 |
| Naz Afshar | Founder of Atelier Creative House |
Naz Afshar | Creative Director
We love to look at glamorous magazines and online publications full of stunning fashion styles that will capture our eyes with amazement. It gives us an idea of what we may want to wear or do in life. We are captivated by the images and began to imagine ourselves walking into a crowded room with all eyes mesmerized by our beauty. The photographs that leave us daydreaming don't just happen without a great team behind the scene to make everything come together. You need a great creative director and their team to work together so that we will be able to enjoy the beautiful images and contemplate our next purchase. The creative director and their team can help keep us up with the latest trends in fashion.For instance, Creative Director, Nazanine Afshar (aka "Naz") has achieved a variety of creative goals around the globe. She has worked in Paris, London, New York City, and Los Angeles. Her fashion editorials have been featured in Vogue, Elle, and many other magazines.
 |
| Rock Your Fashion With Class |
Interview with Nazanine Afshar
Let's have a talk with Naz, the Founder and Executive Creative Director of Atelier Creative House.
 |
| Naz Afshar | Creative Director |
Arica: Hi Naz, I love your creative work. It is very inspiring. Tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to become a creative director?
Naz Afshar: I grew up in France and, at a very young age, had the opportunity to work with a fashion designer in Paris. Paris inspired me to become who I am today.
The city is a playground for many top designers, fashion industry professionals, and aspirants. I partook in and lived through all the sources of creative inspiration that the city had to offer and developed an eye for high-end fashion and good quality design.
Later, I moved to New York and learned photography. In parallel, I took graphic design classes. This combination (fashion, photography, and graphic design) molded me into a hands-on creative director.
Later, I moved to New York and learned photography. In parallel, I took graphic design classes. This combination (fashion, photography, and graphic design) molded me into a hands-on creative director.
Today, I am able to produce, art-direct, retouch, and design. I guess you can call me a one-stop shop.
 |
| Creativity and style with a one-stop-shop |
Naz Afshar: Yes absolutely. In a world of smartphones where accessibility to a “camera" is instant, where everyone can pretend to be a photographer and post their “work” for mass-market consumption every other instant, skilled industry professionals find it increasingly challenging to justify the time it takes to produce their quality work and the price it requires to create such work. Speed, today, is of the essence at the cost of sacrificing quality.
It is the age of mass and “fast” consumerism.
It is the age of mass and “fast” consumerism.
I am happy to say that I have adapted quite well to the demands of today’s customers by continuing to produce quality work as required, whilst maintaining the highest level of service.
The young teams with which I work have been raised in this “speed” boom but they also “know the drill”. I am a hands-on person, so I work closely with them and guide them through the minutest details of their work.
So, over time, they are able to satisfy both ends of the bargain: quality and speed!
 |
| Naz branding on Vulkan |
That is very impressive! Can you tell us about your experience while accomplishing such fabulous branding for these companies?
Naz Afshar: I have been very lucky in my career.
I have had the pleasure and honor of working with some of the world’s most talented stylists, photographers, production crew, and models including:
- Gigi Hadid
- and Cindy Crawford.
Larger brands with bigger budgets provide the opportunity to work on bigger productions. With a bigger production, comes a lot of responsibility and accountability.
Over time, I have learned when to push and when to pull. Being on-set directing is all about a balancing act to ensure team stability. If one person messes up, it has a domino effect and can affect the rest of the production. Your role as a creative director is to make sure nothing goes wrong, and everyone is doing their job according to plan.
And speaking of planning, in my experience, the best and most flawless productions have always been done when a great deal of pre-production planning has been carried out. So, when production day comes, it’s showtime, and everything works like clockwork. You are there to do a great job and, at the same time, have fun doing it with your team.
Over time, I have learned when to push and when to pull. Being on-set directing is all about a balancing act to ensure team stability. If one person messes up, it has a domino effect and can affect the rest of the production. Your role as a creative director is to make sure nothing goes wrong, and everyone is doing their job according to plan.
And speaking of planning, in my experience, the best and most flawless productions have always been done when a great deal of pre-production planning has been carried out. So, when production day comes, it’s showtime, and everything works like clockwork. You are there to do a great job and, at the same time, have fun doing it with your team.
 |
| Naz branding for Bebe |
Arica: What motivation can you give to the person looking at you with a desire to become a creative director?
Naz Afshar: Most importantly, you should be in the right city! A city that feeds on fashion!
Surround yourself with industry people, and in the beginning, offer your help for little compensation: it is absolutely essential to gain as much exposure and experience as possible, and as quickly as possible!
Learn as much as you can. Over time, if you gain enough visibility, and a bit of luck is on your side, the leaders of an established team will develop a liking for you and your work, and they will push your career forward and give you even greater opportunities.
Learn as many technical skills as possible.
Learn as much as you can. Over time, if you gain enough visibility, and a bit of luck is on your side, the leaders of an established team will develop a liking for you and your work, and they will push your career forward and give you even greater opportunities.
Learn as many technical skills as possible.
In my career, I won many accounts because I was a “hands-on” creative director with very technical skills. For example, I was able to set beautiful types and do layouts from ideation to pre-press. Those skills matter. What also matters is knowing the technical side of the camera and lighting.
You need to speak the same language as your team members. So, be good at all aspects of the work.
You need to speak the same language as your team members. So, be good at all aspects of the work.
This includes:
Know enough to be able to depend on yourself if budgets are low and you want the job!
Smaller amazing gigs don’t have the budget for you to contract out too much so carry multiple hats in the beginning and master those skills. Later, when you become more known, you can focus more on one aspect and delegate the rest to a team as budgets permit.
 |
| Naz Afshar | Founder and Executive Creative Director of Atelier Creative House. |
Naz Afshar: This is a new company that I created early in 2019 and that focuses on branding, design, and production. We have small to larger clients worldwide.
We offer very competitive pricing and we are a one-stop-shop where we:
- discover a brand,
- provide brand strategy,
- creative direction,
- production,
- marketing and launch that brand with PR,
- Digital marketing,
- and events.
In addition, we offer a mentorship program to polish a talent’s craft whether that “talent is a model, photographer or designer.
We provide training by replicating real-life production scenarios and directions. In the end, we have the expertise to build a portfolio/book and connect the talent with industry people so he/she can realize tangible career growth. We started with just 2 mentees and now we are up to 10.
 |
| Atelier Creative House. |
Naz Afshar: Becoming a valuable Creative Director takes years of hard work.
The key to success means:
- To perform consistently at a high level despite the bumps that come along the way.
- To develop strong relationships and followers to support your career.
- To stay true to your values and who you are as a creative person.
- To be collaborative, listen but protect your vision and maintain creative authority.
- Share and support your team by being available.
 |
| Naz Afshar | Creative Director |
Inveigle Magazine