Gucci Presents the Gucci Beloved Talk Show

For Gucci Beloved Lines, Creative Director Alessandro Michele has conjured up a version of the late-night “Hollywood” talk show that surprises, and playfully subverts the format. Appropriating this televisual convention as the setting, Gucci has once again partnered with cult artist, photographer, director Harmony Korine to create a new distinctive campaign. 

The late-night TV talk show has become a pop-culture staple – beaming the lives of the famous into our homes, a touch of glamour delivered with a sprinkling of good-humoured banter. Now for Gucci, a string of well-known stars, including actor Awkwafina, actor and filmmaker Dakota Johnson, actor Diane Keaton, musician & actor Harry Styles, professional athlete & businesswoman Serena Williams and actor Sienna Miller, join actor and host James Corden on the set of the Beloved show, to talk about their latest exploits and – of course – their beloved handbag. 

“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 the lives of many other people,” explains Alessandro Michele.

“We went back in time to the original TV talk shows, where the protagonist is the bag itself, the big star. Very often these creations are named after influential women who conditioned the habits and customs of many. It is precisely because they have great personalities that in the industry we gave them these powerful names; and now we have them in a show and twisted with the idea that there were two stars: the bag and the actual talent. A game of cross-references between the two great protagonists.” 

The pieces featured are part of the four Gucci Beloved Lines, a reference to the House’s past and the way it defines it now, and each is designed by Alessandro Michele with a contemporary approach to archival elements. These motifs and styles, so inherent and distinctly Gucci, become renewed in pieces that are created to be worn again and again, transcending seasons and trends.

“I truly love and adore my handbags,” says Alessandro Michele. “Perhaps they will always be my greatest love, my favourite accessory. It was therefore natural for me to call some of the ones I created ‘Beloved’. The name comes from my own experience and my love for them.” 

At the heart of the Gucci Beloved Lines is the Dionysus bag, which features two tiger heads shaped in the form of a spur, an ode to the Greek god who in myth is said to have crossed the river Tigris on a tiger sent to him by Zeus. Then there is the Gucci Horsebit 1955, distinguished by a double ring and bar, a motif that encapsulates the House’s rich equestrian heritage – a handbag connecting archival elements with contemporary details in an effortless way. Meanwhile, the GG Marmont is defined by the Double G, an archive-inspired styling of the initials of the House. And finally, there is the Jackie 1961, known for its curved half-moon shape and emblematic piston closure. This is a bag that tells a story that spans eras, remaining timeless but always possessing a contemporary edge. 

For an immersive experience to discover the lines, Gucci Pins – the series of ephemeral stores of the House – will launch internationally, with a distinctive design that puts under the spotlight the product offering. Showcasing the product in a dedicated environment, 6 Pins will debut in Costa Mesa, New York City, Manhasset, Toronto, Portland, and Charlotte this May. Keeping up with the digital-first approach of the House, tailored virtual contents will also be available on the Gucci App. A new game will debut on its ever-growing Arcade section, engaging gamers with products and props of the campaign – once again combining the past with the present to tell stories that speak of the future. 

#GucciBeloved 

Dionysus  

The Gucci Dionysus bag, which debuted at the Autumn/Winter 2015 women’s fashion show, Alessandro Michele’s first for the House, perfectly embodies the Creative Director’s vision of products that are uniquely expressive of their time. The bag’s defining hardware, which features two tiger heads shaped in the form of a spur, references the Greek god Dionysus who, according to myth, is said to have crossed the river Tigris on a tiger sent to him by Zeus.  

GG Marmont 

The GG Marmont was presented for the first time in the Pre-Fall 2016 Womenswear collection. The bag design, inspired by a buckle that was used by Gucci in the ‘70s, is distinguished by the Double G, one of the House’s strongest and most recognisable symbols. Despite the line’s archival origins, the modern-day version is synonymous with the aesthetic world of Creative Director Alessandro Michele, as seen in the three-dimensional iteration of the House logo, which also comes in a twisted torchon version.  

Gucci Horsebit 1955 

The Gucci Horsebit 1955 bag, which first appeared in the Cruise 2020 collection, came to be from the study of an archival piece dating to the eponymous year, reinterpreted for a contemporary customer by carefully unifying original details with a modern spirit. The line features the famous equestrian-inspired Horsebit hardware comprising a double ring and bar and is modelled after the same shoulder-style shape that was launched over six decades ago.  

Jackie 1961 

The Jackie 1961 debuted at the women’s and men’s Autumn/Winter 2020 fashion show. First created in 1961, the Jackie hobo bag, with its elegant, curved shape and distinctive gold hardware closure, became emblematic of the ‘60s and ‘70s jet-set lifestyle long associated with Gucci. A key member of the Gucci bag lineup for many decades, the style has been redesigned several times over the years with its latest manifestation in the Jackie 1961 by Creative Director Alessandro Michele. The line re-emerges with a non-binary attitude, presenting a fusion of his fascination with archival codes and his contemporary vision.

CREDITS 

Creative Director: Alessandro Michele 

Art Director: Christopher Simmonds 

Photographer & Director: Harmony Korine 

Make-up: Thomas De Kluyver 

Hair: Paul Hanlon 

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