Review of Valentino Holiday 2024 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Alessandro Michele and Art Director Christopher Simmonds with Photographer Glen Luchford with models Awèng Malou, Harry Browse, Isadora Ribeiro, Savva Podolski, Sophie Dominique Gonzalez, Sung Young Lee, Vera Lemelehes
Alessandro Michele’s new vision for Valentino gets a festive twist with the brand’s Holiday 2024 campaign. The campaign features creative direction from Christopher Simmonds and photography and film direction by Glen Luchford.
The imagery highlights a curation from Michele’s Resort 2025 debut collection for the brand – which, at a whopping 167 looks, gave the team plenty of texture and shine to draw from. While Michele’s first campaign for the house situated his vintage-inspired, neo-Victorian eclecticism within a cinematic homage to Federico Fellini, the holiday campaign film is a more upbeat – yet equally decadent and subtly surreal – outing that draws inspiration from David Lynch. A time-bendingly dressed cast of young characters follow intersecting paths at a sumptuous underground nightclub, turning up the heat through dance despite the frigid air outside. The choice of soundtrack in former Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry’s first original song in ten years, which was co-produced with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, further pushes the blurring of styles and eras with its contemporary reconsidering of a feverishly driving disco beat.
Meanwhile, the still imagery forms another extension of part of what made Michele’s advertising approach at Gucci, in partnership with Christopher Simmonds, so successful: strong and consistent art direction. Providing a striking and elegant graphic punch, the ivory and black frames carry over from the debut campaign, providing a consistent visual backbone across the individual images and chapters.
It’s a smart move for Valentino to take the opportunity of holiday season communication to invest in a fully realized campaign and invite another rich journey into Michele’s creative world. It’s been said that Michele’s voice in contemporary fashion is a gift, and Valentino have certainly been treating us with the expansion of this new chapter.
Valentino Creative Director | Alessandro Michele
Art Director | Christopher Simmonds
Photographer & Director | Glen Luchford
Models | Awèng Malou, Harry Browse, Isadora Ribeiro, Savva Podolski, Sophie Dominique Gonzalez, Sung Young Lee, Vera Lemelehes
Stylist | Jonathan Kaye
Hair | Paul Hanlon
Makeup | Yadim
Manicurist | Michelle Pires
Casting Director | Ben Grimes
Set Designer | Gideon Ponte
Movement Director | MJ Harper
Music | Bryan Ferry – “Star” Ft. Amelia Barratt