Ulla Johnson Fall 2025 Ad Campaign

Review of Ulla Johnson Fall 2025 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Margot Populaire with Photographer Josh Olins with models Aivita Mūze & Nyaduola Gabriel

Ulla Johnson’s Fall 2025 campaign, photographed by Josh Olins and art directed by Margot Populaire, finds itself somewhere between dreamscape and lookbook. Shot along a windswept red sand coastline, the visuals—featuring models Aivita Mūze and Nyaduola Gabriel—are exquisitely styled and thoughtfully composed. There’s elegance in their restraint, a painterly ease to the movement of fabric and hair that pairs naturally with the raw, cinematic terrain. April Hughes’ styling, paired with delicate hair and makeup by Diego Da Silva and Siddhartha Simone respectively, continues the house’s affinity for tactile romanticism.

Yet while the images are undeniably beautiful, they leave the viewer wanting more—more story, more contrast, more conceptual depth. Johnson’s greatest strength as a designer lies in her ability to remix global cultural references, textile traditions, and craftsmanship into fresh hybrids. That alchemy, so present on the runway and in the garments themselves, is noticeably absent here. The campaign leans into aesthetic cohesion but misses the opportunity to create newness through juxtaposition—whether in casting, setting, or mood.

The collection itself is rich in technique and material poetry. Gilded threads, sequined cashmere, lurex tweed, and velvet draping speak to both the delicacy and resilience of nature. In her accompanying seasonal magazine (now in its eleventh issue), Johnson expands on these themes with emotional and cultural nuance, touching on Byzantine inspirations, painterly palettes, and handmade craft. It’s a beautiful articulation—one that could have empowered the campaign to become something far more immersive.

Instead, the red earth setting becomes a neutral backdrop rather than an active element in the story. There’s no apparent conceptual link between the collection’s references and the chosen location. The result is a visual series that, while editorial in finish, offers little progression or emotional arc. It doesn’t challenge the viewer or invite them to look deeper. There’s a sense of missed opportunity, especially given how strong the creative foundation of the collection is.

What’s frustrating is that all the right pieces are here. Johnson is a rare case in American fashion: a designer-led business with a singular, consistent vision across product, brand, and editorial touchpoints. The campaign has polish. The casting, particularly the inclusion of Nyaduola Gabriel’s striking elegance alongside Mūze’s softness, adds dimension. The seasonal magazine is one of the industry’s most quietly compelling brand publications. But the campaign itself doesn’t quite rise to meet the multidimensionality it hints at.

Ultimately, this is a campaign that showcases the clothes, but doesn’t elevate them. In a season where luxury audiences crave feeling as much as they crave fabric, campaigns have to deliver more than beauty—they need to build a world, evoke memory, and inspire desire. Johnson has the tools and the talent to do all of that and more. We just hope next time the story matches the strength of the garments.