Renell Medrano - Photographer, Designer, Next It-Girl
From photographing our favorite celebrities to showcasing her projects in exhibitions and highlighting her work in Vogue, Renell Medrano has done it all, and is continuing to highlight her name within the fashion and photography industry. She creates work that speaks to her heritage and the intersections of culture within society and the communities around her. Medrano was awarded The New York Times Lens Blog Award in 2014 and was included in the exhibition The Next Generation of Bronx Photographers in 2017.
Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Medrano grew up with her passion for photography and her parents supported her from the beginning. With receiving her first DSLR for her 15th birthday, she grew to love that passion and attended Parsons The New School of Design where she graduated with a BFA in Photography. As she stated in an interview with W Magazine, “I was always fascinated with the point-and-shoot cameras around the house, so I started with digital, but got into film my freshman year of college. From here, I loved being able to shoot film and switch to digital whenever.” Her Dominican roots have allowed her to explore her culture and identity, which are engraved within her pictures. In one of her most personal projects, PAMPARA, she revisits the Dominican Republic, where her parents are from and where she spent much of her childhood summer holidays. She embarked on a more personal journey to explore her cultural heritage that formed her. The results? A series documented in style yet highlights aspects of fashion photography. “This project was huge for me, and setting up the exhibition I realized wasn’t even half of it, I feel like I need to tap into people’s stories more, so I am really keen to shoot a documentary-making it more of a mixed media project. This is only the beginning.” On display is a photograph documentation and to accompany the photographs, a short film featuring the subjects of her work. “I wanted to bring the exhibition to London just because I wanted to bring it elsewhere than just my city to shine light on my heritage and my culture somewhere else. I love the energy here. It's different and unexpected,” Medrano said in an article with WWD. Tyler the Creator, Kendall Jenner, and Bella Hadid showed their support for the opening of the exhibition and guests danced and sipped on cocktails while experiencing the cultural heritage from the beloved photographer.
RENELL MEDRANO - PAMPARA
RENELL MEDRANO - PAMPARA
RENELL MEDRANO - PAMPARA
Renell Medrano has shot celebrities such as the Jenner sisters, Bad Bunny, Playboi Carti, and brands such as Nike, Chanel, Louis Vuitton Fragrances, and Burberry. Her photos have even been spotlighted in Vogue, I-D, W Magazine, and Dazed. Some of her best projects include shooting album covers for A$AP Ferg, Jay Z for the cover of The New York Times, and Kylie Jenner’s birthday in Turks and Caicos including her well known celebrity friends such as Justine Skye and Hailey Bieber.
As if Medrano couldn’t become more successful, her collection, Ice Studios, started out as hoodies and tees that were released in 2016 and her first launch sold out within minutes. “The term ice, to me, references something cool,” Medrano explains as she chose the name for the clothing line/creative agency. The collection can be seen modeled by Hailey Bieber along with other models. This small clothing line turned into something much bigger, and now is a creative agency. They still project their pieces and have branched out to a full collection, consisting of tracksuits, swimsuits, skirts, and beanies.. She took a turn into fashion because “It's a different medium to express myself artistically.”
“ “I designed these clothes for anyone to wear, but also for those who have inspired my photography - I want them to be a part of it.””
Medrano’s ‘90s-inspired, skater-kid, cool it-girl photos along with her creative label have put her on top of the fashion photographer game, making herself known wherever she goes. She is a creative face with raw talent, and she is just making her way to the top.