CONTENTIOUS CAMPAIGNS. With the arrival of the new sunny seasons, we look through some of the most attention grabbing fashion campaigns that have been the talk of the town
Diesel
BORN THIS WAY Diesel’s fall/winter 2017 campaign, “Go With the Flaw,” was critically acclaimed for celebrating imperfection. In fact, it was awarded the Grand Prix prize in the Film Craft category at Eurobest, an annual event celebrating excellence in creative communications and advertising in Europe. This spring, Diesel launched another short movie directed, once again, by Francois Rousselet. Titled “Keep the World Flawed,” the movie tells the story of a boy (played by model Stefan Pieters) and girl (Valeriia Karaman) who meet and fall in love right after they both chose to get rid of their flaws. Through this campaign, Diesel presents what will happen when you don’t go with the flaw. Make sure to head over to the brand’s website (diesel.com) to see the complete video.
Bally
IN RETROSPECT Bally looks to the late ’70s and early ’80s for its spring/summer 2018 collection. Accordingly, the campaign for the collection follows the aura and mood of those decades. The brand appointed Marc Andre Turgeon to front the men’s campaign, while acclaimed American photographer Colin Dodgson was enlisted to capture it. Anybody familiar with Dodgson’s previous works will surely notice the retro-chic feel of his images, from the grainy textures to the sepia tones that are so much in tune Bally’s spring offerings.
Coach
TOP OF THE WORLD For its Spring/Summer 2018 campaign, Coach takes to the balconies of New York to capture the city’s toughness and tenderness. The campaign was shot by Steven Meisel and saw model Kohei Takabatake (pictured) and Honza Stiborek sporting bags and ready-towear clothes embellished with Keith Haring’s illustrations and bold graphics, which is the heart of Coach’s spring collection. A short film featuring outtakes from the shoot was also released simultaneously at the brand’s website (coach.com).
Calvin Klein
NEW AMERICANA after launching a series of Jeans and Underwear campaigns with various models and Hollywood hotshots, Calvin Klein 205W39NYC— that is to say Raf Simons’ Calvin Klein— releases its spring/summer 2018 campaign with a focus on its Americana-inspired design. The brand enlisted Willy Vanderperre to capture the campaign’s imagery, which starred more than 20 models—including Jonas Glöer, Ben Allen, Jared Manhardt and many more—in a weathered barn. Similar to the brand’s runway show, this season’s campaign was meant to evoke the juxtaposition of American horror with the American dream. “They are both a part of life,” says Simons. “This collection is a celebration of that: a celebration of American life.”
Paul Smith
UNDER THE SEA Along with its spring/summer 2018 collection, Paul Smith’s ad campaign spotlights a lot of aquatic references, from seascapes to the beaches that serve as the backdrops for the images. This campaign also marks a considerable change from the brand’s usual colorful setting, as Paul Smith decided to use partially black-and-white photos infused with neon accents to highlight the key pieces of the collection. Talent-wise, the brand enlisted Polish model Ben Allen to star in the campaign.
Pepe Jeans
EXPRESS YOURSELF Spanish denim brand Pepe Jeans turned to football player turned model Pepe Barosso to star in its spring/summer 2018 campaign. Channeling a freespirited atmosphere, the campaign celebrates art, creativity and identity. “Style influencers of today morph into the art crowd; their identities—inspired by unconfined borders and enhanced by culture and creativity—look to the past to seek the new,” the brand stated. Lensed by Emma Summerton, Barosso is seen wearing paint-splattered and distressed denim, together with Stella Maxwell, who starred in the brand’s womenswear campaign.
Tom Ford
WILD NIGHT Former DAMAN cover model Adam Senn was appointed to front Tom Ford’s spring/summer 2018 campaign, joining other models such Fernando Cabral, Joan Smalls, Karen Elson and more. Lensed by American photographer Steven Klein, the images features various day and night settings, including a swimming pool and a vintage car. Senn is seen rocking pieces from Tom Ford’s collection that mixes precise tailoring and laid-back sportswear.
Suit Supply
LOVE WINS Dutch tailoring brand Suitsupply caused quite a stir with its spring/summer 2018 campaign. Titled “Find Your Perfect Fit,” the campaign features a range of risqué imagery including two men kissing. The campaign received a lot of negative backlash when it launched—so much so that Suitsupply lost 12,000 followers on Instagram. On the flip side, many people lauded the campaign for celebrating pride and love. “The attraction between people is an important part of fashion advertising,” said CEO Fokke de Jong. “A campaign featuring the attraction between men was long overdue and particularly relevant for our brand.” The campaign was lensed by Dutch photographer Carli Hermès, and starred models Matthew Steel and Romulo Souza.
Emporio Armani
TO EACH HIS OWN Emporio Armani takes quite an unusual route for its spring/summer 2018 campaign. Instead of using models, the brand enlisted a number of non-models from different ages, backgrounds and occupations. With the tagline “everyone has a different story, everyone wears Emporio Armani,” the campaign is meant to express individualism and one’s unique personality and attitude. This idea is further elevated through a playfully ironic statement that captures the essence of each character. These statement includes phrases like: “Paints nudes that look like landscapes. Doesn’t own a smartphone,” “Gives tourists wrong directions. Feels bad about it later” and “Takes over his father’s business. Not his father’s wardrobe.”
Salvatore Ferragamo
EASY ELEGANCE Salvatore Ferragamo sets up a clean slate for its spring/summer 2018 campaign. Following the colorful and playful campaign it launched last fall, the brand shot this spring’s campaign in black and white. Fashion photographer Karim Sadli was enlisted to capture top model Luc-Defont Saviard in a series of product and close-up shots. Saviard was photographed amidst interiors filled with the works of Italian master artists, which, in turn, represent the natural context of Ferragamo’s spring/summer 2018 collection.
Louis Vuitton
TROPICAL GETAWAY Hawaiian prints are undoubtedly the key trend for this spring and summer. Unsurprisingly, Louis Vuitton is going all out in this direction, as showcased through its spring/summer 2018 campaign. Shot by American photographer Steven Meisel, the campaign show models Noah Luis Brown, Oliver Houlby and Sakua Kambong posing amid a tropical setting. They were seen wearing statement pieces from Kim Jones’ second-to-last collection for the brand like the blue sports-inspired backpack with webbing and scuba zips. There’s also a Louis Vuitton mini Malibu surfboard in the back, which, by the way, is available for purchase.
Lanvin
A PLAY ON SYMMETRY Just like what it did last fall, Lanvin keeps it sleek and clean for the brand’s spring/summer 2018 campaign. The campaign was captured once again by American photographer Collier Schoor and features only a stark white background as the setting. Talent-wise, the campaign feature models Joachim Larrieu and Jose Luis Lucero, sporting pieces from Lucas Ossendrijver’s summer 2018 collection that blends sportswear with workwear and tailored pieces. These include beige shorts with an elastic waistband, a violet double-buttoned cardigan and a rust-colored asymmetrical twisted sweater, all of which are prominently shown in the campaign imagery.
Fendi
CASUAL FRIDAY Silvia Venturini Fendi blends the casual and corporate worlds for Fendi Men’s spring/summer 2018 collection. To show exactly what this means, the brand released a 50-second video campaign starring model Dylan Fender as the protagonist. The video, which shows Fender playfully shifting from a mundane office space to a surreal work desk at the beach, was meant to embody “a joyous Friday feeling with a twist of executive realness.” The campaign was shot in Gaeta, Italy, about 150km away from Fendi’s headquarters at Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in Rome.
Giuseppe Zanotti
SLEEK SUMMER Giuseppe Zanotti appointed Kit Butler to front its spring/summer 2018 ad campaign, opposite to Bella Hadid, who reprised her role as the star of the brand’s womens campaign. Lensed for the first time by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, popularly known as Mert and Marcus, the campaign channels a ’90s sensibility. “This campaign really represents the authentic energy of the brand—modern, sensual, powerful,” says Giuseppe Zanotti. Butler can be seen sporting a dapper all-black outfit, while wearing statement shoes from Giuseppe Zanotti’s summer collection, including a loafer adorned with mirrored crystals.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
