Production Paradise proudly presents the first issue of Showcase Paris to coincide with the launch of our new Paris directory.

The French capital is a superb city for filming and shooting: world-famous locations, great style and an extensive choice of high-quality visual media companies, the best of which are in our new Paris directory at www.productionparadise.com.

For your diary:

• The Trash exhibition - at La Maison Européenne de la Photographie until 03 June - Bruno Mouron and Pascal Rostain went scouting for celebrity garbage...
• Vogue en Beauté - from 12 June to 02 September at BNFParis, features fashion photography from 1920-2007
• The Puces du Design flea market, at Quai de la Loire, 1-3 June - antiques, fashion, vintage and accessories from the 40s, 60s and 80s

Our cover was shot by Javier Vallhonrat [Michele Filomeno] for Vogue UK.

Yves Lavallette - born in Nevers, France in 1960 - had his first pictures published at the age of 16, after which he worked with fashion magazines in France and abroad including Harper's Bazaar, L'Officiel, Max, Pictured, Jalouse and Elle.

Yves works as an artistic director 'from concept to final product' for clients that include Thierry Mugler, Cop-Copine, Orange, Luisa Maria Lugli, Max Chaoul, Nora Attalai, Odile Lançon, Poles, Bruno Saint Hilaire and Rizal.

His news is that he just completed work on Thierry Mugler's latest worldwide campaign. He also has a new agent in Germany - Célina Stromeyer Fotografenservice in Munich.

'A love of fashion, a passion for images and a taste for the spectacular!' - these, says Christophe Durand, are the keys to describing him and his work.

He has mastered the art of juggling a multitude of roles. As a true chameleon, he can combine the role of hair stylist and make-up artist with that of fashion editor and can move seamlessly to art director for a cosmetic brand, or event organizer.

As art director and marketing adviser, his international client list includes Sony, Ebel, Bourjoirs, Barclay as well as publications like GQ, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Profil Femme and Les Temps.

Catwalk show organisation includes Thierry Mugler, Paul Smith, Christian Dior, Paco Rabanne, Ford Super Model, Sotheby's and H&M.

People: Jane Hitchcock, Kathleen Chaplin, Maggie Cheung, Natasha Vojnovic, Jacob Hlasek, Ronaldo, Adriana Karembeu, Linda Hardy, Eva Herzigova, Maria Shaparova and Gong LI.

Tony Kim's photographs are a reflection of his cultural diversity, and he tells us, 'I seek to apply a Zen-like balance to the essential elements - light, form, scale, and composition - while at the same time bringing an understanding of Western culture and styling to my work'.

The result is uncluttered images that are crafted in every detail while still maintaining the modern look and feel of today.

Tony has contributed to publications such as Allure, W magazine, GQ, Surface, Upstreet, Gloss, Jane, Vogue Australia. And his advertising clients include Bergdorf Goodman, Theory, Neiman Marcus, Paper Denim, Shiseido, Redkin and Lee Jeans.

He has photographed numerous celebrities including Janet Jackson for Jaguar, Heidi Klum for W, Cyndi Lauper for In Style, Nelly for Complex magazine and Chloe Sevigny for Deutsch.

French stylist, Corinne Lucquiaud says that she has always loved fashion and art.

She started out in the fashion world in New York and continued her work as a stylist when she returned to Paris. She was a milliner for Chanel, Lagerfeld, Alaïa, Mugler, Valentino, Ungaro, Jean-Paul Goude... and then moved to South Africa for a while before returning to be a stylist for personalities, designers and fashion companies.

Now working globally, Corinne is based between Paris and Lisbon, and has recently been in a close collaboration with Giambattista Valli as well as styling for magazines such as Which, Spoon, DS and Soon.

Kong restaurant, at Kenzo's headquarters facing Pont Neuf, is described as 'the fight between the Moderns and the Classics' - the classic of a geisha against the modern kawaï from Omotesando.

Here is a list of features as eclectic as the restaurant itself: The most beautiful view of Paris; A new Starck story; Gold sofas; A field of orchids; A Louis XV DJ; A very 'Zen' pebble rug; One-arm chairs; A dishevelled geisha; Punk walls; Beatrice Ardisson; An elegant Parisian; A sumo lavatory attendant; A racoon.

This unexpected atomic cocktail is the essence of Kong, a new place full of surprises.

Situated in the heart of the XVIII arrondissement, close to Montmartre, KUBE is tucked away in a quiet street, sheltered from the city's crowds.

Its historic façade hides what is described as 'an innovative and high tech universe': 41 rooms and suites, THE ICE KUBE (the city's first ice bar). There is a lounge bar, two state-of-the-art screening rooms and a gym.

Harmonious loft-like spaces spread around an open-air courtyard, reflecting its contemporary surroundings and fashionable atmosphere.

Orange Films is a film production and service company headquartered in Paris, and with an office in New York.

Since it was set up more than 10 years ago, Orange Films has been offering the whole range of production facilities in commercial, TV and feature film production, corporate and print.

Flora Maffi comes from the world of advertising, where she was an art director with a love and passion for photography that have have helped her greatly as a photographers' agent.

Her work on car accounts across Europe also explains why she has many car photographers on her roster.

She tells us that she loves to discover new talents as much now as when she was an AD, saying 'I talk to the heart of the art directors of the world, and offer my expertise and foresight as a complement'.

Her most recent work was for Nissan Europe (E-Graphics) and Renault France (Publicis).