Bottega Veneta captures America’s Southwest in AW24 campaign

BOTTEGA Veneta’s Winter 2024 campaign embodies themes of introspection, resilience, and rebirth, drawing inspiration from the austere and captivating landscapes of Utah and Nevada. Creative Director Matthieu Blazy envisioned this collection as a poignant exploration of survival and flourishing in environments where life is both scarce and tenacious.

Set against the iconic backdrop of the American Southwest, near the enigmatic Area 51, the campaign captures the stark beauty of these barren terrains. Renowned photographer Alec Soth, celebrated for his evocative visual narratives of the United States, brings his distinctive eye to the project.

His lens frames models against towering rocks, endless roads, and distant mountain horizons, creating a powerful contrast between the opulence and desolation of the landscape. This setting plays an imminent role in the campaign, as the scale beautifully showcases the striking clothing, allowing each piece to speak for itself.

The campaign film, directed by Rahim Fortune, features a suspenseful soundscape crafted by Le Motel. The film opens with a sweeping view of the desert, mirroring the vastness captured in Soth’s photography. As the models traverse this expansive terrain, their movements shift between leisurely exploration and determined purpose, reflecting the duality of the collection’s themes.

Throughout the film, close-ups of delicate desert flora trembling in the breeze hone in on the fragility of life set against the grandeur of the landscape. This visual narrative is further enriched by an elusive soundtrack comprising raw sounds drawn from crackling fire and soft wind, which creates a haunting ambiance for the campaign.

by Alia Campos