Sam Smith is the new face of Balenciaga
By Kevin Long
Balenciaga have revealed Sam Smith as the face of their Autumn/Winter 15 menswear collection in newly-released images and a fashion short from the campaign.
The Stay With Me singer serves up brooding poses in an all black-and-white campaign which photographs him in an enclosed dome space sitting alongside a table with blocks of ice. The aesthetic evokes the inspiration behind Balenciaga’s new season: the purity of forms found in nature.
The campaign, which includes a short film, was photographed by Josh Olins who previously shot David Beckham, Pharrell and Rita Ora for Adidas.
Shots from the campaign were released via both Sam’s and Balenciaga’s Instagram accounts, accompanied by the hashtag #BALXSAMSMITH earlier today.
Speaking to i-D, Balenciaga’s creative director Alexander Wang had this to say about working with the 23-year-old British artist: “It has been a longtime dream for me to collaborate with Sam Smith at Balenciaga and an honor. Sam Smith is an international star and the voice of our generation but for this special project we thought of ways to convey a more mysterious side to his persona, something unexpected and subtle.”
Sam was “honoured” to have been chosen by Balenciaga to represent them for their next campaign. “I have been a devoted fan of the brand for a while now. I love how intimate it feels,” he said. “I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be wearing these clothes let alone modelling them.”
Sam’s not the first star to front a Balenciaga campaign. Previous faces that worked with the brand include Kristen Stewart and Rihanna.
Earlier this month, the singer’s debut album, In The Lonely Hour, was named as the best-selling album of 2015 so far in the UK. The album has gone on to shift over 8 million copies worldwide since its release. He is currently touring North America before returning to the UK in August to perform at V Festival.