Wales Bonner's SS23 "Horizon Blues" Campaign Captures the Emotions of Elegance
Spotlighting the British designer’s Pitti Immagine Uomo 102 runway collection from Summer 2022.
Wales Bonner was Pitti Immagine Uomo 102‘s Guest Designer, and last summer’s showcase saw the British fashion designer hone her skills within the beauty of Florence’s Renaissance palace, the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Now, the label showcases its SS23 campaign, shot by Malick Bodian in Milan.
Dubbed “Horizon Blues,” the collection captures the African diaspora and European heritage and how the two can meet, just as the show did. The presentation celebrated Black excellence with hand-stitched jute sacks designed by the Ghanian artist Ibrahim Mahama acting as a commentary on the history of migration, commodity and globalization, while a song by Pa Salieu set the tone for something that bridged influences of African and European cultures, sonically exploring the stories that were also told in the clothing.
Here, the looks are highlighted in an equally poignant way. A multicultural cast of models come together across nine images depicting pleasant days spent in the Milanese sunshine, their faces and eyes glaring down the lens in some cases and, at other times, the camera capturing their minds wandering.
A studded tuxedo jacket-esque cropped jacket appears in royal blue suede, sporting dressed-up snap closure on the softly-rounded lapelled collar and belt-like hem. The “Ascend” varsity jacket combines American collegiate references with traditional garment-making techniques, as the arms are covered in delicate holes evoking patterns from the designer’s heritage influences, and likewise, tie-dyed jeans are covered in a print also informed by traditions.
From light tailoring like the “Long River Shirt” that’s elongated and sports exaggerated tux-panel lapels to even T-shirts that feel embedded in culture with their tight-fitting shape and ringer-style neckline, Wales Bonner SS23 is utterly beautiful and even more so in this campaign.
Take a look at the Wales Bonner campaign above, and find a selection of SS23 garments online now.
In other news, Adam Jones’ latest lookbook combines four collections into one large-scale body of work.
