Eyes squint skyward in the searing midday heat, feet move through cool, crystalline water, a deep breath reveals the taste of salt in the air – the 2016 campaign transports the senses to a Mediterranean island in high summer.

Characterised by colour contrasts, vivid reds and blues and the ever-present sea, the images portray a varied cast of characters on the stark white and weather-formed Scala dei Turchi in Sicily. Working only with natural light and his trusted 25-year-old analogue Leica camera, Borthwick creates the prism-like colour effects so distinctive for his warm and spontaneous style by manually overexposing the film. 

The 2016 MYKITA campaign sees Borthwick return to a familiar technique from his earlier work – the use of photo sequences. Photography is often regarded as capturing a very specific moment in time, yet a sequence questions this by creating a mini-narrative that invites the viewer to imagine what happens in the moments between. The technique anchors Borthwick’s dreamlike images to the real world.

Borthwick’s photography consistently evokes a feeling of harmony between people and with the environment. To this he adds a sense of playful experimentation and in so doing captures the familial, modern spirit of MYKITA.

Watch the artist and his charming subjects hard at work in the special behind-the-scenes film of the photo shoot:

The MYKITA 2016 campaign lookbook is available at all MYKITA Shops, selected opticians and fashion stores.