Gorgeously colored and patterned butterflies take center stage in Edun’s debut spring/summer 2020 ‘Beautiful Rebels’ ad campaign. A spectacular show featuring six species of butterflies, all indigenous to Africa, unfolds in front of our eyes, a stunning story of duality and transformation brought to life by photographer Ryan McGinley. Nature and skin become one in these transformative scenes of passion, playfulness and poetic contemplation. Well, this is what happens when love for beautiful clothes meets a special desire to make a change.
“We really wanted to capture the essence of Edun, and of what inspires the brand, which is duality and transformation,” Ali Hewson, one of Edun’s founders, said in an interview with WWD. For ‘Beautiful Rebels’, Hewson worked together with Bono, the other Edun founder, but also with creative consultant Jefferson Hack and creative director Sharon Wauchob.
Edun’s debut campaign for the upcoming season features just a few key pieces from the brand’s collection and is mostly based on unconventional beauty and free spirit. As one of the label’s main aims is not just to create stylish clothes but also to develop trade with Africa, one can spot the creative re-wiring of African craftsmanship in the artisanal handwork of a crocheted vest and shorts, while a laser cut blouse displays the use of highly sophisticated modern technology in the design process.
The campaign will appear in the March issues of different glossy and lifestyle magazines including Italian, French and U.S. Vogue, Vanity Fair, Dazed & Confused, AnOther, T The New York Times Magazine, and the Sunday Times of London. Besides, short “blink videos” directed by McGinley will be released on Edun.com and via social media outlets, bringing the portraits to life and adding a dynamic element to the campaign imagery.
The Beautiful Rebels in Edun’s spring/summer 2020 ads are Bradley, Charlotte, David, Dempsey, Ehren, and Herieth, and those delicate butterflies, of course, which, by the way, weren’t harmed during the making of this unique campaign.
Photos courtesy of EDUN
