In today’s edition of “Raf Simons Just Gets It,” Calvin Klein’s Spring 2017 underwear campaign stars the cast of Oscar winner La La LandMoonlight, a film that explores the nature and meaning of black masculinity. The campaign features actors Ashton Sanders, Mahershala Ali, Trevante Rhodes and Alex Hibbert. (All of whom, save for Ali, wore Calvin Klein as they belatedly ascended the stage to accept their Best Picture award. Ali, who also took home the award for Best Supporting Actor, wore Ermenegildo Zegna Couture.)
Styled by Olivier Rizzo and shot by longtime Raf collaborator Willy Vanderperre, the black and white photos show the actors in various states of #cozy. The actors, three of whom play the same character (Chiron) through different stages in life, channel their Moonlight personas. Ali (Juan) models the brand’s iconic briefs and crewneck T-shirt. A well-muscled Rhodes (adult Chiron) reclines in his Calvins. Sanders (teen Chiron) strikes a more reserved pose. Twelve-year-old Hibbert (little Chiron) keeps it PG in an oversized tee.
“Since the beginning, Calvin Klein’s underwear imagery has always made big statements about masculinity; the performances of these actors in Moonlight affected us deeply and made big statements about masculinity in a different way. Somehow we wanted to bring the two together,” Calvin Klein creative director Pieter Mulier disclosed in a statement.
“It’s an acknowledgment of remarkable actors who are revealing something important of being a man today in what they do,” said Simons of the campaign.
Click through the slideshow below to see the full set of images. Never have we been so moved by an underwear campaign.
