Creative direction — Zalando — Shot by Tom Blesch
To walk a mile in someone's shoes is good advice only if you can find shoes in your size.
Seeing how hard it is to buy great designer shoes in bigger sizes, Zalando partnered with brands (Eckhaus Latta, Holzweiler, GCDS, MISBHV, Elleme, Filling Pieces, REJINA PYO) to build a collection and a campaign that finally walks the inclusivity talk. For the LGBTQ+ community, restrictive shoe sizing has always been fashion's quieter vote on who deserves access to full self-expression. Casting was the most important pillar to get it right: Raya Martigny, Reece King, Maggie Mauer and Slim Soledad, all from different countries and backgrounds, sharing one thing in common, the complaint of how hard it is to strut in designer shoes, or having to squeeze in to smaller sizes for photoshoots. Not on our set though.
Shot by Tom Blesch, known for his unretouched lo-fi aesthetic that creates images that stop you mid-scroll because it looks like something new, sometimes weird, always memorable. Styled by Glen Mban, bringing a sharpness that comes from dressing your own community for years, knowing them inside out. Yagamoto was the precise movement director and Nara Lee the set designer able to bring abstraction elements of walking (wet surfaces, sand, treadmill, chairs...) as a refined touch on props. The shoot went on to become a reference and clear guideline for future Zalando designer campaigns. It also developed into a full PR event (exhibition, dinner and party) in Berlin, to amplify the talents' personal stories further and take a bigger stance on the mission of inclusivity.
Creative Direction
Julie Maillard
Director
Tom Blesch
Styling
Glen Mban
Talent
Raya Martigny, Slim Soledad, Reece King, Maggie Mauer
Client
Zalando
Creative Agency
Mirror Mirror