Review of Swarovski Spring 2024 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Giovanna Engelbert with Photographer Steven Meisel and models Irina Shayk, Fei Fei Sun, Imaan Hammam, Karlie Kloss, and Abby Champion
Swarovski evokes the mythical origins of beauty and desire with its Spring 2024 campaign, lensed by photographer Steven Meisel.
The campaign draws inspiration from the iconography of Venus, and in particular the origin myth wherein she emerged fully formed from the sea foam, most famously depicted in Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. Dripping with jewels, each member of the impressive cast of top models exudes a sensual power, with clamshell or starfish design motifs and excellent wet-hair looks emphasizing a siren-like quality.
The aquatic styling and minimal studio approach does mean that its easy to mistake these goddesses of love for mermaids; perhaps it was a missed opportunity not to dive deeper into the references to neoclassical art and build out a more fleshed out and sumptuous visual narrative, rather than sticking to the totally minimal and straightforward portrait approach.
Nonetheless, this does mean that the focus remains powerfully on the romantic and aquatic opulence of the jewelry collection, and on the muses who bring it dramatically to life.
Swarovski Creative Director | Giovanna Engelbert
Photographer | Steven Meisel
Models | Irina Shayk, Fei Fei Sun, Imaan Hammam, Karlie Kloss, and Abby Champion
Hair | Guido Palau
Makeup | Pat McGrath