The John Varvatos Spring 2015 ad campaign marks another milestone in the brothers’ careers. “‘It’s always better when I’m able to do projects with my younger brother,’ Ziggy explains. ‘I don’t dress up very often, but when I do, I wear John Varvatos.’” Stephen Marley adds, “From the jungle to the palace, John is a lion!” According to Stephen Niedzwiecki, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of YARD and longtime Varvatos collaborator, “We wanted to strip down the concept of the image to a purely a beautiful, truthful portrait of two siblings. Just them. Nothing else. We wanted their faces and their body language to naturally express their bond and love for one another as brothers and music collaborators.” John Varvatos adds, “The Marley family is legendary. Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley are carrying on this legacy in their own authentic way. Working with them has been incredibly inspiring. They are truly a magical family.”
Additionally, on February 5th a documentary-style short film conceived by YARD and directed by Clinch will debut on JohnVarvatos.com in celebrations of their father’s 70th birthday, which is the following day. “There is a spirit of freedom and rebelliousness in Marley’s music. Ziggy and Stephen carry on these traditions with great pride. Whether dressed up or dressed down, it doesn’t matter, their sense of self and style is legendary just like their father and this comes across in the short film,” says Danny Clinch. In the brand’s Spring 2015 campaign, Ziggy Marley wears a black crocodile jacquard two-button peak lapel Jake tuxedo, black linen henley, and black Ricards dress shoe. Stephen Marley wears a black one button peak lapel Austin tuxedo, grey classic fit dress shirt, black silk tie, and black Richard cap-toe dress shoe. This latest John Varvatos campaign follows 21 seasons conceived by Yard and photographed by Danny Clinch, all of which underscore the brand’s affinity for rock ‘n’ roll style-makers. Past collaborators include Ringo Starr, KISS, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page and Gary Clark Jr., Paul Weller and Miles Kane, Green Day, The Roots, Dave Matthews, ZZ Top, Franz Ferdinand, Perry Farrell, Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, Velvet Revolver, Iggy Pop, Chris Cornell, Joe Perry, Ryan Adams and Slash.
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ABOUT JOHN VARVATOS: Launched in 2000 with a collection of tailored clothing and sportswear, John Varvatos now represents an entire men’s lifestyle that includes footwear, bags, belts, eyewear, limited edition watches, men’s fragrances, and John Varvatos U.S.A. Collection and Boys’ line, as well as Converse by John Varvatos. The designer has been recognized three times by the CFDA with an American Fashion Award for New Menswear Designer (June 2000) and Menswear Designer of the Year (June 2001 and June 2005) and was honored as GQ’s “Designer of the Year” in 2007 and The CNN Style Award’s “Menswear Designer of the Year” in 2013. In October 2013, John released his first book entitled John Varvatos: Rock in Fashion , which documents the elements of rock style that are intrinsic in the music community. Further rooting the brand in music, John Varvatos entered into a strategic partnership with Republic Records to formally launch John Varvatos Records in February 2014. The collection is distributed in freestanding John Varvatos boutiques and better department stores throughout the world.
Visit us at www.johnvarvatos.com
ABOUT ZIGGY MARLEY: A six-time Grammy winner, Emmy Winner, humanitarian, singer, songwriter and producer, Ziggy Marley has released twelve albums to much critical acclaim. His early immersion in music came at age ten when he sat in on recording sessions with his father, Bob Marley. As front man to Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, the group released eight best-selling albums that garnered three Grammys, with such chart-topping hits as "Look Who’s Dancing," "Tomorrow People" and "Tumbling Down." Ziggy's first solo album, Dragonfly (RCA Records), was released in 2003. His second solo release, Love is My Religion (Tuff Gong Worldwide), won a Grammy in 2006 for “Best Reggae Album.” His third solo album, Family Time (Tuff Gong Worldwide), scored him a 5th Grammy award for “Best Children’s Album.” In 2011, Ziggy released his critically acclaimed 4th studio album Wild And Free, which earned him a Grammy nomination, as well as his first ever comic book entitled MARIJUANAMAN. Ziggy Marley Organics, a GMO-free product line including flavored coconut oils and hemp seed snacks, was started in 2012.
The products are distributed throughout the US and are available in over 1000 stores nationwide. His 2012 live album “Ziggy Marley In Concert,” recently earned him his 6th Grammy award for “Best Reggae Album.” To coincide with the release of his latest album “Fly Rasta,” (which is also nominated for a 2015 GRAMMY Award) Ziggy released his debut children’s book “I Love You Too,” a coproduction of Akashic Books and Tuff Gong Worldwide. The multicultural picture book is based on one of Ziggy’s most beloved songs of the same title from his Grammy Award-winning album “Family Time,” which explores a child’s relationship with parents, nature and the unstoppable force of love. Involved with a breadth of charities, Ziggy leads his own, U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), a non-profit organization that benefits efforts in Jamaica, Ethiopia and other developing nations. The charity’s missions range from building new schools to operating health clinics to supporting charities like Mary’s Child, a center for abused and neglected girls. Visit Ziggy online at www.ziggymarley.com. Follow Ziggy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, MySpace and Google+.
ABOUT STEPHEN MARLEY: Stephen "Ragga" Marley is the second eldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He was raised in Kingston, Jamaica and started singing professionally at seven-years old with his elder siblings Ziggy, Sharon and Cedella as The Melody Makers. The singer/songwriter/musician/producer has consecutively landed #1 on the U.S. Billboard Reggae Album Chart for all of his solo albums and has earned a total of eight Grammys for Best Reggae Album. He won this accolade as a solo artist for Mind Control, Min d Control Acoustic and Revelation Part I: The Root of Life, as producer for Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley’s Half Way Tree and Welcome To Jamrock and as a member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers for Conscious Party, One Bright Day and Fallen Is Babylon . His forthcoming album Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life , will be released on Ghetto Youths International, his label co-owned with his brothers Damian and Julian.
The album is the second installment in a two part series, following Revelation Part I: The Root of Life (2012). Whereas The Root of Life is a celebration and preservation of roots reggae filled with powerful messages, enriching spirit and live instrumentation, The Fruit of Life will utilize a diversified sonic palette to express the far-reaching impact Jamaican music has had on various genres, especially hip hop. The new album features a variety of guest collaborations with Rick Ross, Dead Prez, Rakim, DJ Khaled, Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean, Shaggy, Black Thought (of The Roots), Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Capleton, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Ky-mani Marley, Jo Mersa and more. In 2014, Stephen toured the United States throughout the spring and summer to gear up for the release of the upcoming album. Visit Stephen online at https://twitter.com/stephenmarley and Facebook
ABOUT DANNY CLINCH: An acclaimed music photographer and documentary filmmaker, Clinch has captured some of the most recognizable names in music, including Cash, Springsteen, Dylan and Tupac, just to name a few. The organic feel and texture of his work lets the subjects breathe and the music flow. His work has appeared in such publications as Vanity Fair, Spin, Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire, the New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine, and his photographs have appeared on hundreds of album covers. For more information, please visit dannyclinch.com
ABOUT YARD: As strategic image-makers, YARD employs a parallel approach to incorporating creativity and strategy into defining and executing stylish multi-platform campaigns for fashion, beauty, luxury lifestyle and entertainment brands. An agency of brand storytellers and stewards, YARD acts as a true extension of its clients’ teams, leveraging deep consumer insights to create and revitalize brands. For more information, please visit.www.yardnyc.com
Press Contact: John Varvatos James Schuck JamesSchuck@johnvarvatos.com
Tuff Gong Worldwide Michelle Rodriguez michelle@tuffgongworldwide.com
