Balenciaga’s ominous Spring 2014 campaign leaves Daria Werbowy tangled in ivy and us wanting more. To me, this ad seems reminiscent of Gothic literature like The Fall of the House of Usher, that creepy Edgar Allen Poe story that you were forced to read in high school. Although shot by Steven Klein in a New York studio (not a haunted house), the vibe I’m getting is not off base. Balenciaga’s creative director, Alexander Wang, told WWD that the crawling plants and haunting shadows give “a touch of mystery and dark attraction.” “I wanted to convey a sense of strength and knowingness. Daria is definitely not naïve,” Wang said.
Maybe it’s my obsession with American Horror Story, but I imagine Werbowy is portraying the impossibly chic mistress of the dark and moody house. As the house’s vines ensnare her, she methodically plans her escape, while keeping her artfully painted Merlot pout intact.
[WWD]