Never one to shy away from a celebrity-filled moment, Gucci pulled it out of the bag once again yesterday with the launch of its talk-show inspired campaign, titled The Beloved Show.

The photo series, which was directed by Harmony Korine, highlights the Italian brand’s four most beloved handbag styles, including the Dionysus and Jackie 1961 totes. To showcase them, creative director Alessandro Michele recruited a bevy of close Gucci collaborators to pose in the series of photographs, with The Late, Late Show host James Corden starring as the faux talk show host.

Each star got their own two-second clip which aired on Gucci’s YouTube channel, with Michele tapping long-standing collaborators Dakota Johnson, Harry Styles and Sienna Miller for the gig, as well as new faces Serena Williams, Awkwafina and Diane Keaton.

In makes sense that Michele would focus his energies on promoting Gucci’s bestselling bags, after Kering (Gucci’s parent brand) chairman François-Henri Pinault announced the brand’s 2021 strategy to strengthen its sales, specifically in its handbag category.

Just in case you missed some of the details, we’ve rounded up the need-to-know highlights of The Beloved Show.

Happy birthday, Gucci!

This year marks the Italian heritage brand’s centennial birthday, meaning it’s going harder than ever before on celebrating in serious style. The Beloved Show follows hot on the heels of the off-schedule Gucci Aria show which saw Michele throw his weight behind the brand’s iconic monogram. What else do the Gucci gods have in store for us this year? We wait with bated breath to find out.  

Can Harry Styles do no wrong?

At this point, it would be rude for Harry Styles to not have shares in Gucci. When he’s not starring in the brand’s debut GucciFest wearing loafers and a pair of denim ‘jorts’ (that’s a jeans-shorts hybrid to you and me), he’s attending the Met Gala clad in Gucci goodness on the arm of Michele himself. It’s no surprise then that the Manchester native also lent his clout to star in The Beloved show while simultaneously making the case for a return to the man bag in the form of the Jackie 1961 tote. 

All hail Queen Diane

Following on from that viral picture of Hollywood star Diane Keaton wearing thigh-high snakeskin boots on the set of upcoming film Mack & Rita, it made total sense for Gucci to tap the indelible style icon. Despite her enduring sartorial legacy, the Academy Award-winner actually only landed her first fashion campaign a decade ago at the age of 65 for American retailer Chico’s. 

Serena Williams serves an ace in Gucci debut

Despite the success of her namesake fashion line S by Serena, her appearance on The Beloved Show marks Serena William’s Gucci debut. The tennis star, who has 23 grand slam titles to her name, made her first appearance on the Italian brand’s Instagram just a few weeks ago, as it geared its followers up for its centenary show. It’s about time, given the absolute looks she has served over the years (lest we forget the floor-length floral Versace gown she wore to attend the Met Gala in 2019 that she paired with Nike x Off-White by Virgil Abloh Air Force 1 trainers.) 

Images: Harmony Korine