Alexander McQueen has long flirted with the boundless world of tech, which has pervaded the brand’s DNA for some time now. In its latest campaign for The Slash Bag, the British brand took it a step further reimagining one of fashion and art’s favourite topics – man vs machine.
The Slash Bag campaign is directed by Glen Luchford, and depicts Kaia Gerber in a dystopian future, dressed in a sharp, slim tailored jacket, and high slit skirt donning The Slash Bag on her shoulder. The film continues as Gerber walks through a futuristic city with breathtaking skyscrapers and clinical room surveillance by cameras before she discovers a desolate white space. Situated in the centre of the room are disembodies clones that haunt the model as she finds a replica of herself. Assessing the features of her clone, the model weeps, realising the reality of the impending threat that machine will replace man. The room darkens as Gerber realizes that she’s being watched, with the exit nowhere in sight.
The bag is handcrafted from soft leather and can be worn over the shoulder via its faceted chain metal shoulder strap. The bag is also available in red, black, and ivory. McQueen’s now signature knuckle hardware accents the looks in a playful motif.
The Slash Bag campaign marks the turning point from Alexander McQueen’s previous fashion films. In recent months the designer had films and shows that included models walking through a blizzard or stomping through the mud. Here the brand toys with the idea of surveillance, the human and machine dichotomy, in an ominous lone metropolis, where the bag stands out – decorated with McQueen’s signature adornment of skull motif- which serves as an accomplice in the search for truth, through the ever-changing future filled with technological innovation.
