From the sci-fi fantasyland of Louis Vuitton to the glam squad of Versace, we bring to you our favourite ad campaigns from spring/summer 16.
By Aishwarya Tyagi
Versace
Donatella Versace, against her maximalist glam instincts, hosted a laidback California-cool spring/summer 16 show last September, in an industrial space instead of the Palazzo in Milan. So it was only fitting for her to feature the coolest models on the block Gigi Hadid, Natasha Poly and Raquel Zimmerman in a poised, yet posh campaign set against the backdrop of salt mines on the west coast of the US.
Versace's Spring 2016 Campaign | Models: Gigi Hadid, Raquel Zimmermann, Natasha Poly, Lukasz Grabowski | Photographer: Steven Klein | Stylist: Jacob Kjeldgaard | Location: California^
Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld's vision for the spring/summer campaign translates his definition of 'city western' with an urban touch to the luxury brand's classic aesthetic. Lineisy Montero and Mica Arganarez feature in this campaign, walking hand-in-hand through the streets of Brooklyn, sporting Chanel's travel inspired collection in an array of PVC boot shoes, suitcases, sneakers and bright separates.
Chanel's Spring 2016 campaign | Models: Mica Arganaraz & Lineisy Montero | Photographer: Karl Lagerfeld ^
Louis Vuitton
Possibly the most social media friendly ad campaign to surface this season was Louis Vuitton's 'Series 4' captured by photographers Bruce Weber and Jurgen Teller. The French luxury brand took the world by surprise when, with the help of Japanese video game and manga creator, Square Enix, the first edition of the campaign featured Lightning - a videogame character from the Final Fantasy series - posing with one of the coveted handbags. Nicolas Ghesquière's vision of merging reality and fantasy, and bringing futuristic inspiration for the spring collection, is a nod to the influence of anime, space, the digital world and a clever strategy to connect with a wider target audience.
Givenchy
Givenchy’s latest campaign, shot in Pier 26 in Manhattan, in the shadow of where the Twin Towers once stood, stars 27 of the biggest names in the modelling industry. Riccardo Tisci's handwritten poem at the bottom of each image reads: "I am a child on the river and love waits downstream, a waterfall to steal my breath and change my mind”, beautifully translating Givenchy’s heartwarming theme of the spring/summer 16 collection directed by Marina Abramoviç during the brand's debut at New York Fashion Week.
Givenchy's Spring 2016 Campaign | Model: Various | Location: New York | Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott | Stylist: Riccardo Tisci^
Prada
Miuccia Prada’s new muses, supermodel Natalia Vodianova and 17-year-old Dutch newcomer Yasmin Wijnaldum, are the faces of Prada’s romantic spring/summer 16 campaign along with the brand's veteran Sasha Pivovarova. The images captured by Steven Meisel bring out a romantic Seventies feel with the brand’s signature stripy patents, checked tweeds, stripy patents and skirt suits and dazzling accessories.
Prada's Spring 2016 campaign | Model: Natalia Vodianova, Sasha Pivovarova, Yasmin Wijnaldum | Photographer: Steven Meisel^
Gucci
British photographer Glen Luchford encapsulates Alessandro Michele's aesthetic of peacocking, quite literally, in the latest ad campaign for Gucci's spring/summer 16 collection. The images show a group of young faces including Polina Oganicheva, Peyton Knight, Elizabeth Moore and Jacob Hugo Goldhoorn out and about in burgeoning Berlin. The city plays a part of the mysterious and fantastical story with its urban landscape in contrast with the romantic floral and lurex fabrics of the collection.
