Now that’s what we call a great fashion show. A dramatic reworking of Balenciaga’s canon in the thoroughly modern collection staged inside a truly stunning set.
A giant tent in front of Napoleon’s Tomb, whose walls, floors and ceilings were massive video screens, that projected a new brutalist structure as 800 guests arrived.
Which then bloomed into a bucolic Alpine vista, as the first models appeared, an opening trio attired in three super-looks that referenced one of founder’s Cristobal’s dresses – in midnight blue velvet, putty plissé silk or turquoise sequins. Though each revamped with a hip-aulette, Balenciaga’s creative director Demna’s term for shoulder pads sewn into the hip.
Followed by massive, sculpted coats with funnel collars in faux fur, treated with resin to look aged, worn with acetate face shields as the imagery turned to giant snow covered peaks.
Gradually morphing into Demna’s DNA with artfully thrown-together dresses made of three upside-down or askew sweatshirts – repurposed wardrobe looks, that had a cool street grandeur. Wildly crumpled asymmetrical cocktails were all attention seeking, but for the right reason, prime examples of artistic dressing.
Supported by a pounding soundtrack, veteran models each not putting their arms in the garments’ sleeves starred in the show. Isabeli Fontana in ladylike coat, with arms dangling; Maggie Rizer, in a black cotton shirt dress, with the arms out of the sleeves. Frankie Rayder with bare arms in a trench, and Esther Cañadas doing the same in black leather jacket worn like an apron with the back exposed. All marched proudly, as the screens gradually became a maelstrom of TikTokers, thousands of attention-insisting youth begging for followers.
“I wanted to create this juxtaposition about the idea of an overload content and us not being able to focus. We spend so much time on screens that we forget about the beautiful reality out there,” explained Demna, after embracing Kim Kardashian.
His goal, he explained, was to understand what constituted good and bad tastes, a subjective choice by definition. The good taste, naturally came from the archives of Cristobal, beginning with a 1960s black-and-white photo and dress, whose shoulder pads became the basis for the hip-aulettes.
Eventually the Alpine, natural beauty blended into fake reality, and guys began wearing beanies quite low, to suggest they don’t want to see all this artificial digital world. As the set became almost hallucinatory, with video mashups of multiple Paris squares, or dozens of Eiffel Towers, driven on by a blasting techno soundtrack. An oversaturated universe where the inhabitants became cyber punks at the finale, in mixes of tattered lingerie; backpacks as cocktails; lace tights, logo camisoles; military boots and comic villain arm pads.
Though Demna always leavened the mix with his latest nomadic travelers in his composite track suits and coats.
“Maybe I am turning the Balenciaga bolero into a tracksuit,” chuckled Demna, who handpicked figurines for each of his 800 guests.
Ours was a ceramic apple.
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