Is Lanvin's Spring Promo the Most Shocking of All?

In yet another thought-provoking ad campaign for Spring 2014, Lanvin has its models doing the unthinkable: talking about how much they love food. Unsurprisingly, the provocative little promo film was directed by virtuoso Steven Meisel, and features a table at which male and female models lounge in glamorous metallics and statement jewelry while toying with half-drunk glasses of water. Which is why the whispered narration, scripted like a conversation between a woman and her male companion, is so unexpected in its lurid description of food.

The viewer is first inclined to think the female voiceover is talking about Lanvin's luxe clothing: "It is a glossy texture…rich," but is contradicted by the next statement, that whatever this person is talking about "is one of the most exceptional things [she's] ever tried, thick and frothy." A male voice smugly replies, "It's my finest work." If you were starting to believe this an advertisement for the best cappuccino the world has ever seen, think again; the ad promo is clearly alluding to a love of food, which you don't usually hear models discussing in lusty terms. But it also evokes human desire for hedonistic pleasures in general, from a decadent dessert to the most extravagant clothing.

Alber Elbaz, Lanvin's artistic director, perfectly summarized the suggestive allure of the short film when he explained to WWD:

When someone whispers, you have to get close and you have to ask them to repeat. Why were they talking about food?

While we were certainly intrigued by the whispers and are a little in love with Lanvin's bold, colored metallics for spring, the advertisement almost distracts from the clothing entirely by focusing on the food-related dialogue. Or maybe we're just hungry.

Image: Lanvin