New York, NY – September 30, 2014 – Artestar, the creative licensing and brand management agency, announced today that it has been appointed as the exclusive licensing agent for influential photographer Herb Ritts. The partnership will create renewed commercial access to the archive of the Los Angeles-based photographer, whose iconic fashion, celebrity and fine art photographs gained him an enduring international reputation.
Artestar will develop new business in a wide range of categories, from apparel to home décor to stationery, while helping to bring the vast archive of well-known images held by the Herb Ritts Foundation to the audience of a new generation. “We see a huge opportunity to create really strong partnerships and truly fashion-forward product with Herb Ritts’ iconic images. Fashion and art have never been as interconnected as they are today. Timing is everything and I think that Ritts’ work speaks directly to the place we are in right now,” said David Stark, President of Artestar.
Ritts’ iconic images have been exhibited in Museum shows worldwide, including hugely popular exhibitions at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In addition to producing portraits and editorial fashion for Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview and Rolling Stone, Ritts also created successful advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Donna Karan, Gap, Gianfranco Ferré, Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Levi’s, Pirelli, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Valentino among others. 
Herb Ritts fits perfectly within the top tier of Artestar’s roster of artists and brands, which includes pop icons Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as renowned photographers Robert Mapplethorpe and Michael Halsband. 
 
ABOUT HERB RITTS:
Herb Ritts began his photographic career in the late 70’s and gained a reputation as a master of art and commercial photography. In his life and work, Herb Ritts was drawn to clean lines and strong forms. This graphic simplicity allowed his images to be read and felt instantaneously. They often challenged conventional notions of gender or race. Social history and fantasy were both captured and created by his memorable photographs of noted individuals in film, fashion, music, politics and society.   www.herbritts.com
 
ABOUT ARTESTAR:
Artestar is an international brand licensing and consulting company that specializes in creating market opportunities through consumer product, retail, advertising and promotional campaigns. The company has over 20 years of experience representing internationally renowned artists and designers including Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Mapplethorpe, Kenny Scharf, Maripol, Patrick Nagel, Michael Halsband, Ryan McGinness, Curtis Kulig, Patricia Field and Junk Food Clothing. Based in New York, Artestar has affiliate offices in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Australia, South Korea and Japan.   www.artestar.com
 
Contact: Sarah Sperling, 212.627.7242, ssperling@artestar.com