Previously, when Olivier Rousteing used the hashtag #BalmainArmy, he only referred to living and breathing humans wearing Balmain creations. After the introduction of new models Shudu, Margot and Zhi, however, the definition has changed to become more inclusive. You see, the ladies may appear real but they don’t take on a physical form—Shudu, Margot and Zhi are created through CGI. By having a “virtual army”, Balmain is taking on the trend of virtual models and elevating them to that of luxury-worthy status.
The past months have seen virtual models rise in popularity. You may have caught news of Lil Miquela, the high fashion-wearing, socially aware Instagram model that also happens to be a digital project for Trevor McFedries and Sara Decou. There’s no undermining her reach—Lil Miquela has 1.4 million followers on Instagram as of this writing, and she’s just like any influencer on the platform, if not even more successful. Or maybe Bermuda, another fellow “fake” model that has caused “drama” with Lil Miquela.
Even Shudu may seem familiar to you, but that’s because she was “born” before joining Balmain. Her flawless skin and supermodel photos have generated interest, but also criticism. The “World’s First Digital Supermodel”, or at least it says so on her Instagram bio, was created by 28-year-old Cameron-James Wilson. Rousteing has enlisted his talents to create two more models who “mirror the beauty, the rock style and the confident power” of Balmain, as it says so in its site. Zhi and Margot join Shudu as the fashion house’s new faces for the current generation.
Rousteing explains that in the creation of the two models, the music he listens to has been a great influence, just as much as when he designs for the label’s collections. He has cited Michael Jackson, Prince, David Bowie and Tina Turner in particular for coming up with the looks of both Zhi and Margot. Zhi, the Chinese CGI beauty, takes after Bowie’s edgy and avant-garde image. Meanwhile, Margot has the style and the looks of your typical chic French girl.
Taking Balmain to the future
Since being in charge of the creative direction for Balmain, Rousteing has been a champion of visible diversity not only for the brand he spearheads but also for the industry in general. Criticisms aside on the start of using CGI models, the move to include three virtual women with different ethnicities makes sense, besides the fact that he himself belongs to a minority in the industry—he is just one of the few, too few, designers of African descent to lead an established luxury label.
But he is also seen as significant in ushering Balmain to the current times, being ahead compared to others in Balmain’s utility of technology. He justifies this as a necessary move to challenge the limits of fashion and keep it relevant in a society that is becoming more and more dependent on devices and taking great leaps in technology within short time frames. “My City of Lights” which was released early this year, allowed one to have a glimpse on Rousteing’s creative process. The promotional takes advantage of virtual reality technology though, and is seen as a means to close the distance of fashion and technology.
Image credits: Balmain
