PRADA FW26 CAMPAIGN EXPLORES ‘SIMPLE STORIES’ WITH BARRY JENKINS

Prada’s FW26 campaign ‘Simple Stories’, directed by Barry Jenkins and conceived by Ferdinando Verderi, offers an introspective take on everyday life. Featuring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Hunter Schafer, Chen Haoyu and Troye Sivan, the campaign highlights simplicity and authenticity, positioning fashion as narrative and cultural dialogue rather than spectacle.

Prada has unveiled its Autumn/Winter 2026 campaign, ‘Simple Stories’, a project that distils everyday life into moments of quiet reflection and understated beauty. Conceived under the creative direction of Ferdinando Verderi, the campaign is directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, whose cinematic sensibility brings a subtle, introspective perspective to the brand’s seasonal narrative.  

The campaign features Prada house ambassadors Kelvin Harrison Jr., Hunter Schafer, Chen Haoyu and Troye Sivan, each embodying a different facet of contemporary identity. Rather than presenting fashion as spectacle, ‘Simple Stories’ turns its gaze towards the ordinary, finding resonance in gestures, pauses and fleeting encounters. Jenkins’ direction emphasises intimacy and nuance, allowing the clothes to exist not as costumes but as extensions of lived experience.  

Verderi’s creative vision continues Prada’s exploration of storytelling as a central pillar of its brand identity. By framing fashion through narrative rather than surface, he positions the collection as part of a broader cultural dialogue. The campaign’s title, ‘Simple Stories’, underscores this approach: simplicity not as reduction, but as clarity, where meaning emerges from the everyday.  

The visual language is restrained yet evocative, with Jenkins’ hallmark use of light and shadow shaping the atmosphere. Each ambassador brings their own energy to the frame—Harrison Jr.’s quiet intensity, Schafer’s ethereal presence, Chen’s poised elegance and Sivan’s contemplative charm. Together, they form a collective portrait of modernity, diverse yet unified by Prada’s aesthetic.  

This collaboration between Jenkins and Prada marks another step in the brand’s ongoing commitment to aligning fashion with cultural expression. It reflects a shift in luxury storytelling, where campaigns are no longer just vehicles for product display but platforms for artistic exploration. By engaging voices from cinema, music and performance, Prada situates itself at the intersection of fashion and broader creative industries.  

‘Simple Stories’ resonates with the current moment, where audiences seek authenticity and connection in brand narratives. Jenkins’ film does not impose grandeur but invites reflection, suggesting that beauty lies in the overlooked and the everyday. Prada’s ambassadors embody this ethos, their presence reminding viewers that fashion is not only about aspiration but also about recognition of self in the simplest of stories.  

As Prada FW26 enters the cultural landscape, the campaign stands as a testament to the brand’s evolving narrative strategy. It is both a continuation of Prada’s tradition of innovation and a fresh articulation of how fashion can speak to life’s subtler rhythms. With Verderi’s creative direction and Jenkins’ cinematic lens, ‘Simple Stories’ becomes more than a campaign—it is a meditation on identity, simplicity and the art of living.