Resort 27 continues the conversation begun in Spring Summer 26, a study of freedom found through movement, adaptation and the space between opposing forces.

Where Spring Summer explored the quiet release of structure, Resort takes that idea to the Australian coastline, to the meeting point of land and water. We sat down with our Brand Director, Michaela Watson, to talk through the day. From the wind that became part of the story to the cobalt chiffon whisked away by the shoreline, we delved into the imagery and the creatives that brought the world of Quiet Rebellion into the summer sun.

WHAT INSPIRED THE IMAGERY FOR OUR RESORT 27 COLLECTION?

“For me, art direction always starts with listening to Bianca and understanding what is sitting behind the clothes. I love that process of taking something that begins as a design concept and thinking about how we can translate it into a whole world - through location, casting, photography, movement, hair, makeup and eventually the way we communicate the collection.

Resort 27 continues the conversation we started with Spring Summer and Quiet Rebellion, but we wanted to shift that world into the landscape. There was this idea of being between land and water, structure and fluidity - and the Australian coastline felt like such a natural place for that. Mahon Pool gave us this incredible contrast between the solidity of the rocks and the constant movement of the ocean. Then you put the clothes into that environment and suddenly the wind and water become part of the imagery too. We didn't want it to feel overly controlled. There needed to be that sense of freedom and spontaneity that comes with summer.”

AS A CREATIVE YOURSELF, WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR DECISIONS WHEN CHOOSING OTHER CREATIVES TO WORK WITH?

“It's always about finding the right creative for the concept, but also someone whose way of working feels right for Bianca Spender. I think about their eye, how they frame an image and what their own creative language will bring to the campaign. It's amazing how much a concept can evolve depending on the photographer, videographer, model or hair and makeup artist you bring into that world.

There's such a dynamism to Bianca Spender. Nothing ever feels completely still. Bianca has always said that her clothes are made to be danced in, and that has really stayed with me creatively. At the same time, there is this incredible sculptural quality to the clothes, so I'm often looking for people who can capture both.

Alex Wall, who photographed this campaign and is a long-time collaborator of the brand, works very dynamically. He's moving with the model, talking to her, changing perspective. The woman in front of the camera becomes a huge part of creating the image rather than simply being photographed.

That extends across the whole team. I love models who really understand movement, and hair and makeup artists who can respond to what's happening around us rather than being too precious about the original plan. On this shoot, the wind became part of the story - so you embrace it.”

WHEN PREPARING FOR A SHOOT, WHAT KEEPS YOU GROUNDED AND FOCUSED AHEAD OF SUCH A CREATIVELY INSPIRING DAY?

“I think I'm innately quite focused - my team would probably tell you very focused! But the creative side of my role is also the part that really energises me. A campaign shoot isn't an isolated creative exercise for me - it's the beginning of something. I love thinking about the full circle of it: what world are we creating, how will the customer experience it, and ultimately, what will that creative strategy drive? The preparation is definitely intensive, but I genuinely love it. A huge part of my process is bringing everyone into the vision before we get to set - first internally with Bianca and the team, and then with all the creatives we're collaborating with. If everyone understands the feeling we're trying to capture, you can arrive on the day with a clear framework but still leave space for something unexpected to happen.”

WHAT ARE YOUR SHOOT DAY ESSENTIALS?

“Water, lip balm, sunglasses and a positive attitude.

Especially on location, something will almost always happen that you can't control. For this shoot it was the wind - classic Sydney spring. We'd had this run of incredible weather when we started planning, followed by some truly questionable weather in the lead-up, so we were very lucky to end up with this beautiful day.

I really try to be cool, calm and collected on set, even if that isn't always my natural inclination! People can feel stress and I think the imagery can feel it too. You have to keep the energy positive and trust the people around you. And for this particular shoot, apparently a hairbrush for my bangs should have been on the essentials list. By the end of the day they were essentially 50% hair, 50% sea salt.”

WAS THERE A PIECE OR MOMENT FROM THE SHOOT THAT CAPTURED THE FEELING OF RESORT FOR YOU?

“The Cobalt Chiffon Effuse Skirt. That cobalt feels so reminiscent of the moment the ocean meets the sky on a really hot summer's day. There's such an intensity to the colour, but then the chiffon itself is incredibly light and fluid.There are a few frames where the wind completely takes the skirt and it almost disappears out of the image. I love that. I'm really drawn to playing with perspective in art direction and allowing the clothes to fill or disrupt the frame rather than always presenting them perfectly within it. It feels voluminous, playful and alive - and to me, very quintessentially Bianca Spender. There's structure in the design, but the second the woman moves, the garment takes on a life of its own.”

IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE RESORT IN A SINGLE MEMORY OR FEELING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

“Honestly, probably standing at Mahon Pool surrounded by locals swimming in the ocean and then getting out and putting their Ugg boots on. There's something so Australian about that commitment to the ocean regardless of what the weather is doing. I loved that we weren't isolated from it either. People were swimming, walking past, talking to us and asking what we were doing. It gives a shoot this completely different energy.

It reminded me of shooting Resort in Malta last year at a local swimming spot. The locals started interacting with us and some ended up being street cast into the campaign. I love those moments because you couldn't manufacture them. There's something about shooting in a place that is actually being lived in. You arrive with this very considered creative vision, but then real life starts happening around it - and sometimes that's where the magic is.”

QUIET REBELLION, AT ITS HEART, IS ABOUT FREEDOM FELT RATHER THAN DECLARED. WHAT DOES THAT IDEA MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY?

“When Bianca first spoke about Quiet Rebellion, it immediately created an image in my mind. There was this idea of freedom, but expressed with softness rather than force. I remember picturing someone running - that sense of release and freedom - but through this really soft lens. Nothing aggressive or declarative. There's a quiet confidence to it.

That idea really resonates with me personally. I don't think strength and softness have to exist in opposition to one another. There can be enormous strength in responding to something difficult with generosity, kindness or softness.I think the clothes hold that duality beautifully too. There is structure and strength, but there is also this sense of fabric wrapping and moving around the woman wearing it. In a way, the clothes hold her - whether that's through a moment of strength, softness or somewhere between the two.

I loved the hellebore as a symbol for the season for the same reason. There was something quietly resilient about it. Rebellion doesn't always need to be loud to be powerful.”

RESORT OFTEN MARKS A SHIFT IN ENERGY FOR A COLLECTION. HOW DOES RESORT 27 STAY CONNECTED TO THE WORLD YOU BUILT WITH QUIET REBELLION?

“It feels like the same world, but under different conditions.

The ideas that sat behind Quiet Rebellion are still there - restraint and freedom, strength and softness, structure and movement - but Resort shifts the tone. Suddenly there's more sunlight, more skin, more colour, more spontaneity. For me, Resort has this sense of having just emerged from the water. Everything is a little less controlled. Hair moves, fabric catches the wind, the light is stronger. There's also naturally more of a sense of celebration - particularly here in Sydney, where Resort arrives as we're moving into summer and party season.

That's what I love about building the brand world season to season. We don't need to abandon one story and start another from scratch. There is a continuous thread, but the environment changes around it. Resort 27 feels like Quiet Rebellion stepping out into the sun.”