English actor Rupert Everett, French Michelin-starred chef Mory Sacko and German bartender Charles Schumann star in the Shadow sneaker campaign. Image credit: Berluti/Roe Ethridge
French footwear and leather goods brand Berluti is celebrating one of its signature product lines.
Creative director Beda Achermann is looking to highlight what makes the Shadow sneaker its top-selling design. English actor Rupert Everett, French Michelin-starred chef Mory Sacko and German bartender Charles Schumann star.
“I wanted to capture the essence of three men, three complementary characters, to reveal the many facets of a shared essence,” said Mr. Achermann, in a statement.
“Each of them embodies his own set of convictions and unique creative energy,” he said. “And in their orbit, the Shadow appears as a natural ally of charismatic men.”
Across the spectrum
English actor Rupert Everett, French Michelin-starred chef Mory Sacko and German bartender Charles Schumann star in the Shadow sneaker campaign.
Shot by American photographer Roe Ethridge, the advertisements take the form of a series of voyeuristic portraits, capturing the three men during their everyday lives. The stills accompany a series of shorts, each showcasing the trio relaxing and speaking to the camera about their work.
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Each of the men represents a different clothing style and lifestyle that the Shadow sneaker fits into. Mr. Schumann showcases the prestige use case for the footwear, pairing the design with his cosmopolitan, formalwear aesthetic whilst posing inside his flagship Munich bar, Schumann’s.
On the other hand, Mr. Socko, a rising star in the French culinary scene, slots into a more working-class image, sporting the sneaker alongside his distinctly casual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt, in the kitchen of his Mosuke restaurant. His appearance, while core to the concept, also fits into a larger trend of gastronomic crossovers among high-end operators (see story).
Meanwhile, Mr. Everett represents a more laid-back attitude, with the portraits depicting the actor – best known for his roles in Napoleon, My Best Friend’s Wedding and the Shrek franchise – lounging around his home.
The Shadow sneaker made its debut in 2019 and is available now in-store and on the maison’s website.
Space for more
To kick off the new campaign, Berluti hosted a cocktail party at the Lo Brutto Stahl gallery in Paris.
Held during Men’s Paris Fashion Week in January, the event served as a preview of the campaign, with its portraiture framed on the walls throughout the exhibition space.
Lo Brutto Stahl is a major exhibitor at Art Basel shows. Image credit: Berluti
The label welcomed a variety of famous friends and collaborators into the space, with South Korean singer Lee Jun-ho and Mr. Ethridge, among many others, in attendance, alongside the maison’s senior leadership. Berluti’s newest brand ambassador, French actor Victor Belmondo (see story), also appeared at the gathering. The talent signed on as a representative earlier this year, becoming the company’s first new advertising addition since 2020.