Duane Michals Photographs Jacob Elordi for Bottega Veneta
Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta has launched a new campaign starring actor Jacob Elordi, captured in dreamy black-and-white photographs by Duane Michals. This collaboration marks the first since creative director Louise Trotter presented her debut collection for the house during Milan Spring 2026 shows.
Artistic Style and Themes
Duane Michals is renowned for his “Sequences” series—enigmatic photo stories that invite viewers into mysterious, unresolved narratives. Accompanied by his signature handwritten captions, his works often express a charged queer sensuality. One of his most iconic pieces, The Spirit Leaves the Body (1968), depicts the spirit of a nude man rising from his body toward the camera.
“My photographs are about questions. They are not about answers,” Michals once said in an interview.
The Campaign: "What Are Dreams"
The campaign is titled What Are Dreams, named after Michals’s 1994 photo paired with a handwritten poem. It features a series of photographs and a video shot inside Michals's New York home. The key image shows a handsome young man appearing to sleep on a table beside a snow globe of famous New York City landmarks. This image was later included in Michals’s acclaimed 2002 book, Questions Without Answers.
Summary
The campaign blends Michals’s poetic vision with contemporary fashion, reflecting on dreams and mystery through Jacob Elordi’s evocative presence.
Author's summary: This Bottega Veneta campaign merges Duane Michals’s poetic photography and Jacob Elordi’s charismatic presence to evoke mysterious, dreamlike narratives rooted in personal and artistic exploration.