They’re models, but they’re not human!
Fashion house Balmain has caused quite a stir by ditching humans for digital models in its latest campaign
IT’S a go-to design house for glitzy events – celebs from Kim Kardashian to Jourdan Dunn and Gigi Hadid have been draped in Balmain creations. Yet when the French fashion house recently unveiled its pre-autumn 2018 collection, it didn’t call on any It girl or A-lister to showcase its range. Instead, Balmain’s creative director, Olivier Rousteing (33), picked three virtual supermodels as his muses. The digitally created women – Zhi, Margot and Shudu – were introduced as part of the “Balmain Army”.
“This is the beginning of what it will mean to present diversity in the world,” Rousteing said.
“Anyone and everyone is always welcome to join Balmain Army’s growing ranks,” Balmain added on its website. “They need only share our bold spirit of adventure.”
Rousteing is known for his edgy style and focus on bringing the French fashion empire to the forefront of the digital age, Harper’s Bazaar magazine reports.
The models are part of his plan to promote diversity in the modelling world and to bridge the gap between fashion and reality. “For me, virtual reality is the future,” Rousteing told fashion-industry journal Women’s Wear Daily.
“I really believe it’s going to change fashion shows and the dynamic of journalists and influencers at some point. It’s going to be a revolution.”
But not everyone is behind the uprising.
SHUDU made her first big public splash back in March when pop star Rihanna’s beauty brand reposted an image of the virtual model wearing Fenty Beauty lipstick. At the time critics complained the darkskinned model was taking work from real people of colour in the industry.
Her creator, British photographer Cameron-James Wilson (28), was panned for creating “an idealised (and fake) black woman”. He should’ve devoted time and resources to cast and shoot real darkskinned models and promote their beauty and careers, critics said.
In response Wilson said Shudu may not be real but she “represents a lot of the real models of today”.
“Her main inspiration is a South African Princess Barbie. Obviously, her reallife inspirations are pulled from so many women – Lupita [Nyong’o], Duckie Thot and Nykhor [Paul] – even throwing it back to Alek Wek, who was a massive influence on how I saw beauty growing up.”
Shudu is adding to the movement, he added. “It’s not trying to take away an opportunity from anyone or replace anyone. She’s trying to complement those people.”
Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, Balmain recruited Shudu’s creator to bring to life the rest of the artificial line-up. “Chinese beauty” Zhi was modelled after David Bowie. “She’s the one pushing the agenda David Bowie did in the past,” Rousteing says. Margot is described as the French girl of his dreams.
Rousteing was inspired by Michael Jackson in how he wanted to represent the brand. “That’s what I’m trying to do with the virtual-reality army: different beauty, shapes, ages and genders.”