Billie Eilish – The Face of Gucci Horsebit 1955 Vegan Campaign

Continuing their collaboration, Billie Eilish transforms into a “muse” in the latest campaign for Italian fashion house Gucci’s new bag collection, becoming the first to touch the iconic Gucci Horsebit 1955 Bag in its vegan version.

Since Sabato De Sarno, the new creative director of Gucci, took over the reins of the vast heritage warehouse after the era of Alessandro Michele, he has redefined a new DNA for the Italian fashion house. Rather than erasing the entire distinctive creative characters that have existed for decades at Gucci, Sabato has used the old as a foundation for the new. Starting his journey of excavating the heritage warehouse, the creative values from previous years have provided endless inspiration for the new creative director to establish his own era. And the recent Spring/Summer 2024 collection by Gucci speaks volumes. From clothing, materials to accessories, everything is reinterpreted in a completely new way. Most notably, the Horsebit 1955 bag with a new version made from vegan material, known as Demetra. The introduction of the new version of the Horsebit 1955 marks a significant milestone for Gucci’s sustainable efforts.

On October 30th, Gucci released a short video, kicking off the debut of the brand’s new Horsebit bag. In just a few short minutes, alongside the “main character,” the new bag itself, is the appearance of Gen Z pop star Billie Eilish as the face of the campaign. With the soundtrack from Billie’s song “What Was I Made For?”, the Italian fashion house presents footage full of freedom, youthfulness, and Gen Z spirit, completely different from the dreamy moments of Alessandro’s maximalism era. Appearing in the ad clip, Billie shines true to her authentic self in everyday activities, along with a Gucci-covered appearance from head to toe, including clothes, hats, and the new handbag.

“I am honored to be part of Gucci’s development process in a new era. It’s a new experience of a spirit unafraid of challenges, and it’s truly important to me,” singer Billie Eilish shared with Vogue magazine. Gucci has long been Billie Eilish’s favorite fashion brand. The American singer-songwriter often wears monogram “GG” prints at events, from prestigious red carpets to reputable award ceremonies. The talented artist, who won Oscars and Grammys, appeared on the Met Gala red carpet last year in a dress from the Italian fashion house, inspired by Regency and made from recycled satin; or at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in November last year with a sleeping mask and blanket with intertwined G patterns. When taking the stage to win the “Best Original Song” category with her brother Finneas O’Connell last year, the talented singer wore a custom black pleated Gucci dress. Not stopping there, Billie has also been the face of a Gucci eyewear collection ad campaign. It’s as if all these instances are proving Billie’s presence in the new collaboration with the Italian fashion house is a natural fit, without much explanation needed.

Billie Eilish in Gucci eyewear campaign Furthermore, as someone who has long been outspoken and practical in her thoughts and actions on environmental issues, Billie is the answer that Sabato and Gucci in the new era are seeking for their vegan bag promotion campaign. Being a vegetarian since the age of 12, Billie Eilish can be seen as an influential voice among young people in campaigns advocating for environmental/animal protection. The owner of the hit “Bad Guy” has cleverly used her fame to support green living trends, vegan fashion, and saying no to garments made from animal materials. In 2021, Eilish collaborated with Nike to create sustainable sneakers – an exclusive Air Jordan version made 100% from vegan materials and 20% from recycled materials. A year earlier, she also collaborated with H&M on a sustainable Merch collection. The singer’s perfume line is a collaboration with the Parlux brand, with an absolute commitment to not using animal-derived fragrances. In 2021, PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – officially announced Billie Eilish as the “Person of the Year”, recognizing her positive contributions to spreading vegan and sustainable fashion trends. With Billie Eilish’s influence, it’s certain that Sabato and Gucci are not only ensuring the brand’s commitment to a more ethical, sustainable fashion future but also succeeding in rejuvenating and quickly gaining a reputation in the young fashion community.

In the advertisement video, there are not just one but two Gucci Horsebit 1955 bags made of Demetra material. One in black, the other in light brown with the familiar monogram print accent. With a new asymmetrical shape, the Horsebit 1955 bag, marked by the equestrian-related symbol from the archival collection. The new Horsebit 1955 bag model includes a process of chrome-free and metal-free leather tanning, with hardware or metal details on the bag sourced from at least 30% recycled brass alloy and a finish layer containing 100% recycled gold and palladium. Other components include a lining made of certified cotton, a lining made of oil-free thistle fiber and Econyl certified as recycled nylon, with Econyl sourced from recycled production scraps through the Gucci-Up program. Additionally, the crafting process also ensures no dye runoff, hazardous chemicals, and the dust bag for the bag is made of recycled polyester.

Both bag styles are variations of the original Gucci Horse 1955 structure, combined with a change to more environmentally friendly materials. Demetra material has undergone a two-year production process, ethically crafted by Gucci artisans in Italy. This alternative material consists of 75% plant-based components, including viscose, wood pulp, and corn-derived plastics, sourced from reliable origins (meaning it has lower impact when it comes to climate change and water pollution). Demetra is a patented and trademarked material. Named by former creative director Alessandro Michele, inspired by Greek mythology and Demeter – the goddess of agriculture, nature, harvest, and abundance. Demetra is produced at Gucci’s Gruppo Colonna factory in Tuscany. As a joint venture with Gucci since October 2019, the brand owns a 51% stake in Gruppo Colonna. As part of Gucci’s commitment, all remaining greenhouse gas emissions related to Demetra are converted to support and restore forests as well as biodiversity.

The Italian fashion house has asserted that this material is soft, durable, elastic, flexible, resilient, and can be used for all types of products, from shoes and accessories to handbags and clothing. Indeed, this is not the first time Demetra has appeared at Gucci. Before the launch of the new version of the Horsebit 1955 bag, Gucci successfully tested this material with the introduction of three sneaker styles. In the “trial” of Demetra on the brand’s first bag, beyond the commitment to the environment and the direction towards a sustainable fashion loop, Gucci also demonstrates appreciation and a desire to protect the traditional leather craftsmanship. In fact, to further enhance its sustainability commitments, Gucci has made a “significant” contribution (although undisclosed) to Support + Feed, a non-profit organization founded by Eilish’s mother,