Duane Michals Photographs Jacob Elordi for Bottega Veneta
Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta has unveiled a new campaign titled “What Are Dreams,” featuring actor Jacob Elordi. The series was photographed by Duane Michals, drawing inspiration from his 1994 image and poem of the same name.
This marks the first major collaboration since Bottega’s creative director, Louise Trotter, introduced her debut collection at the Milan Spring 2026 shows. Michals, shooting in his New York home, created both a photo series and a short video for the campaign.
Duane Michals’s Signature Style
Michals is renowned for his “Sequences,” a series of photographic narratives that tell mysterious stories without clear resolutions. His works are often accompanied by handwritten text, adding a personal narrative layer that deepens the viewer’s experience.
A recurring theme in his photography is an intense and often queer sensuality, most famously exemplified in his 1968 work The Spirit Leaves the Body, where the spirit of a nude man appears to drift from his body toward the camera.
“My photographs are about questions. They are not about answers.” — Duane Michals
Origins of “What Are Dreams”
The campaign’s title comes from Michals’s 1994 image depicting a sleeping young man beside a snow globe containing iconic New York City landmarks. This poetic image was later included in his 2002 book Questions Without Answers.
Through this collaboration, Bottega Veneta continues to intertwine artistry and fashion, blurring the boundaries between visual storytelling and couture presentation.
Author’s Summary
Bottega Veneta’s “What Are Dreams” campaign unites Jacob Elordi and Duane Michals in a visually poetic reflection that merges fine art and contemporary fashion under Louise Trotter’s creative vision.