Lanvin's spring collection, full of crystal-latticed cocktail dresses and elegant cinch-waist coats, was inspired by the ‘Swans’ – society women of ’50s New York. So it made sense that when it came to choosing the face of his campaign, creative director Bruno Sialelli looked to the woman he considers their modern-day equivalent: Paris Hilton. ‘I got to “know” Paris like everyone else, in the early 2000s,’ says Sialelli. ‘I was instantly fascinated by this persona that was so new to us all.’
The heiress leveraged her ‘famous for being famous’ label into a business empire, becoming the original influencer in the process. ‘I’m always humbled when my friends say I’m the original,’ she tells Grazia. ‘I remember when there wasn’t even the term influencer. I enjoy seeing what everyone does on social media and I love supporting other influencers in their work. I’ve always been ahead of my time.’ And as an entrepreneur, she’s always admired Jeanne Lanvin, the maison’s legendary founder. ‘She built an iconic house that I have been a fan of since I was a little girl.’
The campaign is the latest in a string of high-profile projects Hilton, 40, has been involved in during lockdown. Her YouTube documentary, This Is Paris, was released in September and revealed the physical and mental abuse she suffered as a teen at boarding school, and also how much of a toll playing a character in the public eye has taken on her. ‘The response has been overwhelming. I’m so glad that director Alexandra Dean pushed me to open up,’ she says. ‘I’m able to show that you can go through hardship and come out the other side.’ (The Provo institution boarding school has changed ownership since she was there, and the current owners say they can’t comment on what happened before their tenure.)
Since its release, Hilton has been advocating for young people in residential care through a movement called #BreakingCodeSilence. ‘I just passed a bill in Utah and next I am taking this to a federal level so what happened to myself and so many others can no longer happen to children in all 50 states. My documentary has shown a different side of me and I’m looking forward to this new chapter in my life,’she says. Her Instagram feedis testament to the fact she no longer swallows her feelings about past experiences. Last month, she reposted an interview from 2011where a male interviewer cuts across her as she says, ‘I’ve worked for everything that I’ve achieved,’ with, ‘Stop, stop, stop.’
‘Watching this makes me so angry and disgusted,’ she posted. ‘This is the type of rude, chauvinistic behaviour that I and many other women had to deal with and put up with for years. Grateful that people are finally realising how wrong this is and calling people out for their cruel actions to make change.’
So what advice would she give her younger self ? ‘Don’t be so naive and trusting,’ she says of taking a harder look at the people that surrounded her at the time. ‘Not everyone has the best intentions for you.’
One thing Hilton doesn’t regret, though, is her style. Indeed, until the world returns to ‘normal’, her fans will be pleased to know that she still wears the outfit that defined the noughties. ‘I’ve definitely been spending a lot of time in my Juicy Couture tracksuits.’
SEE: All The SS21 Ad Campaigns
1 of 7MICHAEL Michael Kors
Diana Vreeland's expression, 'the eye has to travel', was the inspiration at MICHAEL Michael Kors, whose spring campaign takes in landmarks (current and historical) of New York. 'As Diana Vreeland famously said, 'the eye has to travel' - and during these times when we might not be able to experience new destinations, we have to find other ways to change our eye and imagine different possibilities. Whether it's looking back at old photos, flipping through a travel book or visiting places in your city or neighborhood, we all need that momentary escape to decompress and feel inspired,' says Kors.
2 of 7Bottega Veneta
Starring actor Sheila Atim, who will soon on screens in an adaptation of The Underground Railroad, Bottega Veneta's Salon 01 campaign was shot by Tyrone Lebon, and makes a very convincing case for matching your suit to your sofa.
3 of 7Louis Vuitton
For pre-fall 21, Nicolas Ghesquière wanted to present a collection that brimmed with vitality and what he called, 'Vuittamins.' Stacy Martin stars in the campaign, wearing sportswear in eye-poppingly energetic shades. 'I love the way she wears my collections,' says Ghesquière.
4 of 7Gucci
Alessandro Michele is clearly spending as much time outdoors as we all are at the moment. Gucci latest campaign, #GucciWinterinthePark, features Vanessa Kirby, the actor lighting up our laptop screens on Netflix's Pieces of a Woman, wearing what we'd love to wear for a walk around our local park: sunshine-coloured tights, a pussy-bow shirt dress and a broad-brimmed hat.
5 of 7Versace
For SS21, Donatella Versace invites her audience into the mythical world of Versacepolis, while Precious Lee, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Mona Tougaard, Mica Argañaraz, Raphael Balzer and Simone Bricchi are her modern Medusas.
6 of 7Miu Miu
Photographed by Steven Meisel, styled by Lotta Volkova, Miu Miu's SS21 campaign, Mind Mapping, stars an impressively interesting line-up, from The Crown's Emma Corrin to the multimedia artist Allison Katz.
7 of 7Jil Sander
For SS21, Lucie and Luke Meier are continuing an ongoing project dedicated to touch, with four photographers creating a constellation of images that star Alek Wek, Vivien Solari, Saskia de Brauw, Lily McMenamy, Ottawa Kwami, Yuri Pleskun, and Leo Bhanji.