Fall 2012 Fashion Ad Campaigns: Plenty of Fur, Fun & Fabulous

The Fall Ad Campaigns Are In! The fall ad campaigns are in! Yes, the Fall 2012 ad campaigns are finally upon us, ready to start celebrating the upcoming fashion season. Fall-winter is, after-all, the ultimate fashion season, and when it comes to fur touches, it is the reigning time of year. A “sneak peek” at this fall campaigns finds fur playing a major role once again. So let’s take a brief look at what the designer brands will be showcasing on the pages of our favorite fashion mags….

This time around, designers went for more than a few takes to celebrate their collection’s vision in print. As is often the case, once removed from the runway, the collections might lose a little of their message’s potency; that’s where the ads play a role to reestablish the designer’s vision.

Prada Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Marc Jacobs Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Donna Karan, famous for a NYC tagline, reissued the message with the lovely Ashley Green strolling about town in everything DKNY. The look is reminiscent of the 1990s campaign that made Donna and New York synonymous with the new American sportswear presence.

Ashley Greene, DKNY Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Whereas Karan embraces NY, Bally makes a point of asserting its Helvetic heritage. When it comes to fashion Switzerland isn’t neutral, it actually embraces its elite clientele and lifestyle and always delivers a refined, no-nonsense modernity. Quality rules this message.

Bally Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

We love our Dolce e Gabbana and their shameless Italian references. Of course, the Campagna/Sicily references look straight out of post-WWII films like The Bicycle Thief, but the message always unmistakably reads Italian… or stereotypically retro-Italian.

Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

When it comes to stereotype and humor, the Caten twins win the cake with their Dsquared2 collections. This time they not only looked at the their Canadian ancestry, they looked at the North American high school experience. With them, high school never looked better. Who doesn’t want a striped mink tunic-top and fierce attitude?

Dsquared Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Etro is truly in a league of its own, always bridging the impossible fine line between baroque and classic. Renowned for its incredibly colorful and intricate textile designs and highly polished silhouette, the Etro message is always loud and clear… and ever so original. This collection was really great this season and the ad campaign beautifully reflects its baroque modernity.

Etro Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Lifestyle is the driving force behind many campaigns as each designer or brand tries to communicate a unique point-of-view. From urban hipster to the countrly club set, fun and friendly to sexy and tough, the variances pop out when looking at the ad campaigns for Hugo Boss, Jason Wu, Philipp Plein, Jean Paul Gaultier or Longchamp.

Hugo Boss Orange Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Jason Wu Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Philipp Plein Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Longchamp Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Is it us? Or, is Marc Jacobs going through a phase? Seriously, both his collections for Louis Vuitton and his eponymous brand are showcasing eerily complex messages feeling more Lewis Carroll for its Louis Vuitton Orient Express campaign and collection, and Jean Giraudoux’s The Madwoman of Chaillot for Marc Jacobs. The oversized millinery paired with the pseudo-absinth gaze bring these two ad campaigns into a bilateral 19^th century fashion mood.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Marc Jacobs Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Prada’s ad campaign delivered its iconoclastic collection with its expected impact. The styling and delivery of the collection reintroduced Steampunk to the masses – yes, that neo Jules Verne/Edwardian look favored in retro-modern Goth comic strips and Japanime. Pairing world-class character actors with models half their age was not only impactful, but read brilliantly. Bravo to the art director.

Prada Menswear Fall 2012 Ad Campaign

Last but not least comes what is probably the most utterly original ad campaign in seasons: Mulberry! Mulberry dared on the runway and did it once again in print; first stating the 1963 children’s picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, Where The Wild Things Are, as its collection’s inspiration, but then actually showcasing the Wild Things in the ad campaign. Creepy, Weird and Beautiful can easily come to mind, but this ad is sure to be remembered. As twisted as it is, it looks great and is memorable.