1 October 2024 |
It started with trompe-l’oeil lingerie – encrusted, embroidered, knitted – on top of skin-tone bodysuits creating a cheeky sort of optical illusion; the parade of seemingly-skimpy, yet earnestly modest looks came paired with hosiery-style pantashoes secured with seductive garters. It was, of course, Balenciaga, and for the SS25 show Demna built off of AW24’s spliced, diced and reassembled mania.
That meant wardrobe staples were sporadically chopped up together in Demna’s classic ‘fashion victim’ style – think extra sleeves swinging from billowing coats, shirts slung over slouchy bags, windbreakers tied around waists and fully-formed, five-pocket jeans metamorphosed into Medici stand collars that bloomed upward past models’ ears.
About half way through, a series of super-cropped cocoon jackets in leather, washed denim or sportier nylon, knit and flannel styles – all with neoprene interfacings for dimensional structure – appeared. These were worn with hip-bone-edging bootcut jeans – dubbed ‘superlowaist’ – that featured anatomical darting or were cut into thigh-high boots.
Pairing looks with 360° wraparound sunnies or see-through baseball caps that were pulled down over the eyes, hiding models faces from curious crowd members, accessories were a strong point. Aside from the eye-disguising pieces, there were also ‘MESSY’ slogan necklaces and convertible bags with detachable handles, while many of the looks were worn atop high-top basketball trainers.
As per usual, Eliza Douglas closed the show. This time around she wore a huge, sculptural scuba satin gown that worked to marry Cristobal Balenciaga’s emblematic hourglass silhouette with Demna’s somewhat boxier fit. Rendered in a deep, engulfing shade of black, the looming gown offered a grand conclusion to the collaged collection.
Photography courtesy of Balenciaga.
