Review of Saint Laurent “Self” Summer 2022 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello with Photographers Alex Webb, Harry Gruyaert, Olivia Arthur, Takashi Homma, Daesung Lee, and Birdhead of Magnum Photos
Saint Laurent‘s latest campaign for Summer 2022 marks the seventh installment of the house’s ongoing “Self” project, which sees creative director Anthony Vaccarello partner with international artists to bring the designer’s world to creative life. For this campaign, Vaccarello has tapped seven photographers, all of whom are members of the international, artist-owned cooperative Magnum Photos.
The photographers are Alex Webb, Harry Gruyaert, Olivia Arthur, Takashi Homma, Daesung Lee, and Birdhead (the duo of Ji Weiyu and Song Tao).
Their resulting commissions encompass an exciting range of work, capturing familiar and iconic Saint Laurent style from distinctly personal perspectives, exploring a vision of the house we don’t often get to see.
Shooting in black-and-white, Takashi Homma created intimate and elusive works that explore a contrast between the individual and their urban environment. Meanwhile, Alex Webb’s vibrant compositions are loaded with bold color and interpersonal energy.
Daesung Lee channels cinematic surrealism with her stunning photograph of two darkly dressed, nearly identical figures standing in a field of tall wildflowers and looking away from the camera to a beautiful yet perhaps ominous mountain vista.
The artwork created for the campaign will also be showcased in simultaneous exhibitions in Paris, London, New York, and Tokyo – the cities where Magnum Photos has its offices – as well as Seoul and Shanghai.
Collaborations with skilled fine-art photographers have long been an integral part of Saint Laurent’s identity, famously beginning with the legendary founder’s work with Helmut Newton. Here, Anthony Vaccarello keeps this legacy alive while expanding it into an effort that feels truly global and contemporary.
