Is Harry Styles' Gucci Ad really distasteful?

Gucci calls it a ‘performance piece’, but fans are beginning to question the meaning behind the props used in the photography for the anticipated collection, ‘Ha Ha Ha’ with Harry Styles. Could this be the breaking point for celebrities like Styles who work with these questionable big brands, or is it just a major stretch?

Known for his crazy dance moves, his colourful and wacky outfits, put together with his signature high-waisted trousers, covering his sparkly heeled boots, mesh shirts covered by feather boas and a couple of chunky, pearl necklaces, Harry Styles has always been the man of the moment. In fact, he IS the moment. The singer, songwriter, actor and fashion ambassador, has always lived his life by his unique slogan and song lyric, ‘Treat People With Kindness’.

Styles and Gucci’s Creative Director, Alessandro Michele, have finally released their ‘HA HA HA’ collection to signify the true meaning of menswear. It was almost, perhaps, a last ‘hurrah’ before Michele decided to leave Gucci after working with the brand for seven years. With two extremely fashion-aware designers, both with maximalist styles, the least you can expect to see is a display of beautiful, bold colours and androgynous printed garments… all with an eye-wateringly expensive price tag. (Maybe my bank account won’t mind me being £500 short for a Gucci top?) 

But, why is he facing backlash towards his new collection with Gucci?

Since the release of the ‘Ha Ha Ha’ collection ad, it has been quickly deemed ‘inappropriate’ and ‘child-like’ through the so-called problematic pictures on social media, as Styles poses with a small mattress, wearing an angry teddy bear t-shirt from the collection. 

This isn’t the first time this year a brand under the Kering group has been accused of child abusive statements. Balenciaga, the most popular fashion brand in the world, was accused of sexualising children and child exploitation in November. Their controversial Christmas ad featured children holding teddy bears in BDSM bondage costumes and harnesses; there was clearly no connection between the children in the photos to the bears and what they were insinuating.

The uproar on social media spread like wildfire, with TikTok creators calling out Balenciaga for paedophilia and #boycottbalenciaga trending, filling everyone’s Twitter feeds. 

Kim Kardashian spoke out about the Balenciaga controversy, along with her ex (and ironically Balenciaga’s ex too), Kanye West, who dropped him after many outrageous anti-sematic comments. Kim, so far, has no plans in the future to work with Balenciaga and has contacted other brands to work with, after stating, “As a mother of four, I have been shaken by these disturbing images”, and is, “trying to work out how this could’ve happened”.

The question everyone wants to know is, what does the children’s mattress have to do with fashion? Well, it doesn’t. However, the ad relates to his newly released album, Harry’s House. Within the collection of photographs, there is a range of furniture, including chairs and sofas, they even thought about outside of Harry’s House, as he poses next to an unpotted outdoor plant! (I don’t even want to know the price of that one.) So to me, it makes perfect sense to include a bed; especially when the collection includes nightwear, I mean, where is he supposed to sleep in those £2,200 pyjamas… (currently crying).

And of course, neither Gucci nor Styles have spoken out about the ad- predominantly because there’s nothing to talk about- but Gucci did state that the collection is a ‘performance piece’, with “play at the very heart of the collection… Harry Styles showcase the ‘dream wardrobe’, defined by the eccentric use of romantic accents… and the expressive emotionality of the individual.” Well, it’s certain Styles isn’t running out of clothes anytime soon. 

It’s not hard to see that the ‘As It Was’ singer is a high-spirited character, through his seemingly endless amounts of energy. Styles always has something going on, whether that’s his two-year tour, ‘Love On Tour’, producing a new album or filming a new movie; but could 2023 be the year of cancelling Harry Styles?

No. Of course not! Yet some have said it’s time to stop supporting Harry Styles. One comment even stated on their Instagram, “Time to throw away the Gucci items I own. Bye, bye Gucci!”. 

Thankfully, the majority of people are looking past this and continuing to adore him; not like it’s specifically hard. In the floods of comments, fans are arguing allegations against Gucci and Styles; “Maybe the narrative for the photo is that he bought it for his kid. The only people sexualising children are the people going off in the comments here.”

Now is probably a good time to remember that people love cancel culture. After the meltdown of Balenciaga, it’s likely people are jumping to the next brand to attack when really, there’s nothing to question. Whilst the blood of Balenciaga is definitely on Kering’s hands, this time, Styles and Gucci can sit back in Harry’s House and watch the drama unfold.