The advertising campaign for the Spring-Summer 2024 collection by Borsalino is a nexus between stylistic research, creativity and exploration, a project which unites traditional quality and new experimentation.
The creations by Head of Style Jacopo Politi meet the artistic vision of renowned Japanese photographer Kenta Umemoto and the fresh perspective of a rising creative, Maysam Ahangari, the flower designer better known as Haus of Ninja. “For this creative project I wanted to explore the links between hats and botanicals, merging the two into sculptural stills, teasing out the enigmatic flow of transformations,” stated Umemoto. From plants to hats, and from hats to plants: nature and human creation intertwine rather than diverge.
The vibrant tones which define the Borsalino SS24 collection reference the concept of the Garden of Eden, an ethereal place that is recreated in the images by Umemoto through light and the use of leaves and flowers of Anthurium, Bird-of-Paradise, Lotus and Black-Tie plants. Their presence enhances the sense of lightness of the natural materials, which have been hand-worked by the brand from Alessandria, Italy.
Umemoto’s vision is a meeting point between photography and painting, influenced by ukiyo-e prints, a genre in which natural elements are normally the subject matter. Here, they’ve been replaced by Heath and Agata, two styles in Alessandria brushed felt, Clochard, a rollable Panama hat in crocheted straw; the Sunny visor; and Margot, a papier hat embellished by a band trimmed in beads and rhinestones.
Borsalino thereby becomes the curator of an artistic concept that is based on the search for and discovery of emerging talent, supported by established industry professionals to generate new energy and surprising results. This is precisely why the visions of Kenta Umemoto and Haus of Ninja have been united, giving rise to a new world made of never-seen-before places, colors and movements, images which bring the Garden of Eden to light.
