Jacquemus goes to Egypt. No surprises there.

Jacquemus has landed in Egypt for what was called "La Croisiere". The plus points? Mohamed Sherif is behind the lens. And model Mohamed Hassan is in front of it (there is also Brazilian-New Zealand model Angelina Kendall for the female counter-part because perhaps Imaan Hammam an incredibly famous model with Egyptian roots was too busy - here). Long story short - everyone is saying that the campaign is a real blend of fashion and Egyptian culture. From Cairo (pyramids? Groundbreaking!) to Aswan.

Look, you want real Egyptian scenery? Go back to Harper's Bazaar shoot I just linked above. Not only is it poetic and beautiful, it also shows what a "real" Egypt could look like (mini-vans interlocking with cars, abandoned cars in desertic landscapes, old dilapidated villas and yes, pyramids, but so far back in the scenery they're just a mainstay as birds cover the shoot).

Do note that Egypt has long fascinated most designers - the Dior men's show that now former designer Kim Jones did there was one such instance (here) - so it's not like Jacquemus went on untrodden grounds or anything. And believe it or not, Jacquemus had incredible campaigns prior which were mind-blowingly creative without "social integration" or "cultural blending" or whatever they wish to call it (an incredible campaign is here). 

Long story short, I looked at the Jacquemus photos and went a little "meh". Nice, yes? The brand's best campaign? Far, far from it.

Lacoste x Polaroid, the collab we did not know we needed

Lacoste x Polaroid, the collab we did not know we needed! The campaign (you can see the film here) was shot by photographer Simon Schmitt in the French Southern city of Marseille, with plenty of natural light and in an industrial background, the campaign features teams of dancers and skaters in a dazzling stop motion jigsaw puzzle that follows their non-stop movement. Lacoste (and agency BETC) selected performers of jooking, a type of dance using jerky moves that perfectly fits the energy of the film, shot frame-by-frame (well, considering this is a collaboration with Polaroid, why not shot by shot via Polaroid camera? or better call on the queen of Polaroid, Maripol herself!).

But still, with 70s fashion raging everywhere (even flares are back in style!), Lacoste already rode the wave with a collection by Bruno Mars and his alter ego Ricky Regal (see the full retro line here), and now it is doubling down with the Polaroid collab and its logo's dreamy colors which were featured on the clothing items.

Well, I am all for retro indeed. 

Rebird Vs. Marni Compare and contrast

So as an addition to our "compare and contrast" series, let us see on the right designs from the Marni collection, and on the left the original design by ReBird (or the very talented Rayya Morcos). Again, will leave it up to you to judge, but could the Marni people have been inspired by Rayya?