Demna Gvasalia and Kanye West are riding the same wavelength, it seems.
The same day that West launched his paparazzi-style Yeezy Season 6 lookbook featuring close friends (and one Paris Hilton) made over into Kim Kardashian West clones, Gvasalia put forth a similar concept for the Balenciaga spring ’18 campaign.
Shot by actual French paparazzi photographers Sebastien Valiela, Francis Petit, Nikola Kis Derdei and Cyril Moreau, the campaign mimics that of a classic stakeout, in which models, clad in head-to-toe Balenciaga, re-enact celebrities and their signature “don’t photograph me” poses as they run away from the cameras, trailed by hired security guards. It’s meant to frame “the customer as Balenciaga VIP.”
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There are some classic poses, like the face-palm-to-the-camera gesture, but there are others that require a little more muscle, like the bag-as-shield maneuver. And while that spotlights the bags — like a luxe, charm-adorned shoulder bag, a classic quilted style or an oversize Balenciaga-stamped tote — we can’t help but draw our attention down to their footwear — because it’s really, really good.
Our immediate favorites are the dangerously spiky patent T-strap pumps seen on model Stella Tennant, who wears them with a newspaper-print top, a sweatshirt draped over her shoulders, extra-large earrings and cropped plaid pants. The white colorway of the same style is equally spectacular, as seen on Marjatta Nissinen, the 63-year-old costume designer (yay for age inclusivity), along with the black version (modeled by Eliza Douglas). There are also the excessively embellished pumps (worn by Alek Wek), pantashoes printed with dollars and flowers, and ruffled kitten heels. And we love them all for being both beautiful and practical (they were, after all, designed to help you run away from the paparazzi).
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