Other than metaverse. Other than odorless virtual journeys, artificially colored and falsely three-dimensional. Fay’s choice is the triumph of physical experience over digital, of human warmth, we could almost say, over the coldness of computers, whether portable or quantum.
The Tod’s group brand continues, for the Archive collection, on the path chosen a few seasons ago, which is an exploration for three reasons. The first is linked to the journey itself: Michele Lupi, head of the special projects of the Tod’s group, and the English photographer James Mollison, born in Kenya and based in Venice, went, with a small group of collaborators, to Alaska. largest state with the lowest population density among the 50 that make up the United States and the only one to be not only bordering but surrounded by Canada. A journey undertaken by Fay to find, among the locals, the ideal models for a new collection, in this case the one for autumn-winter 22-23.
And here is the second reason for the exploration of Lupi and Mollison: the voyage of discovery becomes a formidable test for the Fay leaders, since in the interior of Alaska the average temperatures in January reach −34 °, the snow cover lasts for 6 to 8 months and the rivers are ice free only 4 months. It is no coincidence that Lupi calls the people chosen to wear Fay testers, certainly not models. «From the images James shot and the stories we collected and put online, the approach that we have with each of the testers is not at all artificial. We do not simply ask to take photos and videos while they work – underlines Lupi -, but we get to know each other, we enter into intimacy by listening to their stories or visiting their homes and while they test the garments of Fay Archive ». In Alaska, as in the previous stages, Lupi and his collaborators followed the testers in their days and left them free to combine the chosen jacket (all variations of the 4 Ganci) with their own clothes. A unique experience, following the four testers: Alexandra, who commands a work ship, Eben, who monitors the activities and movements of bears, the geologist Erin, who drills and takes deep soil samples, and Michael, who raises musk oxen. And we come to the third meaning of the journey in stages born around Fay Archive, which has already touched remote places in Russia, Sweden, Scotland, Iceland and Chile, without forgetting the magical Spanish island of Lanzarote. Fay’s choice opens up a new way of communicating the values of a brand.
Like any fashion, the use of the word has also passed storytelling, which, however, in the case of Archive would be suitable. Any garment, of any brand, tells a story, which starts from raw materials, passes through creativity and through the production phases and then reaches the consumer. To whom, however, it is not always easy to tell this story and who is not always interested in history. More effective are certainly the stories and life stories of other human beings. Other than metaverse, we said at the beginning. We could add: other than testimonial or influencer. The Fay Archive campaign is a dive into reality. A reality that fascinates and makes you dream, as fashion should always do.