The Best New Campaigns For Summer

Gucci

“I decided to let the clothes travel towards the houses of the cast of models – the characters that have embodied my stories for years; individuals I chose precisely, over time, for their uniqueness that usually brings my campaigns to life,” said creative director Alessandro Michele of Gucci’s latest campaign, which saw his eclectic cast of models photograph themselves in the A/W20 collection at home. The portraits, Michele hoped, would give an insight into their daily rituals; in the resulting images, activities spanned knitting, sunbathing, running on a treadmill, or appearing alongside a pet. “I asked them to represent the idea they have of themselves, to go public with it, shaping the poetry that accompanies them,” Michele said. “I encouraged them to play, improvising with their life.”

Raf Simons

Last month, Raf Simons revealed a befittingly otherworldly campaign for his Autumn/Winter 2020 collection, which – presented in Paris at the start of this year – saw the feted Belgian designer look to outer space and sci-fi fantasies for inspiration. Also not of this planet is the accompanying campaign, which sees long-time collaborators Willy Vanderperre and Olivier Rizzo capture models wearing the collection’s elegantly futuristic pieces, as they wade through acid-hued fields while pink skies swirl overhead.

Prada

For its A/W20 campaign – which is not in fact a campaign, but an auction – Prada has partnered with Sotheby’s. Tools of Memory will be an auction of pieces from the Prada A/W20 collection – “fashion items, alongside photographic prints, show invitations, pieces drawn from the runway décor,” according to the house – staged in October of this year, with proceeds going to UNESCO educational projects. As such, the campaign imagery brings together runway and backstage photography and the layouts of a traditional auction catalogue, hinting at what’s to come later this year.

JW Anderson

Alongside the model and musician Toni Smith, photographer Tyler Mitchell both shot and stars in JW Anderson’s A/W20 campaign. The pair appear on a children’s roundabout in the A/W20 collection, which designer Jonathan Anderson described as about “taking up space”. “The imagery intends to bring a fun, young and carefree spirit, aligning perfectly with JW Anderson’s playful aesthetic and Mitchell’s signature style,” read the label’s accompanying notes.

Valentino

Titled #ValentinoEmpathy, creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli said that Valentino’s latest campaign was “the result of the experience of all living in a new world during this period of social distancing”. Encompassing a vast cast of collaborators – from models Adut Akech, Leon Dame, and Liu Wen, to actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Laura Dern, and writer Janet Mock – each participant was photographed at home by a loved one, whether a family member, friend, or partner. In lieu of the usual fees for such an appearance, a donation will be made on their behalf by Valentino to the Italian Lazzaro Spallanzani hospital in Rome, the country’s hub for treatment of Covid-19.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton’s A/W20 campaign sees the maison’s artistic director for womenswear Nicolas Ghesquière step behind the camera for a series of portraits of his current muses – “close friends whose personalities inspire him, kindred spirits, and favourite faces”. These span models, athletes, actresses and artists, including Léa Seydoux, Marina Foïs, Noémie Merlant, Akon Changkou, Stacy Martin, Dina Asher-Smith, Lous and the Yakuza and Sora Choi. “I thought it would be interesting to extend my work to photography, to follow through to the end of the creative process and give the collection its final punctuation,” Ghesquière said of the project. “In this portrait gallery, everyone is there for my own personal reasons, and I liked discovering new connections with people I knew already. I also wanted to bring unity to different aspects of the house, a circular vision of what happens here.”

Jil Sander

For their A/W20 campaign, Lucie and Luke Meier – who together helm Jil Sander – called upon a group of their closest collaborators: six image-makers, including Anders Edström, Olivier Kervern, Stephen Kidd, Chris Rhodes, Lina Scheynius, and Mario Sorrenti, tasking them “to frame the space that flows among them, aesthetically and personally”. “It is a declaration of real trust and of a genuine desire to share,” says the couple in a joint statement. “The result perfectly captures our intentions and the honesty of each individual’s commitment and work.”

Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood 

Andreas Kronthaler and Vivienne Westwood really are one of the most extraordinary duos in fashion. Joined at the hip in their personal and professional lives for almost 30 years, the pair’s A/W20 campaign sees Westwood – who is pictured modelling the latest Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood designs – by Kronthaler himself. Created during lockdown, the images are a testament to what can be achieved in isolation – and to the couple’s incredible creativity.

Miu Miu

Photography by Gigi Hadid, Nikolai von Bismarck, Steve Mackey, Amber Pinkerton and Douglas Irvine features in Miu Miu’s A/W20 campaign, which is entitled Close and described by the house as “a collection of visual studies on the theme of proximity”. Each image-maker has captured a different subject – from models at the Miu Miu A/W20 show (Hadid) and young Londoners post-quarantine (Pinkerton) to Lila Moss at home (Von Bismarck) and Kasper Kapica in a London park (Mackey) – and the resulting photographs have been collaged and paired with illustrations by Anthony Turner, Luella Bartley, Silvia Prada and Chantal Stracey.

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen’s dreamy Autumn/Winter 2020 campaign sees acclaimed photographer Jamie Hawkesworth capture models Anok Yai, Sora Choi and Jill Kortleve against the backdrop of sun-soaked fields and industrial skylines. Like Sarah Burton’s romantic collection – which paid ode to the artistic heritage of Wales – Hawkesworth’s beautiful images capture a balance of soft femininity and strong, warrior-like strength. “The collection is a love letter to women and to families, colleagues and friends,” said Burton of the collection back in February. “We went to Wales and were inspired by the warmth of its artistic and poetic heritage, by its folklore and the soul of its craft.”