The iconic Prada Galleria handbag gained its name from the first-ever Prada boutique in Milan’s famous Galleria Mall.
This season, Prada has partnered again with world-renowned actor Scarlett Johansson, to bring back the handbag in a new form.
The campaign is a celebration of technique, an ode to the mechanism of acting as the true motor of cinema – and to the talent of the actor. Acclaimed for her skill, Johansson has gained Tony and BAFTA awards as well as two Academy Award nominations during her career.
Captured in New York City by director Jonathan Glazer, the still and motion images showcase Johansson as an actor, honing her art – repeating phrases with different feelings and meanings, she showcases the infinite self-transformation that defines an actor’s skill. Abstracted, and unreal, it is film at its most cinematic. Yet, as Johansson exits the studio, the creative project then leaps from screen to reality – albeit a reality fictionalized, idealized for us.
In a quintessentially Prada dichotomy, the intimacy of the act of performing can generate contrasts with panoramic normality of everyday life. Cinéma vérité – Johansson, seemingly undirected, as her true self.
The instrument of Johansson’s everyday is the Prada Galleria, seen here as a tool of life rather than a product, a part of an everyday wardrobe. As with Johansson, its persona can transform; as with acting, it is a symbol of excellence in craft. Here, the Prada Galleria is showcased, in motion, as a fundamental facet of a woman’s reality.
