Off-Topic. Emile Hirsch for Valentino?

Now, we get celebrity branding. But why is Valentino taking a sort-of famous young male star, who as more appeal as a teeny bopper or a nerdy sidekick, and making him the backdrop of their new menswear collection presentations? Does anyone else remember Emile Hirsch as the geeky college-bound kid of The Girl Next Door... the one who miraculously ended up with Elisha Cuthbert against all odds, because he wasn't nearly cool enough to possibly land a chick like that? Or maybe you remember him from Speed Racer? No? Me neither. Who really even saw that movie.

Hirsch with the brand’s designer Ferruccio Pozzoni

On the one hand, this could be a brilliant move for Valentino and Hirsch. The brand could turn the young actor into a sexy star, with the right styling. And Hirsch could use the campaign to transform himself from a teenager to a man in the public eye. But also, people like me could see these photos and just balk at the combo. The snaps of Hirsch were shot in Milan by photographer Gian Paolo Ferrari, and will serve as the backdrop for the collection designed by Ferruccio Pozzoni at today's presentation in Paris. Even though Hirsch looks pretty good, we can't help but think someone with a little more edge (say Shia LaBeouf? He's got an arrest under his belt...) might have been a better young-male-movie-star choice.   

Yeah, see? He's got it, for such young fella. Well, I guess Hirsch does have that Into The Wild role going for both his credibility and recognition. And now, a spokes-modeling job, too!

- Hayley Wells

Source: Fashionweekdaily.com