Yahoo Movies Pete Davidson on Modeling in the Moose Knuckles Campaign, Wearing a Dress at the Met Gala and Desire for His Own Line
Pete Davidson, star of “Saturday Night Live,” is having a busy extra-curricular life.
During his “SNL” break, which he equated to summer vacation from school, Davidson shot the Moose Knuckles fall ad campaign, along with Emily Ratajkowski and Adwoa Aboah, which broke this week.
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“I’m a fan of Moose Knuckles, and when they reached out, I was like, ‘Oh, really? Oh s–t.’ I had a great time. I’m friendly with Emily Ratajkowski and I know her husband really well. I’m like nervous to do modeling stuff, and I don’t ever look at myself that way, but when I found out she was doing it and felt ‘oh, that will be fun and I’ll get to hang,’ it’s an easy decision to make.”
The campaign, photographed by David LaChapelle and styled by Kyle Luu, is playful and whimsical and features a frozen cityscape, including an 8-foot ice wave and a life-sized ice motorcycle — inviting consumers to reexamine what they truly need from their outerwear. The ads were shot in a studio in Los Angeles.
“It was really funny watching everyone scramble to get the ice sculpture shots because everything was melting,” said Davidson.
The ads highlight Moose Knuckles’ Comptoir Puffer and Tracadie Jacket on Ratajkowski, the Oar River Jacket and Naufrage Jacket on Davidson, and the Gataga Puffer and Afton Vest on Aboah.
Davidson, who previously appeared in a campaign for Smartwater, said this was his first fashion campaign. “I have a newfound respect for models. It is not easy. Being yelled at. It’s such a crazy experience, so hats off to them.”
David LaChapelle, courtesy shot.
Why were they yelling?
“They don’t yell at you. It’s just, ‘pose,” ‘do this,’ and you’re like ‘OK.’” He said he wore a lot of jackets with no shirt. “During one photo, Emily and Adwoa were fishermen and they had to reel in the fish, and I was the fish. And I still hear this in my sleep, David LaChapelle going, ‘you’re a fish, Peter, you’re a fish. Be a fish for me baby, you’re a fish.'”
Was he convincing as a fish?
“I doubt it,” said Davidson. Asked whether he was compensated with any jackets from Moose Knuckles, he said: “I sure hope they send some. I picked out two of them and I think I’m getting them soon. Winter is coming.”
Davidson said he was familiar with the Canadian jackets even before the campaign shoot. “I feel like I got my money back because they’re expensive jackets. The last two years I bought Moose Knuckles jackets. So when they reached out, I was like, ‘Of course, yes.’”
Davidson said they’ll be putting billboards up in his hometown, Staten Island. “We only have like two billboards in Staten Island, and they’re using them for the campaign,” said Davidson. They go up Oct. 15, “so I get to annoy the whole island.” The global campaign will also appear online and in digital channels, along with a few indie print titles.
Davidson is about to start rehearsing for the new season of “SNL,” which begins Oct. 2 with Owen Wilson as the first host. “It all starts next week. Everybody is like emailing and texting each other so we’re all getting into the habit again,” he said.
Besides appearing in the outerwear campaign, Davidson has been making some fashion statements of his own.
Last week he attended the Met Ball wearing a Thom Browne dress. “I really enjoyed wearing a dress. I thought it was really fun. There’s a breeze that goes up there, and it’s really easy to pee. There’s a lot of freedom,” he said. He said he would wear a dress again. “I will for sure be wearing dresses in my future.”
However, he doesn’t foresee writing a sketch for “SNL” with guys in dresses. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I just thought it was cool,” he said.
He explained that Thom Browne’s people showed him a couple of things and there were a few “kind of like a dress,” and then there was “the dress.”
“If you’re going to go half, you might as well go full dress,” he said.
He said he enjoyed himself at the gala. “I thought it was hilarious that I was there. I just kept laughing. It’s such a spectacle and there are such cool people there. I just thought it was really funny that I was there. I had a great time,” said Davidson, noting it was his first time at the event.
Davidson said he’d love to design his own collection of clothing some day.
“We’re internally talking about it and trying to figure out if anybody would actually want to do that with me,” he said. He said he’s into sweatpants and sweatshirts. “I’d like to make very cozy stuff. I think it’s very interesting what people find comfortable and it’s part of their identity. It’s important,” he said.
As for upcoming projects, Davidson said they’re finishing the script for a Joey Ramone movie, directed by Jason Orley, which will start filming in January and February. Asked if he’s starring in it, he said, “Shockingly yes.” He is set to play Joey Ramone in the Netflix film “I Slept With Joey Ramone.” He also directed his buddy Paul Virzi in a stand-up comedy special for Comedy Central.
“They’re not letting me direct anything crazy yet. It’s my first time directing, and I really had a wonderful time, and Paul crushed it and I’m excited for people to see it.” It will come out close to the New Year.
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