Let's examine what's going on in Alexander Wang's fall ad campaign: the model has a perforated turtleneck covering her mouth; extra long gloves that look like a leather welcome mat; seriously messed up hair; and an outfit that wouldn't be out of place on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (a show that is, admittedly, near and dear to my heart).
And yet, despite all the weirdness, this model looks freaking rad. Alexander Wang isn't selling the clothes in his campaign imagery so much as selling a feeling, an attitude, an aesthetic. His girl is tough, polished, twisted, urban, daring. She's not gonna walk down the street with a leather net over her mouth, but she will wear futuristic, sculptural tops and all the leather her limbs can handle.
In fact, here's what she might actually wear:
Ah, here we go, the tamed-down advertisement: less messy hair, a coat that's realistic but still edgy, and lips free from perforated leather bondage. Something tells me this ad might appear in, oh, say, InStyle, while the shot above might appear in V. But both customers are motivated by the same cutting-edge aesthetic.
Which ad do you like better?
