At the beginning of the year, Dazed’s fashion desk launched a gruelling investigation into whether Bella Hadid owns one of those massive Sports Direct mugs. After working tirelessly for 30 minutes we came to almost no conclusion, but the model’s Lady Sovereign cosplay was enough to get the UK's largest sports-goods retailer to Tweet – and then delete – a Photoshopped picture of a mug with her own name on it. With her Lonsdale zip-ups, scally trainers, and tooth gems, it cemented her status as LA’s foremost ladette. But there comes a point in every little lad’s life when they must shed their skin and become a big, proper lad, which is a milestone Bella has undergone in a new Balenciaga campaign.
Showcasing Demna’s collaboration with adidas, the model’s been shot in oversized football t-shirts – reminiscent of Manchester United, or one of the other red ones that I don’t know the name of – a baggy set of tracksuits, and three-striped jogging bottoms. Flanked by Isabelle Huppert and South Korean actress Han So Hee in some kind of skyscraper office set-up, Bella gives off an air of absolute indifference to the workplace; perched on the edge of a desk, eyes glazed over, coloured papers arranged in a busy-looking pile. This is an image of someone who’s never heard the word “Slack” before – and that is perhaps more aspirational than buying a £1,000 top.
The campaign follows last week’s news when Balenciaga and adidas severed ties with Kanye West. After an initial period of silence – where #boycottadidas began to trend on Twitter and people burnt their Gazelles – the German sportswear behemoth took a stand against the musician’s dangerous behaviour. “adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.” With Bella now at the helm, both companies are bound to enjoy a period of calm... though that may be because she hasn’t worked out her way to the computer yet.