Fashion giant uses isles as backdrop

A luxury British fashion house launched a campaign this week which features Shetland landscapes as a backdrop to Gothic photographs.

In advance of the release of Alexander McQueen’s Autumn-Winter 2016 range videos and photographs were teased online by the brand’s Twitter page.

The #AlexanderMcQueen AW16 Campaign. Shot by Jamie Hawkesworth with Mica Arganaraz & art directed by @mmparisdotcom.https://t.co/My78Ru7CCc

— Alexander McQueen (@WorldMcQueen) July 12, 2016

 

The #AlexanderMcQueen AW16 Campaign. Shot by Jamie Hawkesworth with Mica Arganaraz & art directed by @mmparisdotcom.https://t.co/R9aS4vKdnL

— Alexander McQueen (@WorldMcQueen) July 13, 2016

The advertising campaign combines bleak and stunning scenery with images of a dilapidated croft houses and decaying, disused cars.

Photography and film was shot by Jamie Hawkesworth with Mica Arganaraz acting as lead model for the campaign.

Alexander McQueen’s website states that the campaign is “the result of an adventure capturing a young, surreal and intoxicating beauty against the wild and rugged Scottish terrain”.

The statement goes on to say that the campaign “marks a new chapter in McQueen’s longstanding love story with the romantic nature of the British landscape”.

This is not the first time that Shetland has been used as the backdrop for an advertising campaign, nor is it the first time a fashion designer has turned to the isles for inspiration.

Three years ago 3’s dancing Shetland pony advertisement helped to bolster tourism to the isles, while late last year the fashion company Chanel apologised for plagiarising the work of Fair Isle knitwear designer Mati Ventrillon.