Prada and Miu Miu share dark and surreal Fall 2013 ad campaigns

While Burberry was all about romance for Fall 2013, Miuccia Prada’s campaigns for both Prada and Miu Miu veered towards the dark and surreal.

Shot by photographer Steven Meisel under the hair-raising light of a cold and ominous casting studio, Prada’s Fall 2013 campaign serves as the perfect setting to showcase the film noir glamour of the fall collection. The campaign’s short film stars 9 models, who play the roles of hopeful actresses, preparing for auditions and reciting lines. The dark and desolate theme mirrored that of Prada’s Fall 2013 fashion week show in which models walked down a shadow-clad runway. Miuccia Prada, the designer behind the label, was quoted post-show by style.com saying “through cloth, you can really make movies,” reinforcing the theme of the campaign.

The short film stands out our radar for both it’s seriously dramatic tone and because of an appearance by 19-year-old model Malaika Firth, the first black model cast by the brand in almost two decades. Firth holds her own alongside top models Christy Turlington and Freja Beha which is a feat to say the least. The 9 model-strong cast is reminiscent of the label’s much lighter Spring 2013 advertising campaign, also shot by Meisel, in which 10 models embodied the delicate, frilly characteristics of flowers featured on garments in the Spring 2013 collection.

An equally dazzling cast of models is found in Miu Miu’s Fall 2013 campaign, which shows off the collection’s vivid colours and bold patterns against the moody backdrop of a seaside pier at twilight. Directed by Inez & Vinoodh, the campaign features a roster of It girls including Georgia May Jagger, Adriana Lima and Lindsey Wixson. Set to the The Meters’ “Hand Clapping Song,” the gaggle of free-spirited models dance against a vanishing horizon in the campaign’s short film. A dreary sea-side promenade has never looked so chic.

The curious settings for both campaigns are intriguing, to say the least. From Miu Miu’s polka-dot hankerchiefs and striped stockings, to Prada’s vibrant checkered coats and handbags, both ads encourage pops of colour for fall.