CINEMA VERITE: For his first advertising campaign as Balenciaga’s creative director, Alexander Wang went for a “very cinematic portrayal” of his debut collection, paraded in Paris last February. “With lots of emotion,” he added, “in contrast to the austerity bestowed in the show.”
The American designer booked photographer Steven Klein and cult model Kristen McMenamy, although the focus is on the craft, detail and texture of the clothes, not her face. “[They] were the perfect team to illustrate this idea,” Wang enthused.
The fall campaign is slated to break in a range of June magazines. It will also be splashed over the hoarding of the new Balenciaga women’s store under construction at 148 Mercer Street in Manhattan, slated to open this fall, with a men’s unit across the street at No. 149.