Dakota Johnson, Harry Styles, & Serena Williams All Have The Same Taste In Bags

Just when it seems Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele couldn’t top his previous inventive campaign concept (remember the label’s Fall/Winter 2020 ads where models photographed themselves in their bedrooms?), he unveiled a new series that is wonderfully strange and quintessentially Gucci. For the Italian brand’s latest whimsical morsel of fashion content, Michele tapped Harry Styles, Dakota Johnson, and more to star in Gucci’s ‘Beloved’ campaign. It took the form as a talk show starring said guests and their beloved Gucci bags. If the imagined campaign is any indicator, a real talk show from Michele would feature lots of tongue-in-cheek quips, GG monograms, and a delirious minute of nonstop laughter from Styles.

The campaign, entitled ‘The Beloved Show,’ was lensed by cult-favorite director and photographer Harmony Korine and hosted by late-night entertainer James Corden. Through short, two-minute interviews and a series of photographs, the charismatic Gucci muses show off signature handbags from Gucci. Styles carried the Jackie 1961 handbag while Johnson opted for the Greek mythology-inspired Dionysus bag. Meanwhile, Serena Williams modeled the sleek, quilted GG Marmont. For Michele, the iconic Gucci bags inherently possess so much personality, and he utilizes ‘The Beloved Show’ to give the bags deserved airtime.

“We decided to show the concept of ‘beloved’ in an ironic way in the campaign, being inspired by the fact that bags are the protagonists in my life and in the lives of many other people,” explained Michele in a press statement. “We went back in time to the original TV talk shows, where the protagonist is the bag itself, the big star.” While there was only one celebrity sitting in the hot seat, Michele played with the idea that there were two stars: both the bag and the actual talent.

Actors Diane Keaton, Awkwafina, and Sienna Miller were also featured in the A-list heavy campaign. They sported the Gucci Horsebit 1955, the GG Marmont in an ivory colorway, and a Jackie 1961 handbag that matched Styles’ own bag, respectively. All four handbag designs featured in the campaign were designed by Michele and act as an homage to both Gucci’s history and the creative director’s work. “I truly love and adore my handbags,” said Michele. “It was therefore natural for me to call some of the ones I created ‘Beloved.’ The name comes from my own personal experience and my love for them.”

For a quick refresher on the Michele-designed bags, turn to Gucci’s runway archives. The Dionysus bag debuted at the Fall/Winter 2015 runway show (this was Michele’s first collection as Gucci’s creative director) and the GG Marmont was presented during the brand’s 2016 Pre-Fall womenswear collection. The other two bags were newer additions to the fashion house’s handbag inventory. The Horsebit 1955 bag first appeared during the Gucci’s 2020 Cruise collection, whereas the Jackie 1961 was unveiled at the Fall/Winter 2020 show.

Watch a few of the interview clips from the talk show, below, then shop the purses from Gucci’s ‘Beloved’ line.

Harry Styles In Gucci’s ‘Beloved’ Campaign

Dakota Johnson In Gucci’s ‘Beloved’ Campaign

Awkwafina In Gucci’s ‘Beloved’ Campaign

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