As his latest collection debuted for Balenciaga this afternoon, Demna Gvasalia joined the absolute height of fashion — the world of the couturier. With a collection that mesmerised the eye, he highlighted his distinctive fashion talents whilst fulfilling the legacy of one of fashion’s greatest icons — the legendary founder of the label, Cristobal Balenciaga.
“A lot of people don’t even know that Balenciaga is a 100-plus-year-old couture brand,” the designer told Women’s Wear Daily in a recent interview. “They think it’s a brand that started with the Triple S sneaker. So in a way, it’s kind of educational, but also putting in the spotlight what is the most important thing about fashion, and to me couture is the purest expression of that.”
In creating the first couture collection for the house in 53 years, Gvasalia encapsulated the eye with the darkest of dark blacks that almost absorb the colours around them. The ultra-dark shades appeared so rich that they were almost intoxicating, with their intensity being reminiscent of “Vantablack,” the scientifically produced blackest of blacks.
But his dynamic use of colour was multi-dimensional. The ultra-dark blacks were anything but flat — rather, they were used on a variety of textures including croc, sequins, and leather. Intense and delicate tones were also used on everything from beaded evening wear to super-sized puffer coats with hems trailing the ground — with the super-size pieces tapping into Gvasalia’s signature talent for making gloriously oversized wares.
The cut of the garments were also sculpturally beautiful, with crisp, precise tailoring perfectly curved to the form of the wearer. The variety of cuts ranged from distinct diagonal lines laid out across the body, to curves made even more striking with expertly-placed architectural elements such as padding. These elements hailed to the innovations of Gvasalia, along with connecting the roots of Cristobal Balenciaga’s artistry — with his sculptural skills being a large part of the founding designer’s legacy.
On the accessories front, mask-like sunglasses wrapped around the eyes, and were matched with expressive earrings dripping with jewels, along with elegant long gloves.
The designs came together as a marriage of ultra-modernity meeting a foundation of tradition, with several cuts and embellishments nodding to the mid-century looks that made the house famous decades ago — but done in a way that clearly has the distinction of Gvasalia’s vision.
“I started to question things,” Gvasalia said in an interview with WWD, “I didn’t want it to be a tribute or look only like a homage to the heritage, because that would mean that I stay only in the past.”
The designer also noted that he wanted to create a collection that helped the world reconsider beyond previous limitations of who a couture client might be.
“Instead of buying 20 T-shirts and bags and shoes, you put money aside for one year and you can buy one unique piece that maybe only two other people in the world have,” he said to WWD. WWD also noted that “Gvasalia is adamant that couture can save fashion from the tyranny of “It” bags and shoes that are only a few clicks away and worn by everyone,” with his latest Ready-to-Wear collation for Balenciaga being, ”…a critique on fashion’s obsession with trends and “hero” items, which diminishes individuality.”
Adding to this, the CEO of Kering (Balenciaga’s parent company) Cédric Charbit told WWD that, “Just because you have an Instagram account or because you are taking selfies or because you wear sneakers doesn’t mean that you are not interested in couture. Balenciaga has always appealed to people with a distinct, unconventional point of view.”
Balenciaga’s latest couture collection can be viewed in its entirety by visiting their couture website here.
Words By Victoria Arrington
