Monty Shadow was a great photographer who crossed, with his creative vision, the world of fashion, sport, automotive, publishing, art and luxury to create unimaginable synergies of great success.

He mastered the art of Cross-Branding before it became a subject of study in the world of Marketing and Communications and, through his formidable Public Relations skills, he shaped the foundation of his creative journey. He was an incredible “human connector” who left his mark on those who knew him and who preserve the memory of a great and brilliant soul with a heart always at the service of innovation. A formidable PR, the world’s most important brands have entrusted him and his artistic consultancy with the organization of a wide range of events, be they photo shoots or public relations interventions, acting as an intermediary between Italy, London, Monte Carlo, New York and Los Angeles.

“Monty was a Maverick, an eminence grise, who worked completely outside the management structures”

and was described by his friend Johann Rupert, boss of Richemont as “one of the greatest truffle dogs” who also brought to light one of the greatest success stories of haute horlogerie of the 21st century and one of the most enduring relationships between movie stars and watches in the history of watchmaking: Panerai.

However, his lens was chosen to best enhance the image of many large companies such as Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Mercedes, AMG – Mercedes, Daimler – Chrysler, Richemont, Vendome, Esso, Sun International, Royal Resorts, Ellesse, Fila, Polaroid, De Beers, Riva, Revox, Fila, Polaroid, Hasselblad, Contax, Nikon, Zepter, Tullio Abbate etc.

His lively imagination anticipated brilliant journalistic intuitions working for Viva, Time, Life, Omni, Vogue, ll Piacere, Excellence, Sun, Playboy, Penthouse, Donna, Grand Prix, Sport Illustrated, Gazzetta dello Sport, California Sport & Fitness, Symbol, Paris Match, Stern, Focus, Max and many others, reaching almost 3000 covers creativty.

“With his camera he can do everything. For this reason he is one of the most famous photographers in the world.”

In London,  in the late 70’s, Monty Shadow works for Conde‘ Nast Vogue, becoming a great photographer, inspired by culture and school education. He was the photographer in charge of shooting Salvador Dali’ in Cadaques for the Magazine “Scarab” made by Scabal, a Luxury Belgian textile company .

The magic of his lens has captured also tropical light in images of rare beauty, he has challenged tenths of a second, fixing forever the most exciting sporting events, he has undressed the most beautiful women in the world with an irresistible sensuality.” Numerous awards, including two portfolios dedicated to him by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, have rewarded his hidden artistic talent.

He has shot from the world of entertainment to show business, such as Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner, Richard Gere, Sean Connery, Jessiga Lange, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Sharon Stone, Kim Basinger, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Luciano Pavarotti, Eros Ramazzotti, and many other stars of the old and new era.

He helped create the winning image of F1 together with his friend Bernie Ecclestone, and his photographic lens celebrated the greatest champions such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Jordan, Alberto Tomba, Sergey Bubka Boris Becker, David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve, Sergey Bubka, Tiger Woods etc…

From the world of entertainment to the ateliers of prestigious stylists such as Armani, Versace, Stefano Ricci, Alaia, etc., his name was the key to opening any door in the field of Fashion where he shared an esteem and a great friendship with Franca Sozzani, director of Vogue Italia.

He collaborated with Taschen, the world’s largest publisher of books and visual cultural products, and is behind major editorial projects such as the book Ferrari by Taschen created for the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Italian brand. Countless cross-branding projects such as Pirelli and Roger Dubuis, Taschen & Pirelli, Mercedes & IWC and many others are just a few examples of his incredible ability to generate innovative ideas.

Esteemed by Enzo Ferrari and his son Piero, Monty Shadow created the first official Ferrari S.p.A. calendar in a limited edition in 1992.

He was of the creator of Laureus World Sport Award, Laureus Sport For Good and Laureus Foundation, and credator of St. Moritz Art Masters Festival, the most prestigious artistic and cultural event on the roof of the world with more than 400 artists of art, photography, design, architecture.

The prestigious Life Achievement Award created by Cartier, in the decade 2008 – 2017, has honored artists such as Robert Indiana, Richard Long, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, William Klein, Oscar Niemeyer, Ai Wei Wei, Nalini Malani, Lucio Fontana, Albert Watson, Flavio Manzoni for the Ferrari Design Team. St Mortz Art Masters has brought more than 400 artists with their works of art, sculptures, installations involving the world of photography, design and architecture in the Engadine, becoming a symbol of quality and culture, which has promoted St. Moritz in the world.

Without obstacles and spreading from one field to another, through companies, from men to people, from the past to the future, Monty Shadow was the man, the genius, who signed time with his drops of creativity to chase the “cosmic” light that not all men can reach.

An incredible “Human Connector”

and those who knew him, cherish the memory of him, a Great Man with a great soul, brilliant and generous and a heart always at the service of Creativity”