Sandra‘s Closet

Continuing the theme of ‘portraits for successful living’, Diesel’s Screen Test F/W 2012 ad campaign puts fashion and strong personalities together to create a set of highly stylised performances to camera.

Iconic fashion photographer Steven Meisel creates the series of modern Screen Tests, featuring some of the most exciting contemporary models – Karen Elson, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Jamie Bochart, Fei Fei Sun, Coco Rocha, Mirte Maas, Sid Ellisdon, Ethan James, Yuri Pleskun, Sallieu Jalloh and Dae Na – inviting each character to enter his frame and role-play to the camera.

Each subject is engaged in a creative, playful act, expressing their individuality with confidence and attitude; props swiped from a dressing up box provide the riff for each invented persona. On digital screens the incorporation of animated cinemagraphs allows each image to come alive with the slightest movement.

In an irreverent grid layout, the characters become inadvertently connected and we see an accidental social network develop. A mix of styles and identities play against each other to create a singular, defiant, ‘Diesel attitude’.

In a global age of instant communication, Diesel presents a campaign beyond genre conventions. Taking cues from sophisticated high fashion as well as street style, the campaign mixes codes and references without fear or rules.

It is this ‘anything goes’ attitude to fashion that underpins this provocative and playful campaign, which will come to life in F/W 2012 with a 360° media approach, which will include print and online implementations, and a strong approach on social networks.

I like and you?

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Diesel

The new Roberto Cavalli advertising campaign for S/S 2012 revolves around the iconic beauty of 4 excellent top models: Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, Kristen McMenamy and Daphne Groeneveld are the Florentine designer’s muses, as he chose to represent the collection through women who embody the standards of a modern appeal.

Steven Meisel shot the photos that are reminiscent of the Versace campaigns in the ’90s. The Cavalli S/S 2012 collection is very glamourous and opulent. Those beaded embellished dresses in daring gold will surely be seen on the red carpets of the season.

In this image, you see Naomi Campbell with the Florence bag, which is considered to be the new ‘It’ bag of the Maison.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Roberto Cavalli

Have a look at Lanvin’s F/W 2011 ad campaign photographed by Steven Meisel which is for me one of the best ones ever. The humourous take of the must-see video (at the end of this post) is just sensational, Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmermann are dancing like there is no tomorrow. My favourite part is Alber Elbaz, Creative Director of the French house, joining in the fun in the end. Pure goofiness! And the clothes are divine…

I love the Lanvin rose print, especially if there is only one flower on the dress like in the ad campaign. Dress (with one rose), Dress (with all over print), Medium Happy Bag, Pumps, Gloves and Hat, all by Lanvin. To shop the look, just click on the highlighted text.

Now, please enjoy the video…

LoL, Sandra

It is August and the majority of fall campaigns can be seen now in the new fashion magazines, ads just keep coming out of the woodwork and so I wanted to give you a brief summary of the most important ones and by whom they were shot.
It is funny to see that this world in particular is pretty small and some photographers are ahead of the game.

My personal favourite is Bottega Veneta`s strong expressive F/W 2010 campaign. Shot by the godfather of energetic graphic photography himself: Robert Longo. The artist has became famous in the late 1970s and early 1980s with his series „Men in the Cities“ that depicts men and women in business attire contorted in extreme positions.

The winner this season seems to be renowned Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. The dream team that has defined the look of the past decade, shot the most campaigns. Enjoy my preview:

The American photographer and long-time protégé of both Franca Sozzani and Anna Wintour, editors-in-chief of Italian and American Vogue is also a big shot in the world of fashion photography. No wonder, Steven Meisel shot all those gorgeous campaigns.

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinood Matadin, a fashion photographer duo that is well known for their independent art work. Most of their photographs are both critical and slightly disturbing as you can see in the campaigns they shot for F/W 2010.

Italian-born Mario Sorrenti is a photographer and director best known for his spreads of nude models in the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino has shot many fashion stories and celebrities. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums.

Hermès has come up with another really beautiful advertising campaign shot by Paolo Roversi. I love his romantic, vintage looking photos that always seem to tell a story. To me, a perfect choice for the French house!

Bruce Weber is a well-known face in the world of advertising photography. His career really took of in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his famous advertising images for Calvin Klein.

Juergen Teller‘s work is extraordinary and with a distinctive design. His raw style makes him one of the most influential fashion photographers working today.

Multi-talent Karl Lagerfeld likes to keep everything in his own hands. So no wonder that he shoots the advertising campaigns for his own collections for Chanel and Fendi.

Steven Klein is an American photographer that shot many high-profile advertising campaigns for various clients. This season he was hired by Dolce & Gabbana to capture a close knit Italian family with Madonna as the matriarchal figure through his lens.
Great job!

LoL, Sandra