In a season where elegance meets iconic heritage, New York-based Nicholas Duers crafts a visual narrative for Ralph Lauren that brings the essence of timeless sophistication to life. Each frame from the “Lauren Holiday 02” series (above, left) whispers of classic holiday luxury—delicately lit, artfully composed, and deeply reflective of Ralph Lauren’s storied brand. The images for “RL x Active Club” (above, right) capture a bold revival of collegiate style, layering nostalgia with the unmistakable edge of modern streetwear. Through meticulous propping, soft lighting, and a keen eye for detail, Nicholas bridges Ralph Lauren’s past with its present, celebrating the brand’s legacy with a refined and fresh lens.

By: Nicholas Duers, Photographer

Hello, Graphis! First, a big thank you for awarding these projects in the 2024 Photography Annual and for the opportunity to discuss the images in greater detail. Let’s start with a brief introduction. My name is Nicholas Duers, and I am a photographer based in New York City, specializing in still life and product photography. I maintain a studio in Midtown, where I execute most of my work.

Lauren Holiday 02

This was created in 2022 for legendary American fashion brand Ralph Lauren, for one of their women’s lines, Lauren.

In collaborating with the art director and prop stylist for this holiday shoot, we aimed to create an elegant and sophisticated environment that resonated with the brand’s essence while seamlessly integrating with the on-model photography portion of the campaign.

We began by developing a visual narrative that evoked the warmth and luxury of holiday gifting, utilizing meticulously curated props that comprise the Ralph Lauren aesthetic. Working closely with the art director, LiYi Zheng, my team and I crafted a lighting setup that would effectively highlight the products and provide a moody and luxurious environment, but without putting so much emphasis on the backgrounds that they could distract from the featured gifts. We aimed to achieve a focused, dramatic, and soft yet selective light, which, combined with our props, would create an intimate and sophisticated Holiday setting.

Our prop stylist, Viki Rutsch, played a crucial role in arranging the sets, ensuring each item contributed to our cohesive vision and harmonized with the brand aesthetic. Viki’s keen understanding of set design and skillful placement of props elegantly framed the products and greatly helped keep the focus of the images on the gifts.

I am incredibly grateful for such a talented team of creatives on this one: Their insights and expertise, combined with the photo team’s effort on the lighting, allowed our crew to reach the overall goal of producing a series of images that artfully captured the holiday spirit while showcasing Ralph Lauren products in a luxurious yet approachable way.

RL x Active Club

These images were also created in 2022 for Ralph Lauren for a line/web feature known as Active Club. This particular iteration of that line is streetwear characterized by collegiate style, color blocking, and vintage-inspired graphics.

Creating these images was about building a bridge between collegiate nostalgia and modern streetwear, capturing the essence of each through carefully curated and densely layered props. We wanted viewers to feel the richness of vintage sports and academia as if they’d stumbled upon a trove of items from a past era, yet with a contemporary edge.

Working with a talented crew of art directors (Nate Diaz) as well as prop and soft goods stylists (Viki Rutsch), we arranged these elements with intention—the vibrant knit scarf draped over the armchair, the hat perched casually on a trophy, the skateboard leaning against worn leather—all reinforcing a relaxed yet prestigious atmosphere. It’s an homage to American collegiate aesthetics, though not through a purely nostalgic lens; it’s grounded in the present, acknowledging how today’s streetwear revives and redefines these classic elements. These shots were about blending eras, creating a scene that feels both familiar and freshly relevant, honoring tradition while celebrating the creativity of modern style.

In addition to establishing the mood via the propping, styling, and lighting, the art director’s approach to color grading was instrumental in achieving the image’s sophisticated, vintage feel. By using warm, muted tones, he helped to create a look reminiscent of classic film photography, lending a timeless quality to each element. The rich browns, deep greens, and subtle golds in the image were delicately balanced to enhance the textures and age of the props, like the worn leather football and tarnished trophies, evoking a sense of history and prestige. Shadows were softened, and highlights gently toned down, giving the overall scene a moody, atmospheric quality that feels intimate yet polished. This grading choice unified the various elements and amplified the nostalgic undertone, making the modern streetwear pieces feel seamlessly woven into a past era. The result is a sophisticated aesthetic that honors the vintage inspiration while maintaining a refined, contemporary edge.

I will never forget this project. The photoshoot faced an unexpected delay when a crime occurred on the block outside our studio the night before, preventing us from loading in our props and products due to the ongoing police investigation—a surprising yet darkly amusing hiccup that’s just part of the unpredictable charm of working in a city like New York. Fortunately, we were able to pivot our timing bit and still complete the project on schedule, with a bit of a story that won’t soon be forgotten.

Nicholas Duers is a commercial and fine art photographer/director in New York City. His award-winning work can be seen in commissions for notable brands such as Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, Harry Winston, Armand de Brignac, Netflix, Stuart Weitzman, David Yurman, and Adidas/Y3. Nicholas has been shooting commercially in NYC since 2007, servicing agencies, brands, and magazines in the fashion, beauty, entertainment, and luxury goods sectors. He studied fine art photography at the Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle, WA, in the early 2000s before further developing his aesthetic with a degree in advertising photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Today, he operates out of his studio in Midtown Manhattan, and his commercial work is represented in the US by Farimah Milani. Outside of commercial work, Nicholas is compelled by the profound changes occurring in the arctic climes of our planet and dedicates his personal work to traveling and photographing these areas. His work has been recognized by Graphis, Lurzers Archive, Px3 Paris, the Intl'l Photo Awards, the Moscow Int'l Foto Awards, the Tokyo Int'l Foto Awards, American Photography, and Photo District News, among others, as well as exhibited for audiences both domestic and international.

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