In its ‘making of’ video, Karen Elson describes this campaign as “haunting and bewitching”, possibly the most fitting adjectives one could come up with. The three models – Natasha Poly, Mariacarla Boscono, and Elson – are like the mythological Fates, fiery goddesses with the power of deciding man’s destiny. Roberto Cavalli’s rich velvets and billowing animal print gowns are perfect for pulling off that vibe while the Siren-like hair by Anthony Turner couldn’t be more apt.
Where the campaign fails a little though is in the lack of realism. The overuse of photoshop in campaigns and shoots is a gnawing plague on the fashion industry and while the fantastic, blazing colours that Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott capture are utterly eye-catching, the final shots seem to gloss away a lot of the genuine beauty that can be seen in the behind-the-scenes video. Instead the models seem flat and super-imposed; a let down for an otherwise mystical and high-impact campaign.
Watch the full video after the jump for behind the scenes footage and interviews with the models.
For campaign imagery from Roberto Cavalli’s fall 2011 campaign click on the thumbnails.
