FASHION

A CGI Version of Kendall Jenner Fronts Burberry’s Latest Campaign

Jenner photographed herself on her computer at home—and a digital avatar of herself can be seen in an accompanying video for the TB Summer Collection.

by Maxine Wally

July 1, 2020

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the fashion industry has seen a number of its brands and creatives finding clever ways to create compelling imagery. Art directors and editors alike forged through social distancing guidelines by photographing their cover stars over FaceTime, or having them shoot themselves at home. Now, Burberry is leveling up the way photoshoots are done in quarantine, with its latest release of the new TB Summer Collection, available online and in select Burberry stores today.

For her second campaign with the brand, Kendall Jenner photographed herself at home on the computer wearing a bodysuit covered in a print of the interlocking letters T and B—a nod to Thomas Burberry, the company’s founder. This print can be found in a number of color ways on other pieces from the collection, including a hoodie, leather duffel bag, and bucket hat.

Burberry introduces its new TB Summer Monogram collection c Courtesy of Burberry _ Kendall_001

But the stills Jenner shot are just one half of this campaign. There’s also an accompanying video in which a CGI version of Jenner—looking exactly like the model herself, with the 3-D likeness of Shudu, Lil Miquela, or other virtual influencers—wears clothing and accessories from the TB Summer Collection, posing with some of the lifestyle items included in the line, including a TB surf board and skateboard. The digital Jenner is set against a CGI background that resembles an empty pool, a minimalist environment with artful blocks placed here and there. Chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci teamed with photographer Nick Knight and art director Peter Saville for the campaign visuals, with Katy England handling styling.

A line of bags, done in a patent leather and a terry cloth version, are also available through this collection, bearing the “TB” insignia.

This isn’t the end of the IRL model—a human Kendall Jenner was necessary to create a CGI version in the first place. But it is an artful and imaginative way to make advertisements during a time when the traditional photography has been limited, and could shape the way fashion uses technology in the future. But we won’t get ahead of ourselves with this kind of forecast. After all, Burberry is getting back into the runway game for spring 2021, and will be holding a live show—albeit outdoors and with no spectators.