The TWA Flight Center
It’s now a hotel and will reopen in May 2019.
But in 2015, we were one of the last brands to shoot at the iconic TWA Flight Center at JFK.
A full day shoot in September, the weather was perfect, the spot cooperated and we’re pleased to continue to have “running man” as we call him, showing off our Flight Brief. Calm, cool and collected, he’s late for his flight but you’d never really know.
We chose this iconic New York building because it is incredibly gorgeous, was eerily empty and ready for the taking (of photos). This beautiful white-winged creature was lost amidst the other terminals.
The TWA Flight Center is what we think of when it comes to the golden age of mid-century modern design, experimentalism and just plain hutzpah. Buildings like this rarely get past the accountants these days.
A product of the creativity of Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, it was first sketched in the mid-1950s, and commissioned by TWA in 1957. Unlike most airline buildings around the world, this one was owned by the airline itself. Completed in 1962, Saarinen told The New York Times that the building was meant to represent the spirit of flight. We think it does just that.
The building itself feels like it could be built tomorrow at JFK and speaks not only to the future of flight but avant-garde design. The curvature of the building, the stark off-white that contrasts with the asphalt out front and sky blue above, as well as huge glass panels emit a warm greenish hue and reflect the light so well.
Combining this veritable design museum with our new, minimalist Flight Brief seemed like a perfect match. The shoot was completed in the morning on a beautiful September day. The weather was perfect, with very few clouds in the sky.
We shot it early enough in the morning for the sun to cast a slight shadow, and did have to adjust for the movement of the sun cutting across this iconic building. And as with most mid-September days in New York, it was still quite hot, requiring our model to cool down from time to time. We put him to work - he must have run a good half-mile over endless shots and reshoots capturing the movement we wanted.
The model was outfitted in a suit courtesy of our friends at J.Crew. You’ll recognize their perfect Ludlow suit in charcoal with a crisp Ludlow dress shirt and a matte navy tie from Ralph Lauren.
Our main hero shot captures the spirit of travel, like the building itself.
Our photoshoot was crafted with the trusted hands at Black & Gold Studio, guided by Harry James Hanson and shot by Sam Evans Butler. The original idea for the running man was from Mike Arnot, our founder.
