The revival of Courrèges, Parisian fashion’s sleeping beauty, continues with the launch of the house's conceptual Spring/Summer 2025 campaign. The new season’s imagery, again shot by British photographer Mark Borthwick, is described as a "poetic variation" on Courrèges’ Carré Magique. This campaign serves as a visual spin-off of its previous efforts, applying its collection's principles to reinterpret its signature setting. While the Autumn/Winter 2024 campaign used scale and color to expand space, the Spring/Summer 2025 campaign extracts its storyline from the abstraction of a white background.
Sliced from the page are rectangular cutouts acting as windows onto the intersecting worlds of geometry and reality. This alteration breathes new life and vision within the Courrèges universe. Borthwick’s recalibrated setting, imagined by house scenography director Rémy Brière and Nicolas Di Felice, presents off-center frames featuring flared silhouettes of the season's models. This setup evokes moments of waiting and cinematic composure.
If the images aren't self-explanatory, they feature radiant skylines, youthful lovers, and free spirits—all bleached by sun-filled lighting and refracted luminescence. This evokes feelings of nostalgia and romance. The campaign showcases the new season's offerings: from denim separates to leather blousons and its Holy Bag. The styling reflects warmth, serenity, and optimism.
Meanwhile, Stella McCartney has unveiled its summer 2025 campaign featuring stars like Myha’la, Alex Consani, Eva Mendes, and Raye. Unique to this campaign is the juxtaposition of human celebrities with doves and fantastical avians created using AI technology. The campaign aims to inspire observers to adopt different perspectives, including what it means to view the world from the heights of these imaginary birds.
The statement accompanying the campaign starkly highlights the realities of environmental destruction: "with nearly 50% of avian species in decline and 3.4 billion birds harmed or killed for feather down annually, it is a reminder..." This remark emphasizes the potential future where real birds exist only within fantasy, should society neglect their safeguarding. The campaign reflects the evolution of McCartney’s ‘Save What You Love’ manifesto and celebrates conservation as seen through the lens of Jonathan Franzen’s environmental literature.
All the human stars involved were shot by Ethan James Green in New York. Myha’la, recognized for her work as an actor and advocate for representation, has been vocal about issues concerning racism and homelessness. Alex Consani, who walked the runway and appeared in the Stella McCartney x Adidas Rasant trainer campaign, earned accolades as Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards 2024 for her advocacy of inclusivity and support for trans youth.
Actor, model, and author Eva Mendes, who appeared in McCartney’s winter campaign, stands as an advocate for women and children. She has developed entrepreneurial initiatives focused on social good, including launching zero-plastic solutions for consumer water. Then there’s Raye, the award-winning artist who passionately speaks about injustices, feminism, and especially the disproportionate impact of the environmental crisis on women of color.
Both campaigns signify more than just the passing of fashion seasons; they showcase the integration of ambitious themes within modern fashion—whether it’s the witty exploration of style through Courrèges or the poignant call to environmental action through Stella McCartney. Together they create fascinating dialogues about beauty, responsibility, and the cultural impact of fashion on society today.