Swarovski’s Holiday campaign features Ariana Grande, but the men in the frame deserve their own attention. Anthony Thomason and Pratik Shetty appear in classic black tuxedos, crystal-embellished accessories, and a composed stillness that makes a jewelry shoot work. Shot by the legendary photographic duo Mert and Marcus, the campaign shows how men can wear high jewelry without it reading as costume.
The Tuxedo as Canvas
The tuxedo is the most familiar uniform in formal dressing, and the stylists treated it as a blank page. Black jackets, crisp white shirts, and bow ties give the jewelry room to lead. Chunky silver chains run over the lapels, and a sculptural brooch with a wing-like form sits on one jacket. The silhouette stays formal, but the layering feels personal and a little theatrical, which suits a holiday story.
The approach also keeps the men from disappearing into the glamour around them. Each look has one or two statement elements, never a pile of them. That restraint is what separates a considered editorial from a campaign that simply lists products.
Men Who Hold Their Own Beside a Star
Sharing a frame with a performer of Ariana Grande’s profile is a real test. Her looks are layered: a white feather-trimmed wrap in one image, a multi-strand diamond choker in the other, and a large square-cut pendant that anchors the composition. The models do not compete with that. They hold a steady presence, letting the sparkle of the jewelry and the star’s energy fill the picture while their own posture keeps them in it.
In one frame, a model with tousled dark hair sits close beside the star, his hands clasped and his gaze turned away with quiet focus. In the other, a model with a sleek, slicked-back look leans toward her with a sharp, composed profile and a single statement stud. Neither pose feels overly rehearsed, and that is the difference between a campaign that sells and one that only decorates.
Mert and Marcus at Work
The lighting is warm and close, the backdrops are gold and red velvet, and the framing stays tight enough for the textures to register: feathers, crystal, skin, and metal. That intimacy turns a jewelry campaign into a portrait. Mert and Marcus understand how to let a subject’s presence carry the image, and both men benefit from that approach. For readers who want to see how the duo handles male subjects, our Mert and Marcus archive is the place to start.
Behind the Campaign
Giovanna Engelbert served as creative director, with Law Roach on fashion and styling, Alyx Liu on hair, and Michael Anthony on makeup. Together the team shaped every element of the shoot, from the tuxedos to the warm gold of the setting, so that each detail points in the same direction: holiday glamour with a sense of craft.
Anthony Thomason is represented by Ford Models, and you can explore more of the agency’s roster on our Ford Models page. Pratik Shetty’s presence adds a different note to the group, and for more faces across the industry, browse our IMG Models coverage.
Holiday campaigns often default to glitter and excess. This one works because the men anchor it. The tuxedo keeps the story grounded, and the jewelry becomes part of each character rather than a costume added on top. For readers who follow how male models carry luxury jewelry, this campaign is worth studying closely.
See how it fits within the season by browsing our Fall Winter 2026 campaigns, or explore our jewelry coverage for more campaigns that treat men as the focal point.
Discover the short film:
