Now we know what Gucci was up to when it teased what looked like interviews from a model casting event back in January. Within the clips, the models were asked to dance spontaneously to some music, and indeed, that request was attached to the dance theme for the label’s pre-fall 2017 campaign.
Images were inspired by designer Alessandro Michelle’s appreciation for the fashion connected with England’s mid ’60s northern soul music movement, a genre Michelle grew to know after a visit last to The Photographers Gallery, titled “Made You Look”exhibit, a collection of images themed on dandyism and black masculinity (watch a video from the show below).
Titled Soul Scene, the campaign stars models Achok Majak, Elibeidy, Bakay Diaby, Nicole Atieno, and Keiron Berton Caynes, as well as a cast of dancers. Shot at the Mildmay club in London, Gucci designer Alessandro Michele oversaw the project, Glen Luchford handled the photography and Christopher Simmonds was the art director.
The campaign is gorgeous and everything we’ve come to expect from Gucci’s under Michele’s brilliant direction. One critique, the photographer or art director should have been black. While representation though models is awesome, it should also include the people in positions of power controlling the depictions. Bringing in people of color not only has the potential to add perspective but also helps bring minorities into the inner circle of luxury labels and improves their resumes and opportunities to network.
Check out video and images from the campaign below.
Gucci pre-fall 2017 campaign video
“Made You Look” exhibit video
