Balmain unveils its Fall 2016 campaign, which also doubles as the new music video for Kanye West’s new single Wolves. The seven-minute video lensed by Steven Klein is part of creative director Olivier Rousteing’s “Music meets Fashion,” ad initiative which he revealed via Instagram last week.
“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. 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.
Although I love my job, the collections and the shows can end up being a lot of hard work. The campaigns, though, are always an absolute joy to be a part of, from start to finish. This one, in particular, was a dream come true.”
The video was shot right after the Met Ball. Pascal, Steven and Rousteing pulled together as many members of the “Balmain Army” who were in town and they worked for two days creating. The video begins with a riff on a Balmain after-party, mixing dance, music, lyrics, photography and fashion in a new way that reflects the unique, diverse and modern side of this historic house.
Rousteing shares: “I couldn’t be happier with the result—or more grateful to all who played a part in its creation.”