Jacob Elordi and Duane Michals Explore Dreams in Bottega Veneta's Surrealist Project

Australian actor Jacob Elordi, who officially became a Bottega Veneta brand ambassador in 2024, is now at the forefront of the house's compelling new venture, the "What Are Dreams" project. This multi-faceted artistic collaboration features both a captivating short film and a striking photographic series, meticulously crafted by renowned U.S. photographer Duane Michals. The project seamlessly blends fashion, poetry, and surrealist art, marking a significant artistic statement from the luxury brand.

The entire "What Are Dreams" project was filmed and photographed in intimate black and white at Michals' personal residence in New York, a deliberate choice that imbues the work with a sense of personal narrative and timelessness. According to Bottega Veneta, the conceptual foundation of the project "springs from the artist’s deep connection to Surrealism and seeks to explore the unconscious, the imaginary and the uncanny." This artistic direction allows the collaboration to delve into profound psychological landscapes, moving beyond conventional fashion imagery to evoke a sense of mystery and introspection that defines Michals’s long-standing artistic practice.

A central component of the project is a short film where Jacob Elordi recites the poem "What Are Dreams," a powerful piece penned by Duane Michals himself. Born in 1932, Michals first published this evocative poem in his 2001 photobook, "Questions Without Answers." The poem not only lends its poignant title to the entire project but also sets its thematic tone, speaking of the "midnight movies of the mind... in which things seem familiar, yet not quite the same," perfectly encapsulating the project's exploration of dream states and distorted realities.

Complementing the film is an exquisite 12-photograph series, which showcases Elordi in a variety of enigmatic and poetic settings. These images are distinctly in tune with the signature style that has garnered Michals international acclaim since the 1960s, characterized by narrative sequences and a profound sense of the uncanny. Furthermore, the series consciously incorporates visual references that pay homage to Surrealist artists Michals has always admired, particularly the dreamlike, architectural visions of Giorgio de Chirico and the thought-provoking, symbolic artistry of René Magritte, grounding the project deeply within art history.