Balenciaga AW16 campaign, photographed by Mark Borthwick
As June came to an end, Balenciaga’s still-newbie Creative Director Demna Gvasalia presented his first menswear collection for the brand. In fact, it was not only the first menswear collection by Gvasalia, but also the first menswear catwalk show by Balenciaga, as the fashion house has traditionally opted for simple presentations of men’s collections.
While Gvasalia’s interpretation of womenswear – shown earlier this March – exhibited a skilful yet reserved exercise in tailoring, the men’s show was a bolder, more ambiguous statement that left many fashion editors wondering: does Demna fit in at Balenciaga?
Cristóbal Balenciaga, AW 1958, photograph by Tom Kublin, courtesy of Balenciaga Archives
Cristóbal Balenciaga founded the Spanish house in 1919, only to close it briefly in 1968 during a movement of fashion democratisation known as the youth-quake. The designer famously said, “I am not made to dress people in the street.” On the contrary, Gvasalia is the disciple of normcore. His work is not only inspired by street style, it imitates the banal – uniforms, daily wear, the familiar wardrobe staples.
From the beginning, Balenciaga sought to create a label synonymous with luxury. Vogue took notice, lauding the designer for his use of rich and sumptuous fabrics as well as the sense of grandeur his clothes portrayed. And – weird as it might seem – that is exactly what he has in common with Gvasalia. Despite the young designer’s fascination with “the ordinary”, his clothes are far from so. The Gvasalia-brothers elevate street style with their refined cuts, using costly fabrics to create limited edition pieces. The famous (or infamous) “DHL” T-shirt that Vetements showed during its Paris show last winter is a perfect example. Made of high-end materials and sold as a limited edition item, trend analyst Aleksandra Szymanska of The Future Laboratory believes it represents “a different definition of luxury,” going on to include, “it’s about an attention-grabbing visual statement.” Demna’s vision of luxury is ironic, bold and fresh – just what the current fashion system craves.
Left: Cristóbal Balenciaga AW 1958, photograph by Tom Kublin, courtesy of Balenciaga Archives; right: Cristóbal Balenciaga, AW 1967, photo: Balenciaga Archives
Masterful tailoring is another important element of Balenciaga’s DNA. Gvasalia’s recent menswear collection was inspired by Cristóbal’s coat with a missing sleeve. The coat was created by Balenciaga for himself, but was never finished. As Gvasalia stumbled upon it while researching the maison’s archives, he took it upon himself to complete the late-designer’s work. The result was unexpected – a collection filled with broad shoulders, tight-fitting shorts and heavy brogues. While it does invoke visions of “David Byrne meets Vetements”, Gvasalia’s exploration of close-fits and loose cuts follows the steps of Balenciaga himself, who was probably one of the first designers in the west to appreciate the spacious and the oversized.
Left: Balenciaga Men’s SS17, right: AW16
Cristóbal Balenciaga was strikingly ahead of his time. His original designs maintain their contemporaneity even when placed beside today’s avant-garde designs. An exhibition entitled “Game Changers”, currently on display at Antwerp’s MoMU, aims to showcase the 20th century’s most innovative designs and includes pieces created by Cristóbal Balenciaga himself. The presentation reveals that Balenciaga’s approach has much more in common with Margiela than with his contemporary Dior. The sense of immediacy, contemporaneity and modernity is in the DNA of the fashion house. In reality, it might be the very reason why the brand’s owners at Gucci Group have had such difficulty in the search to find a suitable creative director.
With Gvasalia at the helm of the fashion house, the search is finally over. The Georgia-born designer, with his truly breakthrough approach, is bringing back Balenciaga’s legacy that lies in clear cuts, luxury and strong vision.