Ni Ni, Chang Chen Front Gucci’s Latest Valigeria Campaign

MILAN — While speculation swirls around the updated relationship status of Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny, who made their tie up official in a viral Gucci Valigeria campaign last September, the Florentine fashion house has released new images dedicated to its travel line.

Reprising the same concept and ’90s-inspired jet set image style, this time the campaign is fronted by Gucci’s global brand ambassador and actress Ni Ni and Taiwanese actor Chang Chen, marking a reunion of the two protagonists of the Chinese television series “Love and Destiny.”

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Envisioned by the brand’s creative director Sabato De Sarno, these images were also photographed by Anthony Seklaoui to mimic paparazzi shots taken in an airport. According to a statement released by the company on Thursday, the campaign is intended to stand “as a celebration of love and the broader concept of family” and to highlight “the special kind of familiar beauty that travel brings, especially when you find yourself beside a friend that is like family.”

The two stars were already seen side by side while attending the “Gucci Ancora” fashion show, which marked De Sabato’s debut at the house during Milan Fashion Week in September. Yet Ni Ni’s ties with Gucci trace back to 2017, when she was first named ambassador for eyewear in Asia, before extending her role to other categories globally.

In addition to portraying “Ling Xi” in the 2019 fantasy romance drama “Love and Destiny,” the actress is best known for her leading role as “Yu Mo” in the 2011 film “The Flowers of War,” which marked her debut and kickstarted her rise to fame.

Best known for his work in auteur Hsiao-hsien Hou’s “The Assassin” and “Three Times,” most recently Chang Chen played “Dr. Wellington Yueh” in Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 science fiction “Dune.” The same year, he won the Best Leading Actor award at the 58th Golden Horse Awards for his performance in the movie “The Soul,” after being nominated for the award three times.

For the Gucci campaign, the two actors also feature in a short video directed by Jeremy Z. Qin, in which they take each other’s luggage by mistake. These include duffel bags from the Gucci Savoy collection that restates the brand’s heritage via the signature GG monogram and Web stripe. Trolleys and other travel items featuring the same elements are also spotlighted in the campaign, as well as new designs in flashy monochrome tones or with neon leather details that make for De Sarno’s new take on the brand’s travel collection.

The Savoy line is available at a selection of Gucci stores worldwide and e-commerce, while the new neon styles will drop later this year.

Overall, the travel range holds a special status for the Florentine company as trunks, suitcases and hatboxes were the first items that founder Guccio Gucci offered after opening his store in Florence in 1921. As reported, in 2022 Gucci opened its first stand-alone store dedicated to the Valigeria line on tony Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris.

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