Very trendy! Fashion f irm in migration ad campaign
FASHION label Jigsaw has gone political with a pro-immigration advertising campaign.
The British clothing brand’s latest posters feature models of different ethnicities with a slogan of a heart and the word ‘immigration’.
Next to them is a 118-word ‘manifesto’ stating that ‘British style isn’t 100% British’.
The campaign, to promote its autumn/winter collection, is a bold move by the luxury high street chain, which counts the Duchess of Cambridge among its fans.
It could be seen by some as antiBrexit, with one of the chain’s bosses pointing out that ‘immigration is a controversial issue in British politics right now’.
Jigsaw’s chief executive Peter Ruis said: ‘Fashion doesn’t operate in a bubble.
‘We could just talk about clothes, but with what is going on around us it seems hypocritical and superficial to not accept the debt we owe to immigration in its broadest sense.’
And head of marketing Alex Kelly added: ‘There’s no question that immigration is a controversial issue in British politics right now.
‘But if you risk making people potentially disagree with you then I think it’s worth it, as that still creates a powerful emotional engagement.
‘One of our products could have Mongolian wool, Turkish satin, Chinese silk and Italian buttons, so the campaign will celebrate that diversity at a product level.’
The chain – which in 2006 briefly employed Kate Middleton as an assistant accessories buyer – has bucked the trend of falling high street sales.
Its new collection includes a £180 cashmere jumper and a £750 coat. Part of the Jigsaw manifesto reads: ‘British style is not 100% British. In fact, there’s no such thing as “100% British”. Or 100% Dutch, French, American, Asian.
‘Without immigration, we’d be selling potato sacks.
‘So, for Autumn Winter 17, we have launched a campaign – love immigration – to challenge the notion of British style.’ The campaign, promoted online with the hashtag #heartimmigration, attracted mixed reviews on Twitter.
One user declared: ‘I wonder how many customers you have just lost with this propaganda?’