..:: AUTO REPORT AFRICA ::..
Related Articles
Mercedes-Benz Monday took the wrap off its Spring/Summer 2017 Fashion Campaign and Film, Burning Desire, presenting the new CLA.
This was contained in a statement issued in Stuttgart/Berlin and obtained by AUTO REPORT AFRICA.
Shot by renowned Swedish director Christian Larson, the campaign, according to the statement, features style rebels and partners, the English musician Eliot Sumner, and the German model Lucie Von Alten.
It explained that in the spotlight is the rebel of the Mercedes-Benz family, the CLA. A four-door-coupé offering impeccable performance, its eye-catching sporty design and fierce attitude has been further enhanced by the strength of desire that burns between Eliot Sumner and Lucie Von Alten. Both powerful individualists, they share with the CLA a rebellious urge to stand out from the crowd.
The campaign was shot on location in an old steel warehouse attached to a disused stone quarry in Bucharest, Romania. Raw and powerful, it was an apt environment in which the director Christian Larson could capture the subversive spirit of the CLA. A true visionary, Larson has worked with many of the world’s most innovative artists, including Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kylie Minogue.
For Larson, the project started with the idea of creative destruction. “I think that there is a beauty in destruction and in this case, I felt fire, and burning things, could look very beautiful. Fire is always something that brings people together – the storyline of the two girls meeting is about them being intrigued by the fire – and it also suggests the idea of “playing with fire”. I wanted to play with emotions, objects, elegance, rebelliousness in some kind of virtual dystopian world.”
Style leaders Eliot Sumner and Lucie Von Alten are another crucial element of the Mercedes-Benz Spring/Summer 2017 campaign. Sumner, who signed her first record deal at the age of 17, is more than comfortable in her own skin, having inherited an enviable strength and poise from her parents, the legendary musician Sting and the acclaimed film producer and director Trudie Styler.
“To have the opportunity to work with Mercedes-Benz is awesome and I couldn’t really believe it when we got the offer. It’s a massive deal, I’m so incredibly happy to be here and work with such an amazing team,” said Eliot.
Von Alten is a model at the very top of her game, having been the face of campaigns for Marc Jacobs and appeared in international magazines including ELLE and Grazia. This is the first time Lucie has fronted a campaign for an automotive brand, “I am really excited to be a part of this campaign; it is a great opportunity to work with David Koma and with Christian. It is a campaign for cars but I feel like fashion, and especially Mercedes-Benz, work really well together.” They enjoy a deeply intense relationship to inspire a new generation of fearless, empowered young women who are leaders, not followers.
Empowerment is the Georgian-born, London-based designer David Koma’s forte. His eponymous line is infused with a potent spirit of visceral power thanks to his mastery of the sculptural, body-contouring silhouette, a quality he also brings to Mugler as its creative director. Koma dressed Von Alten in one of the rigorously defined looks from the David Koma Autumn/Winter 2016 collection, shown during London Fashion Week in February 2016, and created a bespoke look for Sumner for the Mercedes-Benz Spring/Summer 2017 Fashion Campaign.
“This is the first campaign that I’ve worked on that is not tied to my own brand or Mugler and it’s a very exciting project to be part of. The process is no different; there is always the same starting point. When I design, I always design with the individual in mind and take it from there.”
The result is a campaign that sizzles with burning desire and audacious rebellion, the perfect embodiment of the CLA’s status within the Mercedes-Benz family.
“This season we wanted to challenge the traditional concept of campaign imagery as we wanted to personify the rebellious nature of the CLA promoting confidence and individuality. The Spring/Summer 2017 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Campaign pushes boundaries and challenges the norm through its creative concept and dynamic cast as well as appealing to a contemporary audience, highlighting the progressive nature of the brand,” Michael Bock Director Sport & Lifestyle Marketing Mercedes-Benz, was quoted as saying.
Concept of the fashion film
Fire is the most commanding visual metaphor for desire, and the film begins with a shot of Sumner surrounded by clouds of smoke, holding a bouquet of roses that has been set alight. As she strides into focus down a liquid runway, attack dogs bark and a piano is glimpsed, alive with flames. The CLA’s energetic exterior is viewed in pools of water. As Sumner paces down the runway, Von Alten emerges from the CLA, her graceful beauty mirrored by a ballet dancer en pointe. They walk towards each other, and as their fingers touch, igniting fire, inflaming the CLA. They step back and survey their incendiary connection, with each other and with the car. The film ends with the iconic Mercedes-Benz logo burning in the darkness.
21 Years of Dedication to Fashion on behalf of Mercedes-Benz
The last 21 years have seen Mercedes-Benz establish itself globally as a key partner at selected fashion events. The brand is currently involved in more than 50 international fashion platforms globally. The parallels between exclusive cars and luxury fashion collections were identified within the Group at an early stage. Both worlds recognise passion, style, ground-breaking design, the finest materials and first-class technical innovations as critical factors for success. Mercedes-Benz has therefore consistently supported select fashion events around the world over the course of two decades, forging in particular an admirable reputation for the promotion of young design talent.
