Idris Elba wanted his first Calvin Klein campaign to capture his true self.
The British actor and rapper, who stars in the luxury fashion brand's Spring 2024 campaign, told Vanity Fair that while he wanted to stick to the classic Calvin Klein style, he also wanted to be himself.
"I didn't want to reinvent the wheel. I wanted to be in a classic (Calvin Klein) - looking ad and wanted to just be Idris, you know?" he told the publication. "Just to be me and not try to be a model or whatever, just be myself in these shots."
The images for his debut campaign, which were shot by Mert Alas, featured the actor posing casually on the streets of his native London while wearing a selection of the brand's classic styles, including basic T-shirts and jeans.
"I just play a lot of characters and generally people are quite surprised when they actually meet me. They go, 'Oh!' I don't know what they expected," he continued. "I wanted the campaign to see me, see my energy. There's lots of shots that are outside and in the real world, and 'me walking down the street' kinds of things, being part of our environment."
Idris noted that his personal style is similar to the signature Calvin Klein look.
"These are pieces that I would literally integrate into my wardrobe now," he said. "When I go places for my career or go to an event, I tend to dress it up. I don't mind making a splash if I have to. But my day-to-day wear is pretty clean, simple, and functional."
The star added of his latest project, "It always seemed like whoever they picked was cooler than cool and so now that's me, and it's very nice."
