Spanish luxury fashion house Balenciaga has unveiled its Spring/Summer 2022 collection via a virtual red carpet-themed runway show created in collaboration with Parisian artist Claudia Maté, who is known globally for her progressive multimedia work.
For the new campaign, Maté transformed Balenciaga's most iconic models into purposefully low-resolution CGI renderings, which are then shown donning the garments from the new collection against a bright red backdrop. Models in the virtual campaign include Tommy Blue, Abdou Diop, Zinedine El Ouazzani, Gwen Lu, Eugenie Bondurant, Marie-Agnès Diene, Aki Nummela, Anania Orgeas, Hansi Schmidt, Minttu Vesala, and Inti Wang.
As a result, the new campaign is both unconventional and quintessentially Balengica; and while the Internet is currently split regarding its artistic value, there's no denying that the campaign has done an effective job of highlighting the label's new retro-futuristic pieces in an innovative and engaging manner.
High-Fashion CGI Runways
Balenciaga Unveils New SS22 Collection Via Virtual Red Carpet
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Runways - As more fashion houses explore virtual runways, there is an opportunity to develop immersive and interactive experiences for viewers.
2. Low-resolution CGI - The use of low-resolution CGI in fashion campaigns presents an opportunity to experiment with the boundaries between virtual and physical fashion design.
3. Retro-futuristic Style - The popularity of retro-futuristic fashion can be capitalized on by companies in various industries looking to incorporate this style into their branding and marketing materials.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Fashion companies can leverage the use of virtual runways and low-resolution CGI to create unique and creative campaigns for showcasing new collections.
2. Technology - Virtual runways and low-resolution CGI in the fashion industry can inspire new applications in the field of virtual reality technology.
3. Advertising - The use of virtual models and retro-futuristic styles in fashion advertising campaigns can inspire innovative approaches in the world of digital advertising and marketing.