Also Raises Funds for McGrath Foundation Battling Breast Cancer
Aussie lingerie label Honey Birdette has collaborated with iconic German photographer Ellen von Unwerth to shoot the brand’s ‘So Kinky’ new Halloween campaign in Paris.
Von Unwerth — who has photographed Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, David Bowie, and worked on campaigns for Chanel and Dior — agreed to the Honey Birdette shoot after she returned to Paris from New York Fashion Week.
Honey Birdette founder Eloise Monaghan said the brand wasn’t able to shoot the campaign they wanted in Australia because Sydney was in lockdown.
“We love doing those editorial-style photo shoots, so I said to my PA ‘see if you can get Ellen’,” she said.
see if you can get Ellen, said Honey Birdette founder Eloise Monaghan
Monaghan said she spoke to von Unwerth in a cafe on a Thursday, and shot the campaign four days later. “We weren’t going to do a Halloween shoot at first – we were going for more of a peep-show style. But then over a glass of champagne, we went from a concept involving two girls to a cast of 40 including performers from the Crazy Horse and Lido cabarets,” Monaghan said.
“We had Parisian drag queens, people in horse heads, a giant rabbit – and it was all organised in a few days. We were blessed to be surrounded by some very tenacious people, and Ellen was absolutely amazing to work with.” Von Unwerth also inadvertently came up with the name of the new campaign. “Ellen came out from one of the shots and said ‘it’s so kinky!’. So the name of the campaign will be ‘So Kinky’,” Monaghan said.
The shoot took place in a Pigalle bar that came complete with a stripper pole, and a large number of expats in the production crew. “There were about eight Aussies in there who we didn’t know beforehand. It was crazy to see so many Australians in the middle of Paris for this random shoot,” Monaghan said. The campaign is loaded with leather and latex, along with a zippered design called George that took its inspiration from George Michael’s ‘Faith’ music video.
“It’s a deeper darker collection than we’ve done for the last six months, which was more about colour pops and bringing everyone out of COVID. Now we’re getting more sinister. Honey Birdette has to evolve and not just follow trends, but get in front of them.” Monaghan said.
Also this month, shining a light on Breast Cancer, Honey Birdette also premiered its all-pink Natalie Collection to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation, directly supporting thousands of people experiencing breast cancer each year. It’s these women who are the inspiration behind the brand’s annual donation every October to breast cancer charity the McGrath Foundation. The McGrath Foundation funds their Breast Care Nurses who provide invaluable physical, psychological and emotional support to people experiencing breast cancer and their families from the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment.
shining a light on Breast Cancer, Honey Birdette also premiered its all-pink Natalie Collection to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation
By raising money for these nurses, Honey Birdette hopes to directly and positively impact the lives of Australian women touched by breast cancer.
So this month, $30,000 from the sale of Honey Birdette’s Natalie Pink stockings and the new Pink Marshmallow candle will be donated directly to the McGrath Foundation. Honey Birdette are also releasing an all-pink lingerie set to raise awareness about breast health and to encourage women to conduct regular breast checks.
For brand founder Eloise Monaghan, the cause has always been extremely close to her heart after tragically losing someone close to her to breast cancer. Then when one of her staff was diagnosed at just 28 years old, Eloise wanted to take the chance to make a real difference to those experiencing the disease. “Watching her go through chemotherapy was heartbreaking – but she made it through. It really made it hit home for me and my team how essential it is to check your breasts regularly.”
Shop the Natalie collection today on HoneyBirdette.com with pricing ranging from $60 to $100 and sizes available from A – H cups / XXS – XXL. Honey Birdette drops a new collection each week, embracing a woman’s most sensual self.
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With love,
FWO
