It’s the campaign everyone keeps talking about—Gigi Hadid à la Twiggy in Stuart Weitzman’s Fall 2017 campaign, thanks to a pixie wig and the creative eye of Mario Testino. Susan Duffy, the brand’s CMO, gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how it all happened…
How did the “Breathless” idea come together?
I have to give credit where credit is due – the wig was totally Mario’s idea. He was inspired by Gigi’s beautiful features and thought the pixie cut would highlight them. Shay brought about 30 handmade wigs to the set to experiment with but we immediately knew this was the one when he put it on her. It is just so chic and different.
Why do you think Gigi and Mario make such an amazing team?
One of the reasons that Gigi and Mario have worked so fabulously for Stuart Weitzman is that there is a true partnership. Mario is one of the most talented photographers as he is able to collaborate and interpret the brand message with such emotionally resonant visuals. Gigi looks gorgeous – and you want to buy the boots. He is a perfect combination of creativity and commercialism. They work together so well because there is trust. Mario only does beautiful pictures and all of the girls know this. Because they’ve worked together so often, she lets him do his thing and allows him to always reinvent her in the most amazing pictures. Mario has also told me that he loves Gigi and works so well with her not simply because of her beauty, but because she is a hard worker and truly nice person with an incredible personality. They are both able to laugh at themselves, she dances like he does, she sings like he does and has such a generous spirit. On our team in general: We really have the A team! Mario, Gigi, Sarajane Hoare, Amir Zia, Shay Ashual and Diane Kendall—good vibes all around and a campaign we are all proud of.
What was the atmosphere like on set?
Totally relaxed and fun. Giovanni Morelli our new Creative Director was on set for the first time and totally bonded with the team.
Do you have any fun stories from your time on set with Gigi and Mario?
It was so much fun to try on the various wigs!
Why does Gigi resonate so strongly with Stuart Weitzman’s clientele?
Gigi is the epitome of the Stuart Weitzman woman – confidant, cool, sophisticated, smart – and nice. She is an authentic choice for our brand; she wears our shoes and appeals to our multigenerational clientele that appreciate fashion forward styles.
