Lanvin's Fall 2012 Campaign Doesn't Have Professional Models

11:30 AM, July 18 2012

By Alison Syrett

An image from Lanvin's Fall campaign hit the internet this morning and it doesn't star a single professional model. Instead, the photograph highlights an unknown (but very well-dressed!) woman and a cute fluffy dog. The rest of the advertisements, which all come out next month, will feature other nontraditional subjects: men and women aged from 18 to 80.

The shoot was inspired by street style, and how clothing looks on different types of people, which is reflected in its eclectic cast of characters. Participants include a waiter, milliner and one older women who actually went to Paris to model years ago but became a showgirl at the Apollo instead. "It felt like a crazy family," the brand's creative director, Alber Elbaz, told WWD. "And I like that."

The idea of shooting "real people" (which honestly, is kind of a weird term—what does that even mean? That models are "fake people?") is not a new one. But the French label's approach feels very fresh. Most companies use this method in a "approachable girl next door" kind of way, but Elbaz's vision is more about making ordinary things seem glamorous. The lady in the picture below may not be Coco Rocha or Stella Tennant, but that's what makes her so striking. And, as Lady Gaga's perfume promotion proves, fashion is much more interesting when it involves the unexpected. What do you think? Do you like this campaign or would you prefer to see some runway models instead?