Review of Acne Studios ‘Musubi Bag’ Ad Campaign by Creative Director Jonny Johansson with Photographer Talia Chetrit
The new season welcomes a fresh interpretation of the iconic Acne Studios Musubi bag, courtesy of the American artist Talia Chetrit. The campaign comprises an intimate photographic series captured exclusively on male dancers’ bodies.
I have long admired the work of Talia Chetrit because she treats everything in a singular, very personal way. This project was her idea entirely – we just sent her some bags to photograph as she wished.
– Creative Director Jonny Johansson
The Washington-born, New York-based artist’s work frequently explores themes of intimacy, domesticity and sexuality, focusing on the overlap of fiction and nonfiction through the discipline and mechanisms of photography. In this series, Chetrit turns the gaze on the male nude and the strong, muscular bodies of two male dancers, which she chose because they resembled the figurative qualities in the bags. The resulting images, captured on Chetrit’s favoured Nikon 35mm film camera, explore contrasts in tactility and materiality – most notably skin and leather – to provocative effect.
The emblematic Acne Studios Musubi bag is characterised by a twisted knot motif, which takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese obi sash, and is crafted in Italy from 100% cow leather. It comes in four sizes: maxi, midi, mini and micro. For Spring/Summer 2022, it comes in two new shapes: a Musubi micro tote bag and a Musubi shoulder bag.
Acne Studios Creative Director | Jonny Johansson
Photographer | Talia Chetrit