As the star of and mastermind behind the hit series Insecure, Issa Rae has built a career on being unapologetically herself. So when it came time to put together a spring ad campaign about self-expression, Madewell turned to her.
In images and a video shot by the director Sadé Clacken Joseph and styled by Jason Rembert, Rae wears easy spring staples like a mint-green jumpsuit and vintage-inspired balloon jeans. She made sure the campaign would champion a range of creatives of color, placing subtle references to books by writers like Yaa Gyasi and Elaine Welteroth in the background of shots. And she brought her own ventures, the music label Raedio and production company ColorCreative, to help bring the campaign to life.
“I was so excited to work with Madewell on this campaign,” says Rae. “The concept and collection felt true to who I am, so I was able to just show up as myself. Plus, I got to incorporate Raedio and ColorCreative, which support underrepresented artists. Collaborating with creatives I admire — that’s what I’m made of. I’m really proud of how it all came together.”
Shop the pieces for yourself below.
