As summer segues into autumn and we prepare ourselves for the new season, it’s time to turn to the new AW23 fashion campaigns for some much-needed style inspiration. Whether it’s Renaissance masterpieces at Ferragamo, Kendall Jenner showcasing her equestrian showmanship for Stella McCartney or Naomi Campbell’s timeless display of strength for Alexander McQueen, this season’s fashion imagery has us more excited than ever to embrace crisp autumn days. Here, we’ve rounded up the most captivating new fashion campaigns for the season ahead.
New AW23 Fashion Campaigns
Ferragamo
For their AW23 fashion campaign, Ferragamo has drawn on its Italian heritage for inspiration, with the latest pieces shot against a backdrop of Renaissance masterpieces from the 15th and 16th centuries. Photographed by Tyler Mitchell, the campaign was created in collaboration with the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, where you’ll find all of the paintings featured in the shots – some of the highlights to look out for include Botticelli’s Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder and Giovanni Bellini’s Holy Allegory.
“The Renaissance is hardwired into Florence, and Florence is hardwired into Ferragamo,” said new creative director Maximilian Davis. “At this time of a new beginning at the house, it made perfect sense to reclaim the cradle of the Renaissance as our spiritual home, and to harness the deep, artistic spirit of this city to showcase the new collection.”
Alexander McQueen
Strength and femininity come together in Alexander McQueen’s latest campaign, which features an all-star cast that includes British supermodel Naomi Campbell (who appeared in the label’s SS23 campaign), American actor Elle Fanning and enigmatic star Eva Green. Shot by David Sims, the minimal images place the instantly recognisable women and elegant garments centre stage, making them the star of the show.
Campbell showcases two of the brand’s new silhouettes – a striking shimmering cutaway gown and a sleek black jumpsuit – while Fanning and Green both appear in sharply tailored suit, shirt and tie combos, offering up Sarah Burton’s ultimate take on power dressing.
Saint Laurent
For the storied maison’s latest campaign, Saint Laurent has drafted in some of the biggest names in the business, featuring the likes of Kate Moss, Hailey Bieber and Zoë Kravitz in the star-studded shots. Captured by renowned fashion photographer Gray Sorrenti, the pared-back images are strikingly simple, shot in black and white and featuring minimal styling, reinforcing the house’s timeless design codes. The visual narrative feels both bold and understated, with the models staring straight into the camera with the sort of idle insouciance that only the chicest of Parisians can pull off.
Moss appears in a one-shouldered gown, arresting in its plainness, while both Kravitz and Bieber are captured lounging on sofas, dressed in elegant black pieces, free from any embellishment or adornment save for a chunky bangle or two on their wrists and dramatically oversized earrings. It makes for a daring statement from Saint Laurent, one that emphasises the brand’s enduring sophistication and intrigue.
Loewe
Following on from the success of their last campaign featuring star-of-the-moment Taylor Russell – who’s currently appearing on-stage in Lucy Prebble’s hit new show The Effect at the National Theatre – Loewe has tapped the actor once again to front their AW23 shots. Captured by David Sims, Russell appears alongside fellow Loewe global ambassador Tang Wei in the otherworldly, almost surreal images, where the actors are seen posing against transparent plastic sheets.
It’s hardly surprising to see the Spanish house taking a more avant-garde approach to their imagery – under the creative direction of Jonathan Anderson, the label has established itself as one of the most exciting currently operating in the world of fashion, having brought us the fantastical anthurium as the viral flower of the season earlier in the year. This latest campaign further cements Anderson’s eclectic vision as a welcome breath of fresh air in the industry.
Bottega Veneta
To mark Matthieu Blazy’s third collection for the Italian fashion house, Bottega Veneta has made the city of Milan its focal point for its latest campaign. Blazy enlisted the help of several different photographers, including Louise & Maria Thornfeldt, Malick Bodian and Sander Muylaert, to capture a range of on-the-go shots in and around the Italian fashion capital. Top models including Mariacarla Boscono, Liu Wen and Lara Menezes are captured walking the city’s streets, waiting for elevators and hanging around at reception desks, adding a dose of run-of-the-mill reality to the high fashion pieces on show.
The campaign cleverly elevates the everyday, taking many of Milan’s more overlooked architectural spaces and shining a new light on them. With the collection focused around impeccably crafted daily wardrobe staples, it’s a fitting message that feels wholly on brand for the storied fashion house.
Gucci
As the fashion world eagerly awaits Sabato De Sarno’s first collection for Gucci at the upcoming Milan Fashion Week, the Italian fashion house’s latest AW23 campaign images give us some idea of what to expect from this new direction. Gone are the splashy celebrity-filled campaigns of old, replaced instead by something altogether more understated.
Photographed by David Sims and featuring models Vittoria Ceretti, Aboubakar Konte and Brando Erba, the pared-back images have been shot against Gucci’s signature green backdrop in Milan and explore a return to the brand’s roots. De Sarno has trawled through the house’s extensive archives to present modern riffs on old favourites, such as jewel-encrusted micro-bras and slinky knitwear. Accessories nod to the past too, with a revival of the Gucci Horsebit Chain bag in the form of an updated maxi version. As for De Sarno’s future look for the brand, only time will tell.
Burberry
Heritage house Burberry draws on its roots for its latest AW23 fashion campaign, using the rugged beauty of the British Isles as a captivating backdrop. Recently appointed creative director Daniel Lee collaborated with photographer Tyrone Lebon on the shots, which use Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and the spectacular Isle of Skye in Scotland as their sets.
With this campaign Lee looks set to re-ground the brand firmly in British soil, tapping home-grown stars including model Jean Campbell and Triangle of Sadness actor Harris Dickinson to appear. They’re photographed wrapped up against the wind in the brand’s iconic trench coats, argyle jumpers and thick check blankets, while newly introduced motifs include Lee’s quaint duck and rose prints, already destined to become a country classic.
Self-Portrait
For the third season in a row, London-based label Self-Portrait has tapped Gigi Hadid to front its campaign, proving the collaboration between the two is still going strong. Shot once again by Tyrone Lebon, while the last campaign was photographed on the streets of New York, for Autumn/Winter the brand has swapped to another iconic city, using Paris as the backdrop for their images. There Hadid is pictured posing on a Juliet balcony in a series of striking looks, from a Barbie-pink jacket, crop top and skirt set to a shimmering ice blue gown.
“Gigi represents everything the modern Self-Portrait woman stands for, she’s worldly, free spirited and joyful,” said Han Chong, Self-Portrait founder and creative director. “It felt only right that after working with Gigi in New York and London that we join her in Paris for our latest campaign shoot against a backdrop renowned for elegance and romance.”
Versace
This season, Versace is all about sharp tailoring, drafting in supermodels Gigi Hadid and Adut Akech to showcase their take on power dressing. Shot in both black and white and colour, the models appear in sleekly tailored suits, complete with exaggerated shoulders, in a series of poses designed to convey their strength and bold femininity – echoing the Italian fashion house’s blockbuster LA fashion show in March, where Hadid was joined on the runway by Kendall Jenner and Naomi Campbell.
“This campaign celebrates everything I love about Versace: the power, the tailoring, the attitude,” said Donatella Versace. “I love black and white images that really showcase the iconic silhouette of the season and the colour pictures that bring the collection to life in the heart of Milan. On set, I love that the models felt strong, empowered and fierce — exactly how you should feel when you wear Versace.”
Stella McCartney
For her AW23 fashion campaign, Stella McCartney has teamed up with Kendall Jenner to create a series of arresting images that showcase the pair’s shared lifelong love of horses. Shot by renowned photographer Harley Weir, the supermodel is captured among the famed white ponies of France’s Camargue Salt Flats, in one image draped across one naked (save for a pair of piebald over-the-knee boots) and pictured dancing with one in another. The campaign aims to celebrate the equestrian essence of the Autumn/Winter 2023 collection, following on from McCartney’s showcase in Paris earlier in the year which featured a live horse display.
“I knew this season’s Stella girl had to love horses as much as I do,” said McCartney. “Kendall has been riding since she was a kid, just like me, and has her own ranch; you can see how at ease she is around these sensitive creatures, and them with her. Capturing this connection brings Horse Power to life, both through the fashion and the vision.”
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs always knows how to grab attention – case in point, the designer’s latest AW23 fashion campaign, which features global superstar Kim Kardashian. Photographed by Tyrone Lebon and styled by Alastair McKimm, the star was drafted in to showcase the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2023 ready-to-wear and accessories collection, and is pictured reclining against giant metallic inflatable props wearing a series of corset bustiers, leather midi skirts and platform Kiki ankle boots (Kardashian is often called Kiki by her nieces and nephews).
It’s not the first time Kardashian has fronted a campaign; she’s posed for brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and Balenciaga, as well as her own label SKIMS. Jacobs, meanwhile, is known for casting surprising figures in his campaigns, having featured Pamela Anderson and M3gan, the doll in the past.
Prada
For Autumn/Winter, the Italian fashion house has adopted a somewhat unusual approach by creating a co-ed campaign, with both Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons joining forces to create a series of striking visuals starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Laetitia Wright, long-time Prada collaborator Hunter Schafer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Li Xian. Entitled “In Conversation With a Flower” and billed as an exploration of “beauty, care and love”, the campaign sees the stars pose next to giant, oversized blooms, meant to represent the universal emotions of humanity.
Stark in their simplicity and more than a little surreal, the images by photographer Willy Vanderperre are hauntingly evocative, as the actors attempt to converse with the human-sized botanicals, creating a dialogue that is both literal and visual.
Balenciaga
Isabelle Huppert proves that age is nothing but a number as she fronts the latest fashion campaign for Balenciaga, with the 70-year-old taking centre stage. She’s joined by a host of other recognisable names, including Italian model Vittoria Ceretti. Photographed by Tyler Mitchell at the fashion house’s iconic address in Paris, 10 Avenue George V, the shots feature backdrops in various states of disarray, with building materials piled on top of one another, dust sheets on the ground and discarded ladders, in a nod to the endless process of deconstruction and reconstruction that takes place in tailoring.
These ideas are echoed in the innovative pieces on show, where hems feature inverted waists and trousers are doubled, with legs layered over legs to create a sense of fluid movement. Gowns, meanwhile, feature crystal embellishments and lace embroidery. It’s a bold, forward-thinking approach that’s typical of the maison’s latest creative director Demna Gvasalia’s avant-garde vision.
Miu Miu
The Italian fashion house returned to some familiar faces in their latest AW23 fashion campaign, with regular muse Emma Corrin bringing her elfin charm to the shots once again, alongside fellow British actor Mia Goth and model and LGBTQ+ advocate Zaya Wade. Entitled “Miu Miu Live!” and described as a “place between real-time and time to come,”, the campaign was shot by LA-based photographer Zoë Ghertner – known for her strong portrayals of women – and aims to disrupt the familiar vision of femininity.
Tights are pulled up over shirts with the waistbands visible, polo necks are tucked into a pair of jewel-encrusted knickers and nothing else, and volumes are distorted to create a series of unconventional shots that transition from the abstract to the intimate.
Balmain
For the French fashion house’s latest collection, Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing proclaimed he wanted to “steer clear of the fireworks” so often associated with the brand, which is known for its fashion week spectacles. Instead, AW23 focuses on Balmain’s rich heritage and craftsmanship, a theme that continues in the brand’s minimal yet striking campaign imagery, which feature no props, no dream locations and no CGI.
Shot by Rafael Pavarotti, the stark visuals instead centre on precise Parisian tailoring and architectural volumes, to showcase a collection that builds directly on Pierre Balmain’s ‘New French Style.’ “The campaign’s brilliant tones, lustrous shine and stunning models perfectly illustrate today’s modern Balmain, which superbly melds together an impressive legacy, deeply rooted in couture’s traditions and craft, with the beauty of twenty-first century Paris,” says Rousteing.
Dior
Maria Grazia Chiuri is known for drawing from strong, historical female figures for her designs and campaigns – and her latest is no exception. For AW23, the legendary creative director has invoked the spirit of the 1950s, turning her lens towards the most influential women of that decade: Édith Piaf, Catherine Dior and Juliette Gréco. Shot by long-time collaborator Brigitte Niedermair, pieces from the latest collection come alive against a series of jewel-toned backdrops, with a simple set that lets the elegance of the designs do all the talking.
The campaign strikes the perfect balance between retro nostalgia and contemporary freshness, with full ‘50s-inspired skirts, houndstooth skirt suits and the iconic Bar jacket featured in the hourglass silhouette of the New Look updated with striking embellishment and new iterations of the Lady D-Joy bag. The result is a spellbinding fusion of the old and the new.
