VALENTINO’S DIVAS: Valentino is taking its collaboration with Sir Lewis Hamilton a step further. The seven-time Formula One World Champion is a friend of the house and has often been photographed in the brand’s designs, and he is now the first Valentino menswear DI.VAs for the Valentino Pink PP advertising campaign.
DI.VAs stands for different values, in sync with Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli‘s endorsement of inclusivity, civil rights and support of diversity.
“In his short Instagram bio, Lewis writes ‘Equal rights for all. Love is all.’ Few words that say a lot,” Piccioli said. “Lewis is an interpreter; he is able to use his energy to express his authentic and precious self. The talent he spreads with his whole persona goes far beyond his sportive excellence and embraces everything that he does. Lewis believes in what he does and shows it with effortless intensity. I have seen him committing himself to social causes with great independence. I have seen him wearing a pink total look and making it personal. I have seen him smile and chat with people in a very laid-back way. By doing anything that pleases him, he pleases us. As a DI.VAs testimonial, he stands for diversity, equality and, most of all, love. I couldn’t think of a better friend for this campaign. It will give an empathetic, human, inspiring message and it will be true, like the person behind the celebrity.”
Valentino praised Hamilton‘s commitment to making a difference through his position and influence, his advocacy work for global equality and his charitable foundation Mission 44, which aims to champion and empower young people from underrepresented groups in the U.K. through strategic partnerships, collaborations and grant-giving.
“Great things happen when we embrace our authentic selves, but even greater things happen when we come together to exchange our visions, values and creativity,” said Hamilton, saying he was honored to partner with Piccioli and Valentino, “a brand I’ve long admired, to celebrate the Pink PP Collection. I always strive to collaborate with like-minded teams who are committed to making the world a better place, regardless of the barriers that stand in our way. So, to come together and collaborate with Valentino on this powerful campaign is really special.”
Whether in the world of cinema, music, literature or sports, the DI.VAs Valentino is teaming up with play a key role in sustaining this same vision of unity, empathy and connection.
Hamilton will also work on Valentino the Narratives, which the company claims is the industry’s first text-only campaign. To this end, Valentino invites renowned international authors and individuals to lend their voices to create individual and impactful campaign layouts.
Launching this fall, Hamilton will lend a personal quote to this initiative on the theme of love, which will be displayed in select windows of independent bookstores within London, marking the first time the campaign has entered the U.K.
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Source: WWD