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While British sports fans were glued to their TV screens on Sunday afternoon, the country’s fashion lovers were glued to their phone screens. Spain scored two seismic sporting victories, and a fashion triumph – Spanish luxury leather goods brand, Loeweimages from his new autumn/winter campaign dropped on Instagram and the results were even more surprising than Carlos Alcaraz’s short, sharp win.
For Daniel Craig – a British actor forever etched in the public imagination as the sixth James Bond – was pulling strange faces while dressed in patterned knitwear, the belt on his jeans undone because he had forgotten to zip up properly after a visit. for the men’.
As ads go, it was successful. It stopped the internet in its tracks, demanding attention and quickly going viral – no mean feat in today’s image-saturated landscape. It was also a personal triumph for Craig, who at 56 seems to be fully embracing his fashion “fun” era, after spending years hiding behind sharply tailored suits that d ‘fit his image as James Bond. “The best he’s ever looked!” one fan on Instagram. “From James Bond to Cool Uncle,” added another.
For Craig, the international fame of playing Bond for 15 years between 2006 and 2021 always seemed like a poisoned chalice. a lot of money”, as he once described the franchise. He added that his aim was to give the character “more emotional depth”, ridding 007 of his chauvinistic ways.
Even as he appeared diligently on the red carpet in a smart, traditionally masculine suit, next to Bond, there were always hints of a hauntingly androgynous corset quietly screaming beneath the exterior. Finally, in the new Loewe images, Craig seems to have reached his truest self-expression. With his home knits, sequinned trousers, colorful glasses and side-swept hair, he is more “boyish” than Bond; less an action hero than a bookish character in a Wes Anderson film. Is this who he really was? Here, we trace the evolution of his style.
bottle blonde, 1992
Because of his breakout role (to use the term loosely) in the 1992 drama Power of One, Craig dyed his hair platinum blonde; not because he was a huge Gary Barlow fan, but because he suited his role as a racist sergeant in the South African police force. Whether he looked like a young Sting or an older Draco Malfoy is a matter of opinion.
The Kate Moss era, 2004
Craig was rumored to be dating Moss in 2004, and although they never confirmed their relationship, they certainly did nothing to disabuse people of the notion when they turned up at the Alexander McQueen show that same year. Given that Moss has a soft spot for the 1970s, this might explain Craig’s apparent penchant for flared jeans, styled simply with a body-hugging black t-shirt.
Layer Cake Performance, 2005
Appearing at the Sundance Festival in Utah in January 2005, the snowy backdrop made it clear that the weather was not perfect. So how wise of Craig to pair his smart black jacket with wool. But not just any wool: “Ginsberg is God” wool from the queen of the knotted statement, Bella Freud. Its snug fit makes one wonder if it once belonged to his ex-girlfriend, especially as the supermodel is also featured in the jumper. Perhaps this is where Craig’s love of knitwear first blossomed.
Quantum of Solace photocall, 2008
When you think of Bond, a cardigan is unlikely to be the first item that comes to mind. But here’s Craig pledging more allegiance to cozy knitting at a photocall. What he said in combination with a blue shirt, gray trousers and a matching gray tie really adds to the impression of Craig as James Bland, supply teacher for 10B (specialist: geography). He made a similar appearance four years later, at a 2012 photocall for Skyfall.
Knives Out performance, 2019
It was a case of a new franchise, a new look for Craig at its premiere Knives Out, the mystery thriller in which he plays detective Benoit Blanc. Craig first revealed that he would be stepping down from Bond in the same year (“someone else has to try”, he said), and this look shows him easing into life after Bond, in jeans, trainers and an unbuttoned shirt. show his softer side.
No Time to Die World Premiere, 2021
How many rosy think pieces were written after Craig took to the red carpet in a bespoke fuchsia velvet jacket by Savile Row tailor Anderson & Sheppard? Almost as much as the release of Barbie leaked. From his pocket square to his dress shirt to his shiny patent shoes, Craig looked stunning, right down to the discreet display of his gold Omega watch. Although the world had moved past the idea that men were “courageous” for wearing pink, it was still a bold statement for Bond, prompting GQ to describe Craig as “the rugged Iris Apfel of his generation”.
Belvedere vodka, 2022
When Craig appeared in an ad for Belvedere vodka in November 2022, the “shaken, not stirred” gags quickly got thick. Who could fail to be shaken, moved and amused by the sight of Craig walking around a hotel in Paris? While the hotel’s chic, minimalist setting was pure Bond, his demeanor – and his clothes – were a study in antithesis. Dressed in a cropped black biker jacket, a black vest and a heavy gold chain of the sort George Michael might have worn on a cruise, Craig’s look consciously leaned towards gay codes, although his hip build did not contradict each other with the idea that it was. who was playing with his sexuality. Directed by Taika Waititi (now more famous as Mr. Rita Ora: he married the singer in 2022), the two-minute video was as camp as Christmas. It was also a masterclass in how to change your image and get rid of any ultra-masculine Bond stereotypes.
Esquire Shooting, 2023
“He’s bringing a bank manager” to the internet, when Craig appeared in a piece for Esquire magazine dressed in a navy suit and tie (complete with nerdy tie pins) and gold rimmed glasses, his hair was rather unstyled in a side parting feathered It was a deliberate step away from the macho Bond hero image, even if, for some, it veered too far into Antiques Roadshow presenter territory. “Looks like he’s about to tell your nana that her ceramics are worthless,” said one.
Loewe make-up, 2024
When it comes to wearing unexpected faces, Loewe has form: actresses Dame Maggie Smith and Leslie Manville were the stars of previous campaigns. LoeweCreative director Jonathan Anderson is passionate about creating viral moments, of which Craig’s casting is just the latest. Shot by David Sims, the images show Craig pulling faces in a deliberate attempt to look far removed from the smooth, chisel-jawed Bond stereotype. No wonder Craig is currently filming Queer, the film directed by Luca Guadagnino based on the book by William S Burroughs, in which he plays an outgoing American expat who becomes infatuated with a younger man. Since Lesley Manville also stars, few would bet against it Loewe featured heavily in the film. Either way, Craig sees his home as a home knitter. Is this just the start of her most experimental fashion moment yet?
