Seasonal trends evoke a romantic style with modern élan.

Romantic and exquisite.
Precious as treasure.
Rare and ornate.
Ancient fabrics mixed with fragile silks and refined jacquards.

Past and future. A meeting of two worlds.

Our history holds the key to our future. We don’t wish to emulate the past, just use our imagination to generate modern ideas.

Originals are the starting point, revisited with humor and imagination to obtain new creations.

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Only a few months have gone by and we’re already back on the road.
This time, along with some shots for our catalogue, we’re working on a Mandarina Duck business travel advertising campaign.

Rotterdam is our destination. The themes, which link back to the shoot in Leon (do you remember the city with warm architecture and cold weather?), are design, modernity and architecture.
Our traveller has changed his destination, but his interests and landmarks have remained the same.

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After all the backstage gossip, the new Mandarina Duck campaign is finally out!
The shots by Bruno Van Mossevele have just been published in such fashion magazines as Glamour, Velvet and Marie Claire!

So, go take a good look!

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Amongst the numerous emails waiting for me when I got back was a fantastic surprise. The backstage pictures of the upcoming Mandarina Duck Fall/Winter collection. The shots were “stolen” from the set with a cell phone. Even though the material is “unofficial”, it has captured the positive, ironic and original atmosphere.

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Among the numerous e-mails to open when I just got back, I’ve found a great surprise: the backstage photos of next Mandarina Duck Fall Winter collection.
The shots have been “stolen” from the set with a cellular phone.
Despite the fact that the material is “unofficial”, we can capture a positive, ironic atmosphere.

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All morning long, I’ve been thinking about the best way to write this post.
When talking about such delicate subjects, it’s hard not to be saccharin or to use clichés.
So, I’ve decided to just be direct.
I’m very pleased to tell you about an important initiative! A few days ago, we started a project in support of “Save the Children”, the largest independent international organization defending the rights of minors.

“Save the Children” develops projects for the long-term, sustainable improvement of children’s welfare by: working side by side with local communities; bringing immediate help, assistance and support to families in emergency situations caused by wars or natural disasters; speaking for children and promoting their active involvement by putting pressure on national and international governments and institutions.

For every online order made from June to December 2008, Mandarina Duck will donate 1 euro to “Save the Children” for projects that safeguard children.

Apart from our initiative, I invite you all to visit their website and make a donation directly to their important community projects and give a smile to someone less fortunate.

As Neil Armstrong said, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”!

Technorati Tags: Save the children, charity, online shop

Hi, my name is Roberta. I work in Mandarina Duck’s communications office, specifically for the travel and business products division.

I’d like to tell you about the shoot for our Spring-Summer 2008 catalogue, which will soon be available in our shops!

It all started with casting calls, many debates and desperate telephone calls in makeshift Spanish. It was a big job but we did it in only three weeks, which of course is relative considering how much we had to organize it all. But we managed it!

5 am:
The alarm clock rang; I automatically jumped out of bed and was immediately ready, so I stared out of the window while waiting for the taxi to take me to the airport. I got there and waited for Francesco (our communications director) and then we were ready to go!

7 am:
Flight to Madrid followed by transfer to Leon. The photographer, stylist and digital assistant from Milan were waiting for us in Madrid. The rest of the group was local.

11 am:
We loaded our stuff into our vehicle, everyone was in a good mood, the only thing missing was Jean, the model.
We waited for him in the labyrinth of the Madrid airport (very beautiful btw) and, I must confess, I was a bit nervous.
When you choose a face without seeing it in real life, you can end up with an unpleasant surprise.
Anyway, we were lucky. Jean arrived and turned out to be a happy, fun guy!  Read the rest of this entry »

This season, there are some people looking for a new point of view, one that is turned completely upside-down.
They surely won’t go unnoticed in newspapers and magazines in the coming days!

Here are some photos stolen from backstage of a new campaign shot by Will Sanders in the heart of modern Barcelona.

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It appears very timely to me, mirroring the desire for newness and change.
Perhaps the world is more beautiful upside-down.

What do you think about it?

Technorati Tags: Advertising, Ads, backstage, Barcelona, Will Sanders, Mandarina Duck

A while ago, a blog reader had asked me about our advertising campaign from 1998 to 1999, which had impressed her very much. The image was of a just-married elderly couple coming out of a church, which had also been used as a store banner.
According to the blog reader, the ad communicated a positive brand image and emphasized people who had worked hard all their lives.

While I was going through the Mandarina Duck archives, I found these images of “2037: a future documentary”.
This campaign ran for three consecutive seasons and its mission was to talk about a not-too-distant future.

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Brief, concise and specific, this is requested by a well-informed client that uses naming! A few words and seconds to obtain a desired object, a brand new Gucci bag.
No more alphanumeric codes or ambiguous descriptions but an actual name to identify the product.

Naming is becoming more common in accessory companies that manufacture for both the luxury and the mass markets.
In the current market, it’s no longer good enough to just choose the right trends, colors, shapes and sizes of new products. You need to make up a convincing story about the product in order to have it perceived as unique. This is why accessory companies now need to create something more than just an “eye-catching” bag but rather a product with a “catchy” name.

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