Are we destined for banal fashion?

Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol had already figured it out. Even social media, increasingly ahead of the catwalks, understood it immediately. Relatability sells. But while in the art world, this phenomenon took the form of a famous urinal and an even more popular tin can, the fashion of 2023 must capitalize on celebrities. After Laura Mulvey's male gaze and female gaze, the marketing studies of the world's most famous luxury houses introduce the paparazzo gaze, a stratagem that leverages banality to attract attention. A kind of photographic vlog that, instead of reflecting reality, reproduces its setting; the latest campaigns of Bottega Veneta and Gucci portray the most beloved stars of the moment in mundane situations, from Asap Rocky's morning jog to Kendall Jenner's and Bad Bunny's plane trip. The everyday is making its way into glossy magazine pages, despite 2023 starting with a bang, from Schiaparelli's impressive stuffed lion heads to MSCHF's Astro Boots, from Jacquemus's surreal campaigns around the world to clowncore and cartoon trends filling the first collections of the year. Will fashion be banal in 2024? The decision is up to consumers.

Bottega Veneta campaign starring Asap Rocky and Kendall Jenner

Bottega Veneta campaign starring Asap Rocky and Kendall Jenner

Bottega Veneta campaign starring Asap Rocky and Kendall Jenner

Bottega Veneta campaign starring Asap Rocky and Kendall Jenner

Bottega Veneta's Readymade campaign published last week had already been shared on celebrity-focused platforms TMZ and People two months earlier. The images featuring Kendall Jenner and Asap Rocky around Los Angeles looked like straightforward paparazzi shots, despite both wearing Bottega from head to toe. Just like the name, which takes inspiration from Duchamp's art, implies a sense of lightness in execution, the campaign frames the mundane, a moment of intimacy for the two celebrities as they go shopping and refuel. This "voyeuristic" marketing, mimicking the beloved vlogs on YouTube and TikTok, fully reflects the artistic approach of Matthieu Blazy, the artistic director of the maison. Blazy's Bottega Veneta collections have astonished the audience with their essential and minimalist style, but even more so with how, despite the presented garments being ordinary, they appear extremely luxurious. To the untrained eye, Bottega Veneta's clothes may seem like a simple white shirt or any pair of jeans, but those familiar with the brand know they are valuable items, both in terms of textile and economy. Along the same train of thought, the Readymade campaign mocks intimacy by presenting a mundane that is not for everyone. Also because, in 2023, being able to live in complete calm is a true luxury.

Fashion has always liked to appear relatable, but today more than ever this sensitivity has lost its most intrinsic value. Both those appearing in the images and those observing as consumers know that it is not a candid shot, as the photos of Kate Moss taken by her ex-boyfriend Mario Sorrenti while on vacation in the '90s could be. While during and just after the pandemic, creatives and advertisers embraced escapism to take customers on a fantasy trip, now it's time to come to terms with the return to reality. Louis Vuitton and Fendi sent coffee cups and logoed cup holders down the runway, Prada and Miu Miu brought back office chic, while Gucci, under the creative direction of Sabato de Sarno, abandoned Alessandro Michele's unrestrained whimsy and presented campaigns with Kendall Jenner, Bad Bunny, and Paul Mescal to promote the Valigeria collections. The course that all of the above-mentioned brands' imagery is taking, so anchored in simplicity, does indeed reflect the times we are living in, but it undermines creativity, one of fashion's greatest assets. What will be left of these images in the future, if not the fame - granted it holds out - of the figurative stars?

Gucci campaign starring Paul Mescal

Gucci campaign starring Paul Mescal

Gucci Valigeria campaign starring Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny

Gucci Valigeria campaign starring Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny

Miu Miu campaign starring Emma Corrin

Miu Miu campaign starring Emma Corrin

The reason why the focus of campaigns seems to have shifted from clothing and settings to celebrities is simple. With the slowdown in luxury sales and the lower economic availability of consumers, houses must return to their roots and infuse reality into their communication. Just as the trend forecasters at the Pantone Color Institute predicted that in 2024 people will be looking for serenity and community, suggesting Peach Fuzz as the color that embodies these feelings, brands are focusing their efforts on the choice of ambassadors. Is it the face that sells? No, if clothes continue to attract customers, the credit goes to Blazy, Sarno, Prada, and their utilitarian approach to fashion; the stars help to boost the media traction of the campaigns - in 48 hours, Readymade by Bottega Veneta achieved $2.8 million in Media Impact Value, as reported by Launchmetrics. Ironically, "mundane" shoots are more aspirational than any glittering production, unattainable even for those who interpret it. With the rise of trends like clean girl aesthetic and videos featuring Paul Mescal's billboards for Gucci on TikTok, it won't be long before fake paparazzi shots become mainstream, copied worldwide by those dreaming of the lives of Rocky and Jenner. We still don't know how long consumers will be captivated by this marketing move, although, as with everything, the game is beautiful when it lasts a short time.