Starring as the brand’s AW24 muse, the former 007 has ditched conventional trends in favor of all things anti-chic.
The LVMH-backed campaign features the actor in grandpa knits, bold palettes, and East Ender staples, from popped-collar leather jackets to loud fairisle knits. Think Dani Dyer, but make it fashion.
The campaign advocates for conventionally ‘unfashionable’ fashion. Shot by prolific Nineties photographer David Sims, the shoot presents the plimsoll-wearing 56-year-old in a completely new light, far removed from his signature sharply-fitting tuxes, Omega timepieces, and hunky on-screen shirtless appearances.
Now, debuting a rugged, unshaven aesthetic with flattened side bangs reminiscent of Blur, Daniel has solidified his rise in the fashion world.
His collaboration with the ever-popular luxury label, which secured third place in Lyst’s Index’s Q1 report, marked Craig’s official entry into the fashion scene. And it’s been a hit. With his velvet pink Savile Row suit worn to the No Time To Die premiere previously being his most outrageous look to date, Daniel has upped the ante with his Loewe English teacher ensemble.
His relationship with fashion hasn’t always been smooth. Double denim concoctions, tight-fitting cardigans, conservative colorways, and the occasional cropped tracksuit (yes, really) have all featured in his wardrobe. More Q than Quantum of Solace. How could this be? This is James Bond we’re talking about—forever suited, booted, and aesthetically reputed.
Daniel’s breakthrough role came in 1996 when he starred in the BBC drama serial Our Friends in the North. His introduction to the British film scene arrived in the late Nineties and Noughties, arguably not fashion’s finest moment. Hence, some interesting red carpet looks.
Then came his big break. The actor exploded onto global screens in 2006, starring as Ian Fleming’s suave protagonist in Casino Royale. Press events called for a string of red-carpet ready looks, spanning then on-trend oversized brown pinstripe suits, low-slung bootleg jeans, and wraparound shades.
Stepping into the secret agent’s shoes arguably narrowed the actor’s style. Suit-upon-suit began to saturate his wardrobe, leaving little room for experimentation. Only once he stepped down as James Bond did the actor break free of his spy-style shackles.
Later appearances in Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery catalyzed Daniel’s fashion renaissance. Portraying the deliciously cool Texan investigator Benoit Blanc broadened his costume horizons. Salmon pink linen shirts, bottle green suits, and nautical polos fashioned the It-Brit as something of a style muse.
All doubts of Daniel’s potential fashion career dissipated in 2023. We’re thinking of a certain, desperately sexy Belvedere vodka advert starring the Critic’s Choice Award winner. Clad in buttery soft black leather and a Central Saint Martins-coded black tank top, the actor shimmied (well, semi-thrust) his way into the public imagination under the Oscar-winning direction of Taika Waititi.
The rest is history. Daniel was snapped up by the first luxury label willing to splash the big bucks on the former Bond. On behalf of us all, our sincerest thanks, Loewe.
We can only expect bigger and better looks from the actor. He is set to star in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Queer, which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Considering Guadagnino’s history of kick-starting trends (tenniscore à la Challengers and more specifically, Zendaya) we wait with bated breath to see what Daniel has in store for us as fashion’s foremost fixation.
