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fashion
BALENCIAGA SPRING SUMMER 2019
![Alt Text](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c346b607eaa09d9189a870/1538417107085-ZSDQ6RL1RSWMLK1EAFW3/balence1.png) The Canadian video artist Jon Rafman collaborated with designer Demna Gvasalia to create ‘The Ride Never Ends.’ This installation of a cylindrical LED-screen seamless tube, much like a London Underground station, is seen at the Les Studios de Paris within the Cité du Cinema on the outskirts of Paris at Balenciaga’s show. The audience experienced the sound and sight of a rainy day as water droplets fell off the curved ceiling and the sound of thunder reverberated in the background. When the stellar show started, all the screens of the cylinder turned to white and blue with the phrase in capital letters denoting a computer malfunction or even a computer meltdown that many have experienced. An onslaught of visuals and sounds of digital ecosystems and a series of colorful and weird landscapes followed as models navigated the square setting. The show began with a model wearing a black pinstriped sharp shoulder nip waist molded coat-dress, a continuation of last season’s 3-D manufacturing experiment of the house’s couture heritage of novel cuts and silhouettes. The relationship between fashion and new technology and their morphism in a fashion show is what makes this experiment a perfect way to connect the brand to what is driving innovation today – technology. It’s what makes Balenciaga unique and forward thinking. This was also one of the strongest Balenciaga shows in recent season history from the merchandise point of view.
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Gone are many elements of streetwear that were prevalent in the recent seasons leading to the quasi ubiquitous Balenciaga logo on sneakers, baseball caps, tees, sweats, and even raincoats. The focus is on how to make the brands high fashion products elegant, without reverting to logos saved for the LED lit logo on leather boots and high heels. That translated to rectangular shoulder jacket and coats – black for guys, pink wool or black leather coat-dress for girls that continued the discourse of innovative cuts which are the center of the brand’s heritage. The series of one-seam dresses suspended from bone straps, like the red wool silk dress with one shoulder exposed or the blue or yellow silk floor length button front slit dress, were outstanding in both cut and proportion when combined with the leg boots. Large short sleeve shirts tucked into wool skirts or a crisp white irregular collar long, white shirt, paired with a leather skirt had an air of new ‘bourgeoisie’ feel.
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The series of loose buttoned collar shirt-jacket with a side pocket and matching pants for both genders was the new form of a suit for today’s generation who remains less likely to purchase and wear suits as part of their wardrobe selection. Asking how to make a high fashion brand relevant to younger people and coming up with product design that can be incorporated into their lives has proven tasking. However, Balenciaga has transformed the idea of an Adidas tracksuit into an elegant ‘pant suit,’ devoid of its sports or street cred. In a simple way, this new shirt pantsuit recast the idea and craft of couture into ‘neo-tailoring.’ Around the video cylinder monitors walked many products that will be sure to fly out of stores next spring. Boots and heels with the LED logo, print shirts, denim pants and shirts, white leather bags, large sunglasses, wallets with long silver chains, the red large leather bag with beading, and a small white leather clutch are just a few of these revolutionary Balenciaga items.
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Photos courtesy of Balenciaga