January 16, 2025 |
It’s a new year, and with it comes a whole slew of new SS25 campaigns. From Prada’s star-studded triptych to Loewe’s countryside crusade, we pick our favourite fashion ads of the season.
Prada
Rigidly posed with a Sixties-style bob and a hole-punched pencil skirt, devil-may-care with a punk pixie cut and floral sundress or wrapped in a warm woollen coat with 1970s swept bangs, the many faces of Carey Mulligan make Prada’s new spring/summer 2025 campaign. Lensed by none other than fashion photography legend Steven Meisel, the multimedia rollout, dubbed Act Like Prada, marks the first time in ten years that the photography legend has shot a Prada campaign.
Stepping into the role of ten imaginary characters to explore “the notion of plurality”, as the house puts it, the three-time Academy Award nominated actress and brand ambassador sports some of the best bits from the summer collection – which made its debut during Paris Fashion Week in September of last year. In vibrant knit jumpers and collared shirts, fringe-rimmed dresses and carabiner-fastened pleated skirts, Mulligan appears again and again, reincarnating in new, equally fabulous looks that suggest different personalities and lives. The clothes help to alter her attitude, reshaping her into a gaggle of quirky characters realised by just one individual and presented as a series of visually arresting portraits. According to the house, it’s “a reflection of our concurrent realities, a multiplicitous vision of women, an ever-shifting perception of Prada”. Emily Phillips
Prada Mens
Prada‘s spring/summer 2025 menswear campaign, photographed by Steven Meisel and with creative direction by Ferdinando Verderi, explores the complexities of identity and transformation.
Stepping out from his recent role in Babygirl, actor Harris Dickinson has flipped the script from his reserved and guarded character – 20-year-old Samuel Daniels – to redefining the portrayal of modern masculinity. He embodies multiple facets of himself here, challenging traditional notions of singular identity, shifting effortlessly from deep introspection to uninhibited playfulness.
Dickinson honours the campaign’s individuality as a powerful act of self-expression. The collection merges innovative design with enduring sophistication, turning transformation into an art form. Drawing inspiration from classic menswear, Dickinson doesn’t simply wear the clothes – he embodies them. The tailored pieces and timeless staples become extensions of his identity, shifting and evolving with every movement. Alexander Bean
Prada Re-Nylon
This season, Prada’s 2025 Re-Nylon campaign takes the scenic route through Norway’s icy fjords and Mexico’s unclouded coastlines. Released in phases, the four docu-style films follow actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Sadie Sink, in a cinematic exploration of the house’s ambition to craft fashion without depleting new resources, transforming regenerated plastic waste into its future-facing, Re-Nylon collection. Tied to Sea Beyond – Prada’s partnership with UNESCO, which raises awareness of ocean health – the series reframes the Re-Nylon narrative, immersing viewers in the fragility, and allure of marine ecosystems. It’s a grounded take on sustainability that feels as forward-thinking as it does natural for Prada. Talia Panayi
Louis Vuitton Men’s
Louis Vuitton has just unveiled its SS25 menswear campaign, titled Le Monde Est à Vous. The campaign brings us back to La Maison de l’UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) where the collection was hosted back in June.
Photographed by Stef Mitchell the campaign transforms its models into next-generation diplomats. Across the images, they roam the building’s international halls and gardens, exploring the travel-centric notion of the global dandy, while sporting the maison’s SS25 men’s collection. The offering’s colour palette draws inspiration from the diverse tones seen in people, flags and global symbols, reflecting a broad spectrum from around the world. From diplomat to explorer and leisure traveller, the collection aims to celebrate unity. AB
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton unveils its spring/summer 2025 campaign featuring BlackPink’s Lisa and Academy Award-nominated actor Saoirse Ronan. Photographed by Steven Meisel, the campaign reflects Nicolas Ghesquière’s artistic vision for the latest runway collection, which concluded with three ethereal landscapes crafted by French conceptual artist Laurent Grasso.
Lisa and Ronan are depicted in contemporary portraits that radiate self-assuredness and warmth, embodying the ‘soft power’ that inspired Ghesquière’s SS25 collection. The campaign also showcases three new pieces from Grasso’s Studies into the Past series, introducing surrealist works that transform conventional landscapes. Grasso’s unconventional style places Lisa and Ronan in uncanny settings, where visually striking backdrops create a captivating contrast and a unique dynamic. AB
Loewe
Loewe’s spring/summer 2025 campaign sees creative director Jonathan Anderson celebrate over a decade at the helm with a painterly ode to the natural world. Shot by David Sims in the misty Catalonian countryside, the images star actor Drew Starkey, actor Taylor Russell and global brand ambassador Wang Yibo morphing seamlessly into Anderson’s elemental vision.
Crinoline dresses hang like spirits among the trees, while earthy leathers, floral prints and featherweight fabrics craft a Loewe-like camouflage. Accessories – the Madrid bag, floral-sequinned Toy shoes and Featherlight Puzzle – are scattered across the scenery, creating a playful, ornamented atmosphere and textural aura that nods to the brand’s signature style and Spanish heritage. TP
Vivienne Westwood
The SS25 Vivienne Westwood campaign, photographed by Juergen Teller, sets its eclectic clothes against imaginative backdrops and playful sets designed by Bernhard Willhelm. The photographs transcend the ordinary, celebrating the elegance of individual spirit. Drawing on a rich array of iconic references, they combine the sensual allure of Teller’s renowned gorilla imagery – set against a lush jungle backdrop – with the poised glamour of Marlene Dietrich, deconstructing her image in an evening gown. The narrative also nods to Madeleine Vionnet’s legendary use of transparency and tulle in haute couture, while vibrant red and purple hues infuse the visuals with depth and emotion, each colour telling its own distinct story. At the heart of the campaign lies a striking homage to Diana Vreeland’s iconic red room, adding an extra layer of sophistication and intrigue, and reinforcing the timeless yet daring spirit that has always been at the core of Vivienne Westwood’s vision. AB
Top image: photography courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
