Add fashion icon to the long list of accomplishments accrued by Ayo Edebiri and Colman Domingo, as both stars are now front and center for Neiman Marcus’ 2024 fall campaign.
Starring in an ad directed by visual artist and photographer Tyler Mitchell, Edebiri plays a young woman faced with the predicament of her hat blowing off in the wind. Thankfully this occurs right outside a Neiman Marcus storefront, providing her with an opportunity to not only replace the item, but boost her confidence and sense of flare.
Though the short film is shot in color, it carries an old-school charm, maintaining a 4:3 aspect ratio and containing no dialogue outside interstitials that provide it written out à la a silent film. As Edebiri’s character enters the Neiman Marcus storefront, she is transported to a luxurious world of fashion and beauty with stunning models guiding her to the hat section and immediately plopping one that suits her atop her head. Noticing how Edebiri carries herself in the new cloche, another shopper, played by Oscar-nominated actor Domingo, in a cowboy hat that fits him perfectly, joins her to try on other options.
Together the pair sport astrakhans, fedoras, pillboxes, and more, reveling in the joy of shared shopping and taking on the personas the hats seem to imply. It’s the perfect showcase for an improvisational talent such as Edebiri, but Domingo also seems to be having a blast playing opposite her. As they land upon the perfect green cap for Edebiri’s Hat Lady, she looks into the mirror and imagines herself in a series of chic outfits from multiple eras. Once back in reality, she realizes she may have picked out more items than necessary. Such is the pleasure and pain of in-store shopping.
The short film marks the first collaboration between Edebiri and Domingo, though both have been known to tear up the red carpet at many an awards ceremony.
In addition to his art work and photography, director Mitchell has been known to collaborate with the world of fashion before, having shot Beyoncé’s Vogue cover a few years, as well as shorts for Marc Jacobs and American Eagle.
Watch the full short, entitled “Extraordinary Pursuits,” below.