Magnanni's new Astro sneaker represented a departure: a retro-style sole designed for the streetwear audience, a younger demographic with sneakerhead sensibilities and luxury expectations similar to Kith's curated customer.

The challenge was positioning heritage handcraftsmanship alongside contemporary design language, creating a visual identity that felt both timeless and urgently modern. Through research into current market aesthetics and target audience preferences, a retro-future concept emerged as the strategic direction, using sci-fi inspired visual language to bridge the Magnanni craftsmanship legacy with a forward-thinking streetwear positioning.

Geometric staging with warm and cool lighting hierarchy creates visual separation between model, product, and void—anchoring Magnanni's shift toward modern luxury streetwear.

Build & Execution

The set concept was developed first in Cinema 4D, allowing exploration of scale, proportion, sight lines, and lighting strategy before committing to physical build. A week of planning and fabrication followed, with geometric wood platforms, raw concrete, and stark black backgrounds creating deliberate juxtaposition.

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Results & Deployment

The campaign produced hero videos for YouTube and website deployment, retailer-specific content optimized for in-store LCD displays, and a comprehensive series of stylized product and lifestyle photography developed across multiple formats. Content ran organically across Magnanni's owned channels and was distributed to global retail partners, maintaining visual consistency throughout the six-month campaign. The retro-future aesthetic successfully repositioned Magnanni toward modern luxury streetwear, bridging heritage handcraftsmanship with contemporary design language.

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PROJECT SUMMARY

Magnanni Astro Campaign

Concept & Creative Direction: Corbin Thomas
Styling: Jess Monterde
Production: Central Grip and Lighting, Columbus, Ohio
Photography & Direction: Corbin Thomas
Timeline: 2 weeks planning and fabrication, 3-day shoot
Scope: Hero video, retail display content, product and lifestyle photography
Campaign Duration: 6 months across website, social, retail, and email
Platforms: Magnanni.com (US/EU), Nordstrom retail partnership, global brand channels