By Contributor
(Campaign shot by David Clinch)

August 5, 2009


New York, NY --- John Varvatos looks to rock and roll’s heritage for inspiration so it was no surprise when he selected ZZ Top , one of the longest running major US rock bands, for his Fall 2009 advertising campaign . Photographer Danny Clinch shot the campaign against a life size diorama of buffalo at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles - a setting perfectly fit for the trio from Texas .

ZZ TOP, comprised of Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, have been together for 40 years of rock, blues, and boogie on the road and in the studio. ZZ Top’s music is always instantly recognizable, eminently powerful, profoundly soulful and 100% Texas American in derivation. In 2004 the Texas trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . They are a certified rock institution, contemporary in every way, yet still completely connected to the founding fathers of the genre.

“ZZ Top is a music institution that has remained relevant through the changes and trends of the last four decades, it was inspiring to work with them” said John Varvatos.

YARD Creative Director Stephen Niedzweicki drew the campaigns inspiration from ZZ Top’s 1976 World Wide Texas Tour, an unparalleled rock extravaganza where the band brought the icons of Texas -- including a menagerie of longhorns, brooding vultures, and a buffalo -- to the world. The backdrop combined with textured leathers of John’s Fall/Winter 2009 collection and the panoramic photography of Danny Clinch elicited hauntingly beautiful imagery.

“The idea of using the buffalo diorama was an intriguing representation of ZZ Top’s American rock and roll history. Shooting with Danny I am always confident in his innate ability to draw musicians true personas into the camera lens. The combination worked perfectly.” said Stephen Niedzweicki.
Concepted by YARD and photographed by Danny Clinch the previous nine campaigns have served to underscore the brand’s affinity for eclectic and iconic style makers. Past seasons feature Franz Ferdinand , Perry Farrell , Cheap Trick , Alice Cooper , Velvet Revolver , Iggy Pop , Chris Cornell , Joe Perry and Ryan Adams . ...

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