If you’re lucky enough to have ever gone to summer camp, you’ll know that—in addition to swimming in the lake, aiming for that bullseye at archery, and roasting late-night marshmallows by the fire—building confidence, making lifelong connections, and embodying a very specific type of ease and comfort are also true hallmarks of the camp experience. This summer, Neiman Marcus is harnessing the nostalgic joy of camp and everything it stands for with its new campaign that features more than 200 established and emerging brands including Missoni, Ulla Johnson, Acler, Jacquemus, Bottega Veneta, Cult Gaia, and Mignonne Gavigan.
Shot at a historical estate in California’s Redwood Forest and in Texas, the campaign photos evoke a particular familiarity in the form of oversized Jenga blocks, hula hooping, communal dining, croquet, and—the best part of camp, let’s be real—just hanging out looking cool and comfortable with friends. But—because this is Neiman Marcus, after all—each image is infused with the retailer’s signature glamour that low-key will make any fashion lover want to up their wardrobe game this season, especially as we start to wade back into summer activities most of us have been missing the last two years.
“We’re all ready to get outside, get dressed up, socialize with friends and family, and travel. Our customer’s desire for pure, unadulterated fun and freedom is at an all-time high, and they’re determined to make the most out of this season,” said Daz McColl, Chief Marketing Officer at Neiman Marcus. “The campaign concept evokes our borrowed memory structures of fun summer camp experiences rich in childhood nostalgia with a fashion twist you expect from Neiman Marcus.”
I was lucky enough to be among a small group of journalists and influencers invited to get a feel for the campaign IRL at Inness, a chic enclave nestled in upstate New York, where we had the pleasure of recharging in nature while mingling with an array of staffers from Neiman Marcus on the fashion and beauty end—including the aforementioned McColl, as well as Senior Director, DMM of Women’s Designer RTW of Neiman Marcus Jodi Kahn and Tatiana Birkelund, VP GM, Beauty, to talk about the season’s most in-demand brands and items, the retailer’s commitment to established luxury brands but also its support of smaller, newer companies, and the general NM legacy.
Guests had a chance to experience firsthand some of these brands ourselves, as an incredible variety of products from Neiman Marcus’ Summer 2022 collections were waiting for us in our cabins, including straw summer hats from Gigi Burris Millinery, a Missoni throw, Veronica Beard hooded denim jackets, athleisure from cool Australian fitness label The Upside, portable tech devices from Native Union, and an array of beauty, fragrance, and skin-care items from Augustinus Bader, Diptyque, Yves Durif, House of Bo, Natura Bisse, and more.
What struck me most about the getaway was the instant camaraderie that was felt among guests, largely prompted by the power of fashion. One attendee was wearing a truly outstanding blue Ronny Kobo jacquard skirt and blouse (available at Neiman Marcus, obviously!) that I so fervently admired that we ended up in a long conversation about our love of two-piece setes, a newfound appreciation for bold colors, and our general shopping philosophies. We exchanged IG handles not long after and have been chatting ever since. This, to me, highlights the joy and relationships fashion and personal style can spur, and getting to experience it in a setting that reminded me of the days when I had little else to worry about except what outfit I’d wear to the bonfire that night was particularly special. (Okay, fine, maybe everyone was a little more dressed up than a night by the fire, with a particularly special hot pink Versace suit represented by one guest.)
Below, find some of my favorite pieces to shop at Neiman Marcus for your most stylish summer ever, and to experiencer a bit of the magic yourself, select NM stores across the country are featuring window and floor displays featuring full-size archery and Jenga games (!!!), and customers can relive their own camp memories with a cool interactive 3D photo installation in the shape of a camp postcard. So, get to shopping below and be sure to follow Neiman Marcus to never miss a fashion update.
