I said I was all of a sudden going to look a lot more normal with the onset of the androgyny and dandy trend for fall, 😂.  The Versace ad shown below looks like it could’ve been styled in my closet…yes, I have leather meggings (although it was for Halloween). 
  I can’t recall seeing a layout like this Dior 2-page spread, which seems to have a magazine page superimposed onto the ad- I do think that’s what caught my attention. On the other hand, I wonder if a simpler 2-page spread, cropping the landscape, would be more evocative, given the mood of the background photo.

Kris Jenner was seen shouting out to the models featured in Balmain’s ad, among them her girls, Kendal and Kylie Jenner.

Versace’s ads seem to hit two drastically different notes- I find both the color scheme and designs of the yellow and green palette more eye catching and original.  In graphic design, it’s all CRAP (contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity), and the red and black ad seems to lack the contrast and visual appeal- the designs as well seem unoriginal (in terms of marketing and advertising impact, I’d go with the first ad).

This J. Brand ad is evocative, moving, and captivating: I think this is great photography met with a great eye for editing.  It’s simple and strong: the same goes for the Jil Sander ad the follows it.

I love a singer-turned-model, and Ciara serves up less-than-perfect modeling, but the impact is her likeness, given we know she isn’t a model (Yes, she’s beautiful, but the subtleties of modeling are evident when a celeb is tapped for a campaign- the elongated neck, the high fashion poses…it can’t be faked or emulated, although we have seen celebs like Tilda Swinton pull off high fashion editorial convincingly).

The hard-edged Vera Wang ad seems like it’s targeting millennials, contrasting the expectation of Vera’s soft aesthetic and positioning within bridal in the consumer’s mind.

Unfortunately, I think we’re more captivated by the space than the clothes in this Boss spread- once our eyes are lead over the model, however, it is impactful and does resonate with the brand’s clean sharp aesthetic.  I don’t think it’s distracting, I’m simply making the observation that the texture and background are what bring us in: the outerwear is interesting, it seems to match up to the layering we’re seeing come from asian designers.

Calvin Klein’s ad captures the 70’s and it’s resurging trend for 2015.  The poses, double exposure emulating superimpositions, and editing give the spread a trippy psychadelic euphoria, pun intended.

  

 

 

I’ve admired Etro’s visually striking ads for years, what with a  formula seemingly including striking high contrast high saturation shots and prints atop prints, Etro’s got ad game.

 

I thought the rotation of this shot for Stella McCartney’s ad created a dizzying sensation, although less so than the Calvin Klein ad above.

I feel as if the red white space of this ad achieves nothing: McQueen’s designs are so over the top, and yet this ad is so underwhelming.  Perhaps if the page was left black or white and the photos were full page we’d be taken in by the images.

Clean, simple, striking and bold with the pop of color, the Balenciaga ad stands out amongst the others.

Vionnet’s use of a dancer in the ad below is a great way to bring otherwise lackluster designs to life.

Moncler invokes Gaga with the dark hypnotizing ad below; the bride of Frankenstein meets the Wicked Witch of the West and the White Witch of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. As in the case above, it seems the impact has nothing to do with the designs, but is rather reliant on the imagery.

Burberry captures the fun of rocking the boho 70’s trend, appealing to the social side with this glimpse into a secret shared through fringe.

With Ferragamo’s recent venture into repositioning its brand as a fashion and accessories brand, the designs and marketing are coming under scrutiny.  While we have seen a shift toward design, it seems there is an undertone of safe in the styling and set of this ad.  If you’re reinventing your brand, perhaps you want to make sure you’ve got our attention- with that said, we must consider the target market being older, and suddenly this seems on target…albeit underwhelmingly so.  What ends up sticking out are the shoes, which are fab, but Ferragamo is trying to prove to us that it’s more than bags, shoes, and belts.

Miu Miu transports us to a scandalous movement full of bold prints and attitude in this ad.

Here it is, that Donatela Versace for Givenchy ad we all retweeted and discussed a while ago.  Don’t you think it looks super retouched?  I do see this iconic look she has, contrasting the models on the opposite page- she’s kind of a female Karl in that regard.

Like the fashion show, the Saint Laurent ad is hard edged punk rock bad ass: it’s all in the black and white, white space, and attitude of the model.

The Prada ad campaign seems to be on-trend, clean and mod: it definitely transports us to a different era without feeling dated, something the brand has done for a while now…think back to those Cadillac heels.