Paris Hilton fronts Lanvin‘s SS21 campaign, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot.

The choice of Hilton stems back to Bruno Sialelli‘s SS21 collection narrative, shown in Shanghai, it was inspired by 1950s portraits of NYC society women, known as ‘swans’. Drawing comparisons between this and today’s culture of influencers and social media celebrities, the Lanvin designer chose Hilton as the “incarnation of this mediatic era in today’s society being at its origin” – referencing the way she was one of the first to build a social media influencer status.

“When we began discussing this campaign, I knew I wanted to portray Paris Hilton in a way that she has never been seen before,” said Sialelli. “She is quite known for her long blonde hair and glimmery style and we wanted to shed light on her ability to transform – much like a swan. As the originator of the influencer movement and the idea of ‘famous for being famous,’ I wanted to show the world how far she has come in the industry that she created. We stripped back the styling and allowed her natural beauty to be captured.”

“I’m humbled to be working with Lanvin for their Spring/Summer campaign and to be able to contribute to the brand’s legacy,” says Hilton on the project. “I’ve always been a fan of the house and personally admire the founder Jeanne Lanvin. She was able to build an empire from one small shop that still exists 130 years later. Her entrepreneurial spirit is so incredible – remind you of anyone else?”