“As part of our policy of collaborating with celebrities from the world of fashion, Mango has decided to collaborate with one of top fashion models of the moment,” says Ninona Vila, MNG by MANGO’s PR Manager. “In choosing a model of the stature of Daria Werbowy, our aim is not only to highlight our brand values, but also the importance of the quality and design of the garments in the new collection.”
Werbowy has just appeared in another fast fashion campaign, repping Isabel Marant‘s H&M collaboration, but she is perhaps best known for her work on Marant’s eponymous label and for Phoebe Philo‘s Céline. No model is better associated with a certain kind of slouchy Parisian chic (articulated by Marant and Philo’s designs), one of today’s most aspired-to aesthetics — and one which fast fashion brands have copied relentlessly.
I’m guessing that’s what Mango means when it talks about a renewed emphasis on quality and design — these are the hallmarks of designers like Marant and Philo, who eschew luxury logomania for boyish, sophisticated cuts and exquisite but understated materials, typically in muted tones.
In the past, the Spanish retailer has been associated with more conventional ideas about femininity and aspirational taste: the Mango lady is all ruffles and animal prints, curves and smiles. The preview photos we received from the brand’s Spring 2014 ads, featuring Werbowy and photographed by Josh Olins have a decidedly understated, minimalist feel. The 29-year-old model’s hair is beachy and blowing in the wind (machine); she’s styled in neutral-colored staples, posing against an expansive background of tan beachy sand. Mango expects the full ads to drop in February 2014.
I’ve asked Mango for further comment about the brand’s new direction and will report back when I get word.
