IMAGINING THE FUTURE

SAN YVIN, THE HIGH IN DEMAND ART DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER ON AESTHETIC VERSATILITY, AND HIS PAST AND FUTURE PROJECTS

In the late ’90s, San Yvin’s parents owned a fusion bistro named “Cyclo Bar’’. Located in the heart of Hanoi, Vietnam, it was named after the infamous “Cyclo” chairs (otherwise known by some at Tuk Tuks). One of the first restaurants to offer a fusion between Vietnamese and French cuisine, it was a big tourist attraction. San Yvin grew up between the tables, taking it all in. As he observed his parents’ dedication in the kitchen, the recipes, and the dishes they would creatively come up with, a little light turned on in his mind. His parents' cuisine required creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking. For San Yvin it was only a natural extension to find his path towards his own creative career.

Art Director and Producer San Yvin while working on a project for Newkino

Today San is an art director and producer working with images, commercials, fashion campaigns, retouching, 3D, narrative films. This might be a stretch from the restaurant he grew up in but not so much: he drives his career with a gift for panache and dedication, just like his parents before. He’s established a diverse and solid career in the big apple. San first worked for D-FACTORY, a high-end digital capture and post-production company offering digital techs, and all around retouching and post production services. San works with a wide variety of clients from individual photographers to large companies to craft visually impactful images and campaigns together. He specializes in high-end fashion brands and works with some of the top clients in the industry: Louis Vuitton, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dior, Fendi, Hermes, Yves Saint Laurent amongst others. San focused on the art directing of the print campaigns and the on-set retouching. On-set retouching is vital in the media and photography world: the story is being told another time, reformatted to suit the narrative. San Yvin oversees this final narrative which makes his role crucial to the process.

But as an art director and producer, San doesn’t just cover the grounds of the luxury industry, he has taken on some other really interesting projects including a music video for Space Cowboys Studio. An international women-driven creative studio and full-service production company based in NY, LA & Paris, Space Cowboys Studio is also a think-tank of gifted creatives pursuing visual excellence in an inclusive and disruptive way. Cowboys Studio has found their mark in the New York commercial world with some really prestigious clients such as Valentino, Balenciaga, Asos, Buick, The Guardian, Casify and Google. They bring their high-concept and enigmatic aesthetic to other mediums such as music videos. San was the creative director and producer of their hybrid music video “Genesis”, part dance film, part music driven short film, it is an homage to the human body. An intricate choreography features the bodies of the dancers, playing with light and optical illusions as they appear and disappear. It is visually stunning - San’s work is very impressive in this particular project.

San Yvin and Lesly Lynch, CEO of Studio Space Cowboys, during the shooting of "Genesis" in Paris

San also has a foot in the future. He has worked for NewKino is a collective of creators and engineers dedicated to creating immersive digital experiences & next-generation artifacts for the Metaverse. They are currently working on a project with Coca-Cola and Intel. NFTs are the new thing - San has also worked with them during their partnership with the clothing and shoe brand Under Armor. They created a collection of wearable “NFTs”. The Tokens are based on the Genesis Curry Flow sneaker worn by infamous basketball player Steph Curry. The copies are limited to 2,974 copies with proceeds going to charities Priced at $333 with proceeds benefiting charities focused on increasing youth access to sports. This is also proof that San is a creative director that might be surfing on new trends - but with his innovative thinking that is unique to him. San will be continuing his collaboration with NewKino in the mid summer 2022. The upcoming months will continue to be busy for him as he will also begin a position as an art director and producer for the accessory brand Mark Cross. The company focuses on luxury leather bags without excessive hardware and with a touch of vintage. San with his elegant creative vision paired with a deep knowledge of past and current trends is the perfect match for this company.

San Yvin who is French and Vietnamese has a rich multi cultural background: the best of two worlds. This is certainly reflected in his creative direction and allows a certain fluidity and artistic intelligence. He describes himself as an “artistic swiss-knife”: highly adaptable to a number of markets, and high-end clients; we believe his cutting edge vision will take him on many adventures.

SAN YVIN

VIETNAM-FRANCE

Website www.sanyvin.com