Gucci Throws a Holiday Party Worth Crashing
Review of Gucci Holiday 2026 Ad Campaign by Director Harmony Korine with models Mariah Carey, Alla Kostromichova, Bobby Brazier, Bruno Felice, Dongliang He, Elisabetta Dessy, Jiarun Zhao, Mayya Kuznetsova, Mengyu Luo, Nicolas Duée, and Pauline Bujakiewicz
Gucci welcomes the holiday season with a spirited celebration of glamour, excess, and festive mischief. Starring Mariah Carey and directed by Harmony Korine, the House’s latest holiday campaign transforms a traditional seasonal gathering into a delightfully extravagant affair, where familiar Christmas rituals meet the irreverent attitude of Demna’s Gucci. The result is a playful portrait of holiday indulgence, complete with champagne, extravagant gifts, and a guest list that knows how to make an entrance.
The campaign unfolds within the richly appointed interiors of a hotel dressed for the occasion, its wood-paneled rooms, elaborate decorations, and glowing Christmas trees providing a suitably nostalgic backdrop. Korine’s direction brings an offbeat sensibility to the festivities, balancing the polished spectacle of a luxury celebration with moments of spontaneous humor. At the center of it all is Carey, whose perennial holiday anthem, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” provides the soundtrack to her arrival. Dressed in pieces from the new Butterfly special collection, inspired by the singer’s signature motif, she embodies the larger-than-life glamour that has made her synonymous with the season.
The accompanying imagery extends this atmosphere through a series of playful, flash-lit portraits that feel like snapshots from a particularly fashionable holiday party. Models pose beside towering stacks of presents, decorated trees, and elaborate cakes, while others appear caught between festivities, balancing overflowing shopping bags or commandeering decorative objects. The direct, occasionally theatrical photography lends the images an appealing sense of immediacy, as though the viewer has stumbled into a celebration already in full swing. Saturated reds, glossy black leather, jewel-toned satin, and metallic finishes heighten the festive atmosphere without sacrificing the collection’s contemporary edge.
Fashion and accessories are woven naturally into the visual storytelling, becoming both objects of desire and participants in the festivities. Shimmering GG Monogram bags, Horsebit loafers, and archival-inspired silhouettes reinforce Gucci’s recognizable codes, while feathered eveningwear, sharply tailored suits, and fluid dresses bring a distinctly dressed-up energy. The styling plays with contrasts between refinement and irreverence, allowing classic luxury signatures to coexist with exaggerated gestures and unexpected compositions. Particularly effective are the images in which handbags and gift boxes become almost comically abundant, turning the familiar promise of holiday gifting into a visual joke about the pleasures of excess.
What makes the campaign compelling is its willingness to embrace the theatricality of the holidays rather than temper it with conventional luxury restraint. Korine’s eccentric perspective and Demna’s appetite for cultural spectacle find an especially fitting occasion in a season already defined by performance, nostalgia, and indulgence. With Carey presiding over the festivities, Gucci delivers a celebration that is knowingly extravagant, warmly nostalgic, and just a little chaotic. After all, the holidays were never meant to be understated.
Gucci Creative Director | Demna
Director | Harmony Korine
Models | Mariah Carey, Alla Kostromichova, Bobby Brazier, Bruno Felice, Dongliang He, Elisabetta Dessy, Jiarun Zhao, Mayya Kuznetsova, Mengyu Luo, Nicolas Duée, and Pauline Bujakiewicz
Stylist | Dogi Nesanir
Hair | Michał Bielecki
Makeup | Mel Arter
Casting Director | Helena Balladino, Jussi Vuorenlehto, and Piergiorgio Del Moro