Santoni: On Beauty
Classic craftsmanship explored through contemporary cultural luminaries
Founded in 1975, Santoni has long stood as one of Italy’s most revered makers of handcrafted footwear. Its founder, Andrea Santoni, built the brand on a dedication to beauty. TC & Friends directed its visual storytelling for three consecutive seasonal campaigns, partnering with legendary photographer Koto Bolofo to reimagine how Santoni’s craftsmanship could be communicated through culture.
Client
Santoni
Services
Advertising
Creative Direction
Concept Design
Brand Consultancy
As creative directors of Santoni’s On Beauty campaign series, TC & Friends conceived a narrative-led campaign, told across film and photography, that explored personal perspectives on beauty, taste and lasting design. It invited a curated cast of global creatives, business figures and cultural leaders to reflect on what beauty means to them; drawing a parallel with the enduring quality of Santoni’s handmade shoes.
Their answers formed a portrait of contemporary elegance, voiced by those who shape culture in fashion, design, art and entrepreneurship.
For the first TC & Friends directed campaign, Spring/Summer 2019, contributors included: art director and fashion designer Sofia Sanchez de Betak; fashion director and brand consultant Atip Wananuruks; restaurateur Charles Compagnon; jewellery designer Hannah Martin; Larusmiani CEO and President Guglielmo Miani; museologist and writer James Bradburne; architect and designer Patricia Urquiola alongside Alberto Zontone; architect Giulio Cappellini; and Amina Gaye Moroso of the Moroso family.
TC & Friends’ work on the Autumn/Winter 2019 campaign expanded the dialogue, with appearances from: entrepreneur Arthur Kay, classical pianist Rosey Chan, design studio Formafantasma, artist Maurizio Cattelan, designer Lara Bohinc, photographer and artist Micol Sabbadini, sound artist and designer Yuri Suzuki, and Fantom founder and editor Selva Barni.
The final chapter, Spring/Summer 2020, brought together fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford, IWC Schaffhausen CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr, architect Dara Huang, designer Gesa Hansen, Rubelli CEO Nicolò Favaretto-Rubelli and Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers.
On Beauty provided Santoni with a place in the conversation about what beauty means today – with handmade craft at the centre of the answer.
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