When searching for someone to star in the Gucci Cruise 2017 campaign, Alessandro Michele diverted away from the model directory of typical young and famous faces like Gigi Hadid or Kendall Jenner. Just 18 months into holding the position of Creative Director of Gucci, Alessandro made a bold but admirable move to make 79-year-old acting legend, Vanessa Redgrave, the face of the campaign.
The collection is an ode to British culture and was originally showcased at Westminster Abbey (a fashion first). The campaign was shot by Glen Luchford in the grounds of Chatsworth House – the magnificent home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
The collection’s aesthetic is quintessentially British - the dreamy landscape and use of floral patterns and embroidery are juxtaposed with studded jackets to incorporate punky vibes. Alessandro said, ‘there’s something very punk about the idea that you can wear a skirt from your granny’s wardrobe’.
It makes sense, then, that a British national treasure like Vanessa Redgrave should front the Gucci Cruise 2017 campaign. As well as her celebrated and lengthy stage career, she has stared in films including Camelot (1967), Atonement (2007) and recently the BBC drama series, Call the Midwife.
From an all-star acting family, she is daughter of Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, and mother of Joely Richardson and the late Natasha Richardson.
In the campaign she is pictured elegantly picking flowers from the idyllic gardens of Chatsworth House. She also appears in a short film for the campaign which presents the collection against the backdrop of quintessential Britain - riding horses in fields, swinging beneath trees, playing in the lavish rooms in stately homes.
Redgrave may not be a new face, but she is certainly a new face of fashion, proving that you can be beautiful at any age.
Check out the best dressed A-listers from the Gucci Cruise 2017 show at Westminster Abbey last June.
Also, don't miss Jared Leto in the steamy Gucci Guilty Ad campaign, and read what he thinks about Gucci and the Creative Director.