Christy Turlington stars in inugural Matchesfashion brand campaign

Supermodel and campaigner Christy Turlington Burns and leading actor Ashton Sanders are the stars of the inaugural brand campaign from British-based luxury fashion and lifestyle retailer Matchesfashion.

The campaign, called Stories of Imagination, "celebrates and explores broader culture including fashion, lifestyle, home and travel" and was shot by photographer Chloe le Drezen in New York.

Turlington Burns and Sanders were chosen as "exemplifying innovation and creativity through their respective careers". The campaign is supported by two digital films exploring each career path. Turlington Burns appears in On Rhythm and Sanders in On Becoming and both films are designed to bring to life the story behind the campaign and the essence of their careers.

In her interview with Lynn Yaeger, Turlington Burns speaks about her 2008 documentary No Woman, No Cry and advocating for mothers: “I had the aha moment – had I lived in another part of the world, I most likely would not have made it. I began to wonder; how could I have an impact?”

Sanders is interviewed by Yale Breslin and discusses the film roles he has played, which include Moonlight and The Equalizer: “Every role that you see me in and see me on is based on particularity. There has to be a part that I am viscerally connected to. There has to be. Am I often fully moved by a script the way I was with Moonlight? Absolutely not.”

Ashton Sanders

The campaign will eschew print channels and will appear at specific sites in London, New York and Los Angeles throughout September supported globally via Matchesfashion physical activations and digital channels. The films will also be shown in independent cinemas including Curzon, Electric and Everyman Cinema.

Jess Christie, Chief Brand Officer, Matchesfashion, said: “Our brand campaign reflects our unique position and point of view connecting commerce and content. Stories of Imagination will develop customer engagement globally and will be amplified both physically and digitally. We have been creating narratives for over thirty years and the campaign is borne out of this desire to inspire our audience and create new connections and we look forward to continuing the conversation."

Christie said the research carried out by Matchesfashion revealed that content and storytelling had been key to growth at the luxury retailer and increases customers' likelihood to purchase by 50%.

Towards the end of last year, the company opened its 5 Carlos Place experiential retail space in Mayfair, which blends shopping, personal styling, content and events. Over the summer it partnered with luxury hotel chain Il Pellicano in Italy, staging a series of pop-up shopping events at select locations with the clothes arriving via a specially commissioned 1930s yacht.