Kurt Geiger channels 'holiday hedonism' with Emily Ratajkowski amid US push

British Footwear brand Kurt Geiger has never shied away from extravagance, and its Holiday 2025 campaign, "Let Them Eat Cake", sees the brand lean into unapologetic opulence with Emily Ratajkowski as its party girl muse.

Captured by Laura Coulson, the campaign imagines a decadent winter girls’ trip, where fashion, fun and theatrical excess collide. Model Ratajkowski lounges in velvet, jewels and crystal-adorned footwear, perfectly embodying what the brand calls "holiday hedonism at its most charming: overdressed, overjoyed, and unapologetically extra."

The campaign is a masterclass in playful storytelling. Accessories masquerade as desserts, from a two-tier pastel cake bag iced with crystals to a champagne bottle party bag labelled Kurt’s Fizz, each unzipping to reveal party-ready essentials. Even the iconic Kurt Geiger eagle is reimagined as charms, cross-body bags, and oversized slippers, while London nods appear in miniature pigeons and Scotch egg charms.

Footwear matches the maximalist mood. Snow boots sparkle with jewel-like embellishments, pink lace booties flirt with Carrie Bradshaw energy, and the Octavia sandal is punctuated with oversized crystals. Meanwhile, small accessories - rainbow-speckled scarves, emerald-studded rings, and sparkling earrings - complete the gift-worthy offering. Prices range from £49 to £329, maintaining the brand’s accessible-luxury ethos while delivering unmistakable festive drama.

Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, Chief Creative Officer of Kurt Geiger, said: "At this time of year, I love to turn up the schmaltz… but I always keep it chic.

"For this campaign, we drew inspiration from classic feel-good holiday films, with a wink of kitsch. Emily Ratajkowski is the angel atop of our well-dressed tree: a vision of timeless glamour, paired with the firecracker wit of a contemporary party girl."

The campaign arrives amid record-breaking momentum for Kurt Geiger, which has transformed from a London-centric footwear brand into a global name. In February 2025, Cinven sold Kurt Geiger to Steve Madden in a £289 million deal, after a decade of strategic growth, particularly in the US market.

From just four stores in North America in 2018, the brand now aims to have a store estate of 50 strong across Mexico and the US, which is becoming its fastest-growing and largest market. CEO Neil Clifford has credited this success to Kurt Geiger’s "creative and social spirit" and the brand’s ability to export London’s irreverent style globally.

The Steve Madden acquisition marks the next phase of expansion, giving Kurt Geiger the infrastructure to scale internationally while preserving its distinctive British DNA. The Holiday 2025 campaign underlines the brand’s strategy moving forward - to go big in the US or go home.