Alexander McQueen Fall 2020 Ad Campaign

The newest campaign from Alexander McQueen brings a modern sensibility to the art of classical portraiture.

Photographer Jamie Hawkesworth captures top models Anok Yai, Sora Choi, and Jill Kortleve in the Fall 2020 collection. Assuming various expressive poses, they bring a commanding yet gentle strength and beauty. Like seeing a classical portrait of a noble lady, the images work to communicate the personhood of their subject and beguile us by presenting it with both power and grace.

Hawkesworth captures these heroines outside in natural light, the evening sun lending brilliant coloration to clothing, trees, and skin. Coupled with this outdoor setting, the reappearing image of a flowing white cotton gown might suggest a sort of pastoral fantasy. But everyday architectural features in the background – power lines, billboards, warehouses – ground the scenes in our reality. This is not an artistic escape from real life, but a revelation of the real beauty that exists within it.

Sophisticated art direction from M/M Paris gives the final print images a simple elegance, and the red border is a smart choice that nicely complements small compositional touches. The campaign is understated, relying on the strengths of its photographer and talents to offer a humble ode to the beauty of personhood.