One of the many indignities of being a model is that occasionally, you will be asked to work out under Manhattan’s FDR Drive wearing nothing but a bathing suit. One of the many indignities of being a Vogue reader is that often, you will be watching one of their videos and, out of nowhere, a model begins dancing when... it is clear that is not her natural state.
I digress. Vogue videos have actually been pretty great lately, other than the whole models dancing situation; it’s been a way for the publication to cover musicians (particularly: rappers) that have a fat chance in hell of ever landing a spot in-book. In the above, as a companion to writer Marjon Carlos’s stylish profile of Brooklyn rapper Desiigner—you know, the guy who does that “Panda” jam you can’t stop bumping—Vogue has filmed the 18-year-old alongside Andreea Diaconu and required the latter to parkour in $500 swimwear. Desiigner is known for making overly excitable-looking faces while performing; here, those faces and turn-up/spazz-out arms are juxtaposed with him attempting to practice tae chi with some fellows on the street, as well as Diaconu doing bicycle abs on the pier in $1600 Nina Ricci sandals. Just like everyone in New York does it!
It gets more and more absurd as it goes—particularly because it’s unclear whether Diaconu and Desiigner ever actually met during the course of filming—which I suppose is part of the fun of watching it.