For the house’s Couture collection revealed in Paris today, Balenciaga showcased a tribute to subculture dress codes.
Key pieces in the collection included everyday wardrobe pieces lined in silk scuba satin and t-shirt prints were constructed with oil hand-painted drawings.
Elsewhere, a variety of pieces were uncycled and reconstructed including body-conscious twisted gowns and an all-you-can-wear bell-shaped ball dress.
Through the show notes in Paris, Artistic Director Demna explained his inspiration for the house’s latest collection: “I chose four permanent components of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s last two decades of collections and applied them to my design aesthetic in order to create a bridge between Balenciaga’s signature elegance and silhouette and my own personal style.”
These four omnipresent codes were ¾ length sleeves, a focus on silhouette profiles and cocoon shapes, extravagant headwear and fabric innovation.
Other key looks in the collection included a white column dress made of melted and upcycled plastic bags, moulded onto the body.
Another, was a gown made entirely of one piece of leather – without any cut edges, darts or seams and held together with a giant safety pin.
