A study in character. The new LOEWE men’s campaign, shot by David Sims, explores the possibilities of the gaze and the body gesture to express feelings and sensations. Opting for the language of reduction: the sole protagonists of the images are singer and songwriter Omar Apollo, Golden-Globe nominated actor Jamie Dornan, the clothes and accessories they wear, and a few symbolic objects.
The Loewe FW23 Campaign images pay homage to artist Julien Nguyen—whose work inspired the collection—and his interest in old masters, closing the circle of references. The composition draws a connection with the women’s campaign, both turning the idea of reduction into uncanny image-making.
The still life images are surreal in their blunt directness, depicting bags and shoes—including the Puzzle Fold tote, as well as the Terra Chelsea boots and derbies—in their sculptural and textural presence.
The images happen in blurred ambiances: one can feel the volume of the room, but the spatial features are erased by rubberised sheets that act as screens. The velvet, leathers, and felts of the clothes and accessories come to the fore, bluntly, in pictures that ooze an almost tactile quality. The surreality of the compositions alludes to classical allegoric painting: an aspect that becomes apparent in the group shots featuring a trio of models with wings in copper and paper, reclining with their arms on a table in poses that recall Renaissance art.
