Opening Night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas
Photography by CALENROSE, LUÁGO
In December, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened on the Strip. It had been a long time coming, and the opening was produced accordingly, capped with a surprise performance by Justin Timberlake.
CALENROSE were there for more than the main event. In the days before the doors opened, Kim and Travis moved through the hotel as it was still getting ready, shooting an editorial with the Fontainebleau’s iconic poodle mascot and documenting what a building looks like just before it meets its public. That particular window doesn’t last long.
For the opening itself, they assembled a team of nine photographers. The guest list covered a lot of ground: Cher, Lenny Kravitz, Alice Cooper, DJ Peggy Gou, Jesse Jo Stark, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. The kind of evening that could easily become pure documentation if you let it.
What keeps the work grounded is the Polaroid film running alongside the digital. The instant frames have a texture to them, something tactile and slightly imperfect that the rest of the coverage doesn’t have. It’s a considered choice, and it shows.
Production and planning was led by Colin Cowie Lifestyle.
