The fall/winter 16 Balmain campaign that Olivier Rousteing has been teasing via Instagram is in fact a series of screenshots from Kanye West’s “Wolves” video. This morning West and Balmain unveiled the resplendent, monochromatic video, which is packed with Balmain-clad, teary-eyed models and muses from the top tiers of Rousteing’s #BALMAINARMY, including Dilone, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jourdan Dunn, Josephine Skriver, and of course Kim Kardashian West. Sia and Vic Mensa, who both contributed vocals to the track, also feature in the Steven Klein-directed collaboration.
Rousteing explained how the video campaign came to fruition. “On a chilly afternoon in early February, I was at Madison Square Garden, just as blown away as were the thousands around me — all of us hearing Kanye’s Life Of Pablo for the first time,” he said. “In particular, the hauntingly beautiful Wolves made a big impression on me. From the moment I heard that song, I knew we had to use it for this campaign. I told Kanye that a few days later, when I called to congratulate him. I was thrilled when he immediately responded that he was on board and excited to see how involved he wanted to be — in addition to his music talents, he’s got an amazing cinematographic instinct.” The video was shot right after the Met Gala in just two days — KimYe’s outfits are the same ones they wore on the red carpet — and reflects the diversity and modernity of the storied French fashion house under Rousteing’s rule.
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Text Hannah Ongley