Fendi ad criticized for desert setting amid global drought crisis
A critical opinion piece on Artribune condemns Fendi's latest men's advertising campaign, shot in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, for its tone-deaf use of a desert landscape. The author argues that the imagery, featuring a young model in fur with an expensive leather bag walking on sandy terrain surrounded by reddish stones, evokes real-world tragedies such as the severe drought in Sudan and mass migrations from sub-Saharan Africa and the Mexican border. The piece questions the lack of awareness among the creative team, including photographer, stylists, and Silvia Venturini Fendi, accusing the campaign of greenwashing by associating luxury fur and polluting leather goods with an arid, 'eco-friendly' aesthetic. The author previously criticized Dior's women's autumn/winter 2017-18 campaign for similar incongruence, framing this as a broader failure in fashion advertising.
Key facts
- Fendi's men's advertising campaign was shot in Lanzarote, Canary Islands.
- The campaign features a young model in fur with a leather bag on a desert-like terrain.
- The author criticizes the campaign for insensitivity to global droughts and migration crises.
- The piece references the severe drought in Sudan affecting millions.
- The campaign was created without apparent dialogue between photographer and art director.
- Fendi is owned by LVMH.
- Silvia Venturini Fendi is mentioned as a descendant of the Fendi dynasty.
- The author previously criticized Dior's women's autumn/winter 2017-18 campaign.
Entities
Artists
- Silvia Venturini Fendi
Institutions
- Fendi
- LVMH
- Artribune
- Dior
Locations
- Lanzarote
- Canary Islands
- Spain
- Morocco
- Sudan
- Sahel
- New Mexico
- Africa
- Mexico