Written by Menswear Style in New Collections on the 10th January 2019

This season, following the hugely successful 'Labels are for Clothes' launch in 2018, River Island explores the idea of the modern family with its latest campaign ‘This is Family’. Featuring an eclectic cast rich in diversity, the campaign centres around the various iterations of the family unit, whether that be in the form of single parent families, same sex couples, siblinghood, colleagues or friends that become our extended family.

Embodying the core brand values of catering to family and the many forms in which it presents itself, the campaign features a mixed cast of 11 variants of contemporary family. The story of ‘This is Family’ unfolding through the visualisation of what it means to each of us to be part of a family, embracing one another, and having a support system that welcomes all our quirks.

The campaign was shot by photographer Mel Bles and styled by Patrick Mackie, representing RiverIsland’s heartland values of connecting both visually and verbally with a far-reaching audience on a level beyond fashion. Into 2019, their mission is to continue ‘Spreading the Joy of Fashion’ throughout the impending season and beyond, as they continue to champion diversity, individuality and of course applaud unique style.

Across the mix of seasonal imagery, each collective is given the opportunity to tell its story, dismissing the traditional 2.4 set-up which now only exists in one in three families, and boldly outlining the notion that family in all forms builds the core of our foundation. These include Model couple Billie and Ty with their baby Tayo, Jamie and Lawrie, and six-year-old Sadie who is an aspiring model with Cerebral Palsy.

Bonded by more than style, these modern families are just a few of the amazing cast members that represent real family in its truest form. It’s not about the DNA we share, but the life and the laughs. Biological or not, family comes in all shapes and sizes and River Island is here for it. As they like to say, It’s a family thing!

With photography by Mel Bles and styled by Patrick Mackie, we look at the River Island SS19 'This is Family' Campaign.