As we look ahead to the new season, it’s time to turn to the new SS23 fashion campaigns for sartorial inspiration. Whether it’s Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Renaissance-inspired portraits at Dior, Kaia Gerber emulating her mother for Alaïa or Sharna Osborne’s lo-fi photographs for Christopher Kane, this season’s fashion imagery has us more excited than ever to embrace spring. Here, we’ve rounded up the most captivating new fashion campaigns for the season ahead.
New SS23 Fashion Campaigns
Dior
For her latest womenswear collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri drew inspiration from Catherine de Medici’s feminine power – so it seems only fitting that the resulting SS23 fashion campaign should feature many of the same influences. For it, the French maison commissioned Brigitte Niedermair to produce a series of stylised shots that reference the Renaissance portraits of the fashion-loving French queen. Shot against a simple green background, the pieces featured hark back to a bygone era, with crinoline skirts, embroidered capes and lace corsets given a bold new update.
Christopher Kane
Following on from the viral hit of the designer’s More Joy line, Christopher Kane turned to rather more visceral subject matter for his SS23 collection. Kane has long maintained an interest in biological anatomy, a fascination that’s reflected in his latest collection, which feature striking prints of muscular and skeletal diagrams. In the accompanying campaign, Sharna Osborne’s lo-fi photography captures the range in all its surreal beauty, featuring the models against flat pastel backgrounds overlaid with cut-outs from anatomical textbooks. Osborne has collaborated with Kane in the past, and this latest campaign is further proof that the pair make a dynamic duo.
Alaïa
Long-time fans of Alaïa may well do a double take when they see the brand’s latest campaign – the shots feature Kaia Gerber bearing a striking resemblance to her mother Cindy Crawford, who herself was a muse for the maison in the late 80s. Photographed by Tyrone Lebon at Ruby Sterling’s studio in south Los Angeles, Gerber exudes Old Hollywood glamour in a series of slinky, figure-hugging maxi dresses, shown alongside new versions of the label’s LeBabel and Le Papa bags. “Kaia fascinates me because she never stops evolving”, Creative Director Pieter Mulier said in a statement. “She embodies beauty but also intelligence, movement, and empowerment.”
Acne Studios
The fashion world’s obsession with all things 90s shows no signs of abating, if the latest SS23 fashion campaign from Acne Studios is anything to go by. The Scandi label has cast cult Y2K model Devon Aoki as the face of their new collection, whose offbeat style saw her capture the imagination of Karl Lagerfeld, Nick Knight and Steven Meisel back in the late 90s and early Noughties. For Acne, Dutch visual artist Carlijn Jacobs has captured Aoki in a series of slinky silk gowns and gingham prints, shot against a backdrop of pink satin sheets. Bringing her trademark aura of mystery, it’s a nostalgic nod to the enigmatic model’s heyday.
Loewe
Loewe’s fashion campaigns are always a talking point. While the brand’s menswear campaign features actors Josh O’Connor and Stéphane Bak in a series of intimate poses, their womenswear visuals focus around their new global ambassador, Bones and All star Taylor Russell. Shot by David Sims, the images explore the concept of using body language as a way to promote products. Featuring a theatrical set complete with eclectic props, Russell contorts herself into a series of weird and wonderful poses, all the better to display the brand’s Nappa leather Paseo Bag, soft Goya Puffer Bag and pixelated jumper.
Stella McCartney
In her latest SS23 fashion campaign, Stella McCartney is calling on the next generation of changemakers, asking them to raise their voices on behalf of our fellow creatures and Mother Earth. Starring emerging actor and animal lover Madelyn Cline and shot at The Gentle Barn animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, California, the images see Cline posing alongside sheep, chickens and rabbits in a bid to reinforce the message that all creatures should be loved, regardless of age or species. The campaign was inspired by ‘Change the History’, an activist slogan by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, whose iconic illustrations and punk social statements feature in the collection. The images show a range of McCartney’s innovative vegan accessories and ready-to-wear offerings, which were crafted using 91% responsible materials.
Gucci
Following on from their twin-tastic catwalk show last September, Alessandro Michele focuses on the same exploration of duality vs individuality with his ‘Twinsburg’ campaign. With Art Direction from Christopher Simmonds and photography courtesy of Joanna Piotrowska, Michele uses several sets of identical twins to showcase his new collection, which is set to be his last for the Italian fashion house. Mirror image models lounge around in Gremlins-emblazoned sweatshirts and gold lamé tops, while two sets of hands showcase bags and shoes like the classic Gucci loafers, updated with a heart-shaped toe. It feels like a suitably trippy and intriguing way for the legendary designer to say arrivederci to the House of Gucci.
Fendi
The turn of the millennium forms the basis of yet another SS23 fashion campaign, this time for Kim Jones at Fendi. Paying tribute to the brand’s origins, Jones draws from Karl Lagerfeld’s work from 1996-2002 for inspiration, fusing minimalist style with touches of pop-infused eclecticism. Soft neutrals and muted greys are interspersed with vibrant neon green and hot pink accessories, while the collection also features the maison’s iconic logo, which was first introduced in 2000. Shot by Craig McDean and featuring a selection of models in sports-luxe looks, it’s a nod to pre-Noughties culture that feels nostalgic and thoroughly modern at the same time.
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton’s playful SS23 fashion campaign explores a new balance in scale, where the gargantuan and the miniscule come together to form one silhouette. Here, many of the French maison’s signature details have taken on macro proportions – tiny bags are embellished with oversized ‘LV’ logo hardware, zippers, snaps and belt buckles take on disproportionate dimensions, and the folds of a kilt are enlarged to become flat pleated dresses. Nicolas Ghesquière also incorporates embroidery that simulates a macro tweed, created using a 3D scanner and blowing up each image to highlight every single thread. Shot by David Sims, the resulting campaign has an Alice in Wonderland-esque aesthetic, with Louis Vuitton’s ancestral Asnières home reinterpreted into a miniature version that becomes a vanity case.
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, American actor Sadie Sink, French actor Pom Klementieff and French singer-songwriter Yseult. Shot in London by Grammy-award winning Swedish film director Jonas Åkerlund, each of the women is seen posing against a striking urban backdrop, from the concrete interior of an underground carpark to the instantly recognisable dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. The fashion house says the collection is all about “searching for humanity and human connection”, something that can be keenly felt in the haunting video that accompanies the campaign.
Self-Portrait
Following on from the success of their AW22 collaboration, London-based label Self-Portrait has teamed up with Gigi Hadid once again to front their latest campaign. Shot by Tyrone Lebon, the model is seen in a series of relaxed shots on the streets of New York, posing against an iconic yellow taxi and a retro-looking car. The pieces she wears call to mind hot, sun-soaked days in the Big Apple, from a gold chain mesh dress to a hot pink tweed crop top. “For this new season’s campaign, we wanted to give the collection a rawness and sensuality,” said Founder and Creative Director Han Chong. “The result is honest, natural, feminine and magical.”
