Japanese photographer/director Karina Taira was born in San Francisco and grew up in the US, yet remained close to her Japanese roots and family, several of whom provided her with key creative influences.

Karina’s relationship with photography started early. By the age of six, she was taking pictures of her friends and putting together fashion shoots. By fifteen, she got more serious about fashion photography and, while studying in Paris and London, and ultimately at Stanford University, she carried on photographing fine art projects.

By nineteen, Karina was working professionally as a photographer, while studying at the renowned Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Having taken a year off to work freelance in Tokyo, first as an assistant then as a photographer, she had a full portfolio and started working in Los Angeles and New York, while completing her degree.

After graduating and moving to New York, Karina quickly began working for major magazines, agencies, and clients. Her award-winning Diesel fragrance campaign helped launch her career in beauty and fashion, and propelled her on to shoot for a number of cosmetics and luxury goods clients like Dior and Bill Blass, Guerlain and L’Oréal, amongst others.

Karina’s work had a very French aesthetic to it and Paris became her hub early on. Her work also brought her to London, Tokyo and Milan where she shot major editorials for Vogue, XS, i-D and Life magazine.

When she decided to venture into directing, Karina self-produced her first spec commercial which, coupled with her already strong photographic portfolio, quickly won her jobs: two years later, she had two commercials short-listed in the perfume category in Cannes.

Since then, she has directed dozens of memorable ads, not only for beauty and cosmetic clients (Boucheron, Cerruti, Cover Girl, Lux, Nivea, Cacharel etc.), but also sensuous spots for Nestlé, even expanding into car advertising (Alfa Romeo, Toyota).

Today Karina divides her ti