Casablanca journeys to Ancient Greece for an Olympian AW24 campaign. Titled ‘Venus as a Boy’, after the Björk track, the campaign explores the timeless influence and harmonious allure of the Olympic games through creative director Charaf Tajer’s signature romantic sportswear designs. Drawing on the work of legendary director Stanley Kubrick, the campaign is imbued with innovative, dramatic cinematography, each shot is carefully positioned with meticulous styling, geometric shapes and symmetry for a campaign that transcends time.
Much like Kubrick the campaign and collection is big and assured, with powerful red looks amongst space age chromatic settings and pieces that recall 2001: A Space Odyssey. A short film from director Frédéric de Pontcharra traverses the pathway between the ancient origins of the games and the nostalgic futurism Kubrick is known for. Pontcharra and Tajer blend 90s musical references including Bjôrk’s ‘Venus As A Boy’ into the video, with a haunting vocal track playing over a quickening beat as the camera flies through the clouds and amongst Olympian muses.
“Björk’s lyrics in that song have always spoken to me,” explains Tajer. “As friends have often pointed out, her message—He believes in beauty. He’s Venus as a boy—reflect my ever-strong curiosity and my constant desire for beauty.
And the fact that Venus herself was the Roman reimagining of the Greek goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, adds another layer to our themes of.