A week ago, Racked.com released a list of 10 of the best fall fashion and beauty campaigns, covering major companies, from Dior to Tom Ford to MAC. This list is not definitive by any means, but Racked.com is certainly on to something; their collection of campaigns is versatile and seemingly very justified. So, we went through their list — which didn’t take very long — and took it upon ourselves to pick our favorites from their favorites. It’s kind of like we’re doing your gardening for you: We pull all the weeds, and you’re left with a beautiful set of roses. Of course, you should probably check out the full list anyway. After all, it’s impossible to create a completely objective collection, so a lot of this has to do with personal taste. But now we’re just wasting time. Let’s get to the campaigns:
1. Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen’s shoot was the favorite of Racked.com, and we understand why: It’s probably the most visually stunning of all the campaigns (although Givenchy could probably give it a run for its money, but we’ll get to that). The shots are black and white to the fullest extent. That is, the contrast is so incredible it rids the photographs of any grey areas and immediately draws the focus to the subject (which, by the way, is Edie Campbell dressed in 16th-century, regal garb). We have David Sims to thank for these epic shots.
2. Givenchy
While we love the Alexander McQueen campaign — he undoubtedly deserves a spot in our top five — we have to pick the Givenchy campaign as our favorite. Perhaps we’re just fans of simplicity, but the basic, beautiful portraits — shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott — are captivating without being too aggressive. The shoot was styled by Carine Roitfield, who used to be the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, and includes photos of Roitfield and her daughter. It seems as though beauty runs in the family.
3. Balengiaca
In the Alexander McQueen and Givenchy campaigns, much of our focus is drawn to the model’s face, which is natural for fashion shoots. But Steven Klein, the photographer for the Balengiaca campaign, decided to take an entirely different route. In order to fully expose Alexander Wang’s first collection for Balengiaca, Klein decided to remove the head of the model, Kristen McMenamy, from the photograph. It is a risky move: Much of a fashion campaign success hinges on the models they choose to employ. Nonetheless, he pulls it off beautifully.
4. MAC
MAC, on the other hand, must use its campaign to draw attention the very attribute that Klein sought to ignore: the face. That being said, the models for MAC campaigns are extremely important. This time, they clearly strove to prove that age and beauty have a positive linear relationship, using Marisa Berenson, Pat Cleveland, and Jerry Hall. In the case of these stunning women, they’re just getting more breathtaking as they grow older. Hey, more power to them. The ad itself is based off the of illustrations by Antonio Lopez, the Puerto Rican fashion illustrator.
5. Mulberry
Mulberry’s campaign is probably the most unconventional of our collection, but its queerness is perhaps what makes it so alluring. The company went with photographer Tim Walker — a name far too normal a man with such original work — and English fashion model Cara Delevingne. The photograph is a unsettling mix of the natural and the unnatural, as Walker combines the art of the countryside with the art of fashion.
Be sure to check out the full list; the rest of the campaigns are extremely impressive and worth a minute of your time.
