THE NEW BALMAIN VIDEO WITH KANYE WEST

The powerful black and white images of the new Balmain ad video were tailor-created around Kanye West's The Life of Pablo track “Wolves” with an intensity and intricacy that resonate throughout heightened by a teary-eyed West and models too. Directed by Steven Klein, the reel was shot in New York City and stars West, his wife, Kim Kardashian West, and a gaggle of models that are a favorite of Balmain's creative director Olivier Rousteing - Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jon Kortajarena, Ysaunny Brito, Josephine Skriver and Chico Lachowski, among others. Rousteing's love for the album, in particular for the Wolves track featuring Sia, Vic Mensa, and Frank Ocean, triggered the idea to create a campaign around the music and lyrics. Fashionwise, the video blends the glossy and glitzy world of Balmain with West's grungy aesthetic epitomized by the rapper's beaded jacket over a white T-shirt and Fear of God jeans. The overall result further cements Rousteing's creed that the music industry is a major and modern source of inspiration that talks to vast number of generations about life in general.