GCDS SERVES KITSCHY PRINCESS FANTASY WITH ITS NEW SS26 CAMPAIGN
words by ANOUK WOUDT
Taking us around the confines of grand and dreamy castle walls, Anna Malygon stars in the new GCDS Spring/Summer 2026 campaign as “The Modern Princess.” Hyper-feminine fantasy clashes with the brand’s signature playful style, allowing us to step into a world drenched in irony and surrealism, while upholding an irrefutable sense of high-class glamour. Every look is a statement, swarmed with girly motifs — polka dots, apples, animal prints, Hello Kitty charms, spark — creating a fairytale daydream that's as silly as it is sexy.
If you are unfamiliar with Anna Malygon, let us explain why she is the perfect person to front this campaign. Known for her excessive, at times ironically unconventional style, she’s become one of the most recognisable faces of a new wave of Instagram personalities that's putting an emphasis on bringing the fun back to fashion. She’s very much in line with the trend of big hair clips, bright colours, and maximalism to the max that has been all over our Pinterest feeds.
Pairing satirical humour and an intentionally chaotic, unfiltered energy, she enters the GCDS realm naturally, blending instantly into her princess-protagonist role. This new campaign fits her especially well with its almost otherworldly absurdism, which draws us into a realm that perfectly matches the clothing’s loud pattern clashes and dramatically dotty silhouettes.
Shot in the hills of Los Angeles by Jumbo Tsui, we are introduced to the day-to-day life of a modern-day princess, in all of its messy glamour. From lounging in her ridiculously obtuse cone-shaped hennin — of course, every inch adorned with Hello Kitty charms— to playing dress-up with her butler, the life of a princess seems intoxicatingly fun. As she takes us throughout the hallways and stairwells of her very own fairytale mansion, each location deserves its own cute outfit to match. Through all the bits of colourful apple printed patterns and bubblegum pink bodices, we see the iconic Morso heels make multiple appearances — standing out with its signature fanged open-mouth heel — proving to be the perfect finishing touch for this everyday princess look.
