Kanye West 'Wolves' by Steven Klein
- Chloe Payne
- Feb 20, 2017
- 2 min read
The campaign plan which doubles as a music video: the Balmain campaign released in July 2016 stars the rich and the famous; Balmain Army veterans, Kim and Kanye West and a host of other star-studded supermodels.
On 11th February 2016 Kanye West revealed his seventh solo album - The Life of Pablo, and season Three of his Yeezy collection at Madison Square Garden, New York.
Speaking about the track 'Wolves' Olivier Rousteing (from Dazed Digital): "From the moment I heard that song, I knew we had to use it for this campaign."
The campaign is a clever combination of fashion, music, photography and dance. I instantly loved this video (not just because I am a massive Kanye West fan) as unlike some fashion films I found that my attention was heavily focused on the beauty of the Balmain designs. Kanye's track spilled out feelings of power and strength which emphasised every focus of the video. Sia also features in the song, adding a soothing touch to the intense track.
The video starts with a flickering between the two contrasting settings of a party scene and dark forest - more fitting to the title of the track, 'Wolves'. The supermodels are then lifted off the floor - a sense of them being 'doll-like' portrayed, adding to the dark mood of the film. The embellished designs are mesmerising and instantly recognisable as Balmain. Super models include Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls and Jon Kortajarena. The undeniable beauty of the star-studded model cast complements the equally beautiful designs.
The video has heavy impact, merging the lines between fashion and music, combining both in a way that leaves the audience entertained for the full 7 minutes.
Kanye and Kim appear in their 2016 Met Gala outfits, the other models pull at Kim's face, as tears roll down her cheeks. They also pull at her body at the exact moment the lyrics read 'somebody took advantage'. These moments create almost uncomfortable viewing for the audience as she appears in discomfort, but again this fits the sound track and indulges the video in drama. Multiple models can be seen with tears down their faces, this creates the impression again of a deeper darkness which is behind the song. The pace of the fashion film is quick which avoids any chance of the audience losing interest.
The flickers into the party make the video more raw and add a sense of realism. These fit in well, complementing the previous settings, I like this part of the video, I think that seeing the designs in a more real life setting make them more appealing to those who would want to buy them - they make them look like the perfect dress for such a wild but high class event. The video is young, relevant, and clearly popular, having been published on YouTube on 29th July 2016, less than one year on there have since been 17,308,381 views. (As of 12.50pm on 20th February 2017).
The film is effective in communicating both Kanye's desired message and Olivier Rousteing's for Balmain.
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