BENETTON - IT'S MY TIME

Have you been following Benetton's It's My Time? If not, let me fill you in quickly - it was a global casting competition to find the next face(s) of Benetton. 65,000 people entered by uploading a page about themselves (including photos, video and a few words) for all to see, vote for and leave comments. It was totally engaging and I for one whiled away many hours trawling through one fantastic entrant after another.

Eventually, one hundred people were selected and then whittled down to twenty final winners who were flown to New York and shot by photographer Josh Olins (but let's not forget the party at The Standard's 18th floor bar - Boom Boom - first...)

I am proud to say I was (and still am) part of the editorial team contributing to the website (www.casting.benetton.com) and was also privileged enough to be invited to the actual campaign photo shoot to take behind-the-scenes shots. (If you go to the Benetton website you'll even catch a few pictures of me - I'm the one with a camera constantly in my hand....)

While I was there I also caught up with Benetton's Product Director, Vincenzo Scognamiglio, who perfectly summed up the thought process behind It's My Time by explaining that it was simply a new way of presenting the Benetton brand. "Blogging is a new way of communicating", he told me, "and this is a moment of life, nothing pretentious, just a new spirit".

As a photographer/stylist with a blog, it's really encouraging when a fashion giant like Benetton embrace a new medium like blogging, especially when they invite you to New York and look after you so well when a volcano takes over! Thank you Benetton! (I was meant to be there for two days but ended up being stranded on 'volcation' for ten days...)

Here are a few of my favourites shots, I hope you like them, for more check in regularly on the official site:

www.casting.benetton.com

**all photos by jackie dixon**