Christine Willis stars in Greek luxury jewellery campaign - Saint model shining through pandemic

The COVID -19 pandemic may have brought the world to a standstill, but Saint International models are steaming full speed ahead in all their glory. The Jamaica-based model management company is celebrating its 20th birthday this year in the midst of an unprecedented international crisis. And what better way to continue the celebration than with Christine Willis, now making transcontinental waves in her new global multimedia campaign for luxury Grecian jewellery label Konstantino.

The much-sought-after, individually crafted pieces are inspired by the beauty, history and culture of Greece. Designer Kosta Konstantino is inspired by Byzantine era art as he himself spent his childhood playing around the around The Acropolis, and the Temple of Delphi.

Shot last November in Athens, the just-released campaign showcases the Jamaican model in a multitude of stylised images for Konstantino’s Astria Collection that include high-end rings, necklaces, pendants, earrings and bracelets. Willis was flown from Jamaica for the high-profile gig. “Seeing and being immersed in different cultures while in Greece for the shoot was a fantastic experience,” shared the St Mary-born and raised, now accustomed to frequently jetting off to Paris, Milan and London for her ever- expanding list of prestigious client projects.

“The Konstantino shoot is my first jewellery campaign,” the effervescent 20-year-old told The Gleaner, having previously starred in clothing ads for the elite French fashion brands Balenciaga and Celine, co-fronting a paparazzi-themed worldwide campaign for the former in 2018, and gracing the runway with exclusive appearances for the latter. “I realised that poses and angling are not quite the same on clothing and jewellery shoots, but what’s important is to make my confidence shine through, so doing the Konstantino project was good as it provided me with many learning moments, and also an opportunity to work with very cool people like the photographer Katerina Tsatsani and stylist Gianni Inglese,” recounted Willis, who is balancing academic studies at The University of the West Indies where she is enrolled as a second-year accounting major.

She is represented in London, New York, Milan, Paris, and Greece. “Christine is a unique beauty whose wit and charm and elegant silhouette are star-making combinations. I always believed in her, and while many international agencies passed on her when I proposed her, I never lost my interest. I was validated when I directly booked her for her historic global debut as an exclusive for the legendary French house of Balenciaga in October 2017,” shared Deiwght Peters. Since then, Christine went on to appear in global advertising campaigns and other visual projects for the trendsetting French fashion house. Her star profile rose at a blistering pace.

Already, she’s racked up a roster of fashionable exploits, among them, landing a solo cover for the highly influential fashion glossyPop, lookbooks and e-commerce for Balenciaga, and runway turns for Issey Miyake, Commes des Garcons and Y Project.