Behind the Scenes:
Naiads x Balmain Autumn 24
When we received an email from Now Open Agency, all we knew was that a client was looking for swimmers to participate in a campaign being produced in Athens.
At Naiads, we are always looking for opportunities to push the boundaries of artistic swimming beyond traditional performances and into new creative territories. Whether through live shows, brand collaborations, or visual storytelling, our goal has always been to explore how movement in water can become a powerful artistic medium.
At that stage, the identity of the client remained confidential. We discussed logistics, availability, and production requirements before finally learning more about the project.
The client was Balmain.
For the Autumn 2024 campaign, Creative Director Olivier Rousteing envisioned a series of striking aquatic scenes that would blend fashion, movement, and modern glamour. The campaign featured Candice Swanepoel alongside Mamadou Maiga and Achok Majak, photographed by Theo Liu and Francesca Beltran.
For Naiads, it was an exciting opportunity to bring our artistic swimming expertise into the world of luxury fashion.
From Sketchbook to Water
Before arriving on set, the creative team shared a series of visual concepts and hand-drawn sketches outlining the formations and compositions envisioned for the campaign.
What immediately stood out was how naturally these ideas aligned with the Naiads aesthetic. The sketches explored symmetry, clean lines, sculptural poses, and carefully balanced formations—elements that have always been central to artistic swimming and to our own creative identity.
Working closely with the production team, we translated these drawings into living compositions, adapting each formation to work both artistically and technically in the water. What began as pencil sketches gradually evolved into dynamic aquatic scenes, where movement and precision became part of the storytelling.
To reinforce this visual language, our swimmers wore white swim caps and white swimsuits throughout the shoot. The minimal styling created a timeless and elegant aesthetic, allowing the focus to remain on shape, movement, and composition. Against the blue water, the performers became almost architectural elements within the frame, creating a striking contrast that complemented Balmain’s bold accessories and distinctive silhouettes.
The result was a visual dialogue between fashion and artistic swimming—one that felt both nostalgic and contemporary. The clean geometry of synchronized movement merged seamlessly with Balmain’s creative vision, transforming the pool into a stage where luxury, performance, and design could coexist.
More Than Formations
While the synchronized formations became some of the campaign’s most recognizable images, our contribution extended beyond group compositions.Throughout the shoot, the Naiads team collaborated with photographers and creative directors to develop a series of accessory-focused images featuring Balmain handbags, sunglasses, and footwear.
Our performers used their aquatic expertise to create dynamic movements, controlled splashes, floating compositions, and underwater transitions that would have been impossible outside a swimming environment.
Water became more than a backdrop. It became a creative tool.
Every movement was designed to highlight the products while maintaining the dreamlike atmosphere envisioned by the campaign.
The Final Image
One of the most memorable moments of the day came during the final pool sequence.
Candice Swanepoel entered the water wearing an intricately embellished Balmain dress, becoming the focal point of a carefully orchestrated composition.
Surrounding her, the Naiads swimmers formed a circular arrangement while presenting Balmain handbags, creating a scene that felt both theatrical and effortless.
The image perfectly captured the spirit of the campaign: luxury, elegance, movement, and the transformative beauty of water.
