Todd Cole is an internationally acclaimed photographer and filmmaker who lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Originally from Texas, Todd moved to the filmmaking capital and fell in love with the light and expansive skies of the Southern California landscape. His photographic work is suffused with the sun, ocean and dust-filled air of his environment, which he contrasts with the ephemeral and idiosyncratic nature of his subjects. The moments he captures are fleeting, candid, and tell a story of love and ennui, beauty and banality. This compelling visual style has made Todd a sought-after photographer in the fashion world, his images appearing in many international publications, including i-D, Purple, Self Service, POP, 032C, T Magazine, Vogue, The NY Times Style Magazine, The Fader, Art Review, and The Journal, among others. He has also published a photography book, I’m Yours To Keep (AndPress, 2012).
The strong storytelling instinct behind the photographic images inexorably led Todd back to film, where he plays with time and reality. Drawn in by the rich images and the spontaneous authentic-feeling performances, our perceptions are then turned on their heads by the introduction of something unexpected or even magical. In the trio of short films made in collaboration with the clothing label Rodarte, Todd blends high fashion with magical reality to critical acclaim. This Must Be the Only Fantasy (starring Elijah Wood) was voted the top fashion film of 2013 by Business of Fashion and received a People’s Choice Webby Award for Online Film & Video. The Curve of Forgotten Things (starring Elle Fanning) and Aanteni were screened at major international film festivals, including the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles. The films also travelled to museums in Europe as part of the Out of Fashion exhibition.
Clients
Apple, Instagram, Netflix, Rodarte, Kate Spade, Hermes, Maison Martin Margiela, Nike, Stussy, Frye, Timberland, Jimmy Choo, Biotherm, Tommy Hilfiger, Anthropologie, Claudie Pierlot, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Levi’s/MOCA, Under Armour, Zadig & Voltaire, Adidas, Puma, and VW
Exhibitions
Solo
‘I’m Yours to Keep’ Brachfeld Paris Gallery, Paris, France September 2009
‘Bungled’ Monclova Gallery, Mexico City August – September 2005
‘Minimum Visual Impact Structures’ Colette Gallery Paris France - April 2003
Group
'Lost in Space' Design Matters Gallery Los Angeles June 2014
‘Out of Fashion’ NAiM / Bureau Europa Maastricht Edition May 2011
‘Out of Fashion’ 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam January - February 2011
‘Secrets’ Space 1520 Los Angeles October 2010
‘The Show on Vegas’ M+B Gallery Los Angeles June 28 – August 2007
‘Confessions of a Graphic Designer’ Reg Vardy Gallery. School of Arts, Design Media & Culture, University of Sunderland. 2005
Articles and Reviews
2011 W Magazine The Top Ten fashion films of 2010
2010 The Business of Fashion Fashion 2.0 | Top 10 Fashion Films of the Season
2010 Interview Magazine Nowhere to Hide: Todd Cole Films Rodarte 2009 032c “17th Issue – Mike Mills” Summer 2009
2008-2009 Purple Fashion 10 “Ed Ruscha” Fall Winter 2008-2009
2008 Paris-LA, Issue 1, November 2008
2006 Purple Fashion 10 “Villa La Cañada” Spring Summer 2006
2005 The Journal, New York The Photo Issue curated by Aaron Rose Flash Art, New York
2004 i-D Magazine, London The Location Issue Liberation, Paris France July BIG Magazine, The Paris Issue
2003 Vogue Hommes International, Paris France Spring/Summer 03 Dazed and Confused, London, The LA Issue BIG Magazine, New York, The LA Issue
2002 i-D Magazine, London, The Landscape issue