Review of Stella McCartney Summer 2022 Ad Campaign by Photographers Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Stella McCartney explores mushroom magic in the brand’s Spring 2022 campaign, captured by photography duo Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott.
Known for bringing style to sustainability (and vice versa), the designer’s latest collection explores the practical possibilities of mushrooms – most directly in mushroom leather – as well as drawing aesthetic inspiration from their vibrant natural world.
For the campaign, Mert & Marcus capture model Natalia Vodianovna among the enigmatic horticulture of the Marqueyssac gardens in the south of France, where surreally twisting and sculpted plant life emphasizes the nature-influenced whimsy and touch of sensuality behind the collection.
The accompanying short films infuse these scenes with movement and music. In one, Viodianovna explores the surreal garden space on her own, simply basking in the sunlight. In another, many different clone versions of the model interact with each other, perhaps mimicking the interconnected community of a mycelial network. An organic and ambient soundtrack by composer Cosmo Sheldrake features sonic manipulations of recordings of mushrooms growing, illuminating the films’ tranquil atmosphere of fungal growth and the subtly psychedelic.
This initial campaign also marks the beginning of a series of ongoing activations by the brand, including projects with vegan chefs and British mycologist and author Merlin Sheldrake.
Mushrooms seem to be at the forefront of cultural consciousness these days, but Stella McCartney’s interest in them is much more than a trend. Their possibilities for providing sustainable alternatives to many current unsustainable practices – fashion production being a major one – represent fertile creative and conceptual ground for a brand that has already long established itself as being committed to sustainability. This campaign is a great way to express the exciting possibilities behind nature’s fungal treasures, and we look forward to seeing the project continue to grow.
Stella McCartney Creative Director | Stella McCartney
Photographer | Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Film | Louie Schwartzberg
Models | Natalia Vodioanovna
Music | Cosmo Sheldrake
Location | Marqueyssac gardens, France