For French photographer and director Chris Roman, the world of beauty and fashion is an ever-evolving and exciting industry, full of opportunities and possibilities. Over the years, Chris Roman has worked on high-profile luxury campaigns featuring A-list celebrities such as Emily Ratajkowski, Nina Dobrev, Lee Hanee, and Mayumi Sada, as well as Lily Collins, Ashley Park, and Camille Razat from the hit series Emily in Paris. His work has taken him around the globe, giving him unique insight into how the world of fashion works, and what it takes to create a magnificent and lasting campaign.
One of Chris’ most recent projects took him to Sofia, Bulgaria where he shot the digital stills and video for the new Davidoff perfume campaign, which is set for international release later this year. Featuring Golden Globe nominee Charles Melton (Riverdale, The Sun Is Also a Star), the campaign was shot in a massive studio outside of the city where the team came together to create an environment that feels otherworldly.
“We had to build everything from scratch,” recalls Chris. “Thanks to everyone involved, the magic happened. This is what I like most about big projects, the way the vision of the creatives and the client’s ambitions lead us to enter into incredible universes, like another dimension.”
Chris developed a love for photography at a young age, quickly realising during a trip through Vietnam just how powerful a tool a camera can be for capturing fleeting moments, emotions, and the essence of a place in a single frame.
“I will always remember being awake on a train passing through the Vietnamese countryside by the sunrise on the rice fields. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with light and colors,” he explains. “After high school, I studied photography in Montpellier for a year and in Toulouse for another year, while shooting parties and events for a local magazine as a student job. I dreamt about fashion, but I needed to learn better English, so I decided to move to London for a year.”
While in London, Chris immersed himself in the world of professional photography, starting as a studio manager. He was responsible for prepping shoots, assisting photographers on set, and refining images in post-production—an experience that gave him a well-rounded understanding of the craft. These formative years allowed him to hone his skills as a fashion photographer, but it wasn’t long before an opportunity arose to expand into directing. After his time in London, Chris returned to Paris to be at the heart of the fashion industry. While shooting for The Sartorialist, a well-known New York fashion blog, as well as and Garance Doré during fashion weeks and campaigns, he picked up a video camera and began capturing behind-the-scenes content—a move that would soon shape the next phase of his career.
“I edited my first videos at home and showed them to my boss the following day. She was quite impressed and she quickly posted them online. After that, everything went fast. The Sartorialist called me to come to NY to shoot BTS for Vogue Italy, then BTS in Milan for an Oviesse campaign… I travelled the world with them for one year filming fashion weeks and campaigns,” he recalls.
The transition from photography to directing unlocked new creative avenues for Chris, allowing him to collaborate with some of the most prestigious brands in the fashion industry. After five years with Vogue Paris, where he was responsible for shooting all video content and worked alongside the biggest names in fashion—both on set and backstage at fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris—Chris established himself as a sought-after director. His portfolio quickly expanded to include luxury houses such as Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Longchamp, Lancôme, Tommy Hilfiger, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Burberry.
When approaching a project, Chris begins by understanding and translating the brand’s DNA, identifying the product’s unique benefits and how it stands out from competitors, all while bringing his own creative vision to the campaign. He listens closely to the client’s needs, translates them into a distinctive creative direction, and then determines how to execute the vision within the constraints of budget and deadlines.
Chris’ exposure to working with A-list celebrities and talented crews has made directing fashion shoots an incredibly fulfilling leap. It has also granted him the opportunity to shoot in a vast range of locations, from the most isolated deserts of Namibia to the fashion capitals of the world, such as Paris and Madrid. Whether directing on his own, camera in hand in locations like Namibia, Malaysia, London, and Paris, or leading large-scale productions with 30 to 40 crew members on high-pressure shoots in Madrid, Moscow, Cape Town, Prague, Tokyo, and Seoul, Chris thrives on the challenge and energy of the work.
In 2019, Chris embarked on what would become one of his most exciting and fulfilling ventures—founding his own creative agency. After meeting Vogue Paris beauty and fashion journalist Theodora Aspart, the two realized they shared a deep understanding of the industry and a vision for blending words, imagery, and film into compelling narratives. Their complementary expertise led to the creation of Atelier Roman, a boutique agency specializing in high-end fashion and beauty content.
Chris and Theodora were searching for similar clients at the time, so launching a full-service creative agency was a natural next step. From initial concept development and storytelling to production, post-production, and campaign releases, Atelier Roman offers a seamless, end-to-end approach. Over the years, Atelier Roman has collaborated with some of the most prominent names in fashion and beauty, including Dior, Givenchy, Gérard Darel, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian, producing visually stunning campaigns that balance artistic vision with brand identity.
One campaign that stands out as a career highlight is the digital campaign they created through Atelier Roman for Dior Capture Totale in late 2019 and early 2020, just before the pandemic. Dior Beauty placed their trust in him to handle every aspect of the campaign—production, direction, video and still photography, and post-production. The project was an ambitious global undertaking, featuring one celebrity per country, with shoots spanning the U.S., U.K., Paris, Seoul, Tokyo, and China. The campaign was a massive success, reinforcing Chris’ ability to bring a seamless creative vision to an international stage.
Yet, despite his success in directing, Chris remains deeply connected to his roots in photography, recognizing how it continues to shape his artistic approach. “Photography is all about framing and lighting,” he explains. “You learn how to compose an image and tell a story depending on the camera, the lenses, and how you use them.”
His expertise behind the lens has not only secured him directing opportunities but has also made him a sought-after talent in an industry increasingly demanding versatility. “Most of my work now is directing,” Chris notes, “but clients often look for creatives who can handle both stills and motion simultaneously.”
Chris continues to work in both photography and directing but now spends most of his time overseeing entire productions. Through years of dedication to the industry, he has built an exceptional reputation that is respected by his peers, clients, and collaborators alike. Whether fine-tuning edits in the studio or directing shoots in remote locations, Chris remains a master of his craft, bringing a distinct creative vision to every project.
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