Our autumn arrivals come with a bold new backdrop. Here’s how we brought the campaign to life
We sat down with the lead art director and set designer behind the new AW26 campaign. Shop the whole collection here and read on to find out more.
Nic Duffy, John Lewis Lead Art Director
Tell us about the idea behind the AW26 shoot?
The creative concept for the shoot was built very much around the space that is The Box, capturing dynamic and bold images within the parameters of a defined, structural space. An integral part of the brief was to showcase the premium brands on offer at John Lewis this season; we purposely wanted to create environments in which the quality of the product could have its moment, without being distracted by other elements in the photography. It couldn’t just be flat walls – we wanted to create a more interesting space where we could be playful with lighting and angles, create drama and frame the product.
How did you arrive at the colour palette?
We knew we wanted to really push the colour palette and be much brighter and bolder than we have perhaps been previously – establishing colour as a key ingredient of the John Lewis brand moving forwards. We have a stunning signature blue that we paired with a bright orange. The intention was to create eye-catching photography and motion that stands out and makes you look – whether that’s online, in-store or if you are driving past a huge digital billboard. We’ve also introduced lime green into our typography so, all together, the colourful step change for us feels really cohesive, while remaining super stylish and premium.
Are we likely to see these colours again in future campaigns?
The blue we see in this campaign will continue as part of the brand DNA moving forwards. It’s already spotlighted regularly in Bluewater within the gifting emporium, and we also used the same shade for our recent Daisy May Cooper and Dilly Carter stories. To keep things feeling fresh and new we will bring in seasonal colours to work alongside our core brand colours.
We have already started working on our spring iteration of this world, and it’s looking super bold and exciting.
Lyndon Ogbourne, Creative Lead at Get Setsy
This season is a bold new direction for John Lewis, particularly in the use of colour and scale. What was the creative vision behind the sets?
I’ve always been really interested in the impact of bold block colours; the visceral effect it has on the viewer is both powerful and arresting, it commands attention whilst also letting the model or product shine. The focus had to be on the John Lewis fashion, but this helps to elevate the shoot, making it feel both elegant and cool. Working with Nic we were able to choose the colour palette that most worked with this season’s brilliant collection
Were there particular references, artists, interiors, films or cultural moments that influenced the look?
When I saw the initial mood boards and colours, I was reminded of the posters of Pedro Almodóvar films. There’s something about the strong block colours in this shoot that are unapologetically striking. The blue we used for one of the sets reminded me of Yves Klein blue, which is seen in Morocco a lot. It’s so rich and elegant, giving both vibrancy and calm in equal measure.
The sets are much bigger and more immersive this time around. What does scale bring to the storytelling?
The scale, I think, is what really gives it the impact. Those strong, almost brutalist angles make it feel architectural and grand, rather than just being a fashion shoot. I love to create set designs that feel large and almost like beautiful locations.
Can you talk us through the process of taking the initial creative idea and turning it into a physical set?
At Get Setsy (our design and fabrication company) we build sets week in week out, but this one gave us unique challenges. During the design development process we discussed incorporating a light source in the ceiling to give a continuous glow, but that developed into the desire to occasionally see out of the ceiling – so we could really lean into the angles and possibly even shoot the space through the ceiling. That being said, many iterations of the design were presented and eventually I feel we landed in a really good place.
Were there any particular pieces or environments that were especially exciting to design?
The ceiling was my favourite part. Nic really wanted to see the angles of the set, and also to have different coloured walls that could be incorporated or removed when required. This made for a really exciting and dynamic set that the photographer and stylists could use in many different ways across the three days in studio.
Were there any materials, textures or unexpected elements that played a particularly important role in bringing the sets to life?
We went through many different approaches of how we were going to create the textures on the walls. Potential options were gloss acrylic, printed canvas or maybe even a scenic painted texture. We eventually settled on bold, block-painted colours for the walls, combined with printed gloss lino on the floors and vibrant blue carpet. These were great combinations and complemented both the fashion and product shots really well.
What was the biggest challenge involved in creating sets on this scale?
The biggest challenge was overnight painting. Initially we were going to build three individual sets, all painted in different combinations but – in the interest of being green and resourceful – we decided to repurpose the sets from one day to the next. Given the size of these sets, this involved 120 litres of paint and 14 hours of overnight repainting, by a dedicated five-person paint team, across the three-day project! Lots of effort but a great result.
What was the most fun part of creating these sets?
I love beginning new creative relationships. I thought seeing how the John Lewis team work was a really enjoyable part of this process. From a construction point of view, my team enjoyed overcoming the challenges and hurdles of a large multi-use set.
