That's what we call a big fashion show. A dramatic reworking of the Balenciaga canon into a thoroughly modern collection presented within a truly stunning setting.
A giant tent in front of Napoleon's Tomb, whose walls, floors and ceilings were huge video screens, projecting a new brutalist structure as 800 guests arrived.
Which then blossomed into a bucolic alpine vista, when the first models appeared, an initial trio dressed in three super looks that referenced one of the founder's Cristóbal dresses: in midnight blue velvet, pleated silk or turquoise sequins. Although each of them was renovated with an aulette on the hip, a term used by Balenciaga's creative director, Demna, to refer to shoulder pads sewn on the hip.
Followed by enormous sculpted coats with funnel collars in faux fur, treated with resin to appear aged, worn with acetate face shields as images turned into giant snow-covered peaks.
It slowly became Demna's DNA with artfully layered dresses made from three inside-out or twisted sweatshirts: repurposed wardrobe looks that had a cool street grandeur. The asymmetrical and highly wrinkled cocktails sought to attract attention, but for the right reason, excellent examples of artistic dressing.
With the support of a powerful soundtrack, veteran models who did not put their arms in the sleeves of the garments starred in the parade. Isabeli Fontana with a lady's coat and arms hanging down; Maggie Rizer, wearing a black cotton shirt dress, with her arms out of the sleeves. Frankie Rayder with bare arms in a trench, and Esther Cañadas doing the same with a black leather jacket worn as an apron with her back exposed. Everyone marched proudly, while the screens gradually became a maelstrom of TikTokers, thousands of young people who insisted on attracting attention and begging for followers.
“I wanted to create this juxtaposition between the idea of content overload and the inability to concentrate. We spend so much time on screens that we forget about the beautiful reality that is out there,” explained Demna, after hugging Kim Kardashian.
His goal, he explained, was to understand what constituted good and bad taste, a subjective choice by definition. Good taste, naturally, emerged from Cristóbal's archives, beginning with a black-and-white photograph from the '60s and a dress, whose shoulder pads became the basis for hip aulettes.
Over time, the natural alpine beauty mixed with fake reality, and guys started wearing hats quite low, to suggest that they didn't want to see this whole artificial digital world. As the set became almost hallucinatory, with video combinations of multiple Parisian squares or dozens of Eiffel Towers, driven by a blaring techno soundtrack. A supersaturated universe where the inhabitants eventually became cyber punks, with a mix of tattered lingerie; backpacks as cocktails; lace stockings, logo camisoles; military boots and comic villain elbow pads.
Although Demna always mixed it up with her latest nomadic travelers with her sports outfits and composed coats.
“Maybe he's turning the Balenciaga bolero into a tracksuit,” chuckled Demna, who carefully picked figurines for each of his 800 guests.
Ours was a ceramic apple.
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