Looking into the future while referencing the past: it’s a concept Prada has built an empire on, and the latest instalment in the brand’s Real Fantasies lookbook series crystallises the notion.
The video presents an alternative reality, set in mysterious surroundings that could easily be straight out of a 1960s sci-fi flick were it not for the unmistakable presence of the autumn/winter 2012 collection.
Car companies often use bikini-clad models to sell their product. But rarely do you see men in bikinis strutting their stuff for mega brands — and Toyota is here to change that.
The Japanese car company cast Stav Strashko, a stunning male model, for its latest commercial for the Auris (known stateside as a Corolla). The video clip, above, begins with classic commercial conventions: long-haired blonde model walks sultrily towards the car in a string bikini… until the end, when it becomes clear that Stav’s got less cleavage than your average swimsuit model. Surprise!
Addias is no stranger to hip-hop. Their marriage dates back to the genre’s infancy with legendary Queens MCs Run-DMC rapping about “My Addidas.” Recently the sneaker brand recruited another superstar from the borough, Nicki Minaj, to appear in their latest adidas Originals commercial. The new spot also features Big Sean, Chicago Bulls player Derrick Rose, Sky Ferreira, K-Pop group 2NE1, and Kids These Days all sporting their own creative, colorful and original style. In the ad, we’re taken to all corners of the world, while marching to the soundtrack of Nicki Minaj’s “Masquerade”
Forget the savage beauty or dark drama you might be used to associating with Alexander McQueen collections and the marketing around them. Instead, get ready to put on your metal virtual reality goggles and be transported to a trippy, futuristic, vaguely extra-terrestial world.
David Sims directed the label’s mesmerizing fall 2012 campaign video in which Suvi Koponen plays around with her metal eye mask while navigating an 80s music video-esque psychedellic land of abstract exploding colors. Or something. Just watch.
Science fiction movies could be a costume designer’s dream, but oftentimes the scenery and special effects take precedence in futures where characters are dressed in military uniforms, shapeless robes or makeshift remnants culled from scraps of destroyed societies. The future is usually depicted as dark, and this leaves many costumers returning to the same stale ideas over and over.
But when Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element premiered in 1997, audiences were not treated to a future costumed as a drab dystopia, but rather in the vibrant imagination of French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. Exaggerated military silhouettes, sculpted architectural details, boudoir-inspired garb and more rubber than a tire factory help give the movie its comic-book look. In total, Gaultier produced 954 costumes and was on set to inspect each and every extra before they walked in front of the camera.