A Voyage in Tuscany

If you’re on the list to receive our mailings, you may have received our latest catalogue through your door over the past couple of weeks. Inside, some of our favourite images from our latest campaign shoot, photographed by Craig Fordham and featuring model Anel Odendaal, offer a glimpse into the world of creativity and adventure that Sahara inhabits.

 

 

Considering how many of our fabrics this season were sourced in Italy, it seems fitting that the spring 2016 shoot took place in the heart of Tuscany. Evoking dreams of hazy summer getaways, the images take us on a journey through blue skies, Tuscan hills and sun-soaked cobbled streets, all of which provide the perfect backdrop for the vibrant colours and intricate patterns that characterise our new collection.

 

 

Open the catalogue, and the first images that you see focus on pieces that you may have already noticed online or in store, most notably our Textured Check Linen and our Stripe Jersey collections. In both, the fresh, cool colour palette of marine and white provides a contrast with the warmth of the umber-toned streets, really allowing the designs to shine as stylish travel-ready pieces. The stripe micro-collection was shot in a busy piazza where the ground was strewn with confetti – the aftermath of a wedding party that had just left the church. Dodging guests and curious onlookers, we took these (deceptively tranquil) shots, which really make the most of the golden Tuscan light.

 

 

As you continue through the catalogue, the focus shifts towards occasionwear, with our delicate kimono evening jackets standing out as a particularly elegant choice. These pieces, as well as our Rose Jacquard micro-collection, were shot around an ancient Roman spa – Bagno Vignoni. Although it was hot, showers punctuated the entire day, and most of these images were taken between frantically dodging in and out of a hotel to avoid the downpours.

 

 

The answer to such a hard day’s work was (obviously) wine and cheese, which we enjoyed beneath a trellis crawling with ivy.

The next day found us in a small hillside town called San Quirico, where we navigated the tricky terrain to shoot amidst the olive groves as the sun was setting. Our Linen Herringbone pieces were also photographed here – one of our favourite shots, in which Anel browses the wares of a small linen and fabric shop, was a fairly natural set-up. She even ended up buying a scarf, whilst the rest of us were stocking up on locally-produced pasta and olive oil.

 

 

The colours and prints become increasingly vibrant as you near the end of the catalogue, as we move into the real statement summer pieces. We somehow ended up on the property that was used for the filming of Gladiator (why not?), shooting Anel in some of our most richly patterned pieces amidst tall yew trees and sprawling green-gold fields.

 

 

With this campaign – as with all our campaigns – we wanted to show the ways in which our clothes can be lived. However, there is a new aspect to this particular catalogue that reflects one of the main concerns of the collection itself, which has always been closely focused on fabrics – where they have been sourced, the process behind their creation, how they feel to wear and the qualities that make them unique. We wanted the catalogue to reflect this interest, and so alongside our customary editorial images we’ve incorporated a series of close-up shots to show a detailed view of their textures and patterns.

We hope you enjoy the catalogue and the images that feature within its pages, as well as on the website. As for us – we can’t wait to get started on the next one.