Balenciaga
Family, friends and fashion. These three words were at the center of the Balenciaga collection that celebrated the main philosophies of Demna, consolidating its creative codes.
Situated in Les Invalides on a podium lined with cinematic red curtains, the show began with his mother Ella wearing a four-sleeved mutant coat. “It is the epitome of what the general public thinks about fashion. This show was a celebration of this,” he said behind the scenes, invoking with a smile the reactions that any eccentric or idiosyncratic stylist has encountered in the real world. Growing up feeling different – a sensitivity with which so many fashion fans can identify – Demna’s relationship with clothes has been extremely important to develop and express her identity.
Alongside his mother, the 88 models included his teacher Linda Loppa, the fashion critic Cathy Horyn, his longtime publicist Robin Meason, his muse Renata Litvinova, his longtime house model Yuri, his creative director Martina Tiefenthaler, Kering’s fashion director Lionel Vermeil, and his partner Loik Gomez, who closed the show as a Balenciaga bride. In addition to family, friends and colleagues – and illustrious personalities such as Amanda Lepore – Demna invited many well- known faces from his early career shows to join him. “I needed to see them back,” he explained. “This was probably my most personal and favorite collection. It was about me, it was about my story. I really needed to do this because I had a horrible year, as everyone knows,” he said, referring to the turbulence surrounding last year’s Christmas campaign.
“Doing something for myself is part of my therapy and learning to love myself. It was one of the important steps I had to take,” said Demna. The collection and its surroundings could not The designer Demna Gvasalia surprised the fashion world with an impressive twist in his last show, in contrast to the sober and clinical spectacle he presented last March, in response to a turbulent period. This last presentation marked his return to the subversive, authentic and extreme roots that made him known before his passage through Balenciaga and that, ironically, resulted in the loss of his previous job.
He brought back elements such as surreal tailoring, worn biker jackets, bathrobes turned into coats, waxy-looking floral dresses that resembled outdoor tablecloths, strange warm clothes and glamorous high-octane dresses. Demna explained his motivation, stating: “March was very polished and I realized that I don’t like it when everything is polished. I like it when things are challenging. I like it when fashion is an authentic extension of who I am.”
The invitation to the parade was remarkable – a copy of Balenciaga’s book “La Veste Tailleur”, a manual dedicated to the teaching of tailoring, specifically on how to make a jacket. During the parade, a soundtrack that combined classic and techno elements, skillfully performed by Demna’s musician husband under the stage name BFRND, was accompanied by the voice of Isabelle Huppert reciting excerpts from the book in an increasingly frantic way as the show progressed. Demna compared this frenzy to the passion that involves true sewing, highlighting: “We give a lot of value to what we do in fashion, but it is interesting to note that, in the studio, it would take an hour to read the instructions on how to make a jacket. I want to highlight this appreciation of the process.”
He emphasized that his focus is not on popularity metrics on social media or flashy titles in articles, stating: “For me, these things don’t matter. I am here to create clothes that people want to wear, and I have a dedicated team to help me achieve this goal. I wanted to share this passion for the process with them today.”
Valentino
In his latest venture, creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli transported us back to the origins of the fashion house, to the renowned École des Beaux-Arts, the prestigious Parisian art school that once had Valentino Garavani as a diligent student. At that time, Garavani moved to study at school. Today, the school changed for him.
With the majestic setting of manirist statues and the historic walls of the 200-year-old institution, where the iconic Garavani, at the age of 91, forged his name Valentino, Piccioli presented a true “celebration of femininity and creativity”. However, in contrast to the 2023/2024 Haute Couture parade, this season’s parade focused on two distinct fronts.
Under the presentation of British singer FKA Twigs, the show presented an impressive dance performance entitled ‘Unearth Her’, accompanied by a group of contemporary dancers. Boxes full of sand and debris turned into platforms for this troupe, creating an engaging spectacle.
Inspired, in part, by the strength that women demonstrate in the face of adversity – a central theme of this season, with Maria Grazia Chiuri from Dior exploring similar concepts of female empowerment – Piccioli’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection presented a series of looks designed to face the growing number of attacks on women in Italy. Piccioli took delicate elements such as flowers – often used to portray femininity as synonymous with fragility – and reinvented them in solid and powerful interpretations, challenging common fashion stereotypes that aim to empower women (such as simply dressing them in men’s clothes).
Denim, an inseparable friend of women, made an equally fabulous return after its highlight in the Haute Couture parade earlier this year. Piccioli’s striking Barbie pink hue appeared only briefly, while the vibrant neutrals and red highlighted captivating textures and unique craftsmanship. In the most elegant creations, we find mini-sobers, cutouts and bright details that question the outdated concepts about women’s clothing choices for the night and the meaning that this has for them.
“It is important tIt is important that women have the freedom to express themselves through their bodies without being judged,” Piccioli said during a preview at Valentino’s backstage in Place Vendôme. “There are mistaken perceptions regarding nudity and exposure of the body. I like the idea of Eden before original sin, where we add the cliché idea of sensuality and seduction to the body. I believe that women should have freedom of choice, always,” he explained.
Although this collection is designed by a man, Piccioli uses his influential platform – both in terms of the direct attention that his work generates and the influence that fashion can have on culture – to advance a conversation that was stagnant for a long time, pushing the limits and bringing up important issues.
Y/Project
Y/Project, under the creative direction of Glenn Martens, made a remarkable return to Paris Fashion Week with a presentation that merged elements of club and haute couture for the SS24 season. The brand is known for its creative approaches that challenge the boundaries between men’s and women’s clothing, and in this parade, we witnessed a collection that exuded a bold delicacy, ready for both hectic nights and refined appearances on the red carpet.
The industrial scenario, with its high ceilings and walls of peeled white paint bricks, provided an ethereal and contrasting environment with the elegance presented. This echoed Martens’ ability to bring beauty to brutalism, something he has demonstrated in the past through his avant-garde interpretations of jeans, influenced by workwear, and a sensitivity of streetwear design.
The collection began with long monk’s cloaks, built from reused overcoats, torn and arranged asymmetrically under a single lapel. A totally black and bright variation added a unique perspective, reminiscent of Martens’ vision of a fashionable “Grim Reaper”.
Then, the tailoring received an injection of streetwear-style prints, which overlapped faded stripes. An example of this style was the combination of blazer and pants, complemented by black square-toed leather boots, which stood out under the oversized pants. These prints also appeared on an ankle-length skirt, which was worn with a slightly crumpled Y/Project shirt. The denim skirts showed a business side on the front and a party touch on the back, with layers that fell below the knee and a bold miniskirt cut on the back, combined with a turtleneck shirt.
In the middle of the parade, the atmosphere changed, with a series of sexy and provocative looks that resembled the vibe of a nightclub. The line between sports and work clothes became blurred, with wide work boots combined with shorts and vests below the knee. The models walked confidently, with one hand in their pocket, channeling the uninhibited energy often associated with Martens’ designs. The bold shorts added a hedonistic touch, with wool pants that were unbuttoned at the waist, plaid dresses worn in a relaxed way and bags loaded on the side.
The utilitarian deconstruction made its appearance in the form of a beige bomber with a front opening, accentuated by zipper details that extended from the shoulders to the back. It was combined with two-tone indigo jeans, which were tucked into wide black boots. The subsequent looks maintained the same freshness, combining layered shorts that mixed elements of tailoring with a touch of sports basketball style, complemented by unbuttoned used jackets, perfect for creating an imposing presence.
Other looks featured sweatpants combined with square-billed cowboy boots, along with navy blue vests that captured the bold energy of the “club kid” style that remained after a busy night. Similarly, a set included wide jeans in the cargo style, with details that protruded from the thighs, combined with a hooded sweatshirt stripped of the same material, highlighted by red details.
To close the show, Martens presented a series of more delicate and refined looks, incorporating transparent fabrics in the creation of long and fluttering black and white dresses. A pink striped Oxford shirt style dress was combined with sensual silk for a feminine touch. In addition to the light dresses, gray tailoring pants used with coordinated overcoats were exhibited, featuring turtleneck closures on the neck, complemented by men’s looks in total black.
The Y/Project woman embodies an intriguing fusion between feminine sensuality and boldness, reflected in knee-length furrowed dresses that combine light blue lace with off-white silk, complemented by a pink “snakelace” that evokes the image of a snake wrapping its prey.
Martens ended his extravagance of men’s and women’s looks with a series of haute couture pieces, including dresses, jeans, pants and jackets built with rigid and furrowed details that spread across the body. The dresses were adorned with soft shades of pink and turquoise, and were skillfully wrapped around the heads of the models. The parade culminated with the models parading side by side, hands in their pockets, providing a last example of the eclectic and captivating approach to Y/Project’s design. The brand’s SS24 parade covered everything it represents, being at the same time avant-garde, daring and ready to shine on the red carpet, elevating everyday fashion to an artistic manifestation.