Dear Shaded Viewers,
Anticipation built as I eagerly awaited the Balenciaga show, a perennial highlight of the season. The invitations, always a surprise, this time took a unique twist as Demna curated individual pieces from antique collectables found on eBay. Adding to the excitement, the venue was within walking distance.
Upon taking my seat, the program notes held a QR code leading to a captivating experience. Scanning it, Demna delved into the essence of luxury and questioned the very nature of fashion, urging us to contemplate what it means to stay relevant. He astutely defined luxury as the ephemeral, emphasizing that true luxury lies in creativity.
Demna, a visionary as always, masterfully played with the theme of overconsumption. Beyond clothing, the show addressed the overabundance of images, intricately mapped throughout the space using AI, creating a dynamic visual spectacle. The clothes, adorned with tags, symbolized the common practice of acquiring items only to stow them away, never to be worn. Notably, a group of designs embodied the essence of one-minute dressing, where disparate clothing items were thrown together, such as the striking lingerie dress crafted entirely from bras.
The show seamlessly transitioned from day to night, featuring sumptuous frozen draped evening wear and luxurious fake fur coats with resin, evoking a well-lived life. Streetwear elements took center stage, with dust bags, backpacks, and nylon gym bags transformed into tops, skirts, and dresses. Some garments were ingeniously taped for a more tailored fit, yet it was the one-minute designs that lingered in my mind – hoodies ingeniously combined into dresses, culminating in the ultimate lingerie piece as the grand finale.
Set against the backdrop of Les Invalides, the narrative unfolded across screens, tracing a timeline from morning to night amid natural and electronic landscapes. The show seamlessly wove between reality and artificiality, enhanced by stellar editing and a hypnotic soundtrack by BFRND, where voices seamlessly transformed into synths. The experience was powerful, uplifting, and a perfect way to spend a Sunday morning. The memory of those coats still lingers in my dreams.
Later,
Diane
