BTS member SUGA is the perfect person to tell Valentino's story. That is, SUGA is the perfect person to tell The Narratives, Valentino's new campaign, an introspective storytelling push that demands the worldly sophistication of a K-Pop phenom, of a SUGA.
Valentino's new promotion proposes a tall order as a seemingly simple idea: how can you tell a story without words?
The Narratives is all about the things left unsaid and, in SUGA's latest star turn for the maison, no thing needs to be clarified. It's all about the BTS rapper's longing looks and thoughtful gazes, the tilt of his head and drape of his luscious locks.
In a statement, Valentino described SUGA's star turn as "stolen moments... a look into stardom illuminated by shots that highlight his poise, confidence, and relationship with fans."
What results is a series of photos that call to mind Vermeer's interiors — intentionally delicate lighting, the thoughtful subject caught in media res near center frame.
SUGA's expressions are as soft as his Valentino shirts, a tabula rasa upon which the viewer may project their own emotional interpretations and redolent of '50s-era photos of actors who'd seen it all.
The shots speak to SUGA's always-on life.
There he is with producers preparing a shot; there he is on-set, preparing to give an interview or get his picture taken; there he is in the backset, surrounded by raving fans.
SUGA, who's currently serving as a "social service agent" as part of his mandatory military service in South Korea, is the quintessential Valentino man indicative of "the new masculinity codes of the Maison." He epitomizes what it means to, as Bob Dylan said, contain multitudes.
It's starkly impressive how easily the members of BTS have translated their skills as entertainers into modeling for fashion's top names.
They're not just a pretty face (though they do have that) — beyond the incomparable value that comes with aligning with a member of the world's biggest K-Pop outfit, their brand partners receive undiluted influence straight from the source.
Co-starring with SUGA in Valentino's The Narratives campaign is the Valentino Garavani x PORTER bag collaboration, a brilliant little capsule of luxury handbags reworked by Japanese accessories label PORTER.
I'm always terribly pleased to see PORTER align with luxury labels — the 60-year-old company's proven design philosophy frames its partners' contributions in such a way as to make each collaboration distinct.
For instance, Valentino Garavani x PORTER utilizes the Japanese company's signature flight jacket-inspired nylon to shape Valentino Garavani Locò bags, a key piece of The Narratives' puzzle.
This yields familiar shapes in fresh fabrications, cleverly rephrasing Valentino's yen for soft silhouettes with tiny, tactile, technical handbags.
It's a savvy hybridization of ethos, one that recalls Valentino's UNDERCOVER collaboration from a few years back.
Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli is an avowed admirer of Japanese street fashion and understands the value in not absorbing the stylistic cues but actually partnering with the originators.
PORTER has been quietly crafting quality carryalls since before clothing was a regular Japanese export; to give its wares the Valentino co-sign reflects the brand's stylistic mutability. It's the same sort of mentality that made Valentino bring SUGA on-board as a brand ambassador.
Arriving at Valentino's website and stores from January 12, The Narratives represents today's Valentino man. He can't be easily categorized but he is perpetually stylish, grounded by real clothes worn with effortless purpose.
