That’s Fashion, Sweetie: Not it! Who’s at fault for a flopping campaign?

On Oct. 4th, Prada Sport unveiled their new Fall/Winter 2022  campaign, starring influencer Charli D’Amelio shot by Norbert Schoerner, who is known for his work with Fendi, Adidas and Lady Gaga. While many oohed and aahed at the collection’s dreamy puffers and classic red rubber stripes, many immediately turned to Twitter to criticize the campaign. 

Some users were surprised they even chose her; she hadn’t done much modeling past red carpets and her own brand, Social Tourist (made in partnership with Hollister), and she was known for a more “girl next door” look compared to her sister, Dixie, who modeled for Valentino in December. However, I think it makes sense. 

Prada Sport is more casual than Prada, and is meant for the same age demographic as Charli and Dixie (older Gen-Zs and Millennials). At the same time, Charli hasn’t been relevant since season 1 of “The D’Amelio Show” on Hulu. But with her appearance on “Dancing with the Stars” and the release of season 2 of her titular show debuting at the end of September, she was back in the spotlight. 

But the biggest critique was that the campaign already looked like a bad movie poster, and having Charli instead of established models didn’t help. 

Again, I would have to disagree. I think Charli was giving Clover from District 2 of “The Hunger Games,” and the heavy dystopian snow kingdom is very on-par with the theme of the collection. According to Prada, they focused on “the interlacing of different universes [and] racing between one reality and another,” drawing inspiration from winter sports, adaptable and versatile fabrics and timeless pieces that are both high-performance and on theme with Prada’s minimalist identity. 

Still, this wasn’t Prada’s first bout with immediate hate from the fashion world. In their SS21 collection, they debuted a yellow turtleneck with dozens of circle cutouts. While some leaned into the possibility they were trying to mimic Off-White’s success with their signature circle cuts, the media backlash came from the £905 price tag (around $900) for a top that looked like swiss cheese. 

This then brings into question whose fault it is if a campaign flops. I think partially, it is creative and editing — styling an item poorly can make the most beautiful piece look cheap, and media graphics can make or break the campaign regardless of flawless styling and casting. And, obviously, poor modeling is always hard to look at — ahem, Kendall Jenner in pointe shoes in the Vogue Spain video. 

But even then, everyone can try their best and the campaign can still flop. I think the true and only culprit is the audience — and even then, we can’t fully blame them. 

The way anything is perceived can never be predicted. Audience reactions are so incredibly delicate since it depends on the circumstances of time, current events and even things as personal as a viewer’s emotional state when they see the campaign. 

Ultimately, all companies can do is research, be creative and hope for the best, because even then, bad press will drown all good press and advocacy. 

Maybe instead of holding our breaths, it’s time to start being a little kinder. I get it — some days I wake up, and I feel like I have been possessed by the devil himself. But, in those days, I still remind myself to be kind, to remember that everyone is (usually) trying their best and that nothing good comes out of being nasty. With the comfort of being online and behind the masks of random usernames, people seem to feel more and more comfortable spewing hate. 

But, even while writing this, I want the opinions of others online to be more bright, floral and filled with rainbows. Is it unfair to want people to hold back? To not voice their opinion? To not add on? And if so, should we just toughen up and remind ourselves that nothing is going to be liked by all?

I think a little bit of both, but even then, there’s nothing wrong with being a little kinder.

Hadyn Phillips is a sophomore writing about fashion in the 21st century, specifically spotlighting new trends and popular controversy. Her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” runs every Thursday.