression that characterise the place. The camera is constantly searching for the few rays of light that penetrate the ubiquitous grimness and silence of cruelty.

Lord Snowdon is Koto Bolofo’s photographic portrait of legendary British photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, known to the world as Lord Snowdon. The infamous Snowdon has photographed many icons of the twentieth century including David Bowie, Miuccia Prada, and Gilbert and George, and through his 1960 marriage to Princess Margaret, he has become a privileged photographer to the British Royal Family. This book is Bolofo’s tribute to Snowdon’s life and work, and a document of the man behind the public persona. Snowdon and Bolofo hit it off from their first meeting (“Would you like a drink?” asked Snowdon at 11 am), and their rapport is evident in Bolofo’s portraits of Snowdon in his London home and studio. Lord Snowdon includes images of old newspaper clippings, as well as Snowdon’s archives and notebooks, making the book the most tender and comprehensive study of Snowdon to date. Koto Bolofo was born in South Africa in 1959 and raised in Great Britain. Bolofo has photographed and made short films for magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and GQ. He has created advertising campaigns for brands including Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Dom Pérignon. Bolofo lives in the Vendée, France, and his books with Steidl include Venus (2008), I Spy with My Little Eye, Something Beginning with S (2010), Vroom! Vroom! (2010), Grand Complication (2010) and La Maison (2011).

Six years ago in rural France, Koto Bolofo uncovered a trove of vintage linen sheets, originating from hospitals, convents, and the homes of both peasants and aristocrats. To Bolofo, these sheets represented the dreams and forgotten stories of their previous owners, inspiring him to craft unique handmade garments from them. The creations were both simple and sophisticated, accompanied by striking photographs, but ultimately remained stored away in a trunk. Bolofo later began working with the renowned women’s fashion and homeware brand Anthropologie. In 2010, the company inquired if he had a personal project in mind, prompting him to revisit his cherished garments. This collaboration led to the commercial production of his collection, set to debut at New York Fashion Week in spring 2012 and sold exclusively in Anthropologie stores. Koto Bolofo, born in South Africa in 1959 and raised in Great Britain, has an impressive portfolio, having photographed and created short films for prestigious magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ. He has also developed advertising campaigns for luxury brands such as Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Dom Pérignon. Currently residing in the Vendée region of France, Bolofo has published several books with Steidl, including titles like Venus and La Maison.

Papier ist ein empfindliches Material, und ein Druckbogen hat in der Buchbinderei einiges zu erdulden: Er durchläuft zahlreiche Maschinen, wird geschnitten, gefalzt, geheftet, geklebt, beklopft, gestoßen, gewendet und gestapelt. Und doch übersteht er seine Verarbeitung ohne Dellen und Risse, ja steht am Ende als makelloses Buch da. In den drei Fabriken der Leipziger Buchwerke ist dieser Prozess der Buchfertigung anschaulich zu beobachten. Jedes Werk ist anders spezialisiert, gemeinsam verfügen sie über weltweit einzigartige Möglichkeiten der Verarbeitung. Die Fotografien von Koto Bolofo erzählen vom Weg des Papiers, das zum Buch wird, und vermitteln Einblicke in die drei Werke in Leipzig/Zwenkau, Leipzig/Baalsdorf und Sahline/Tunesien. Ein komplexes Uhrwerk heißt in der Fachsprache Große Komplikation. Beim Buchbinden findet ein ähnlich perfektioniertes Zusammenspiel aller Teile statt – nur nicht in der Größe einer Armbanduhr, sondern eines Fußballfeldes. Koto Bolofo, geboren 1959 im südafrikanischen Lesotho, wuchs in Großbritannien auf. Er dreht Kurzfilme und arbeitet als Fotograf für 'Vogue', 'Vanity Fair', 'Marie Claire', 'GQ' und viele andere Magazine. Er hat Anzeigenkampagnen für Hermès, Burberry, Levi’s, Dom Pérignon u. a. ins Bild gesetzt. Koto Bolofo lebt in Paris. Bei Steidl erschienen seine Bücher Venus, La Maison und Vroom! Vroom!.

Koto Bolofo ist ein Fotograf alter Schule, für seine Schwarzweiß-Bilder bedient er sich einer analogen Kamera. Mit seiner bedächtigen Art zu arbeiten hat er wunderbar stimmungsvolle Bildserien geschaffen. Zwei Monate lang durchstreifte Bolofo den Steidl Verlag auf der Suche nach dem etwas anderen Verlagsporträt. Er fand es im Detail, in überraschenden Perspektiven und vor allem bei den im Verlag arbeitenden Menschen, die er auf ganz verschiedene und stets ungewöhnliche Weise in Szene setzte. I Spy with My Little Eye, Something Beginning with S ist eine Hommage an Handwerk und Kreativität. Koto Bolofo, geboren 1959 im südafrikanischen Lesotho, wuchs in Großbritannien auf. Er dreht Kurzfilme und arbeitet als Fotograf für 'Vogue', 'Vanity Fair', 'Marie Claire', 'GQ' und viele andere Magazine. Er hat Anzeigenkampagnen für Hermès, Burberry, Levi’s, Dom Pérignon u. a. ins Bild gesetzt. Koto Bolofo lebt in Paris. Bei Steidl erschienen seine Bücher Venus, La Maison und Vroom! Vroom!.