RESERVING THE POWER: As New York City tries to revive business, welcome office workers and revamp the fashion scene for fall, Nordstrom has used Manhattan as the backdrop for its fall women’s designer campaign.
New Yorkers and tourists alike will recognize landmarks such as Central Park and The Carlyle Hotel (complete with a glowing doorman.) Models Joan Smalls and Shalom Harlow also star in the featured images, showing off a host of fall styles. Their enviable and collected ensembles weren’t just chosen to encourage some fall shopping. Another good thing is that it’s time to ditch the sweatpants and start dressing up again, after two years of postponed, canceled and reduced events, outings and parties. Think tailored looks from Alexander McQueen, a cocoon suit from Bottega Veneta and a Saint Laurent Le Smoking tuxedo.
In a statement, Nordstrom’s director of fashion and designer editorial Rickie De Sole noted how the retailer aimed to “echo the energy of collections that focused on the idea of power dressing.” For Nordstrom, that can translate to bold clothing and plus sizes. From De Sole’s point of view, it’s “refreshing to rely on clothing that makes you feel ready to take on the world after so much time at home…”
The campaign was photographed by Sean Thomas and styled by Tonne Goodman. It is the first campaign with editorial and fashion direction by De Sole.
The department store’s campaign caters to many other designer labels besides those mentioned above. Also featured are fall style options from Chanel, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Valentino, Sacai, The Row, Marine Serre, Givenchy, Jil Sander, Celine, Erdem, Khaite, Stella McCartney, Simone Rocha, Dolce & Gabbana, Carolina Herrera and Versace. . Upper East Siders will see other views of their neighborhood beyond The Carlyle, as Park Avenue served as another location for the fall campaign.
The campaign has a distinct editorial feel, and why not? The retailer’s women’s fashion and editorial director, designer Rickie De Sole spent nearly four years at Vogue before moving to Nordstrom earlier this year. Goodman has a longer history with the fashion magazine, having joined in 1999. And Thomas has shot editorials for magazines such as Family Portrait, L’Etiquette, Vogue, Holiday and Buckley.
Photo by Sean Thomas/Courtesy Nordstrom
After appearing in a spring campaign for Mugler and a Moschino Couture by Steven Meisel, Harlow recently posted praise for a talented young photographer she had worked with for the first time – Sam Rock. Meanwhile, Smalls, who fronts Anne Klein’s spring campaign, appeared in the latest campaign for Beyoncé’s label, Ivy Park.
