Iconic footwear brand Birkenstock’s latest campaign, Come Back To You, is a storytelling journey rooted in personal style and the grounding beauty of being at ease with oneself.
Through the perspective of four local creatives, the campaign celebrates South African stories and style. Its tagline, #ComeBackToYou, explores how the Birkenstock with its signature footbed integrates into everyday moments and the rituals of comfort, which enable the protagonists to feel more human, more present, and more themselves.
In a world moving ever faster, slowing down is often seen as a luxury, an escape. But the campaign illustrates that true luxury lies in coming back to yourself, in reconnecting with your body and your joy. It’s not a break from life — it’s what helps us live it better.
Among the featured creatives is writer, editor and film photographer Celeste Jacobs, whose psychology studies taught her to pay attention and listen deeply. This informs how she observes the world, how she writes, takes photographs and connects with people.
Here, Jacobs shares how she comes back to herself by leaning into stillness, slow observation and creativity:
What are you currently working on?
A long-term photographic project exploring textiles in Africa. I’ve started with wool in the Karoo and connected with co-operatives in Morocco. The process has been interesting — I’ve loved noticing patterns and similarities. There are stories to be told, heard, seen and hopefully also felt. Words and visuals belong together and I’m lucky that I get to do both.
You specialise in 35mm and medium format film, and your works feature on global platforms including the Accidentally Wes Anderson group exhibitions in Korea, Japan and China. What drew you to shooting film?
I love the process; it’s so intentional. I try to notice what’s often overlooked, like a gesture, a shadow, a feeling, and make it visible. I’m so present in those moments. When I take photos it’s my way of restoring balance within myself. My work is a gentle rebellion against the fast pace of life. My pieces attempt to show the ease and joy that come with noticing the moments that can so easily pass us by.
How does that sensibility influence your style choices?
My clothes tend to sync with my approach to life: thoughtful, soft, layered with memory. I often return to the same staples because they feel like me, the same way I return to shooting in natural light or writing with a pen and paper. My clothes are quite minimalist, while leaving room for expression through colour and texture. I’m drawn to fabrics that hold stories, like linen, wool and worn leather. Just like with film, the beauty of material is often in the grain and how it makes you feel.
Along with Celeste Jacobs, Birkenstock's #ComeBackToYou campaign features creative director and costume designer Bee Diamondhead, cinematic storyteller Bathandwa Ngwendu and DJ, content creator and audio archivist Phola Gumede.
It was shot by renowned photographer Dan Carter.
— Good to know
How is the rise of comfort-driven pieces reshaping how people express boldness today?
There’s something quietly rebellious about choosing comfort first. It shifts the focus from impressing others to tuning into what feels good on your skin. Boldness isn’t only loud prints or sharp tailoring. It’s also showing up in a pair of soft trousers and worn-in shoes, at ease with who you are.
You balance softness with edge in a way that comfort and cool no longer compete.
We’re witnessing a softening of the idea that power must look hard. There’s power in tenderness, in subtle details, in layering comfort with intention. Modern streetwear has made room for silhouettes that move with you, fabrics that don’t fight your body, and styling that says: “I know myself.”
What does it mean to be part of the Come Back To You campaign?
Birkenstock is rooted in function and form, but is never boring. It feels like home for my feet. I wear my Birks throughout the year — from the beach to the office, when I’m shooting or after I’ve been for a ride on my bike. It’s natural to reach for them. It’s so wonderful to work with a brand I love.
What does Come Back To You look like in your daily routine?
Some days it’s writing without an end goal. Other days I’ll learn a new song on my guitar and sing along, or I’ll notice shadows dancing on a wall. Coming back to myself is mostly about finding ways and creating room to pay attention. To observe the moment as it presents itself. When I stay present and focus on the process of creating, most things feel easier.
Are there wardrobe items that can bring you back to centre?
My Birkies, specifically my Arizonas, are a sensory anchor. The weight, the texture, the ease of slipping them on, and the memories that go along with them. Beyond that, I absolutely love wearing clothing that belongs to my loved ones. There are few things more beautiful than that sense of closeness.
How does the Birkenstock philosophy resonate with your creative life?
Personally, and creatively, I see it in the way certain qualities never go out of style, like thoughtfulness, intention, and warmth. In my work, theory without practice is just a series of ideas. It’s the doing, the making, the feeling, and the living through it that gives things meaning. That’s where soulfulness lives; in the quiet honesty of something that lasts and earns its place over time.
Paint your ideal comfort day?
An early start. Sade playing in the background, her voice swirling around my coffee. Linen trousers, wool socks, a knit that carries memory, and my Birkies, softened with time. Gentle notes of bergamot or geranium on my hands. The light still quiet. A pocket of peace as I head out the door. I’m on my way to a place where a swimming pool looks longingly at the ocean.
How do you define luxury?
The freedom to feel at home in yourself. To wear something that doesn’t demand anything from you. To buy less, but better. And to move through the world with a sense of considered tenderness.
Birkenstock, as worn by Jacobs, are available online at bashafrica.com and in Birkenstock stores throughout SA.
This article was sponsored by Birkenstock.
