Aries just long-lensed its models for a paparazzo-inspired shoot

Why is fashion so obsessed with the paps? Recently, brands like Bottega Veneta and Gucci have incorporated the spirit of the paparazzi to craft their campaigns, shooting fake pap runs with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny. While brands like GCDS and Poster Girl have also gotten in on the act, the practice actually goes back years, with early forms including Jimmy Choo’s Nicole Richie campaign from 2006, and Steven Meisel’s famed Vogue Italia Hollywood issue a year earlier. Fashion loves a meta-narrative – especially when it’s commenting on our deep-seated obsession with celebrity – and what better way to construct one than a long-lens SLR emerging from a bush?

Now, amidst the current wave of shutter sounds, London brand Aries wants a piece of the action. The streetwear label has just released the first drop of its SS24 collection, and the accompanying Adrian Samson-lensed campaign is billed as “a satirical take on contemporary paparazzi images.” In the bleary shots, models sport the brand’s printed denim, gold hardware and classic logo tees, but these would-be-celebs are more interested in giving it up for the cameras than running from their flashbulbs. Elsewhere, zebra-prints, ombré fades and cracked leather dominate the collection, and the label’s playful riff on Dior’s J’adore logo appears throughout. To see all the paparazzo-inspired images, along with the new arrivals, head to the Aries website here.

In other news this week, New York Fashion Week came to a close after some standout shows from Willy Chavarria, Collina Strada, Eckhaus Latta, Helmut Lang, Coach, Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Sandy Liang; Beyoncé also made a surprise there, turning up to Luar’s AW24 showcase to cheer on her model nephew; Usher took to the Super Bowl stage at the weekend wearing a custom Off-White muscle suit; Seán McGrirr revealed his dark new take on Alexander McQueen; No Erotica’s horny new issue arrived to spice up your Valentine’s Day; Kai-Isaiah Jamal and Machine-A came together to celebrate queer community; the club rats and fashion goths of Paris battled it out for the street style crown; Paloma Elsesser opened up about trolls driving her off of social media; Zendaya tore the Dune: Part Two premiere in an archive Mugler robo-suit; the 2024 Met Gala dress code was kind of snore; plus, to celebrate the start of London Fashion Week’s 40th edition, Tom Rasmussen commemorated its outsiders and freaks, and photographer Rebcca Zephyr Thomas remembered the chaos of its 00s scene. For everything else you might’ve missed, click through the gallery below.