Jacob Elordi Stars in Bottega Veneta’s Dreamlike New Campaign
Bottega Veneta launches a new campaign by photographer and artist Duane Michals, exploring the essence of dreams through surreal imagery. Michals explains,
“Surrealism suggests an alternative profound reality. It’s discomforting, and it contradicts the mere facts of our ordinary reality.”
The project, titled What Are Dreams, is a photo series and short film featuring Jacob Elordi, continuing Michals’ long-term exploration of surrealism since the 1960s. It premiered on November 3 at Curzon Mayfair in collaboration with Bottega Veneta and Club Ciné, preceding a screening of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which stars Elordi.
Artistic Inspiration and Style
Michals draws inspiration from metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico and surrealist René Magritte. His work often places familiar objects in unusual settings, using unexpected combinations to challenge perceptions of reality and representation.
Visual Elements and Filming
- The short film was shot at Michals’ New York residence.
- It features Elordi in black and white, surrounded by symbolic props like a convex mirror, a suspended feather, and a crystal ball—elements recurrent in Michals’ art.
Elordi recites a poem by Michals named after the project, originally published in 2001 in Michals’ photo book Questions with Answers.
Author’s summary: Duane Michals’ surreal new campaign with Jacob Elordi blends art and fashion, inviting viewers to question reality through dreamlike imagery and poetic expression.