Few do it quite like Juergen Teller. Whether trudging trouserless through streams with Kanye and Kim, or reclining in the nuddy with little else than a bunch of helium balloons to hand, the German photographer’s deadpan self-portraiture has spawned some of the most gloriously off-kilter moments in fashion photography in recent years. This time, Juergen casts himself as ‘dad on holiday’ in the AW19 campaign for the latest chapter in ASICS and Kiko Kostadinov’s longstanding collaboration, with art direction by Jamie Reid.
The series of sunny images showcases the collaboration’s latest sneaker, the GEL-KORICA, which is available in either two neon and pastel colourways, or monochrome black or grey. The sneakers are placed in a myriad of curious contexts:held up to be inspected by an inquisitive goose behind a grille; proudly plucked by Juergen from a field of crops; or simply worn, as Juergen stands in nothing but a pair of skimpy running shorts—highlighter pink, of course—and a fluorescent yellow cap bearing the words ‘No Photos’. How meta!
Precisely what we’re meant to take from the images is left open to interpretation, but it’s this particular brand of quotidian absurdity that’s earned the photographer global renown. You could say something similar about Kiko’s work. Since his CSM MA graduate collection, he’s taken the everyday templates of workwear and uniforms, as well as traditional tailored silhouettes, and subtly warped them with his unmatched talent for eccentric pattern-cutting. All of which goes to say that his and Juergen’s match is one made in a glamorously bizarre heaven.
