Fendi Spring 2024 Ad Campaign

Review of Fendi Spring 2024 Ad Campaign by Creative Directors Ronnie Cooke Newhouse and Karl Bolander of Agency House + Holme with Photographer Steven Meisel

The Fendi woman has her head in the clouds in the brand’s new Spring 2024 campaign. The campaign features creative direction by Ronnie Cooke Newhouse and Karl Bolander with photography by Steven Meisel and film direction by Ned Rogers.

In designing for this season, creative director Kim Jones was inspired by his walks through Fendi’s home of Rome and the distinctly free-spirited yet elegant character of the women he would pass. The resulting collection forms a joyful reconsideration of signature house codes, infusing them with vibrant contrasting colors in geometric nods to Rome’s legendary architecture.

The campaign pushes this almost pop-art sensibility. The upper halves of models float before bright blue skies dotted with fluffy clouds, somewhat reminiscent of Magritte paintings. Meanwhile, in other full-body portraits, they pose piquantly before soft pink backdrops, emphasizing the collection’s inventive and angular silhouettes and energetic use of colorblocking.

The accompanying short film leans into the sense of intrigue suggested by these striking faces. Characters whisper to one another, but the viewer can’t hear their words over the ambient soundtrack; others toy with a leather cootie catcher, a fun symbol of future romance and mystery.

Fendi’s campaigns with frequent collaborator Ronnie Cooke Newhouse have definitely tended to a more minimal and narrative-less approach, which has had varied results. Here, though, it feels like this campaign approach is exactly what the collection needed. These clothes and the women who wear them already have a vibrant story of their own to tell, and they need just a few cleverly chosen campaign elements to really make them shine.