Italian luxury house Bottega Veneta has unveiled a new creative project titled “What Are Dreams”, showcasing actor and brand ambassador Jacob Elordi in a collaboration with renowned American photographer and artist Duane Michals.
Shot in black-and-white at Michals’s New York residence, the work consists of a short film plus a set of 12 photographs. The campaign is anchored in surrealist motifs and explores the border between consciousness and dream.
Artistic Vision & Themes
Michals’s long‐standing interest in the unseen, the imaginative and the uncanny informs the visual language of the film and photographs. According to him:
“I’m very much interested in the realm of the invisible. My problem is, ‘how do I make the invisible visible?’”
The photographs feature Elordi in enigmatic settings: billowing curtains, floating feathers, mirrored distortions, unexpected props—evoking the visual vocabulary of surrealist painters like Giorgio de Chirico and René Magritte.
Brand & Collaboration Significance
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Jacob Elordi was a Bottega Veneta brand ambassador in 2024, making this campaign a key moment.
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Duane Michals previously collaborated with the house in 1985, so this marks a meaningful return. As well as deep historic dialogue between the brand and the artist.
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By opting for this conceptual film + photo series, Bottega Veneta underlines its commitment to artistic experimentation—not just product promotion.
Why This Resonates
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Luxury meets avant‐garde: Rather than a traditional fashion campaign, this is an art‐inspired work that blurs the boundaries between commercial and conceptual.
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Multi‐sensory storytelling: Combining a poem, film, and photography gives depth beyond a single static image, inviting viewers to engage.
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Timeless black & white aesthetic: Choosing monochrome increases the dream-like and classic feel—matching the surrealist themes.
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Brand identity reinforcement: For Bottega Veneta, this positions them as a brand that doesn’t just sell luxury goods, but fosters cultural and artistic discourse.
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