Thursday, January 28, 2010

Balmain Spring Summer 2010 + Candids

This post has been accumulating on my dashboard for a while as I've been waiting for a proper image from the Balmain Spring Summer 2010 campaign to give my opinion. Its a far stray from previous Balmain campaigns and sadly not the greatest effort from the brand.

Balmain's duty to Daria is unfailing and I see her as the perfect face for the brand - both feminine and boyish, an aesthetic that is identifiable to Balmain. Yet none of these characteristics are quite present in this campaign. Yes, the SS10 collection was inspired by both the army and a sense of the outdoors but I think that the art direction in this shoot was a failed interpretation of that theme. It was as if Inez and Vinoodh decided to throw in any emblem synonymous with battle in a foreign country (look a Jeep! Palm trees!) into one photo and call it a day. Of all of the campaigns this season I am least impressed by this one.

Also I didn't want to be the one to say it but seeing as how many people have brought up the topic ... Don't get me wrong - I am never one to bring up a models appearance or weight in a negative connotation but I can't help but feel that this campaign is projecting a rather unhealthy image. To be honest, Daria hasn't looked this thin since her 2005 year of modeling but in this campaign she looks downright emaciated. I am hoping that this is just the studio lighting combined with the rather unfortunate hair and makeup but this is just one of the reasons why I don't really like this ad.

But enough about Balmain - there are great new candids of old events below. Thanks to some intense sleuthing by Megan from the Daria Werbowy gallery more candids from Daria in Morocco have appeared as well as behind the scenes images from Loewe's website. Its nice to see that Daria had some fun during her work in Morocco! The candid of Daria and the long haired fellow and the one of Daria arriving at her Loewe shooting happen to be my favourites. I've said it before but I'll say it again - I love Daria's laidback style.


Behind the Scenes of Loewe

sources: Balmain ad via fashionweekdaily.com ; Morocco candids from jamesdkelly.com via mm6789 ; Loewe candids screencapped by me via Loewe.com

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