Binding visual state manager to a view model

Using an attached property:

using System;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;

namespace StateHelperSL
{
    public class VisualStateHelper : DependencyObject
    {
        public static readonly DependencyProperty VisualStatePropertyProperty = DependencyProperty.RegisterAttached(
            "VisualStateProperty",
            typeof(string),
            typeof(VisualStateHelper),
            new PropertyMetadata(VisualStatePropertyChangedCallback));

        private static void VisualStatePropertyChangedCallback(DependencyObject s, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            var ctrl = s as Control;
            if (ctrl == null)
                throw new InvalidOperationException("This attached property only supports types derived from Control.");
            
            VisualStateManager.GoToState(ctrl, e.NewValue.ToString(), true);
        }

        public static string GetVisualStateProperty(DependencyObject obj)
        {
            return (string)obj.GetValue(VisualStatePropertyProperty);
        }

        public static void SetVisualStateProperty(DependencyObject obj, string value)
        {
            obj.SetValue(VisualStatePropertyProperty, value);
        }
    }
}

You can bind your view:

<UserControl x:Class="StateHelperSL.MainPage"
             xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
             xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
             xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
             xmlns:local="clr-namespace:StateHelperSL"
             local:VisualStateHelper.VisualStateProperty="{Binding State, Mode=OneWay}"
             mc:Ignorable="d">

    <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
    	<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
    		<VisualStateGroup x:Name="VisualStateGroup">
    			<VisualState x:Name="Normal"/>
    			<VisualState x:Name="Gone">
    				<Storyboard>
                        <DoubleAnimation To="1000" 
                                         Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.RenderTransform).(CompositeTransform.TranslateY)" 
                                         Storyboard.TargetName="AnimatableButton" 
                                         d:IsOptimized="True"/>
    				</Storyboard>
                </VisualState>
            </VisualStateGroup>
    	</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
        <StackPanel Margin="50">
           <Button x:Name="AnimatableButton" Click="ButtonBase_OnClick" Height="30" Content="Click me">
                <Button.RenderTransform>
                    <CompositeTransform/>
                </Button.RenderTransform>
            </Button>

        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>
</UserControl>

View code behind:

using System.Windows;

namespace StateHelperSL
{
    public partial class MainPage
    {
        private readonly ViewModel vm;

        public MainPage()
        {
            this.InitializeComponent();
            this.vm = new ViewModel();
            this.DataContext = this.vm;
        }

        private void ButtonBase_OnClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            vm.State = "Gone";
        }
    }
}

To your view model:

namespace StateHelperSL
{
    public class ViewModel : PropertyChangedBase
    {
        private string state;

        public ViewModel()
        {
            State = "Normal";
        }

        public string State
        {
            get { return this.state; }
            set
            {
                if (state == value) return;
                this.state = value;
                NotifyOfPropertyChange("State");
            }
        }
    }
}