Photographer: Inez & Vinoodh Matadin

The Art Director: Am I annoyed or impressed? I&V keep pulling off these hip too-cool-for-school campaigns that are just so different and interesting, you kinda have to admire the creativity. But somewhere along the line you have to wonder if they are not crossing the line into self-indulgence! I don't know. I think this slides a little bit into the annoying camp. What exactly are they selling? If I had never heard of Balenciaga and I was rich, would I buy based on this? I don't think so.
The Agent: Well thank god for the European clients because without them we would be bored to tears. I don't think I&V are being self-indulgent. They are being true to their culture.
The Editor: I think it's very healthy when advertising ventures do all the things that mainstream editorial can't or won't. I adore that-- controversy or not-- this was a line that was all about bricolage and cutting up and that idea is continued in a campaign that is all about bricolage and cutting up. That's integrity and I certainly don't think the Balenciaga customer was confused as to what the precise product was. The Balenciaga customer probably appreciated the fact that the campaign was not a catalogue of product.
The Art Director: Well, that means the campaign is preaching to the converted. How the hell are you supposed to increase sales with that attitude?
The Agent: With the publicity and promotion and editorial mileage Balenciaga got from this line, do you suppose there is any target Balenciaga customer left on the planet who is not aware of what the line looked like?
The Art Director: Then they were not interested in a consumer who was not a fashion victim.
The Editor: Well, not to be exclusionary or snobbish, that's why Balenciaga works. To get it you have to know. Literally. It's not just gear...it's a restricted membership .
The Art Director: Let's see where they stand a year from now and we can continue this argument! Helmut Lang used to pull these art world stunts. What happened to his cachet?
The Shop A Holic: Balenciaga is cool. It's so cool you can't fight it. You have to have those cargo pants. In fact I have those cargo pants. That says it all.