Banana Republic and Banana Republic Factory’s True Hues collection is one of our proudest endeavors towards product inclusivity and diversity. Even better, Banana Republic Factory launched the collection in 75 stores and online this past February.
To tap into the spirit of the campaign, Factory integrated real-life Specialty and Factory employees to be featured as True Hues models.
We went behind the scenes to hear from the team about what it was like to participate in the campaign.
Banana Republic Factory’s Head of Marketing, Meena Anvary, says the campaign was sparked by a desire to celebrate the employees who work for their brand and showcase them in a way that would bring the collection to life. The concept was designed to feature and highlight a range of different women that work at Banana Republic. “The team’s collective energy created a feeling of sisterhood on set. Even though they hadn’t all met before, they developed a bond from this shared experience.”
Kimara Mitchell, Associate Art Director, says conceptualizing and bringing the theme to life was an organic process. “As soon as I heard that Banana Republic Factory was launching a True Hues collection, I knew I wanted to feature the women who work for the brand. Customers see the final product in stores, but don’t know about the people behind the scenes that make it happen, and that the women are very diverse.” As an African American woman, Kimara says that finding her shade of nude has always been a challenge, which is one of the reasons she felt so personally and professionally invested in the True Hues line.
Jessica Wybenga was the stylist for the shoot, claiming it was one of her all-time favorites, and it was clear the models felt the same way, too. “It was beautiful to pull all these women together who don’t necessarily know each other, but shared a common theme. The models felt strong and beautiful, and it was nice to have a day in our busy schedules to celebrate and appreciate that. I wanted to make sure the product each woman was wearing allowed them to feel comfortable so they could free and confident. Since the True Hues product is pretty bare, I made sure that shades of the product paired with the model was complimentary. I also made sure the denim was high-rise for trend, as well as some coverage, and made sure the denim wash was friendly with the shade of True Hues product so it popped.”
Pamela Nanton, Banana Republic’s Manager of Technical Design, Men’s Knits, was thrilled to be included as one of the models in the campaign. “To be surrounded by such beautiful women of all colors, shapes and sizes was incredible.” A former model in the 80’s and 90’s, Pamela oftentimes felt resigned to having to choose between ivory and black shades for her wardrobe staples. The opportunity to have an option that better represented her left her feeling empowered, she says, and made her feel worthy of being in front of the camera.
To shop the full line of True Hues at Banana Republic Factory, click here.
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