A standout memory from Milan Men’s Fashion Week was the flock of screaming teenage girls who descended on Calvin Klein’s AW16 show. While some were there for the brand’s new collection, most were there for Cameron Dallas, the 21-year-old American internet personality, who was attending the show. Now, a couple of months later, Dallas has been unveiled at the star of the label’s new jeans campaign. 

Shot on a beach in Malibu, California, by Jack Pierson, the Vine star poses in a new limited edition capsule of streetwear-inspired pieces – but for Dallas, these images represent something more. “In 2011, I tweeted that I wanted to model for Calvin Klein, so it’s a dream come true to actually be in one of their campaigns,” he says in a statement. “I’ve always been a huge fan of the brand, and these pieces fit perfectly with my everyday style.”

The casting of Dallas in this campaign is a good illustration of where fashion is at right now – where social media followers are one of the most valuable forms of currency. Dallas, who is signed to IMG Models, has 11.6 million followers on Instagram, 6.85 million on Twitter, 9.3 million on Vine and 4.57 million subscribers on YouTube. His reach is staggering – and it’s something that brands like Calvin Klein are harnessing.

The unveiling of this campaign comes amid swirling rumours that Belgian designer Raf Simons is about to take over at Calvin Klein, following the departure of its two creative directors – Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli – last week. While the brand has only said that “an announcement regarding the new creative vision will be made in due course”, time will tell whether there is any substance to these rumours.