Annie Leibovitz photographs Golden Globe nominated James McAvoy for the Prada menswear fall/winter campaign.
A leading man of cinema and style, McAvoy has been celebrated for his outstanding performances in The Last King of Scotland, Atonement and Filth, as well as the star-studded X-Men franchise.
In him Leibovitz finds a charismatic and unpredictable conspirator, an introspective hero who brings an effortless intimacy and individuality to the menswear collection.
The conversation between Prada and architecture is constant.
The show space in January was designed as an experimental and informal stage for performance.
As if in a theatre characters, set, music and costume came together to form an experience – open to the interpretation of the audience provocatively placed around, above and within the show space.
From the orchestra pit concert group L’Usignolo performed music from Pina Bausch shows and the songs of Kurt Weill.
Here McAvoy’s theatre is formed of concrete and stone, the austere landscape shot in black and grey, an homage to the German avant-garde.
Concrete staircases, stone paving and a rocky coast swept by a grey sea bring a certainty and magnitude to the atmosphere of the photographs. Against this backdrop Leibovitz and McAvoy interpret the Prada man a play of multiple acts.
Defiant tailoring, winter coats, utilitarian jackets and shirts with contrasting collars balance the personal and the stylized. A slim, sleek silhouette inspired by uniforms, especially those of military bands, brings an eccentric elegance.
Gabardine, silk twill, mohair-silk blend and crepe de chine textures contrast the austere surroundings.
The dramatic effect is an experimental narrative of bold and exceptional individuality.
