Billabong creative authority Claudio Kirac has teamed up with a former executive of the surfwear group to launch a new agency.
The Artwork Agency has just officially registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, with a domain name and trademark application also lodged in preparation for its launch.
The agency will offer a broad range of services to the creative industries, from art direction and photography to the development of graphic design concepts and multimedia campaigns.
The Gold Coast-based Kirac has worked as an art director and photographer for Billabong and VonZipper since 1999, developing advertising campaigns and look books for the surfwear brands, in addition to graphic prints for selected garments.
He is now working with the surf giant on a part-time basis, with shoots locked in for Billabong’s international and national men’s summer 2011 campaigns later this year.
In a strategic coup for the agency, Kirac has secured his mentor and former general manager of VonZipper, Nixon, Element and Kustom as business development manager and account director.
Paul Bow played an integral role in the high-profile launch of VonZipper, owned by Billabong, into the Australian market.
Kirac said details of the agency’s fee structure and launch date were still being locked in, but would be announced before the close of 2010. When asked whether fashion clients would pose a conflict of interest with his current role at Billabong, Kirac said he intended to be “100 per cent transparent” with the company on potential clients in the sector.
The move comes fresh from the launch of www.claudiokirac.com, which showcases the creatives’ portfolio of work and will soon be supplemented with a ‘behind the scenes’ blog.
Kirac has worked as a professional artist, photographer, designer and consultant within the fashion and music industries and has two published books of his work: Para el Sexo di Alimento with Amber Bignell and Infiniteye.
Assia Benmedjdoub