For their Winter 2023 ad campaign, SSENSE pivots away from traditional holiday tropes, choosing instead to lean into a calculated, industrial irony that redefines luxury fashion house storytelling. Captured through the lens of photographer Chris Maggio, the project functions as a high-concept editorial, blending the warmth of seasonal motifs with the stark, cold reality of a working studio. The narrative is defined by a series of deliberate juxtapositions—glossy red sleighs sit atop gray concrete floors, while artificial snow falls against pitch-black backgrounds illuminated by crisp studio strobe lighting. With talent Julia Fox anchoring the series, the imagery pushes a surreal aesthetic, from gravity-defying towers of gift boxes to models posing alongside orange traffic cones and industrial metalwork. Stylist Briana Andalore coordinates a wardrobe that oscillates between structured velvet midi dresses and fluffy white faux-fur, grounding the whimsy in a sophisticated, avant-garde silhouette. This campaign masterfully utilizes live-action technique to breathe texture into every shot, whether it is the fuzzy detail of a cardigan or the sharp sheen of a satin ribbon. Supported by the precise beauty work of hair stylist John Novotny, makeup artist Julian Stoller, and manicurist Nori Yamanaka, alongside production by Lauren Noonan and environmental builds by set designer Rosie Turnbull, the campaign serves as a masterclass in controlled, editorial minimalism that keeps the focus firmly on the interplay between grit and glamour.
