CH Carolina Herrera’s [IG] new 2024 social media handbag campaign turns to Ethiopian-heritage beauty Liya Kebede, lensed by French photographer François Halard [IG], widely known for his interior and architecture photography and recent books published by Rizzoli.

“The idea was to associate the woman Liya and the brand to create a sense of intimacy and luxury that would attract and appeal to other women,” Halard said about the campaign release.

The photographer shoots the the top model, proud mama and Ethiopian women and girls Lemlem brand philanthropist at l’Hotel Marrakech in Morocco.

Inspired by his own home in France’s Provençal city Arles, Halard’s fashion photography is influenced by the same vision alive in his interior design photography. The creation of a living place in the images solicits an inspiring narrative and an atmosphere suitable to the client, the model and viewer or observer. Through the lens, all participants are speaking — or at least exposed to — a language.

Kebede steps into her set at l’Hotel Marrakech wearing key pieces from Herrera’s new ready-to-wear collection. Key bags in the social media campaign include the Initials, Lacito and Doma from the Insignia Collection, along with such bags such as Matryoshka, Blasón and Camelot.

“My approach has always been to focus on the quality of the details. And also to bring the idea of the excellence to the brand,” Halard explains further in the campaign’s press statement. It’s worth noting that many fashion photographers have the opposite view of details being minimally important to a fashion campaign.

Herrera bags are created in the company’s Leather Atelier in Ourense, Spain.

AOC has written about Kebede’s philanthropy multiple times. In addition to her Ethiopia-produced Lemlem brand, the beloved model has been the World Health Organization’s ambassador for maternal, newborn and child health since 2005.

Her own two children son Suhul, now 23, and daughter Raee, age 18 appeared with their famous mother in the June 2024 issue of American Vogue. Tyler Mitchell lensed the Kebede trio in a fashion story ‘Now and Forever’. This link takes you to AOC’s Liya Kebede archives.