Kim Kardashian is the face of Balenciaga‘s latest Bel Air handbag campaign. As part of the brand’s ongoing Characters series photographed by Nadav Kander, Kardashian carries two iterations of the viral tote, named for the ultra-wealthy Los Angeles enclave.
In the latest “character study,” Kardashian poses in front of a white backdrop, wearing Balenciaga staples such as a faux fur coat, a skintight turtleneck dress, heeled sock boots and distressed tights. The companion video concept shows Kardashian in the middle of a photo shoot confirming a dinner date on a phone message in a voice-over.
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The Bel Air’s hallmark is a logo-engraved metal twist lock. Available in black, beige and ivory colorways, the calfskin tote features two slender belts across the front, as well as a softened napa lining. The original Bel Air and the Hobo iteration come in multiple sizes.
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“[The Bel Air’s] construction is deceptively relaxed, with a fortified, round-edged build designed to live as a timeless heirloom,” Balenciaga’s press release reads.
Previously, Balenciaga ambassadors Michelle Yeoh and Isabelle Huppert have modeled for the Characters campaign. Kardashian also appeared in the Characters campaign featuring the Rodeo handbag, which debuted in July.
The Bel Air initially was featured in Balenciaga’s fall 2024 presentation in Paris in March. WWD’s Miles Socha said the collection “stayed true to [creative director Demna’s] hardcore, DIY inclinations but with less angst and more wry humor, even playfulness.”
Kardashian was named a Balenciaga brand ambassador in 2024, while Yeoh and Huppert joined the lineup in 2023.
In a diversion from the micro bag trend, slouchy silhouettes have reemerged on the runway, with labels like Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Tory Burch favoring roomier models. As the popularity of the “Old Money” aesthetic proliferates among Gen Z, a younger, hipper audience finds themselves drawn to styles once preferred by retro style icons like Lee Radziwill, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and Princess Diana.