rag & bone

Rag & Bone Founder and Chief Brand Officer Marcus Wainwright loves photography and has made the art form a focus for the brand. Of course, every fashion brand creates assets and content through photography, but not every brand is collaborating with Leica on cameras.

The New York City-based label launched many photo projects that emulate the candid photographer, including its DIY Project, its SS18 eyewear campaign with Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish and its Spring 2018 photo project, but this month sees the launch of its 2019 photo project that will be released monthly from February to November.

The first of the series is shot in New York City by photographer Quentin de Briey and features Zion, John and Joshua Marley, the sons of Lauryn Hill and Rohan Marley and grandsons of the late Bob Marley, in the East Village of Manhattan and artist Andrea Mary Marshall in her Bushwick studio. The label aims to explore and best capture the feeling and energy of New York City and its locals.

“Versatility and individuality sit at the core of our brand and I am eager to see Quentin’s interpretation of rag & bone and the city that many of us call home, through such an eclectic mix of characters,” said Wainwright. “We have always focused on working with authentic and original talent and I’m excited to see how the imagery from this project will connect with people from multiple walks of life.”

The yearlong photo project is an interesting strategy for Rag & Bone, considering that the brand, like many others, releases at least two higher budget campaigns every year. According to Wainwright, the project gives the label an opportunity to form an ongoing narrative.

For 2019 only having two campaigns does not allow for an ongoing narrative for our brand. By reworking our calendar, the aim is it to better satisfy our current and future consumers in a way which feels right for rag & bone.

Marcus Wainwright

This project could also be a sign of the times. The advent of social media has forced brands to increase its content output and at times sacrifice the story it aimed to tell in the year. The top global labels release campaigns for its collections, collaborations and projects throughout the year and keep its buzz going, and the 2019 photo project is Rag & Bone’s way to cut through the clutter on the feed with a consistent feel.

rag & bone Creative Director | Marcus Wainwright
Photographer/Director | Quentin de Briey
Talents | Andrea Mary Marshall, Zion Marley, Josh Marley, and John Marley