The much sought after London based Australian photographer Emma Summerton whose work regularly features in magazines such as W, i-D and Italian Vogue is behind River Island's latest winter campaign, featured here with Liverpudlian model Hollie May Saker.
"I enjoy a girl who is kooky and sexy but strong and I like to put women across as individuals who have a sense of style and strength of their own," she told the US online magazine The Ground, adding that she preferred stark to heightened glamour environments and loved the "desolate '70s vibe that you get in places like Las Vegas – and a good bit in Australia".
The 1970s vibe certainly comes across in these images with the flared trousers, hard edged black separates and in the languid and studiously offhand poses of the model. River Island keeps a budget conscious working female with a partygoing spirit in mind with such clothes and prices to match.
Quite a number of designers in their London headquarters are Irish and every year the company operates an Irish bursary for a NCAD fashion graduate with a three-month internship. Some of their designs go into production; their design controller is Dubliner Lucy Moller, who won in 2006. This year's winner was Adam Henderson from Rathgar, and recently the talented young photographer Conor Clinch, now dividing his time between London and Dublin, finished a stint with the company. His latest shoot was another 1970s one with Laura Whitmore for Hunger magazine.
Blame Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent for this pervasive 1970s mood in fashion and the current penchant for floppy hats, skin-tight leggings, biker jackets and sky high boots, tamed down from the catwalk for the high street by River Island and other high street brands. Stirred into this modern bohemian street style are 1960s miniskirts and bits of Victoriana, such fusion incorporating familiar details from the decades like fringing, whip stitching and lacing on necklines, skirts and jeans.
Given the sparkle everywhere this season, from the rhinestone studded slides at Prada to encrusted brocades at Simone Rocha, metallics in glitter lurex provide the necessary high octane evening glamour.
That in turn is a nod to Studio 54, famous for its four tons of glitter dumped on the floor for a party in the 1970s. Shaggy furs, quirky tights and peep toed boots provide the requisite fun elements and colours such as mustard, red, grey and khaki match the graphic background set.
