Gucci, The North Face and TikTok trainspotting sensation Francis Bourgeois

Gucci, The North Face and...a famous TikTok trainspotter.

Sorry, what's that now?

I would describe this wonderful creation as a bizarre, beautifully eclectic snippet of playful and hedonistic loveliness. Is that too much?

Social media personality Francis Bourgeois, an engineering student who loves trains, has become a sensation in this latest collaboration with Gucci and The North Face brought to you by High Snobiety.

The 21 year old English TikTokker is well known for his hobby, but his fame has been elevated somewhat by taking a starring role in this campaign. Luke Nicolson, his real name, has racked up 2.1 million fans and 36.9 million likes in his pretty short online career.

Naturally, he appears as a train conductor but he makes the character his own with his wonderfully peculiar behaviour, matched with an equally bizarre voiceover done with beautiful vintage overtones and a production that keeps you hooked as you stare on, wondering what on earth is happening in front of your eyes.

The story goes that he welcomes aboard a group of Gucci-clad passengers, with 80s and 90s chic oozing from every pore through reinterpreted monogram patterns and forest themed prints from the new collection. Bourgeois and his travelling guests then enjoy their journey through the Alps.

The bespoke music composition, created out of synthesised train sounds, only adds to the eclectic mix. I found the retro-inspired, sepia-toned production a joy to watch.

It takes me to another world, one that looks and feels beautiful with a touch of hedonism and eccentricity, and I love it.

A fan of Gucci (but only wear it in my dreams), I have to admit that I was not aware of the phenomenon that is Francis Bourgeois. Now I am, I also have to admit that the pairing fits like a Double G lamé jacquard glove. Both niche, quirky and loveable, it's a pairing made in heaven and the oddity of it makes it all the more engaging.

Throw in The North Face (whose previous collaboration with Gucci was also a roaring success (helping the brand squeeze into commercial spaces they never thought possible) and it further supports the relationship between the high-end fashion house and the outdoor brand as they once again come together in the name of adventure and beauty.

And some are obsessed.