To mark his first festive campaign for the fashion house, Burberry Chief Creative Officer, Riccardo Tisci has assembled a cast of global talent to celebrate the notion of togetherness, union, hope and love.
The cast includes: Carla Bruni, Fran Summers, brand ambassadors Zhou Dongyu and Yoo Ah-in, Shay, Ikram Abdi Omar, Lea T, Boychild, Wu Tsang, Cecilia Chancellor, Sasha Pivovarova, Marina Morena, Mahmood and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The campaign centres around a film of the cast dancing to the soundtrack of ‘What Is Love?’ by Deee-Lite and is shot by renowned photography duo Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott.
“I am connected to the idea of unity, togetherness and challenging the perception of what love is today. This for me is the real spirit of the season. It’s one of my favourite times of the year – when I can stop, reflect and reconnect with those who make me feel happy and at home, no matter where I am in the world. I loved the idea of bringing together a group of people that have been so supportive of me since I joined Burberry to celebrate my first holiday campaign for the house.” says
Tisci.
Here’s what others in the cast had to say:
CARLA BRUNI
“I love the concept of the campaign – this big group of different people coming together. I had a fabulous time with Riccardo and was thrilled to find myself behind the lens of Mert & Marcus again. On set, Riccardo gave me this feeling of freedom and modernity – his talent is beyond words. You can see that he has this profound and precious knowledge of fashion, and has this simplistic way of using the past to invent the future. My most precious festive memory is a Christmas Eve in a castle completely buried in snow in Touraine.”
BOYCHILD AND WU TSANG
“The shoot was thrilling and overwhelming, we also got to meet so many people we admire! Riccardo was incredibly sweet and thoughtful, you can really feel his touch manifesting in everything he does – from the clothes to the way people treated each other. Our favourite festive memory is when the season starts to turn cold and there is less daylight – everything gets cosy. It’s a perfect time to work and cuddle.”
ZHOU DONGYU
“It was so much fun working with so many talented people, and Riccardo’s low-key, down-to-earth vibe took a lot of the edge off. I was nervous at first, but felt more at home as the day went on! My favourite festive memory is definitely sitting around the table with family and friends, joking around with each other and feeling completely relaxed.”
LEA T
“Its really nice to see such important fashion houses starting to consider our group – I am happy to be recognised as a transwoman who knows how to do her job. Riccardo is a man who looks at me in the eyes and respects my story.”
RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK
“I enjoyed shooting this campaign thoroughly – and taking a few shots with Carla Bruni was a bonus! It’s amazing to work with someone who is at the top of the world at what they do. You could see the love for what Riccardo does.”
ANTHONY TURNER
“It was one of the most fun days on set I’ve had in ages, it’s not every day you get to work with Carla Bruni and Father Christmas himself! It’s always so inspiring working with Riccardo, he is a true visionary and has a fantastic sense of humour. My favourite festive memory is every Christmas night my aunt throws a huge party at her house and my uncle DJs. They are obsessed with Britpop so it’s always a really good night.”
MERT & MARCUS
“It was a real pleasure working on this project for Burberry. Working with Riccardo is about connection, it’s about the back and forth of discussing creative ideas and it’s this that makes our jobs even more interesting and exciting. We have been friends for many years so I guess we know each other’s sensibilities – there are always a lot of laughs! My favourite Christmas memory is when we were preparing a Christmas dinner and the oven literally blew up! I burnt my lashes and of course we had no turkey. Disappointing, but it was a funny night!”
CARLOS NAZARIO
‘My experience was exciting and very fun to say the least! It was a real dream come true to work alongside Riccardo and Mert & Marcus, who have been inspirations to me since long before I began working with them. The mood on set was celebratory, creative, jovial and yes, festive! My favourite festive memory is Christmas Eve parties at my grandmother’s house as a kid; spent salsa dancing with my big family, playing games with my siblings and cousins, stuffing myself with the most delicious food and waiting in excitement until midnight, when everyone got to open one present!’
