Review of Prada Spring 2024 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Ferdinando Verderi with
Photographer Willy Vanderperre with Talent Harris Dickinson, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Troye Sivan
Prada explores the internal narrative of fashion itself with an introspective yet broadly collaborative campaign for Spring 2024, which was shot by photographer Willy Vanderperre with creative direction from Ferdinando Verderi.
Eschewing corporate fashion’s built-up narratives of lifestyle fantasy, the campaign instead reasserts timeless priorities of fashion as a collective craft practice. Vanderperre’s imagery for the women’s campaign echoes the fashion show as a procession of individuals that gives rise to a communal creative expression. The series of 40 individual portraits – some poised and elegant, others attesting to a vital spontaneity – champions each woman and look of the collection’s runway show, reveling in individuality and detail yet becoming greater than the sum of its parts.
Meanwhile, the men’s campaign bridges this approach with the approach of casting actors that has been a fundamental aspect of Prada’s narrative, both in recent seasons and more historically. Troye Sivan, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Harris Dickerson are each lensed with the same elegant yet grounded perspective as the runway models. They may be actors, but here they simply play themselves.
Meta-trends across the past few years have seen fashion both become more self-referential and return to a greater focus on clothes themselves. This campaign puts a distinctly Prada spin on this creative atmosphere, extending the ephemeral and multifaceted narrative of a runway show across an entire season. While the approach may not abound with conceptual originality or narrative, it wisely positions the work of Prada as a fashion company – from the work of creative directors Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada to the artisans crafting the clothing and the backstage magic makers – as the foremost narrative in fashion, creating something that feels both deftly aware of contemporary atmosphere and untouchably timeless.
Prada Creative Directors | Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons
Creative Director | Ferdinando Verderi
Photographer | Willy Vanderperre
Talent for Women’s Campaign | Ajah Angau, Mica Argaranaz, Loli Bahia, Lexi Boling, Jolien Bosman, Oninyechi Chijoke, Sora Choi, Rejoice Chuol, Elise Crombez, Anica Cuca, Sanja Dalecka, Mathilde Denard, Dominika, Lina Emelianova, Farah, Selena Forrest, Elen Giunio, Nastya Honchrova Du Juan, Qin Lei, Julia Meseguer, Amanda Murphy, Julia Nobis, Ornella, Lila Pankova, Romi Peled, Eliza Petersen, Sascha Rajasalu, Laura Reyes, Alyosia Salamatina, Diana Skowron, Penelope Ternes, Denyse Tumukunde, Ilya Vermeulen, Freya Vervaet, Nikki Vrekic, Rianne Von Rompaey, Liu Wen, Anok Yai, Lina Zhang
Talent for Men’s Campaign | Harris Dickinson, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Troye Sivan