Gucci and Saint Laurent Revive 1980s Glamour in New Campaigns

Luxury fashion houses Gucci and Saint Laurent are turning to the 1980s for their latest campaigns, featuring celebrities lip-syncing to iconic songs from the decade. Kate Moss appears in Gucci's autumn campaign, performing Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game' in a Zagreb cultural hall, while Connor Storrie dances to Milli Vanilli's 'Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You' in a Manhattan apartment for Saint Laurent. The campaigns reflect a broader industry nostalgia for the perceived carefree spirit of the late '80s and early '90s, a period marked by vibrant aesthetics and the rise of music television. MTV launched in 1981, ushering in the music video era, which drew from film, fashion, and art, with director David Lynch influencing the visual style of many clips. Gucci's campaign, directed by Swedish filmmaker Johan Renck, is essentially a remake of his own video 'Pass This On' for The Knife, and the song choice aligns with creative director Demna's personal playlist. Saint Laurent's choice of Milli Vanilli remains unexplained, as does Dua Lipa's performance of 'She Drives Me Crazy' for Chanel and Alessandro Michele's use of a Mix Masters track for Valentino. The trend signals a return of '80s music and aesthetics in fashion, while also paying homage to the music video format, which is fading with the decline of linear television. The article also notes that George Michael may have been the first to lip-sync with models, possibly the originator of this campaign trope.