Miu Miu 'QiXi' 2023 Ad Campaign

Review of Miu Miu Qixi 2023 Ad Campaign by Photographer Lengua with models Ying Ouyang and Ruiqi Jiang

Miu Miu celebrates romance and dressing to express with a new campaign in anticipation of Qixi 2023. The campaign was shot by photographer Lengua.

Sometimes described as the traditional Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day, Qixi is a festival that celebrates romantic love derived from the tale of lovers Zhinü and Niulang, a weaver and a cowherd, respectively, from Chinese mythology. Each year it falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

The campaign doesn’t dive into this story, but instead is simply aimed towards Chinese audiences in its casting and its timing to coincide with the anticipation of the festival. The styling features a tight curation of must-have looks from Miu Miu’s recent collections, balancing a romantic femininity with an idiosyncratic take on utilitarianism. A special emphasis is put on giftable accessories. Lengua’s resulting photographs put his own spin on Miu Miu’s angular and intimate visual language.

In a way, it could have felt more meaningful or exciting to see Miu Miu explore a narrative inspired by the timeless story of romance behind Qixi. But we can’t fault the brand for making a simple play to a huge market at a time where hearts – and wallets – are open.