From Sketch to Store: French Connection A/W 2013 campaign leaves little to the imagination

A brand that claims that it doesn’t follow trends but makes them, French Connection teamed up with photographer Rankin and his creative agency, The Full Service, to create their newest campaign, From Sketch To Store.  

French Connection set out to create a campaign that reflected the brand’s unique process of designs going straight from the sketchbook to the store’s floor.  To mirror the start of the design process, models Harvey Newton Haydon, Milou Sluis and Georgia Frost were photographed naked, then illustrator Jo Bird came in to superimpose design sketches onto the printed pictures.  To complete the process, models were photographed wearing the actual garments from the autumn/winter 2013 collection.  The result?  An edgy-yet-tasteful collection of photos, gifs, and stop-motion videos that gives consumers insight into French Connection’s design process.

The campaign is sure to turn a few heads and shock prude eyes, but French Connection is no stranger to controversy.  They’ve nearly built their entire reputation on pushing advertising boundaries.  Their infamous fcuk campaign in the late 90s used simple lines like “fcuk fashion” and launched the brand as a prominent competitor on the British high street.  Taking a cheeky poke at our favourite four-letter word, the acronym for French Connection United Kingdom raised a few eyebrows to say the least.  Whether the campaign offended or amused consumers, it eventually evolved to personify the brand’s playfully edgy identity.  From Sketch To Store reminds us of French Connection’s ability to innovate while having a sense of humour – something we haven’t seen from them in over a decade.

“As our first 360-degree fashion campaign as an agency, The Full Service was incredibly excited when French Connection approached us to realise their AW13 campaign. I’ve always admired the brand for striving to push boundaries, and for their fearless approach to captivating campaign concepts. I hope the ‘From Sketch to Store’ execution by The Full Service continues their history of stand-out campaigns.” – Rankin, The Full Service.

Christianna Pugliese
Photos: Courtesy of French Connection

Shop the autumn/winter 2013 Collection here!

Watch the French Connection AW13 Campaign here: