Alaia "Archetypes" 2025 Ad Campaign

Review of Alaïa “Archetypes” Summer Fall 2025 Ad Campaign by Photographer Tyrone Lebon with models Anok Yai and Binx Walton

For Summer Fall 2025, Alaïa trades its signature architectural edge for a softer, sun-warmed sense of intimacy. Titled Archetypes, the campaign—photographed by Tyrone Lebon in the South of France—seeks to capture not only the sculptural beauty of the clothing, but the emotional atmosphere that surrounds it. With Anok Yai and Binx Walton as protagonists, Creative Director Pieter Mulier conjures a quiet world of poolside reverie, sensuality, and the kind of liberated elegance that lies at the heart of the house. The name Archetypes nods to the idea of essential forms—pure, iconic gestures of style and presence that feel both eternal and distinctly Alaïa.

Set against a sun-drenched villa, the imagery is intimate and pared back. Yai and Walton move through the space in spiral-cut dresses and sculptural bustiers, their forms mirrored by the curves of arches and loungers. The accessories—mask sunglasses, spiral bangles, signature bags—echo the clean lines and elemental forms of the clothing itself. Every image feels like a still from a sunlit film: minimal dialogue, maximum mood.

What the campaign does beautifully is create a mood of intimacy and effortless sensuality—one that feels both embodied and editorial. The clothing speaks, but softly, allowing form and texture to echo without overstatement. Still, there’s a sense that Archetypes leaves the viewer wanting more—not in tone, but in volume. With just a handful of visuals, the story feels more like a fleeting scene than a full narrative arc. Then again, perhaps that’s the point. For a house like Alaïa, rooted in precision and restraint, the decision to offer less may be part of the allure. The campaign doesn’t oversell its message; instead, it lingers just long enough to imprint, then disappears like sunlight on skin.

Archetypes invites us into a summer dream and then slips away before we can fully settle in. Understated and exacting, it may not offer much to hold onto—but that very absence might be what makes it so true to Alaïa.