In a spectacular fusion of fashion and cutting-edge innovation, Pepsi has unveiled its fresh new brand identity with a boundary-pushing collection by emerging fashion talent Jackson Cowden.
The high-energy launch event marked a return to the runway for Samantha Harris with the glamourous reveal taking place at a full-scale fashion show, set against the iconic backdrop of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, complete with a performance from G-Flip.
This fashion capsule collection has not only spotlighted Cowden’s inventive design prowess, but it also marks a new chapter for Pepsi.
From reinventing the little black dress to refreshing the classic white shirt, the collection pulses with deep blue hues and modern logo silhouettes, echoing Pepsi’s refreshed brand aesthetics. By merging traditional design techniques with advanced AI technology, Cowden drastically cut down the production timeline from nine months to just 40 days (unheard of in the fashion world), challenging the status quo of fashion design and production.
With Australian Fashion Week just around the corner we love nothing more than celebrating our homegrown talent. We caught up with the stars of the show, model Samantha Harris and designer Jackson Cowden, for an exclusive peek behind the curtains of this exciting event.
We chat with model Samantha Harris
marie claire: How important is it that we support homegrown Australian design talent?
Samantha Harris: It is important. And with collections like this championing designers like Jackson Cowden it’s great to see. We are a creative country that has been supporting and fostering Australian fashion for many years now. It is important we support Australian designers who are as good if not better than a lot of their international counterparts. Designers design for our Australian lifestyle, we need to embrace our culture and our incredibly talented community.
mc: Do you enjoy following trends? Are there any that you are excited to play with this season?
SH: Personally, I do not follow trends so much. I pick things that I like and that suit me. In saying that, I do like wearing tailored shorts with a casual blouse which has been quite a prominent look on the international catwalks of late.
mc: You shot to fame after winning a modelling competition on our sister publication, Girlfriend magazine when you were 13. How have you seen the industry change since then? Are things changing in the modelling industry? Is there more diversity?
SH: There have been some enormous changes in the industry since I first started and all very positive ones. Firstly, the industry has started to move away from using really young models, with way more diversity which is really encouraging, with all shapes and sizes now being used in campaigns, on the catwalk and in lookbooks. The industry has become far more inclusive which I love.
mc: You’ve hit major career milestones modelling for top designers and front covers of major fashion magazines – what would you like to achieve next?
SH: I actually have some really exciting projects in the pipeline which I can’t talk about right now. When I can finally reveal them, I think I can safely say I have achieved my ultimate modelling dream.
The Pepsi Pulse Collection:
We chat with Australian fashion designer Jackson Cowden
marie claire: Why did you want to incorporate ‘play’ into your fashion collection?
JC: Play is the most essential part of my creative process. Especially when reinventing classic silhouettes like with this collection, play meant that my mind could wander through ideas and iterations freely. I love to distract myself in this stage of the process, watching movies, documentaries and a bit of procrastination here and there. Really trying to provoke my inner child to show itself. It’s always present but play and experimentation really brings it out.
mc: What made you want to work on this Pepsi collection?
JC: Us creatives hold out for opportunities like this to just come along. The exciting otherworldly idea presented to me by Pepsi, I don’t think anyone could turn down. The amount of creative freedom that was given to me throughout the project to adapt and abstract the new Pepsi motifs that are part of the Pepsi brand refresh is something that rarely comes when working with one of the biggest brands in the world. I’m beyond grateful for both the opportunity and trust in my creativity, designs and world building.
mc: What part did AI play in your designs for the Pepsi Pulse Collection?
JC: I used AI throughout the Pepsi Pulse collection design as a new type of visual language. A language that could translate my ideas to images for real time feedback from the makers and producers of the physical garments. The process starts out in a traditional sense. Thoughts and concepts drawn onto paper, then scanned into computer. From there my process is entirely digital. A mix of CLO3D, A.I. Visualisation and unique references generated with Patternmaking.
mc: Can you tell us the designers or artists you are inspired by?
JC: My inspiration comes from an array of disciplines and mediums. But most of all literature. Writers like Philip K. Dick, H.G. Wells, Edgar Allen Poe, Alan Moore, to name a few of many. I find imagery to be too powerful and influential in my design process sometimes. Watching a movie or creating a mood board dictates too much of a collection. Whereas words, they set a loose scene and let your imagination do the work. You are gifted the opportunity to personalise a world, and create unique characters, much like I have done in collaboration with Pepsi in reimagining classic pieces for the Pepsi Pulse Collection.
