A$AP Rocky has been a Bottega Veneta boy for years now, seen charming the shit out of his seat mates on the front row at the house’s Milan runway shows, shutting down red carpets in countless Bottega looks, and even starring in a couple of campaigns, including last year’s mega cute Father’s Day series alongside babies RZA and Riot. Now, his best mate and longtime collaborator Tyler, The Creator is getting in on the action, as he lands a starring role in the new ‘Craft is Our Language’ campaign.
With black-and-white Bottega posters featuring hands formed in various gestures dropping around the world across the course of the last week, social media has been abuzz with whispers of something coming, and now, it’s been revealed. Tyler joins a diverse bunch of creatives, including actor Julianne Moore, tennis player Lorenzo Musetti, and producer Jack Antonoff, who all throw up their hands in the Jack Davison-shot campaign to showcase how simple gestures connect humanity. Also making a rare appearance is Gallo horror auteur and Suspiria director Dario Argento, who adds his first fashion campaign to his CV.
The whole thing has been created to celebrate tne anniversary of the house’s signature Intrecciato weave, which has been criss-crossing across bags, shoes, accessories and more for 50 years now, and what’s particularly special about it is that it doesn’t just cast the celebrities and call it a day. Also featuring in the series are a number of the artisans who actually employ the indicate technique in their day-to-day schedules, working inside the Bottega Veneta atelier to bring the pieces we covet to life, as well as a number of figures with long-term links to the brand. Among them is Edward Buchanan, who took over the house as creative director in 1995 and turned out its first ever ready-to-wear collection.
The campaign lands just a week after we seemed to get our first look at new creative director Louise Trotter’s vision for the house. At Cannes Film Festival, Phantom Thread star Vicky Krieps stepped out in a structured leather Intrecciato top and louche white trousers despite torrential downpours, while Julianne Moore slipped on a sleek, boxy tux jacket to make an appearance. This coming September marks a season of massive shifts on the fashion week calendar, as Trotter gets set to debut her first offering in Milan, and former Bottega boss Matthieu Blazy makes his own debut at Chanel.
Keep your eyes on Dazed Fashion for all that as it happens, and click through the gallery above for a closer look at the campaign.