Justin Bieber Is the New Face of Balenciaga
Fresh from dropping its new Runner sneaker, Balenciaga has unveiled its latest campaign starring the one and only Justin Bieber. Typically, Demna Gvasalia steers away from celebrity endorsement (or at least working with them), often opting for something much more dystopian such as putting characters into a videogame for Fall 2021 or exploring the realm of deep-fakes.
Despite this, Bieber fronts the Katy Grannan-shot campaign alongside the legendary French actress Isabelle Huppert and various others who frequently appear in Balenciaga’s work — notably Awar Adhiero Odhiang, Anania Orgeas, Isabelle Weldon Herouard, Minttu Vesala, Litay Marcus, Angel aka Emmanuel Culkin Mugisha, Abdou Diop, Taishi Suzuki, Hans Schmidt, and Eliza Douglas.
In Grannan’s usual candid ways, the models pose in front of a recreation of a Los Angeles parking lot emotionlessly glaring into the lens. Her work is intimate and confrontational, somewhat unsettlingly voyeuristic at times because of how close the camera and subject are, and for this campaign, it’s translated into something that feels rather eerie — highlighting Grennan’s style under Balenciaga’s aesthetic.
Bieber wears the latest pieces from the house, notably the aforementioned Runner sneaker and the reworked Neo Classic bag. He adorns an oversized leather jacket, a hoodie and trackpants, coming together for an ‘elevated essentials’ look. Huppert on the other hand is wrapped in an off-the-shoulder trench coat, holding a Balenciaga Hourglass bag for good measure.
