A Thing of Beauty

For Australian photographer, James Houston, who launched his latest book, “Natural Beauty”, a YouTube video series documenting the making of his tome, and an accompanying exhibition at MILK Studios last night, it has been a week-long celebration. Known for his celebrity portraits, Houston shifted his focus to the subject of nature for this project, hoping to raise awareness of environmental issues and raise funds for Global Green USA, an environmental non-profit.

To kick off the week, Dom Pérignon, along with MILK Studios and W, hosted a dinner Monday evening at the MILK galleries. Houston was joined by many of the faces he shot for the book, including models Coco Rocha, Anja Rubik, and Elettra Wiedemann and actor Adrian Grenier. “All these models and celebrities [who participated] are massive, so for them to even donate a few hours of their time was a very big deal,” said a very grateful Houston.

Tuesday evening marked the official opening of the exhibition, which will be on view at MILK studios through May 5th. A line wrapped around the corner of 15th street long before the doors opened, and Houston was bombarded by guests eager to give their congratulations. “I really believe that you have to celebrate something like nature to get attention for it,” said Houston. “It’s not about scaring people away saying, ‘Look what we’re losing,’ it’s about saying, ‘Look what we have to enjoy.’”

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Photos: Billy Farrell Agency.