Since the Covid lockdowns, fashion designers have not stopped trying to find the newest, most innovative way to show their latest campaigns. As of today, we may have found a winner. Instead of just opting for the standard seasonal campaign video (yawn), Olivier Rousteing, the Creative Director for French luxury fashion house Balmain, is partnering with Channel 4 for a first-of-its-kind short-form drama series. The marketing brain of this man is genius.
Fracture launches today on the 2nd of September and is a first for both the fashion industry and Channel 4 for a branded entertainment drama series with a luxury fashion house. During the 5 x 8 minute episodes, the cast’s wardrobe will feature Balmain’s Fall/Winter 2021 designs. Why has no one thought of this before? The cast stars some familiar faces focusing on US singer-songwriter Jesse Jo Stark – who also wrote and performed the original music for the series as in every Balmain collection, the music plays a massive part in the show, Charles Melton (Riverdale), Tommy Dorfman (13 Reasons Why) and Ajani Russell (Skate Kitchen).
Realising that this choice of platform may come as a surprise to the fashion world, Rousteing simply says “Good. That’s exactly the reaction we were hoping for” in the Fracture press release. He recognises that in this current climate, the fashion industry could definitely do with an infusion of “fresh, diverse and distinctive voices”. Balmain is definitely leading the race currently with breaking down boundaries in fashion and finding new ways to connect with their audience – in turn only expanding it even more. The series is set in the outskirts of LA, at Le Rêve, a run-down motel serving as a temporary home for the incredible cast characters. Inspired by the constant binge-watching of Netflix series that lockdown brought everyone, the team at Balmain knew how addictive a drama series can potentially be. So incorporating their newest collection into a powerful drama series is a perfect match.
Fracture will help Balmain reach a much wider audience and for those die-hard Balmain fans it will allow them to experience the fashion house in a totally new, exciting way. As always the legacy of Pierre Balmain will be present in the designs and although a campaign as a series is a completely new prospect, Pierre adored using his designs to tell stories. So what a perfect way to continue his legacy than to actually tell a story. Expect to see the house’s 50-year-old iconic Labyrinth pattern revamped onto new fabrics, scales, and tones. Get your snacks and popcorn ready, this is going to be a good’un.
Streaming in the UK as a box set on All 4. Streaming worldwide on Fracture bespoke co-branded website – www.fractureseries.com
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